There's nothing wrong with designing and offering luxury products, as long as they offer the best experience, they feel exclusive, and make their users proud - at least for the expected life cycle, which for wireless headphones shouldn't be more than two years. Harman's luxury audio brand Mark Levinson introducing new high-resolution wireless Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation headphones is one of those ideas that could make sense, as long as everything in that product design conveys the right desirability for a luxury product.
This is the first portable offering by a brand known for its premium audio electronics and car audio sound systems. With the addition of the Mark Levinson Nº5909 headphones, Harman expects high-fidelity audio and the brand's enthusiasts to take their listening experience everywhere. And that should be the reason for proudly displaying the name Mark Levinson so prominently in the headphones. Plus, the product's specifications seem to offer exactly what all decent premium headphones should list in 2022, while not exactly innovating on the design front.
"For nearly 50 years, Mark Levinson has been known for setting the highest standards in audio reproduction, encouraging the discovery of and appreciation for music the way the artist performed it," says the company that is part of Harman Luxury Audio. "The same details and nuances that have propelled Mark Levinson’s reference sound for five decades were inspirations in designing the Nº5909" headphones, they state.
The Mark Levinson Nº5909 headphones are pitched as "the perfect packable for inquisitive travelers and audiophiles." These are sophisticated wireless headphones that should allow users to stay connected to entertainment for longer durations of time - with USB fast-charging, up to 34 hours of playback time and 30 hours with Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation turned on. Ticking all the right boxes for frequent travelers - plus the possibility to show the large Mark Levinson logo, causing jealously on all the Bose-wearers on the plane.
Although conservative, the design was also obviously crafted with luxury comfort in mind, and the headphones use premium materials including core aluminum components, a leather headband and replaceable leather ear cushions that ensure owners will be able to enjoy their investment for years to come (after Bluetooth 5.4 and UWB headphones become available, owners of the Nº5909 headphones can still order new earpads and pass them to their siblings. Each product comes equipped with an accompanying hard-shell carrying case that also discretely stores included cables and an airplane adaptor.
Obviously, the Nº5909 headphones deliver reference-quality sound via large 40mm beryllium coated dynamic drivers that have been expertly tuned to the respond accordingly to the Harman target frequency response curve, and with electronics designed by the same world-class engineering team behind Mark Levinson’s renowned amplifiers, turntables and streaming players. That, plus digital circuitry compatible with 24-bit/96kHz processing and an acoustic response up to 40kHz, delivering an audio performance that meets the stringent standards for Hi-Res Audio certification, should please the brand's enthusiasts.
In addition to high-fidelity audio that can be provided by a cable connection, the Mark Levinson headphones are a Bluetooth 5.1 wireless design, supporting LDAC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive codecs to cover all bases. The cable connectivity might be effectively one of the most valued features of the headphones' design, with a USB-C input being used for both charging and high-quality audio connectivity. The box includes 1.25m and 4m USB-C to 3.5mm audio cables, as well as mini-jack to 1/4" audio, and airplane adapters. And as a premium product, the Nº5909 headphones offer Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation with three modes for premium sound isolation, and Ambient Aware for situational awareness in one’s surroundings. And obviously allowing use of the four-microphone array with Smart Wind Adaption for talking clear phone calls, since the owners are also likely to be busy people.
“The Nº5909 headphones are the first Mark Levinson product designed for the luxury, on-the-go lifestyle,” says Jim Garrett, Senior Director, Product Strategy and Planning, Harman Luxury Audio. “The combination of reference-quality sound, best-in-class features, beautiful design, luxury build and comfort raises the bar for the wireless headphones category.”
The Mark Levinson Nº5909 headphones will be available for $999.00, in Pearl Black, Ice Pewter and Radiant Red, starting January 4.
www.marklevinson.com
www.harman.com
