Review: Mark Levinson No. 5909 Noise Cancelling Headphones

Say hello to Mark Levinson’s first-ever headphones, the No. 5909: a reference-quality, high-resolution, wireless, over-ear headphone with adaptive noise cancelling.

Let’s start with giving some context to the brand...

• Bluetooth 5.1 technology with LDAC, AAC, and aptX codecs.
• Four-microphone array with Smart Wind Adaption for crystal clear phone calls.
• Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation with three modes for premium sound isolation.
• Ambient Aware for situational awareness in one’s surroundings.

The No. 5909s come with a lightweight, textured, hard-shell carrying case, which I've found is resistant to the oils of your hands so it doesn’t get riddled with fingerprints. The case has two zipper pulls with a “water-proof” zipper protector, which protects your precious cargo while traveling. And the case has my favorite discrete addition: the case within a case. Perfect for keeping cables and accessories tidy and organized without getting in the way of the headphones.

There is a microfiber polishing cloth, to keep your investment looking good.

If you like to read instructions, there is a quick start guide and a safety and warning booklet.

Active Noise Cancelling

How do they sound? We’re not there, yet. Let’s talk about what you will not hear, and a little about the Active Noise Cancelling or ANC.

The No. 5909s have an array of (4) microphones to allow for adaptive active noise canceling. There are three different settings of Active Noise Cancellation depending on the level of noise in your environment. And, an Ambient Aware mode lets you easily talk to those around you without having to remove your headphones.

Out of the box, these headphones come with the ANC High by default, and it’s perfect for noisy environments. I was impressed the first time I put them on with just how much background noise disappeared. You could say I was even excited. I was at my desk listening to music at an office appropriate level (because I'm not a monster) and everything in the background vanished. The noise from my computer fan was gone. It felt like I had walked into an acoustically treated room and everything that gets in the way of good sound had vanished.

In addition to ANC High, you have two additional settings: Adaptive and Low. To be able to change between these three ANC settings, you have to go into the app.

In the middle is the Adaptive setting. Adaptive adjusts the level of noise cancelling based on the noise levels picked up by the microphones from your environment. If the microphones pick up too much noise, they will adjust the settings to better compensate for the environment. If you are in a quieter environment, they will reduce how the active noise canceling compensates.

Finally, there is the Low mode. Low uses the least amount of correction and is good for environments that are not too noisy.

The awareness mode allows the outside world to pass into the headphones. The opposite of noise cancelling, but it’s good if you need to have conversations without having to take your headphones off. The awareness mode has two settings. Voice Pass focuses on allowing conversations to pass through more easily, and the Ambient setting allows the entire environment to pass through.

The App

Let's talk about how they sound and how I tested them out. The sound is, as Mark Levinson advertises, reference quality. To meet the standards of Hi-Res Audio certification, these headphones include LDAC audio codec digital circuitry compatible with 24-bit/96kHz processing, and acoustic response out to 40kHz. Listening to the No. 5909s, there is an incredible amount of detail. They are tuned very neutral so there isn’t too much bass and nothing is overwhelming. If you do want more or less bass, the app will allow you to contour the low end to meet your desired level. You’ll hear the most in small portions of songs, that would normally pass by unnoticed but shine with the No. 5909s like they would with any good two channel system. You’ll hear all the tricks and nuances that are mixed into music to give it that special feeling that you’re being entranced by the sound.

Do yourself a favor and listen to Taylor Swift’s All Too Well (10-minute version) and listen for the subtle sounds as the song begins. You’ll hear someone picking up an instrument, the soft strumming of a guitar before it really kicks into the song, the detail of fingers sliding across the strings as it changes notes, a slight tickle of piano keys like you can feel that someone is getting ready to play as it slowly builds to the beginning of the song. It’s 30 seconds before you hear a voice and 45 until the song kicks in but it’s creating the anticipation of the song. As the song plays there are whispers of chimes playing for only moments, that will slip by if you’re not paying attention only to be played with more veracity only seconds later. If you’ve never heard something that puts these little nuances to the forefront, you’re really missing out on hearing the layers that put a song together.

