Great review, thank you very much. I have the 5909s and think they are wonderful. very good Bluetooth connection, pretty decent noise cancelling and amazing sound, also very comfortable.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Glad you're enjoying them John 👍🏼

Excellent review. Helped me make a decision on which one to buy.

I purchased the Mark Levinson No. 5909 and I love them. It took me a few days to get a handle on them as I am pretty much an open back, wired headphone user. I chose the 5909 to use with a cable here at home and to use the ANC because I have an autistic son who can be overwhelmed by noise outside of his own doing, yet quite boisterous himself. After figuring out the app and various features the 5909 became IMO an outstanding headphone. I own the Focal Elex and have owned and returned the Celestee. I didn't care for the Celestee, there is no kind of soundstage with them. The Elexs are a terrific sounding headphone but they also have a notorious driver failure problem for which they WILL NOT repair the driver even during warranty period, but it is also well know that their headbands break for no apparent reason. My concern had to do with exactly how invested I wanted to be in Focal when they aren't exactly cheap headphones. The LCD Series of Audeze have problems with pads coming off (I own the LCD-2 and LCD-X), their EL-8 has had driver/headband issues, HiFiMan has QC issues. I'm hoping these will be trouble free. The BT isn't bad; it's better than my Sony XB950BT and my KEF Space ONE is decent but uses AAA batteries which are a hassle to access. If you're looking in this premium price point I think they're a great choice. Very nice review!

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Yes Tom, I'm also open back wired headphone user, always have been till now. Thanks for the feedback 👍🏼

@a.wunderland

Жыл бұрын

@ Tom you use it wired. Are your volume /start buttons working?

Awesome and humourous review. This is fresh!!!!!

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it Edward

I enjoyed your review. There was a level of detail and an approach that was very helpful. A few questions and points. 1)In a general sense, while things like the box, case and cable quality & variety are only a very small part of the usage of the headphones, I think they speak to the approach of the manufacturer to the headphones - what corners did they cut in the internals and quality of materials used? Specific to the buttons, yes the metal buttons make a difference - the sound is the biggest factor, but a luxury experience helps too. Like I saw one person put it in a comment once (about the B&O H95) "these are a joy to own". {Obviously I was adressing the rude comment you got} 2) Do either of the 2 headphones have an option of selecting to have the music pause when switching to Ambient or Transparency Mode (this is a feature offered on Sony, Sennheiser and Technics and is very useful). 3) How would you compare the Transparency mode on both? 4) Have you gotten to test the H95's yet? I would love to know how they compare! 5) Up to this point the best sound I have experienced has been from my Monster Studio Ones (I like to boost the Bass a little and sometimes tame the treble just a bit) and on my in ears Samsung Buds2 Pro (boosting the mids a little) and the M&D MW08s (flat). After that come my Vifa Oslo (really refined, enjoyable sound if a bit thin and narrow) and a little behind is the B&O A1 2ndG (I find the B&O sound profile - same on the HX's I sent back - to be very clear, but the mids a little too forward and the bass not tight enough "blubbery" with a pretty narrow soundstage). Over Ears I have the Sony XM4 which I think sound terrible, then more recently the Momentum4 which are much more open but not refined. Based on all that can you get some idea what I'm looking for and how do the 5909s and Bathys compare? Do the H95's improve in on the hX's in terms of Bass (not quantity but quality) and Sounstage? Thanks!

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

1) Thank you Y Pin. Judging from many comments, the cable seems to be a major factor to Bathys owners wanting to use their headphones in DAC mode. I believe this is due to the results of their bluetooth performance 2) When Ambient or Transparency modes are selected on both headphones, there is an automatic pause for a moment (two seconds-or-so) then whatever you are listening to resumes automatically 3) Like you mention in (1) sound is the biggest factor. Transparency mode is ranked extremely low in my wants and needs, together with phone conversation quality. Sound quality over a Bluetooth connection being the biggest factor for me. The Focal may have a more natural sounding transparency mode than the 5909, simply because it already has poorer ear cup isolation and less effective ANC compared to the 5909 4) I purchased the H95 in late November and will upload my thoughts soon 5) I have unfortunately not listened to those headphones mentioned but will compare the H95 to the headphones that I already own I hope all of the above helps!

The best way I can describe the 5909 is it's like a mix between the Bathys and the PX8. The soundstage is wide, not quite as wide as the Bathys, but definitely wide for a closed back headphone. It's got the clarity and attenuation in the background that the Bathys gives you, but brings it a little bit more forward and adds a bit more clarity to the treble and vocals like the PX8 while also adding the clean bass that the PX8 gives you as well. From my experience it handles phonecalls better as well as everybody struggles to hear me on the Bathys unless my enviornment is close to perfect. One other thing I appreciate about the ML is there isn't any harshness in the pitch from what I can tell and I've never felt the need to turn them up and down from one song to another. They may not be as comfortable as the Bathys as those feel like a dream during long listening sessions, but they're comfortable enough. I honestly kinda love them. One thing I am curious to see is how they sound plugged into a dac

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Not needing to be powered on in passive mode, is their "precious battery life-saving" Party Trick! 👌🏼

