The Mark Levinson Nº 5909 are premium Bluetooth-equipped over-ears that bridge the gap between audiophile cans and modern, noise cancelling travel headphones. The American high-end audio company, who design everything from turntables to Lexus sound systems, is a subsidiary of Harman International, so it's perhaps unsurprising that these headphones are engineered to follow the Harman target closely. There's more to them than just the frequency response, as they feature a powerful ANC system, two wired connectivity options, and comprehensive codec support over Bluetooth.
Our Verdict
The Mark Levinson Nº 5909 aren't designed to be used for sports and fitness. While they're comfortable, well-built and can be used wirelessly, they're also bulky and offer little in the way of stability. While the soft leather used for their earpads feels nice on the skin, it'll trap sweat around your ears during exercise. They also lack any kind of IP or impact rating that can guarantee a bit more resilience if they're dropped or rained on.
Over 18 hours of battery life.
Not very portable or stable.
The Mark Levinson No. 5909 make for very good travel headphones. While they're not the most portable, they come with a luxurious case for taking them on-the-go and their premium, durable build will ensure they can survive a few long-haul flights. They're comfortable enough to be worn for long journeys too, though this will depend somewhat on the shape of your head and ears. Their ANC system does a great job of tamping down on irksome external sounds, and you'll be able to squeeze over 18 hours from the battery even with ANC enabled.
Great noise isolation performance.
Mic separates your voice well from busy backgrounds.
Over 18 hours of battery life.
Not very portable or stable.
High noise floor with ANC engaged.
The Mark Levinson No. 5909 are a good choice for office work. They're comfortable headphones that exude a premium quality, so you should have no trouble sporting them for full work days. They also come equipped with an ANC system that effectively tamps down on external noise, masking water cooler talk and scraping chairs alike. The built-in microphone renders your voice in an easily intelligible way, too, while effectively rejecting external noise, in case you need to take a last-minute call in a communal area.
Great noise isolation performance.
Mic separates your voice well from busy backgrounds.
Compatible with a wide range of Bluetooth codecs.
Over 18 hours of battery life.
Can't use the mic over a wired connection.
High noise floor with ANC engaged.
The Mark Levinson No. 5909 aren't suitable for serious wireless gaming as latency is too high when they're used wirelessly. That said, their lower latency performance with aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) means they could be suitable for some mobile games.
The Mark Levinson Nº 5909 are good for wired gaming. They're comfortable enough for long gaming sessions and support both analog and USB-C connections. That said, you won't be able to use the built-in mic with either of these connection types, which is a major caveat if you're an online gamer who needs to communicate with teammates. Their bright sound profile is well-suited to a variety of games, though, with a prominent bass response and detailed mids. That said, the bright treble range might be fatiguing to listen to over time, depending on your in-game audio content.
Great noise isolation performance.
Over 18 hours of battery life.
USB-C and analog wired connection options.
Can't use the mic over a wired connection.
The Mark Levinson 5909 are decent for audio reproduction accuracy. The frequency response mostly follows their bright sound profile, with only some slight deviations in the mid and treble ranges. There's no audible distortion, even at higher listening levels, though, and the L/R drivers are mostly well-matched in amplitude, frequency, and phase response.
The Mark Levinson 5909 are great at noise isolation. Their over-ear seal provides a solid amount of passive isolation in the mid and treble range, with the ANC system only supplementing this. Still, they're effective at cutting out background babbling and cars zooming past at your intersection. The ANC system does more heavy lifting in the bass range, attenuating sounds like airplane engine rumble well, though not as effectively as top-tier travel headphones. They leak a bit of audio too, but you likely won't disturb anyone around you unless you're blasting your tunes in a quiet environment.
The Mark Levinson No. 5909 have a built-in mic that does a decent job of rendering your voice in a clear and natural way. The mic recording quality lacks a bit of low-end and also rolls off the highs, so your voice will sound a little boxy, but otherwise easily understandable to whoever you're talking to. The mic does a very good job of isolating your voice against noisier backdrops, whether it's some light chatter in a busy cafe or the screeching of a metro car pulling up to you.
