John
The world’s most expensive active noise cancelling headphones? As recently as December 2021, we’d have pointed our fingers at the Apple AirPods Max which in Germany sell for €629. However, in January 2022, Mark Levinson kicked open the high-end Bluetooth headphone floodgates with the No. 5909 (€999, podcast review here). Later that year, Bowers & Wilkins followed suit with the PX8 (€699, video review here), just after Focal announced the Bathys (€799, video review here). Flying under this commentator’s Munich High-End radar in May 2022 was German manufacturer T+A whose Solitaire T could be used as an ANC headphone wirelessly via Bluetooth (or wired via USB) and as an all-analogue passive headphone with no battery power required. Price? €1300.
At the time of writing, the Solitaire T are not the most expensive Bluetooth headphones on the planet – that title goes to Audio Technica – but they are the most expensive active noise-cancelling headphones you can buy right now. And the Mark Levinson are the second most expensive.
With the No. 5909 still on deck here in Berlin, a side-by-side comparison presented itself. Not just a day of quick-fire A/B testing but a longer-term comparison: I have spent the last three months going backwards and forwards between the Solitaire T and the No. 5909 and this video brings together my findings.
Oh — a word on T+A pronunciation. Americans say “Tea Plus Ayy” (or “Tea And Ayyy”). Germans say “Tay Plooss Ahhh”.
🎥 Camera: John Darko / Olaf von Voss
🎬 Editor: John Darko
🌈 Colour: Olaf von Voss
🕺🏻 Motion GFX: John Darko
💰 Ad segment: Jana Dagdagan
🎵 Song IDs? Playlists of all music heard in this video – and other videos – can be found on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/johndarko
Further information: T+A | Mark Levinson
T+A Solitaire T
📖 https://www.ta-hifi.de/en/headphones/solitaire-t/
Mark Levinson No. 5909
🎧 https://darko.audio/2022/09/mark-levinson-no-5909-a-podcast-review/
🛒 https://howl.me/cipbkcbUVKY
Shanling M3 Ultra
🎧 https://darko.audio/2023/03/podcast-shanling-m3-ultra-review/
Streaming platform by Roon
🛒 https://roon.link/affiliate/darko
All cables and power products by AudioQuest
🛒 https://howl.me/ckbW8ZBoZAg
Hi-fi furniture and speaker stands by Solid Steel
🛒 https://howl.me/ckbW9947Hdi
Room treatment by Vicoustic
📖 https://vicoustic.com/
Darko.Audio may earn a small commission from items purchased via affiliate links, which are indicated with a ‘🛒’.