@MrJ.31

Жыл бұрын

​@OPAZ Yeah man very true. Just out of curiosity, what's your take on the 5909 wired through a DAC/DAP vs DAC mode on the Bathys? To me that's where the 5909 really started to surprise me. When I listen to it through my IFI Go Blu and IFI Go Bar it kinda reminds me of a mix between the Sony Mdr-z1r and the Focal Stellia. Just incredibly detailed and energetic, slightly more open than on BT, and very fast while still sounding realistic. The Bathys sounds really good on BT and a bit cleaner and more dialed in on DAC mode... but not like the ML

@MrJ.31

Жыл бұрын

Sorry man I get really into this stuff and love to get other people's opinions

@Berlin-bl9bi

Жыл бұрын

I found the PX8 (McLaren I got) are simply not worth the money at all. First listening to them, I was wondering, what is this and where are the melodies and it just did'nt get better with any music. The mids are absolutely missing, they sound muffled and simply not a pleasure to listen to music. Adjusting the bass and treble simply won't do the trick. As I will try the Marc Levinsons now and hope to be getting a sound thats worththe money.

You need to change the battery in the smoke alarm :). I spent some time figuring out if it comes from my house or the recording :). The review is very thorough, at least in words - maybe it should have been a written review with photos. Anyway it's very relevant. It sounds like the Bathys competes more with the wired closed back headphones like Denon, Fostex etc, where it is at disadvantage for sound quality. The ML 5909 and B&W PX8 are more like in the NC + good sound business. The ML5909 sound a bit sharp for my taste (though bearable and EQ'able), but have larger sound stage than the PX8. The timbre is pretty good and accurate, and they have LDAC, which is missing from the PX8 (at least for now, not sure if a FW update could add it later). ATM, the PX8 seem to be the best NC buy with good sound (far above the Sony XM5) and the 5909 the best overall - but the choice comes down to personal preferences. Too bad the sound quality is still less than or in the same ballpark what similarly priced wired closed headphones are capable of, but of course, the 5909 have a lot more functionality and are wireless, moreover with LDAC they sound indeed very good. I am curious how would you rate the PX8.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for your detailed comments Zoltan. My home alarm has new batteries now. I am due to get a pair of H95's, what due you think? (I'm interested to know). I will try the PX8 and I am definitely getting the ATH-WB2022

@messagesent

Жыл бұрын

Lol I was going through my house tripping out and a total of 1and a half hour trying to change out a smoke detector battery that wasn't even bad. It stretched out this video for me to a mind blowing 🤯 almost 2hrs. Lol my eureka moment was figuring out that the beep was coming from the video 📹 🤣 😂 😅 the bad part is every time I watch the video I started thinking about the smoke detector battery being dead and almost forgot its the video 📹 😅 😀 😄 this is a subtle prank video to send to someone. The other thing is I was listening to the video with my bang and olufsen beoplay ex wireless earbuds. The beep was crystal clear and 👌🏽 👏🏿 the joke was on me. Great observation and comment 👍🏿 👌🏽

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

You cracked me up 😆 Ever so sorry. My home alarm battery was low. I put a few cushions over the base unit hoping to suppress the noise When I resumed recording later, somebody had placed the cushions back on the sofa (so thick, I didn't notice😆) I am in the process of creating my upload on my new B&O H95's, the alarm batteries are now refreshed and hopefully nobody will get pranked! 👍🏼

@zorqis

Жыл бұрын

Comparing directly the Bathys vs PX8, the latter sounds more like an improved Sony XM5, with similar house sound (bass-masked but not as much as the XM5). I heard more music from the Bathys, even though it hits too hard and over-driven for my taste. The grenade analogy from the video was spot on. What I counted as a bit of hard sound compared to high end closed headphones (Stellia, Denon D9200 etc.), in a wireless headphone is less of a problem. On the positive, the Bathys is not bright but detailed enough in the treble, and it does not ring (to my surprise), not even as much as the PX8. So far, the Bathys is the best sub-1000 wireless headphone for music lovers, if the ML 5909 treble bothers someone and if we don't count the T+A Solitaire T at double the price. Noise cancellation is adequate (not the best, but good enough, given the sound quality). Still, when the ML is EQ'd in the treble, perhaps they are better choices, especially with LDAC (which I have with all my mobile sources). Besides, over longer time, the continuous blasting from the Bathys would annoy me even more than the treble of the ML.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Great extremely detailed comments. Much appreciated and thanks for your valued input, it will help many 👍🏻

Buying the 5909's tomorrow thanks to your vid and review... Major thanks

@opaz.

7 ай бұрын

👍🏼

@GEFELICITEERD45

5 ай бұрын

Me 2 return the focal bathys

@epernado

Ай бұрын

Prefer the bathys or 5909?

Hi Opaz, congratulations on an extremely detailed and funny review, it tells you truly are invested in these reviews! Interesting how the mainstream media at first was enamoured by the Bathys but now, the more I read on them, the less enthusiastic the reviews are. The 5909 seem to be the choice (and I say this as a Clear owner which I absolutely love). I need to justify the purchase but sooner or later will commit :) Cheers.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

👍🏼

@tilmanrotationalinvariant2257

Жыл бұрын

the bathys are awesome. The most fun headphone I've every heard.

now i decided to buy 5909 because of this review. thank you

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Enjoy

Excellent and very thorough review. Very useful! Just a small correction, though, the ML 5909 costs $200 more than the Bathys, not $300.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

WOW, I never knew. Not such a big price margin then!! 🤔 There goes my thorough research 😆 Thanks for the info Judge ( I like the name 😎) 👍🏼

