Mark Levinson No. 5909
Wireless Headphones
+
• Benchmark wireless performance
• Supports high-quality Bluetooth codecs
• Solid build
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• Expensive!
• Plasticky controls
RRP
$1,599
I wonder how many headphone and hi-fi manufacturers saw a green light beam in front of their eyes when, at the end of 2020, Apple announced a pair of wireless headphones costing twice as much as the then-current premium competition. The AirPods Max didn’t exactly push the price parameters of wireless over-ear headphones — Bang & Olufsen’s flagship pairs have attracted a ‘premium’ for a while, as have a handful of special edition pairs (remember the 24ct gold-plated Dr Dre Beats Pro?).
Nevertheless, surely the audacious move by such a big company would have spurred some brands to consider similar ambition. The arrival of pricier wireless headphones of late, like these Mark Levinson No. 5909, the T+A Solitaire T and the forthcoming Bowers & Wilkins Px8, might suggest so — though the maturation of headphone and Bluetooth technology will have naturally
