Products
Mark Levinson Nº 5909
DALI IO-12
early access
Tested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Aug 27, 2025 03:11 PM
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Tested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Jan 16, 2026 08:10 PM
This review is in Early access
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TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
Bass Amount
Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
Treble Amount
Emphasized (3 dB)
MicYes
Sound Signature
Bright
Type
Noise Cancelling
Enclosure
Bass Amount
Wireless
Transducer
Treble Amount
Mic
Sound Signature
Our Verdict
Mark Levinson Nº 5909
DALI IO-12
Full comparison details regarding individual product score sets can be found in the section below
0
Variants
- Nº 5909 (Ice Pewter)
- Nº 5909 (Pearl Black)
- Nº 5909 (Radiant Red)
- IO-12 (Brown)
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Ice Pewter
Nº 5909
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Brown
IO-12
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Pearl Black
Nº 5909
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Brown
IO-12
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Radiant Red
Nº 5909
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Brown
IO-12
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Brown
IO-12
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Main Differences for
Sports And Fitness
Sports And Fitness
Threshold
Sports And Fitness
6.9
Full Comparison
Sound
Sound Profile
Sound Profile
Preview Graph
Normalization Frequency
700 Hz
Bass Amount
Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
Treble Amount
Emphasized (3 dB)
Sound Signature
Bright
Frequency Response Consistency
8.2
Consistency L
Preview Graph
Consistency R
Preview Graph
Std. Deviation
0.79 dB
Raw Frequency Response
Raw FR L
Preview Graph
Raw FR R
Preview Graph
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
9.7
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
Preview Graph
RMS Deviation From Target
1.2 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
20 Hz
Low Bass
0.7 dB
Mid Bass
0.67 dB
High Bass
0.09 dB
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
9.0
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
Preview Graph
RMS Deviation From Target
1.42 dB
Low Mid
-0.91 dB
Mid-Mid
0.47 dB
High Mid
1.74 dB
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
8.1
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
Preview Graph
RMS Deviation From Target
3.2 dB
Low Treble
1.68 dB
Mid Treble
4.12 dB
High Treble
0.82 dB
Peaks/Dips
7.5
Peaks/Dips Graph
Preview Graph
Peaks
1.43 dB
Dips
1.64 dB
Stereo Mismatch
6.8
Frequency Response Mismatch
Preview Graph
Phase Response Mismatch
Preview Graph
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.86 dB
Weighted Frequency Response Mismatch
0.78 dB
Weighted Phase Mismatch
1.6°
Group Delay
8.1
Group Delay
Preview Graph
Weighted Group Delay
0.8 ms
Cumulative Spectral Decay
CSD
Compare High-Res
PRTF
3.8
PRTF
Preview Graph
PRTF Accuracy (RMS Deviation)
3.63 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
5.08 dB
PRTF Distance
2.26 dB
Harmonic Distortion
8.5
Harmonics Levels
Preview Graph
THD Ratio
Preview Graph
WHD @ 94 dB SPL
0.12%
WHD @ 104 dB SPL
0.47%
Electrical Aspects
Impedance
Preview Graph
Sensitivity @1kHz-1V
112.0 dB SPL
Bluetooth Max SPL
102.5 dB
Virtual Soundstage
0.0
Virtual Soundstage
Compare High-Res
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No
Test Settings
Firmware
V1.5.0.8
Power
On
Connection
Bluetooth
Codec
aptX HD, 24-bit, 48kHz
Test Instrument
Audio Precision APx517B
EQ
Neutral
ANC
High
Tip/Pad
Default
Microphone
Integrated
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
Compare High-Res
Type
Over-ear
Enclosure
Closed-Back
Wireless
Yes
Transducer
Dynamic
Comfort
7.5
Comfort Picture
Compare High-Res
Weight
0.79 lbs
Clamping Force
1.2 lbs
Controls
8.0
Controls Picture
Compare High-Res
OS Compatibility
No Controls
Ease Of Use
Great
Feedback
Great
Call/Music Control
Yes
Volume Control
Yes
Microphone Control
No
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control
On/Off
Talk-Through
On/Off
Additional Controls
Voice Assistant
Portability
5.7
Portability Picture
Compare High-Res
L
8.4" (21.5 cm)
W
8.2" (20.7 cm)
H
2.2" (5.6 cm)
Volume
151.45 in³ (2,481.78 cm³)
Transmitter Required
No
Case
8.0
Case Picture
Compare High-Res
Type
Hard case
L
8.9" (22.7 cm)
W