@a.wunderland

Жыл бұрын

@black Friday only 80euro difference. 799 to 719

Truly excellent review thank you for including such tremendous detail! At the end you wholeheartedly recommend the martin levinson. Can you help steer me in the right direction? I’m somebody who very much enjoys a wide sound stage and bass. The two biggest reason i’ve returned or stopped using headphones is small sound stage and lack of powerful bass. I want to feel the music and be energized by it. From your description it sounds like the martin levinson are capable of producing more accurate sound, but do they reduce the sound stage and lack the punchy bass you can feel? As another point of reference I have sennheiser HD800’s and hifiman he1000’s. I don’t use either at all any more, for electronic music, hip hop, pop etc both of these sets lack the bass. For classical music they are incredible, but I don’t listen to classical music! For electronic/hip hop/pop/rock music i vastly prefer my airpods pro 2’s with the “specialized stereo” setting on and set to fixed. While the sound profile of what the airpods is what I like the actual sound quality of them is extremely lacking. Do the Bathys emulate this type of sound i’m describing just at a higher level than the airpods or would you still recommend the martin levinson regardless? I won’t have access to LDAC on my iphone where these will be used most of the time and like you i never plan to use a wire so wired performance is irrelevant.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Tough one Blaine. The problem or not so much a problem for many, is that high end headphones or expensive headphones will attempt to best achieve the purest performance. That purest performance doesn't often come with heavy bass. Along with anybody wanting to find that satisfying performance to suit them, there is a journey to get there. Sometimes that journey never ends, ends in compromise or starts in the wrong place. I think you may have overshot your journey or taken a wrong route. Some smartphones or devices have onboard options such as 3D spatial sound to achieve a supersized image that a headphone cannot simulate. Have you tried those options in sound settings from your listening source device?. There are also apps to download and take advantage of. With the hardware route, my MONOPRICE THX AAA 24459 has many options to alter any headphones to achieve the sound the individual requires. kzread.info/dash/bejne/o3WHkpZ9f7rflaQ.html As soon as I heard your headphone choices, I knew they were not the ones you need. You can find your answer elsewhere at a fraction of the price. I realise you are looking for a wireless option, have you tried a bluetooth IEM? they could be the answer. The pricier headphones that audiophiles recommend aren't necessarily the answer for all. I can't think of a bluetooth option that will suit unfortunately, although they are about with impressive audio Yes the ML are accurate and do not have a huge soundstage. The Focal has a much larger image and more bass on offer but I don't think neither are your answer. Hope some of this helps and I hope you eventually find what you need

@blaine3384

Жыл бұрын

​@@opaz. Wow! Yes, this is a tremendously useful answer. Thank you so much! You are probably right especially considering my challenges with headphones in the past and the fact that I've only ever been truly happy with bookshelf speakers on my desk + a capable sub (kef ls50 meta + svs 3000 micro + minidsp DDRC-24 + dirac live with a boosted bass harman curve). Absolutely love that setup, dirac live was absolutely the key to unlocking it for me. I was extremely disappointed with it before the dirac EQ. I haven't tried any bluetooth IEM's but I do have some old custom Ultimate Ears 18 Pro's that I like the sound of but also stopped using due to the annoyance of the cord. I just can't tolerate the cord anymore. Ultimate ears says they can be adapted to work with their bluetooth adapter so maybe that is the route I should take. Would still prefer a set of over-ear headphones at times though. I’ll definitely look into the monoprice DAC/AMP for my existing headphones, perhaps it will breathe new life into them for me! I came to a somewhat similar conclusion a while ago that I require a custom EQ at minimum to be happy with most things but at the time it was too hard to implement on my Windows computer without being an endless annoyance. Thanks again, you likely saved me a bundle and another headache going down the wrong path. I'm clearly very bad at this haha!

@18yearsoldnot

5 ай бұрын

Have you considered using a mojo2? It’s portable 🎉… I find with b&o h6 combined with the mojo2 you get the ability to boost the mid bass with the fantastic eq on the mojo 2. You can also use the same technique on audio technica headphones such as the es10 (titanium housed premium headphones which you can get for cheap) - they have a very nasty profile if you hate treble like I do but you can dial down the treble with the mojo 2 and then you get a speaker like sound from the 50mm drivers. I haven’t looked at the more premium over ear audio technica a2000z but I suspect it’s the same story

Amazing review you are great

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Thank you 👍🏼

Excellent video. Will you be keeping 5909? Have you tried the Base enhancement on the 5909 App? Please can you do another video with comparisons between these 2 with EQ settings

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Both of the headphones are mine, I bought them with my own money, 5909 are for keeps! I only review what I buy. I love the 5909 especially how they sound 👌🏼 will try to update on EQ settings, stay tuned

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

I will also keep the Bathys

@JSVKK

Жыл бұрын

​@OPAZ If you can keep only one which one your first go?

Opaz lovely review. I love my Bathys and use it while running and their great stay put brilliantly. I am using a high end dap and hope to get the new Shanling. You are very honest and I agree with much of what you said. I am not sure and wonder if you can help when I switch on the Bathys and it has connected the bluetooth sometimes theres a sound like its still searching, have you come across this. Thanks for all your hard work.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Ann Once mine has connected, there is no further sound as if it's still searching (think I know what you mean, a pulsing sound?) I'm away on holiday at the moment and don't have mine with me to test. When I return I'll test again for you ok

I am in love with the Mark Levinson.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

It's infectious!