The Mark Levinson Nº 5909 have great frequency response consistency. The earcups are a little narrow, which means those with larger heads or ears will have to take some time to ensure a good seal. However, once you've established a solid seal, you're rewarded with consistent audio delivery between different listening sessions.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Apr 20, 2026: This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.2, which removes the Cumulative Spectral Decay (CSD) test, retiring its waterfall plot visualization from our reviews. You can read more about this change in the changelog.
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Updated Apr 15, 2026:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
- Updated Apr 09, 2026: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1, which features minor updates to our sound tests.
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Updated Jan 23, 2026:
We've mentioned the DALI IO-12 in the Comfort box.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Mark Levinson 5909 come in three color variants: 'Pearl Black', 'Ice Pewter', and 'Radiant Red'. We tested the 'Pearl Black' variant (here's a picture of its label), but we expect other variants to perform similarly. If you encounter another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Mark Levinson No. 5909 occupy a middle ground between audiophile headphones, designed for home listening, and premium, ANC-equipped travel headphones from the likes of Sony and Bose. Their Harman-tuned frequency response will appeal to some audiophiles, especially those who prefer a brighter sound that's somewhat similar to the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO in their treble range presentation. The inclusion of an ANC system and Bluetooth support pits the Mark Levinson against heavy-hitters like the Sony WH-1000XM6. The Sony are more portable, with stellar noise isolation and comparable Bluetooth codec support (though they lack aptX Adaptive compatibility). However, they struggle to deliver audio consistently compared to the Mark Levinson. If you're looking to purchase from a luxury audio brand of a similar pedigree but prefer a darker sound, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 offers a similar feature set but rolls off some highs. They lack LDAC compatibility for high-resolution wireless audio playback, though.
Check out our recommendations for the best noise cancelling headphones, the best headphones for music, and the best audiophile headphones.
The Focal Bathys Wireless and the Mark Levinson Nº 5909 have very similar feature sets and are both marketed to audiophiles looking for a touch of luxury. That said, the Focal are superior overall and represent better value. Their default sound profile is less bright, with a balanced bass and mid-range, plus there's greater scope for adjustment via the graphic EQ and presets. Both headphones come with solid ANC systems and feature high-quality construction, but the Focal have a longer battery life. While both cans come with expansive codec support, the Mark Levinson just about edge the Focal in this regard, thanks to their LDAC support. Still, the Focal are available for less and offer more bang for your buck.
The DALI IO-12 and the Mark Levinson Nº 5909 are both premium over-ears from esteemed hi-fi manufacturers. The Mark Levinson have a brighter sound profile, while the DALI opt for a warmer sound. While listener preference will play into this, the Mark Levinson offer slightly more scope for sound tweaking with their bass contour presets (compared to the DALI's two possible EQ presets). When it comes to everyday use, the DALI offer a better build quality and a much more comfortable fit. That said, the Mark Levinson have the edge when it comes to noise isolation and deliver audio more consistently.
The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Wireless and the Mark Levinson Nº 5909 are both ANC-equipped over-ears from luxury audio brands but they have different sound profiles and strengths. The Mark Levinson have a brighter sound that mimics the Harman target, while the B&W have a very bass-heavy sound that rolls off the highs. The Mark Levinson are a better choice for commuting and office work, with a superior ANC system and better mic noise handling performance. That said, the B&W are more comfortable and better-built.
The Mark Levinson Nº 5909 and the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 are fully-featured over-ears from two prominent high-end audio brands. While they're both equipped with ANC systems and built-in mics, they differ in their sound profile quite a bit. While the Mark Levinson opts for bright highs and controlled bass, the B&O features a thumpy, exaggerated low-end and rolled-off highs. Both headphones are similarly well-built and have ANC systems that perform similarly. The B&O have a much longer battery life though, which is great if you need on-the-go headphones that can survive for a while without needing a recharge.
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Test Results
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