The Mark Levinson brand is no stranger to fans of high-end audio gear, it is one of the most iconic. Now under the Harman/Samsung umbrella, the company has access to tremendous engineering talent, which has resulted in the release of Mark Levinson № 5909 headphones ($999), the first foray into personal audio for this famous audiophile brand.
Priced at approximately double what much of its competition asks for (we're talking about Bose and Sony and Apple) the question is what do you get for a buck under a grand? For one, the № 5909 is wireless and features Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation, so they are able to serve as travel headphones. Hence the direct comparison with Bose and such. These headphones utilize 40 mm, beryllium-coated drivers, for reference-quality sound along with Bluetooth 5.1 for high-fidelity wireless. And crucially, the sound is carefully tuned for reference quality, and no company has spent more time studying the sound of headphones than Mark Levinson’s parent company, Harman.
Clarity is a two-way street, especially with modern wireless headphones. You just want music to sound good, it is also crucial that calls sound good, and that you sound good to the other caller. These headphones have Smart Wind Adaptation making them ideal for outdoor use, while the noise-canceling makes it easy for you to hear whatever is on the other line. The № 5909 doesn't just promise great-sounding music, it also promised to deliver a better communication experience with friends, family, work, whatever.
In terms of functional specifications, the full charge gets up to 34 hours of playback without noise-canceling, or 30 hours with ANC turned on. Either way, you'll make it through the entire day without running out of power.
Jim Garrett, Senior Director, HARMAN Luxury Audio
(information provided by Mark Levinson)