Have you burned them in before the comparison test? I found that Bathys have improved significantly in mids and lows after I passed ~30 hours of use. In manual it's said that at least 70 hours of burn-in time is recommended.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

I actually returned mine for another pair as I thought mine were faulty, due to their poor ANC. I have tried the burn in on my newer pair (running them for days) but I'm away on holiday at the moment hoping to return to them in the new year

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

I now have 130 hours burn in time on my new pair and in DAC or bluetooth, they're still not sounding better than my (5909 in LDAC or wired) or bluetooth

Mark Levinson is a HiFi legend so there won’t be hardly any criticism, except maybe the price.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Well said Willy! 👏🏼

Highly subjective topic and really well described. Trying to find the perfect sound from the perfect equipment will send you crazy lol...but a lot of fun (and money).

@opaz.

9 ай бұрын

Yup

Great review. Do you think the Levinsons go "loud enough". I heard others say that. I tried the Levinsons and wondered the same thing. Thanks

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

That has never dawned on me as I've had no issues with volume . The volume is definitely loud enough

Hello, I had to return the bathys, because they were unbearable on the go. Every little vibration got amplified in the earcups. Is that a problem for the ml 5909 too? I figured it was because of the metal, because my plastic headphones don't have that problem.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

I never really commuted enough with the Bathys to experience that. I am always commuting with the 5909 and have not experienced any amplified vibrations in the earcups

@tilmanrotationalinvariant2257

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. thanks

The video was very helpful, I will order the Mark Levinson.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

You won't be disappointed. I was only thinking today that I have now realised that the ML can be worn forever. The Focal are comfy but not as comfortable

@vancybergoth

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. Having large and very heavy headphones (Abyss PHI TC and Audeze LCD-XC) I have no concerns about the comfort of the Mark Levinson.

Hey Opaz, I was just wondering if I connected the 5909 to a windows computer via usb connection, will I be able to adjust left right audio balance slider, may you please check for me in windows settings? I understand that most headphones when connected to windows should have this in the sound setting, but I just want to make sure before buying one. I have mild hearing loss and would really benefit from this feature. Any help is appreciated!

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Everything I own is mac and I haven't used windows for many years. On my Mac the volume and L/R balance slider works on the 5909, whether listening through a usb wired connection or a wireless bluetooth connection

@staray1282

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. Thanks OPAZ, really appreciate your speed reply. By the way, have you experienced any lipsyncing latency issue while using the usb to usb digital connection? I saw in another video that the reviewer experienced quite a substantial latency wired DIGITALLY due to latency in the processing of the DSP. Wonder if that has been fixed since that video was from 9 months ago.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

I have only ever been using these since purchase for listening to music wirelessly. the cables are still in the case. At some point I'll test the cables for you

@staray1282

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. Thanks again OPAZ! Really appreciate your speedy response. You've earned yourself a subscriber. Look forward to hearing from you.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Anytime, will help if I can

13:33 Mark Levinson's also have the mentioned stitching. You can see that Focal Bathys has some bass-reflex ports(i guess that's what these are) on top of each ear-cup. That might make them semi-opened back, but for sure it's there to improve sound, even if it is for the cost of insulation. I don't think that Focal wanted to make them more insulated or with stronger ANC, they had different priorities. I don't find any issues while using the Bathys in regard of the insulation, being passive or active.

@ymmp30

Жыл бұрын

According to what I've read the Mark Levinson's also have a bass port

which one would you recommend for listening to heavy metal ? mostly fast paced like dragonforce, halloween etc

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Yes tracks are very high tempo tracks, a very difficult question to answer. The only way I can simplify choice is, if you like your bass the focal is for you and if you are after detail on the vocals and guitars then the 5909. Ideally you'll need to demo both really

Great and insightful review - tried these and the px8s- as wanted to upgrade from my Sony xm5 - I rate the focal last - they try too hard with no deep base - MLs are more expensive and through my ears - although engaging - and wide - not as exciting as the run in px3s - big point - after 29 hours the px3s sound different and just a bit better with great build and super comfortable - better for the gym and travelling for Me - so I kept the px3s

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing Mike 👍🏼

I remember when I got my Oppo Pm1 ,now there was a presentation. Of ,course the oppo pm2 avoided all that and sounded the same with no jazz and was $300.00 less. So vanity always cost. Waiting for a sale and I'm jumping on the Mark Levinson. Focal Bathys seems to be a different sound ,not the typical Focal sound l love. Thanks for the informative review.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

👍🏼

I like your review giving small details which I 've never concerned but it 's true. Have you tried b&w px8? Live to know when compared to ml5909

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

I unfortunately haven't tried the px8 but I hope to very soon 👍🏼

@revelationsoundstudio

Жыл бұрын

You pay for what you get. The Focals are less expensive for a reason. When I listen to music from my stereo I use Focal Clear MGs. I don't expect Bluetooth headphones to be on the same level as wired headphones. I am very attracted to the Focals. Airy, wide sound stage and great sounding. The PX8 though has a fuller sound. So depending on your taste, you eill prefer one over the other. Due to your clear explanation of the Focals, I would prefer a fuller richer sound of the PX8.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

👍🏻

@unarestem254

Жыл бұрын

@@revelationsoundstudio I have Focal Clear MG too. I like it. I 'm looking for the wireless one.

