The Sony MDR-M1 is 50Ω at 102.0 dB/mW; the Sony WH-1000XM5 is 16Ω at 100.0 dB/mW. This page covers what they ask of an amplifier, not how they sound.
The WH-1000XM5 needs 2.0 dB more than the MDR-M1 to reach the same loudness — 1.0 mW against 0.63 mW.
| Specification | MDR-M1 | WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Impedance | 50 Ω | 16 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 102.0 dB/mW | 100.0 dB/mW |
| Sensitivity (voltage) | 115.0 dB/V | 118.0 dB/V |
| Power for 100 dB | 0.63 mW | 1.0 mW |
| Voltage for 100 dB | 0.18 V | 0.13 V |
| Current for 100 dB | 3.6 mA | 7.9 mA |
| Highest source impedance that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule) | 6.25 Ω | 2.00 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 WH-1000XM5 (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 WH-1000XM5 than 40%.
| dB SPL | MDR-M1 power | MDR-M1 voltage | WH-1000XM5 power | WH-1000XM5 voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 6.3 µW | 18 mV | 0.01 mW | 13 mV |
| 85 | 0.02 mW | 32 mV | 0.03 mW | 22 mV |
| 90 | 0.06 mW | 56 mV | 0.10 mW | 40 mV |
| 95 | 0.20 mW | 100 mV | 0.32 mW | 71 mV |
| 100 | 0.63 mW | 0.18 V | 1.0 mW | 0.13 V |
| 105 | 2.0 mW | 0.32 V | 3.2 mW | 0.22 V |
| Source | Price | Headroom, MDR-M1 | Headroom, WH-1000XM5 | Output impedance | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JadeAudio JA11 | $20 | 14.8 dB | 11.8 dB | 0.5 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO KA11 | $29 | 23.1 dB | 23.9 dB | 0.7 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO BTR11 | $36 | 14.8 dB | 16.5 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 11.8 dB on the WH-1000XM5, its output impedance is 0.5 Ω against a one-eighth limit of 6.25 Ω and 2.00 Ω, and its noise figure puts the hiss floor 20 dB and 17 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 |
| WH-1000XM5 | 4 Hz - 40 000 Hz (JEITA) | not printed | JEITA |
Sony prints 5 Hz - 80,000 Hz (JEITA) for the MDR-M1 and 4 Hz - 40 000 Hz (JEITA) for the WH-1000XM5.
WH-1000XM5: Printed for the wired connection with the headset switched on; Sony gives no figure for the wireless mode.
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 WH-1000XM5. Every figure on this page comes from what Sony published, or is derived from it — what that maker publishes, counted.