8.5" (21.7 cm)
H
2.9" (7.3 cm)
Volume
219.42 in³ (3,595.62 cm³)
Build Quality
8.0
Build Quality Picture
Compare High-Res
Stability
6.5
Stability Picture
Compare High-Res
Headshots 1
Angled Picture
Compare High-Res
Side Picture
Compare High-Res
Headshots 2
Front Picture
Compare High-Res
Rear Picture
Compare High-Res
Top
Top Picture
Compare High-Res
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Compare High-Res
Isolation
Noise Isolation - Full Range
8.4
Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph
Preview Graph
Noise Cancelling
Yes
Overall Attenuation
-22.16 dB
Bass
-15.79 dB
Mid
-21.26 dB
Treble
-30.89 dB
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
8.7
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph
Preview Graph
Airplane Noise Attenuation
-20.42 dB
Airplane Noise Isolation Audio
Office Noise Attenuation
-19.18 dB
Office Noise Isolation Audio
Street Noise Attenuation
-22.67 dB
Street Noise Isolation Audio
Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
Female Voice 1
Male Voice 1
Female Voice 2
Male Voice 2
ANC Wind Handling
ANC Wind Handling Graph
Preview Graph
ANC Wind Noise
Leakage
7.5
Leakage
Preview Graph
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
36.34 dB
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
In-Line
No
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
No
Mic
Yes
Recording Quality
6.3
Microphone Frequency Response
Preview Graph
Recorded Speech
LFE
562 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
2.82 dB
HFE
7,240.77 Hz
Weighted THD
0.903
Gain
-0.19 dB
Noise Handling
7.7
SpNR
Preview Graph
SpNR
15.25 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
7.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
8.0
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
Active Features
Battery
8.9
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
18.6 hrs
Additional Charges
0.0
Total Battery Life
18.6 hrs
Charge Time
1.7 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
Auto-Off Timer
Audio While Charging
Yes
Passive Playback
Yes
Charging Port
USB-C
App Support
6.5
App Picture
Compare High-Res
App Name
Mark Levinson
iOS
Yes
Android
Yes
macOS
No
Windows
No
Equalizer
Presets
ANC Control
Presets
Mic Control
No
Room Effects
No
Playback Control
No
Button Mapping
No
Surround Support
No
Connectivity
Wired Connection
8.9
Cable Picture
Compare High-Res
Analog Audio
Yes
USB Audio
USB-C
Detachable
Yes
Length
13.12 ft (4.00 m)
Connector
USB-C
Latency - Analog
0.2 ms
Latency - USB
37.9 ms
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Connection
USB
Bluetooth Connection
7.8
Bluetooth Version
5.1
Multi-Device Pairing
2 Devices
Quick Pair (Android)
Yes
Quick Pair (iOS)
No
Line Of Sight Range
334.65 ft (102.00 m)
Latency - SBC
372 ms
Latency - aptX
365 ms
Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality)
258 ms
Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency)
52 ms
Latency - LDAC
246 ms
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Codec
aptX Adaptive (Low Latency)
AAC Support
Yes
Wireless Connection (Dongle)
0.0
Line Of Sight Range
N/A
Latency - Dongle
N/A
Recorded Latency
N/A
PC Compatibility
Analog
Audio Only
Wired USB
Audio Only
Non-BT Wireless
No
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
Audio Only
PS4 Wired USB
Audio Only
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
PS5 Analog
Audio Only
PS5 Wired USB
Audio Only
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio Only
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
Audio Only
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
Base/Dock
0.0
Type
No Base/Dock
USB Input
No
Line In
No
Line Out
No
Optical Input
No
RCA Input
No
Dock Charging
No
Power Supply
No Base/Dock
Check Price
Ice Pewter
Nº 5909
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Brown
IO-12
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Pearl Black
Nº 5909
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Brown
IO-12
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B&H
Radiant Red
Nº 5909
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Amazon.com
Brown
IO-12
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BestBuy.com
Brown
IO-12
SEARCH
Walmart.com
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Mark Levinson Nº 5909
DALI IO-12
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Mark Levinson Nº 5909 vs DALI IO-12: Main Discussion
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