@revelationsoundstudio

Жыл бұрын

The Bathys are not in the same league as the Clear MGs. So I would rather go with a different flavor as I would be disappointed with the Bathys in comparison

Somebody's having an earga... Sadly, both of them are totally out of reach for me, but we're all allowed dreaming, right? I just got the Momentum 4, surely not nearly as high-class as those, but I'm happy with them. I think I'll better not try the Bathys or even the 5909 in person, it would probably ruin the M4 for me. Comparing them to my DT 880 already kind of did, but I figured that I shouldn't try to compare bluetooth headphones against cabled ones. Thanks for the review, I enjoyed it very much! Love the way you're describing the sound, this is something very few people can do!

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Yes, an ear**** 😆. Listening to a song called "Do your worst" didn't help!😳

@sandorfuleki5060

Жыл бұрын

Veit, a few years ago I was in the same boat as you, never in a million years would I have spent a 1000 Euros on sthing like the 5909. Today I demoed and purchased a pair and have to say, it is painfully expensive but my god, for a BT headphone they sound astonishingly good, easily comparable with my two other high end headphones (one is a Focal Clear, the other a FiiO FH7, both supported by an Audioquest Cobalt. If you ever get the chance to try the 5909, do yourself a favour and give it a try :)

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

WOW, WOW, WOW . .. I will do just that. Thanks

Hey OPAZ, have you tried out the B&O H95’s? I am going to either get those of the 5909’s.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Brian I have the H95, bought them a few weeks ago. Review out in the new year 👍🏼

@Haffizy17

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. cool I ended up buying the H95’s, but then I read about the 5909’s and was not sure I made the right decision, look forward to the video

Very funny review :)

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

😆

Какие наушники купить?🤔 Пожалуй куплю обе...

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

тогда купи оба

Thx, You brought me the final decision, beryllium in 5909 against Aluminium/magnesium in the focal.. Makes the different. ok anc is crispy/noisy, great job

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Also LDAC makes a world of difference!

@barrybrown7892

Жыл бұрын

And Bathys also has LDAC, right?

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

NO LDAC support/codec on the Bathys

@a.wunderland

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. I read that they were working on it but didn't make it to release. It may want to submit it later via an update.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

We'll see, hopefully will but be weary. T+A stated prior to Solitare T release that it would have LDAC but it was later released without although it does have an app now (although I don't care for apps)

I know it's not a fair comparison because they are different types of headphones. Does anyone own both, the T+A solitaire T and the Denon D9200? I own the D9200 + Gryphon xDSD. I love it. Using it with the USB cable from the mobile phone to Gryphon. The sound quality is absolutely amazing for my taste. I do listen rock, pop, heavy metal, country... no hip hop, rap... I'd like to have some Bluetooth headphones " close" to this sound quality. As I said, they are different types of headphones and it's impossible to get the same sound quality through the Bluetooth Any advices are welcome, thank you in advance.

Eh…Mark Levinson’s were way too bassy and the treble was overdone. Additionally the detail just wasn’t there. you seem to be the only one saying the 5909 are better than the Bathys 🤷🏻‍♂️ , Kinda curious about that but we’ll chalk it up you having a very specific sound signature you enjoy. Honestly not a bad review at all, you went into detail although the only thing l would correct you on is the only thing plastic on the Bathys is the outer cup to protect it from drops the headband and yokes are made from a combination aluminum and magnesium. Additionally the 5909 are also composed of quite a bit of plastic including the earcups, so I’m kinda curious why you say they use much more premium materials…because they don’t. If anything they use less premium materials, just a much better metallic paint job that was apparently enough to fool you and several others 😅. Again I detect some bias in this review but overall not a bad review. Wish you luck in the growth of your channeo

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

I've been told the Bathys have been described as "Toy Like" 😆 (maybe due to so much plastic), that isn't a compliment. My problem with mine is it is just plain raw black plastic and every button is plastic at that price, proving to be a very expensive toy. Mark Levinson went to the trouble of giving the earcups a high quality finish instead of leaving them uncovered in raw plain black plastic and placing this coated plastic where you hardly ever touch. No fool, which is why I stated "the plastic on the Bathys is where you touch all the time". I purchased another pair of Bathys as I thought I had a faulty pair due to their ANC, sound and weaker bluetooth range connection. The newer pair had the same boosted bass, ANC, sound and bluetooth range C'mon, you know If the Bathys had LDAC, we'd never hear the last of it 😆 . .. say no more! If I'm not correct, isn't Beryllium a premium material? The Focal Utopia have "’M’-shaped pure Beryllium domes" and they aren't cheap headphones. The 5909 may only have Beryllium coating on their drivers but yet still a premium material. Such modesty from Mark Levinson as they don't even mention it on their headphones, yet so much mention of aluminium magnesium on the Bathys (maybe to disguise all that plastic and reinforcing it with flashing lights) I bought The 5909 & Bathys for myself with my own money. I wish the Bathys were better built than they are, sounded better than they do and had good ANC but . .. as I said. .. I wish!

