The Sony MDR-M1 is 50Ω at 102.0 dB/mW; the Sony MDR-MV1 is 24Ω at 100.0 dB/mW. This page covers what they ask of an amplifier, not how they sound.
The MDR-MV1 needs 2.0 dB more than the MDR-M1 to reach the same loudness — 1.0 mW against 0.63 mW.
| Specification | MDR-M1 | MDR-MV1 |
|---|---|---|
| Impedance | 50 Ω | 24 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 102.0 dB/mW | 100.0 dB/mW |
| Sensitivity (voltage) | 115.0 dB/V | 116.2 dB/V |
| Power for 100 dB | 0.63 mW | 1.0 mW |
| Voltage for 100 dB | 0.18 V | 0.15 V |
| Current for 100 dB | 3.6 mA | 6.5 mA |
| Highest source impedance that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule) | 6.25 Ω | 3.00 Ω |
| Sources that reach 100 dB out of 280 | 280 | 280 |
Every source in the database that drives one of them drives the other. On power, the choice between these two changes nothing about what amplifier you need.
1 source is low enough in output impedance for the MDR-M1 under the one-eighth rule but not for the MDR-MV1 (Shanling H5).
280 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both.
The MDR-M1 is more demanding than 52% of the 567 non-electrostatic models in this database; the MDR-MV1 than 47%.
| dB SPL | MDR-M1 power | MDR-M1 voltage | MDR-MV1 power | MDR-MV1 voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 6.3 µW | 18 mV | 0.01 mW | 15 mV |
| 85 | 0.02 mW | 32 mV | 0.03 mW | 28 mV |
| 90 | 0.06 mW | 56 mV | 0.10 mW | 49 mV |
| 95 | 0.20 mW | 100 mV | 0.32 mW | 87 mV |
| 100 | 0.63 mW | 0.18 V | 1.0 mW | 0.15 V |
| 105 | 2.0 mW | 0.32 V | 3.2 mW | 0.28 V |
| Source | Price | Headroom, MDR-M1 | Headroom, MDR-MV1 | Output impedance | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JadeAudio JA11 | $20 | 14.8 dB | 13.5 dB | 0.5 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO KA11 | $29 | 23.1 dB | 23.3 dB | 0.7 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO BTR11 | $36 | 14.8 dB | 15.4 dB | 0.5 Ω | 8.0 µV |
Of the 280 sources here, 280 reach 100 dB on both. 69 of them also publish an output impedance low enough for both under the one-eighth rule and a noise figure that stays below the audible-hiss threshold with both.
The cheapest of the 69 is the JadeAudio JA11, at $20. It leaves 14.8 dB of headroom on the MDR-M1 and 13.5 dB on the MDR-MV1, its output impedance is 0.5 Ω against a one-eighth limit of 6.25 Ω and 3.00 Ω, and its noise figure puts the hiss floor 20 dB and 19 dB below the 20 dB SPL this site treats as the point where a quiet room stops hiding it.
| Model | As printed | Tolerance | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDR-M1 | 5 Hz - 80,000 Hz (JEITA) | not printed | JEITA |
| MDR-MV1 | 5 Hz - 80,000 Hz (IEC) | not printed | IEC |
Sony prints 5 Hz - 80,000 Hz (JEITA) for the MDR-M1 and 5 Hz - 80,000 Hz (IEC) for the MDR-MV1.
Neither range has a tolerance printed beside it, so a wider range on one sheet is not deeper bass or more treble.
Not a measurement; maker by maker.
Both have a page of their own. In full: Sony MDR-M1 and Sony MDR-MV1. Every figure on this page comes from what Sony published, or is derived from it — what that maker publishes, counted.