With enhancements from the No. 5909’s active noise cancelling, you’re enveloped by the sound. If music is something you’re passionate about, the No. 5909s will not disappoint. They have incredible separation of vocals and instruments and have a real presence. Because they can highlight every little detail and tune out the outside world, you’ll really get lost in what you’re listening to.

From another song on my playlist, Sing with Me by Bad Cop/Bad Cop, that has a wonderful three-part harmony, the No. 5909s presented their voices where you could distinguish between all three vocalists where in other headphones they would meld together. And this was over a Bluetooth connection – so not even the highest resolution connection.

I was using songs that were at minimum CD quality (16bit/44.1kHz) and at maximum 24bit/192kHZ, but the majority were 24bit/96kHz. If you’ve watched my other videos on World Wide Stereo's YouTube channel, you’ll know that I use Qobuz as my source material. I think it’s by far the best sounding and best selection HD library out there and is my preferred go-to among the (4) streaming services I use. For evaluating the No. 5909s, I used my Roon as my audio controller so I could have visual confirmation of the audio quality I was getting in my different test setups.

I used Bluetooth to my iPhone 11, the 1.25m USB-C to 3.5mm to an iPad (for analog connection) and to an AudioQuest DragonFly Red (for a DAC connection), USB-C to USB-C to a MacBook Pro (for direct digital connection), USB-C to USB-A with adapter to Windows 10 PC, and the 4m USB-C to 3.5mm with the 6.3mm adapter to the Headphone output of my MAC6700. I have some screenshots that we’ve included so I can “show my work”, but you’ll have to trust me, too. I tried almost every connection I could think of so I could really put the No5909 through its paces. I won’t go through each one at length, but I'll talk about the (4) core uses I believe people will try.

Bluetooth

• Easiest to use. It’s untethered, so you’re free to move around.
• Of all the options it’s the “Lowest” quality with a 4:1 compression ratio but it utilizes 24bit/96khz DAC of the No5909s to improve sound quality.
• If you listen to higher quality sources, you’ll still see the benefits.
• I’ll put them on real quick so you can hear the Bluetooth quality for yourself.
• Because it’s Bluetooth, you’ll also be able to use these for your Phone Calls / Virtual Meetings
• You’ll have the clearest sound in the Zoom call
• And the No5909s have “Smart Wind Adaption” so if you’re walking down the street they will adjust the microphones so you don’t have to mute your call because you’re interrupting the meeting or your phone call.

USB-C Cable

• Still portable and will give you an HD capable connection at 24bit/96Khz
• Good connection to new computers
• The included adapter will help you connect to an older style USB as well.
• It did not lip sync with the video I watched, and I'm not surprised. Hopefully there’s a future firmware update to correct this, but for right now if you’re watching video, switch to Bluetooth.

USB-C to 3.5mm 1.25m Cable

• Connection for standard headphones jacks on your devices or USB DACs (DIGITAL TO ANALOG CONVERTER)
• I use this the majority of time when I'm travelling with my headphones because I love the sound that my AudioQuest Dragonfly Red enhances, but it’s bulky, cumbersome, and drains your battery quicker than normal. It’s not ideal for everyone traveling.
• It is definitely good for a stationary space where all the extra pieces won’t feel like too much.

USB-C to 3.5mm 4m Cable

• Not portable at all. Mostly used for a dedicated space in a home listening area.
• This setup let me connect to my Two Channel setup so I could listen to 24bit/192khz files and see the depth the No5909s could offer.
• The cable was actually long enough that I could stay connected to my HiFi system and cook dinner at the same time.
• This let me listen to records as well without monopolizing my house.
• A great setup for sure.

I've seen a few other reviews out there label the Mark Levinson No. 5909s as “Travel Bluetooth Headphones”, which yes, they are great for travel no doubt... but they’re so much more than that. These are outstanding hybrid headphones that do a lot of things... and do them all really, really well. Something I have not seen a lot of in the market. They are great Bluetooth headphones for high-quality on-the-go listening with reference quality sound reproduction, but they are also a great pair of headphones for listening to a dedicated Headphone DAC or directly to your computer with the USB-C cable and utilizing the internal 24bit/96khz DAC in the No. 5909s.