@jasonblaise6786

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. regarding the build, the facts are the 5909 have more plastic overall, as for the Beryllium driver it’s coated in beryllium not made of it, the Bathys have parts that are actually made of magnesium. Regarding the finish, I can’t fault you there which is why I never made any comments regarding them looking bad or not looking the part. The focal still look quite pretty, people who describe them as toys don’t even have them or seen in them in person most of the time. They look quite nice when worn and tbh I buy my headphones for sound not looks, which is where the most effort was put into this headphone. Regarding your comments about the Bassyness, I have no idea what you’re on about as the Focals have significantly less bass and are more balanced than the 5909 hence the wider soundstage and the reason the 5909 have that “intimate” sound. Every FR chart shows that the 5909 have significantly more bass especially in the sub bass with an almost 100 db spl response in between 30 and 100 hz, that’s almost to the point of being bloated and muddy. But again it’s your opinion and I’ll respect it, it’s just you seem to be the only one saying this which speaks volume as while sound is subjective, it’s not THAT subjective. Anyways again, you did a great review overall I just felt an abnormal amount of bias that’s all, also I’m curious how long you listened to and compared the headphones for as I saw you had the 5909 as of 4 months ago

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

I did state "coated" but nonetheless.. .. As for "grey" being pretty, hmm! You prefer the Focal and I wish I could agree 👍🏻

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Do you work for Focal? 😆

@jasonblaise6786

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. hahaha no, I was just correcting a few things things that you completely glossed over. Do you work for Mark Levinson 😆? Anyways I don’t think we’re going to get much further from here so have a nice day and thanks for the discussion 😊

My guy is funny. I enjoyed this hahaha

@nathanielchucks3551

5 ай бұрын

I’ve placed an order to pair with SP2000T, I can’t wait. Thanks bro!!!

@opaz.

5 ай бұрын

😆👍🏼

thank you, i want to know why

you have valid reasons for the 5909 better noise canceling. but you also have figure in price difference and fit of the headphone. choose the headphone on this level is subjective.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Glad you mentioned price. The 5909 can be purchased for $849 now but no movement on the Bathys, maybe as they're still quite new

The price difference is huge right now 😭

@opaz.

10 ай бұрын

as is the performance between the two!

I own both of these and I love both of them merry christmas everyone

@opaz.

6 ай бұрын

Merry Christmas 🎄

kinda want to buy a new pad set and fill with new foam now ngl, denser more expensive

Nice, overview. Focals wired headphones come in a slightly nicer box than the Bathys.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Cheers for the info Jeff 👍🏼

@Unwise-

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. Focal high-end (Made in France) headphones all come with a very large box. Stelia and Utopia boxes are leather lined on the outside and give you a leather wallet for paperwork that was apparently designed by a French fashion designer or something like that. The mainstay Focal High-end line all come in the same large box but only hard cardboard slip boxes with no leather. They still look and feel good. Bathys comes in a comparatively minimalist package, only a bit thicker than the box for B&W Px8, but both Bathys and Px8 are very similar in unboxing experience.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for that Wayde, nice to know 👍🏻

My take. If anc is close between candidates (which isn’t the case stated repeated everywhere with these two) ONLY THEN it may come down to sound quality or perhaps comfortability or whatever. You buying because you want anc right? Then there is a clear winner, case closed. Easy peasy.

Taking the lights and circuitry out of the Focals would’ve also taken a couple ounces off the headphones, as well… maybe put metal inside the headband instead of plastic.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

I now also have the H95. The Focal build is nowhere near that of the 5909 & H95

@RorRiiZzLE

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. Gotta do a H95 vs 5909 video soon lol

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Yes Rory, give me a week or two and it will be uploaded

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

On holiday at the moment, upload will be next 2 weeks

@RorRiiZzLE

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. Have a happy new year… you’ve got the perfect time to test the ANC lol

yes, I want to know, why?

I'm wondering, with the way the sound is on this video, was this recorded in PAL? Perhaps there's an issue with PAL to NTSC conversion? Also, great review thanks.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

PAL

OK, question to the floor, especially those of you that have bought the 5909s: I am in the market for new headphones, and do have a budget up to c.£1000. I work from home a couple of days a week and like to listen to music whilst working, but my hi-fi is in a separate room to my work desk so I'll be listening from my laptop (with Qobuz hi-res). I then also commute to work the rest of the week and travel for about 3 hours each day, so like to enjoy quality music on the move. Then there is the aforementioned hi-fi. All of the available reviews say how good the 5909s are as bluetooth ANC headphones. But how good are they as wired headphones? Firstly, via a USB-C to a laptop/phone? And as a passive headphone via 6.35mm aux plug to a decent headphone amp with more juice on tap? Is there any improvement/deterioration in sound characteristic or quality? The alternative is I buy a cheaper pair of ANC headphones for travelling but also a cheaper pair of wired closed-back headphones. How do the 5909s really compare to wired headphones of say c.£600? All thoughts and opinions on the subject are very welcome please.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Great question Martin 👏🏼, hope you get your answer

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Maybe a good idea Martin to submit your question to a more popular channel, i'm sure you'll get results elsewhere 👍🏻

5909 and focal headphones are both great. But 5909 is a little bit better. But it is also more expensive than focal.

You don't listen to the Box!

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

😆

Jeah, if you hate bass go for Bathys. If you like bass go for PX8. If you like MUSIC - no other choice than 5909.

Just tested the focal baths at ABT electronic. My opinion the focal bathys is no where near of the sound quality of the N5909.

@opaz.

