Sony MDR-7506 vs ZMF Atrium: which needs more amplifier?

The Sony MDR-7506 is 63Ω at 106.0 dB/mW; the ZMF Atrium is 300Ω at 96.0 dB/mW. This page is only about what they ask of an amplifier — not how they sound, which no specification on either sheet can tell you.

The ZMF Atrium needs 10.0 dB more than the Sony MDR-7506 to reach the same loudness — 2.5 mW against 0.25 mW.

The numbers that decide it

SpecificationSony MDR-7506ZMF Atrium
Impedance63 Ω300 Ω
Sensitivity106.0 dB/mW96.0 dB/mW
Sensitivity (voltage)118.0 dB/V101.2 dB/V
Power for 100 dB0.25 mW2.5 mW
Voltage for 100 dB0.13 V0.87 V
Current for 100 dB2.0 mA2.9 mA
Highest source impedance
that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule)
7.88 Ω37.50 Ω
Sources that reach 100 dB
out of 280
280277

Where the two part company

3 of the 280 sources have the power for the Sony MDR-7506 but not for the ZMF Atrium — Apple USB-C dongle (EU), Steinberg UR22C, Sony NW-A306.

19 sources are low enough in output impedance for the ZMF Atrium under the one-eighth rule but not for the Sony MDR-7506 (Zoom AMS-22, Arturia MiniFuse 2, Arturia MiniFuse 1, 16 more).

277 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both. That count is about power only — the output-impedance and hiss lines above are separate questions, and a source can pass this one and fail those.

Both pages in full

Each model has a page of its own with the full source list, the hiss estimate and the provenance of every figure above: Sony MDR-7506 and ZMF Atrium. Every figure on this page comes from what Sony and ZMF published, or is derived from it — what Sony publishes and what ZMF publishes, both counted.