5909 headphones feature Qualcomm’s QCC5124 DAC. 5909 is outfitted with microphones inside and outside of each ear cup, four for phone calls and four for active noise cancellation.Įphe Nicolakis Using the Mark Levinson No. That’s fine in most cases, but if I took a call in a modestly noisy environment, such as an airport or the NYC streets, I found this function to be problematic as the outside noise battled with the caller’s voice. I did come across one annoying feature: If you’re making a phone call, the Levinson activate their ambient-aware mode and won’t allow you to switch to noise-cancellation or passive mode during the call. I could go 90 feet from my iPhone, including between floors, without missing a beat. Connectivity with my iPhone 12 Pro (which sports Bluetooth 5.0) was outstanding. You’ll have confidence taking or making calls. The Levinson sport four microphones in each ear cup (two for phone calls and two for active noise cancellation.
With their power-save feature enabled, I charged the Levinson headphones maybe once or twice a week-and that was using them extensively for video conferencing calls in addition to music and entertainment. You can take a transatlantic or transpacific flight roundtrip without ever having to worry about charging the No. 5909 is rated to deliver up to 34 hours of playback time without ANC and up to 30 hours with ANC enabled. Mark Levinson’s high end loudspeaker sibling, Revel Speakers, reserves Beryllium for its top-of-the-line models.īattery life is perfect for the executive road warrior.
Beryllium drivers typically don’t have breakup in the audible frequency range. Beryllium is prized for its combination of lightness, rigidity, and superior pistonic performance. A Mark Levinson-branded polishing cloth caps things off.ĭriver materials are incredibly important to a speaker or headphone’s performance. Also included is a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter, a 1/8-to-1/4-inch adapter for connecting to headphone amplifiers, and an airplane audio adapter. The 4-meter cable is ideal for using the headphones with a headphone amp or other desktop source. There are two USB-C-to-3.5mm cables for connecting to analog sources: a 4-meter cable and a 1.25-meter cable. Speaking of cables, the Levinson come with a 1.25 meter USB-C-to-USB-C charging cable that does double duty as a digital connection to a computer for music playback. You don’t need to worry about cables falling out or getting tangled in some pocket. Inside the case, there’s a zippered compartment with ample space for cables and accessories. That means it does take up space in a backpack or suitcase when empty.īoth the case and the zipper are coated, seemingly to protect the headphones from an errant spill. The hard case maintains its shape when empty and doesn’t fold flat like the one that comes with Sony’s WH-1000XM5. 5909 comes with a generous collection of accessories, including a zippered, hardback carrying case emblazoned with the Mark Levinson logo. As you’d expect in a luxury headphone, the leather ear pads are replaceable. They were incredibly comfortable on my ears. The ear pads are likewise enveloped in soft leather. Best of all, the arms stay firmly in place. The matte black, anodized aluminum arms extend smoothly-there’s no cheap click-stop here. While the padding doesn’t seem generous, I never felt that the headband exerted any unusual or uncomfortable pressure even after long listening sessions. The headband’s leather top side is rugged while the leather underside is incredibly soft and supple. 5909’s headband is wrapped in premium leather. Mark Levinson audio gear is distinguished by its black and gray industrial design with red accents.
Levinson fans will note that the color combinations are a direct nod to the classic Levinson color motifs.
The headphones come in three color options: Pearl black, ice pewter, and radiant red, the latter of which was the color of my review sample. The unboxing experience, followed by the first time you pick up the No. 5909 is just what you’d expect to see on a luxury item such as this. The metallic paint job on the Mark Levinson No.