6 ай бұрын

👍🏼

Are you going to buy the new Bowers and Wilkins PX8? I think you need a better camera and microphone. Very Good detailed review.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

📸 🎤 yeah 😆, I have never heard of the px8. Will investigate

@raphaelmeillat8527

Жыл бұрын

Just got the Px8. Hesitated between the 5909 and Bathys as well. Love them so far. Will likely keep them. Comfortable, sound fun and punchy for pop music, yet detailed enough to enjoy more sophisticated genres like classical and jazz. Never been a better time to get into wireless hi-fi and that’s only the beginning!

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Excellent, glad you're loving them

I had a Lexus GS350 with the Mark Levinson system. I hated it...I wanted to swap out the speakers but couldn't because the ML speakers are custom sizes. So I got rid of the car

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

😆

Well, I was going to buy Mark Levinson since I hate my Bathys now. If they are just another mid-forward cheater like many other mid-fi headphones then I will skip on this one. Most pops songs don't have soundstage, they are just a bunch of sounds mixed together with a lead vocal set in the middle, no actual stage was recorded in the first place. So the Bathys are simply honest about that. Mid-Fi headphones like to cheat to make pop songs sound more normal. About the USB cable that comes with Bathys, it's pretty good. I tried some "upgrade" USB cables from Audioquest and some generic data cables. They all sound worse than the stock USB cable. Focal's Q&A on its website indicates sticking to the stock cable. I agree with that. But I still hate them. I've had two pairs of Bathys. Both of them developed a harsh glare in the mid treble after tens of hours of use. I bought a second pair to isolate the chance of copy variation. I had hope and I didn't want to give up its addictive presentation of live recordings. That harshness reminds me of Grado SR-60X, one that has design flaw that leads to ringing around 3 kHz. On the Bathys, Focal puts metal drivers, which already have some treble harshness on other big cans, even closer to the ear canal. That harshness simply cannot be removed by EQ. I returned both pairs and I'll stick to my desktop setup until the next iteration of Bathys. I really wish Focal to succeed.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

I'm hip hop, house/garage, reggae, neo soul, jazz and often going back to blues & motown. Not a classical or film scores person, although I play the cello. For me with the Bathys, sounds like honesty not always the best policy!

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

I have ath-wb2022 on order, hope to review them soon

@richardw1992

Жыл бұрын

You realise a USB cable is digital, so it cannot affect sound quality. It transmits binary data, zeros and ones, it either works or it doesn't.

@alexanderg1935

Жыл бұрын

​@@richardw1992Very true, but the DAC can.

And the Focale have plastics on them. DISGUSTING! I have been looking for a new pair of wireless, and I am more drawn to the Mark Levinson. It appears that the build quality is there.

@jasonblaise6786

Жыл бұрын

With all due respect, this comment is pretty foolish and if you bothered to do any research you would know that the 5909 contain more plastic than the Bathys as they have plastic in the headband , yoke and the entire cups are made of plastic. Granted it’s high anodized plastic but still plastic. I hope you didn’t end up buying them and realize you payed $1000 for painted plastic

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Further research would have discovered that you also get beryllium coated drivers in the 5909. The drivers may only be coated with this material in the 5909 but this premium material is found in the flagship Focal Utopia costing nearly $7000 with its pure beryllium drivers

@faiosung

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. yeh, but the cost of the raw material in the utopia is a fraction of 7k 😛

Really nice but walking streets with such a big headphones is not a good idea. Home use probably.

The Dali IO-12 sounds better 😊

@adam.dzwoniarek72

16 күн бұрын

but not as good as the Focal. Tested both out and the Bathys sounds cleaner and sharper. Dali just was muddy and too soft to my liking.

@GEFELICITEERD45

16 күн бұрын

@@adam.dzwoniarek72 That's right, the focal sounds very good. I have it too, but I also have the T&A solitaire. T also sounds good

@zhaopeiding3837

7 күн бұрын

@@GEFELICITEERD45 How much better is the sound quality of T&A solitaire than focal? If it is much better, I would also like to buy T&A solitaire

@GEFELICITEERD45

6 күн бұрын

@@zhaopeiding3837 sounds good, but the Focal is louder, the solitaire you have to turn the volume up quite high

Why is your audio so messed up? It's cutting out, pop/crackle laden. Makes for a very annoying listen.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

I'm sure there are much better professional uploads about on these headphones, give them a try. They have the best cameras, mics & audio . .. and a script 😆 👍🏼

@jgizzy

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. I've watched a lot of them, your feedback is better I think.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

My home alarm battery was low and kept beeping also not the best camera, production editing etc but thanks anyway, cheers 👍🏻

Who cares about the box. You don't listen to the box.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

😆

There's a strange ticking/clicking going on with your mic

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Cheap mic, the picture isn't 4K either 😆

@TheSublimeIbanez

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. didn't really care about the picture but the clicking made it difficult for me to continue watching

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

No worries

@petershapiro679

Жыл бұрын

It was a beep, I checked my smoke alarm, found it came from the video. Thanks for expressing an opinion instead of finding the safe path that doesn’t offend. Refreshing. Other reviewers see many sides but eschew their own view unless on safe ground. Bold! Like the 5909 box

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Just realised, it was a low battery beep from my home alarm 😁

The Levinson's are too bright......my hair stands up on the back of my neck too when I get a sharp treble to my ears......like fingernails on a chalk board lol

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

😆

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

I have just tried both again for a 45 minute A/B listen. The 5909 are definitely not too bright

You have to test the B&W PX8. I think they will win you over. Much better finish and much better overall attention to details and craftsmanship.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Than?

@a.wunderland

Жыл бұрын

I've have had tested, noop, Not so brilliant and clear in the highs and overdriven in the deep range.px8> Anc is better, less rush, better connectivity, much cheaper. I was hesitating between the two too( Even the focal sounded better to me) my opinion.

@dbean5174

9 ай бұрын

The FR on those Headphones look disastrous 😂. The bass is higher than the treble and midrange… 😅

Fix your audio, mate. I can't listen to this crackling noise all over the start of this video!

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

😆

@robertneumann281

Жыл бұрын

@@opaz. no idea what's funny about that. It was an honest suggestion. You should definitely look into a better mic or your settings. If you don't hear what I'm talking about you're probably good with $50 headphones.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

You hit the nail on the head there! kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZGiHt5Oxp5PAn9o.html

14:20 WIth Bathys there is an low battery alert, but it's not speech, just some notification sound. Once you know what is for it's fine, but could be better if it was speech alert as it is on their old non-anc model - Listen Wireless.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

👍🏼

Bart

Overrated, overhyped headphone. Not sure what reviews are talking about when they say this is among the best sounding BT headphones. The treble is too dull, almost hollow. The bass all the way to the lower midrange is great, but falls apart after that, at least within the context of a $800 BT headphones. Maybe reviewers are just Focal fans. Maybe it's just the allure of the aesthetic design of that French headphone.

such a creepy accent))

@opaz.

22 күн бұрын

👻 😆

Who’s behind mark levinson right now. It’s not mark levinson him self. And Harmon sold there soul to Samsung. So who is really behind mark levinson today. I guess it would actually be Samsung since Samsung bought Harmon way before these cans came out. And Samsung is not known for hi end audio. So would you pay 1k for some Samsung cans cause that’s what this really is. I hate when a company uses another company’s name kills everything.

@opaz.

9 күн бұрын

If they have top tier bluetooth audio, whether they're Samsung Sennheiser, Sony or Sonova I would still pay 1k for them

Nobody wearing headphones is inconspicuous.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

Being 6' 4" also doesn't help! 😆

Good. Parasitic noises (taps) ruin your recording.

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

😆

I've returned two sets of Mark Levinson's. before mx5, I regularly had to return previous sonys to finally get a pair without cracking and clicking and all sorts of annoying stuff. when my first pair of ML's got delivered, I was shocked and flippin annoyed that the left cup had something big flopping around inside. the sound was out of this world, but my head exploded. no craftsmanship for £999? I mean, ??!!?????? returned to the store for an exchange, the shopkeeper just said 'OHGOD, that really shouldn't happen!' - noshitsherlock. got the second pair, took it out, shook (!) them, they sounded okay (as in no rats were running around in the cup...) wore them on the way home on the tube, closed my eyes and was in the club with Madge lobbing her tits out. then it started.... very subtle... not constantly present, so your brain would have the chance to get into rhythms with the extra 'soundstage'-intermittent. mostly dependent on the position of my head. and I'm the kind of guy who lets a headphone dictate how I walk, talk, bark-mysweeta$$. I was actually prepared to give the ML's a third chance (I know, but I'm dealing with post traumatic narcissistic abuse, so I think it's reasonable in that state of mind, I mean 🤦🏼‍♂️ back at the store again, the Solitaires had just come out, I thought I deserved some proper self stimulation, so to speak...😁 shortly after that, I got dressed back up and asked asked to try the new Solitaires-build quality amazing, it folds, but doesn't creak (based on years of experience, it is not psychically or humanly possible without making some kind of sound... 🤔 not these. nice metal touch, well constructed. the anc was great, I was going to ask to step outside into traffic, but didn't even get that far - the police finally turned up.. just checking if there's anybody still with me 🫤 the sound was totally alien to me. even though they obviously weren't, they reminded me of the old wired headphones you got with your walkman 😳 eeeerrrrm, I saw one on youtube!!...I mean... 👶🏻 lost interest in them at that very moment. then I tried the focals, and was sold. waived goodbye to the ML's, the store ordered them to be delivered to my place (no stock, you can't have everything 🙄), I got a £200 refund, and they asked the police to please remove me from the premises. I left my underpants on the focal stand, they have very kindly returned those as well... the bathys is an amazing set. just tried hi-res off my ipad mini 6 with my standard testing tracks. warming them up. hi-res thru usb-c made my eyelashes curl by themselves. ANC is different to sonys blockout helmet sound -even though I like that sound, my B&Ws are really just a backup pair - this set doesn't sound so 'closed'. as strange as it sounds, it reduces outside noise without compromising on sound without putting your head in a vacuum 😳 unless that's your kink 🫠 AND, no clicks, cracks or 3-year-olds running around in the cups. maybe they are delivered separately 😱

@opaz.

Жыл бұрын

I returned my Bathys as I was not pleased with the ANC. I'm convinced mine were faulty, I have my new pair to run in. Am away on holiday at the moment as soon as I return in the new year I'll check my new ones out My 5909 have been my commuting partners for 8 months, since I realised how great they performed at everything they do. Absolutely flawless, no issues to date with almost 3hrs daily usage . LDAC performance is the game changer. That's some journey you had Robby, sorry to hear how your experience panned out