Joined in 2023 
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63 About this deal
When I adjust the headband, I end up adjusting them to around 1 notch from the maximum, which is respectable. The adjustment mechanism is wide enough that it can accommodate a wide variety of head sizes. The ring magnet provides plenty of power and doesn’t impede airflow, while the copper-clad aluminium voice coil and lightweight but stiff membrane provide a fast response across a broad frequency range, with little unwanted resonance. The box that the Hi-X60 came in is simple and ordinary-sized, just enough to enclose all the items inside. It’s a tri-fold design, with a Velcro strap holding the box together. What’s clever is that the same Velcro strap can be used as cable ties. M70x - high resolution, sometimes harsh, but less than Hi-x55 because of the hybrid pads (doesn't much resonant)
This character trait is where the fine Austrian Audios differ from their most obvious rivals, the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless or Philips Fidelio X3. Those other pairs provide warm, comfortable listens, where the Austrian Audios are far more analytical and more ‘professional’ in their presentation. One approach isn’t necessarily better than the other – it will be up to the user to decide which one suits them – but it is certainly something to be taken into account. Verdict Generous amounts of bass are easy to come by, but a bass region that has enough quality while still being controlled and punchy is something special. That’s the kind of bass that the Hi-X55 can produce, and it’s really a treat to hear. MidrangeLCD-1 - all plastic, metal headband inside of the plastic, genuine leather pads, it makes squeaky noise when moving jaw Sound, sound, sound, sound.... I too, like many of you, looked at the frequency response graph and thought to myself, "holy cow, what is going on with these headphones." Yet, I still bought them because curiosity killed this cat. I appreciated Oratory's graph ( https://www.dropbox.com/s/a17yq4pkomonor0/Austrian Audio Hi-X55.pdf?dl=0). Its quite odd because you look at the graph and you think, "this is going to sound really weird", but it really doesn't... Now, let me do my absolute best to describe how these sound...
Highs - I've never been great at discerning high frequencies. These headphones are bright cans. With that comes detail and airiness, etc. but it can also lend itself to sibilance. I didn't find the highs to be as sibilant as the DT770s, so I'd say that's a win in my book. I don't have much to say about the highs, but feel free to ask me questions. My first impression of the X55 is quite similar to yours. I found the headphones very detailed (but not overly etched) and I found them quite unpleasant to listen to. In fact, when I first tested it along with the X50 and X65, I liked the other 2 more. Austrian Audio boasts that the 44mm dynamic driver is the optimal size, thus using it for their wide range of headphones including the Hi-X55.With their wealth of experience from their work in AKG, the team behind Austrian Audio just hit the ground running. They have produced microphones and 2 headphones, the on-ear Hi-X50, and now the over-ear version Hi-X55.
In the intro of Standing Still by Jewel, it almost sounds like it’s a real guitar in front of me. The timbre of the guitar is similar to how I hear actual guitars when I play or watch my friends play on the acoustic. However, when I returned to the store the second day and decided to give X55 another chance, I started to get X55's sound signature. X55 is harsh and there is no doubt about it, but in many ways, it is like that because it is designed to do so. X55's harshness is not a result of bad tuning (I actually find it quite well-tuned because there is still a 'lush' with all the sounds coming through it and its mid-range, especially with acapella vocals, is spot-on); its harshness results from the fact it is designed to be a mixing headphone. The Sony MDR-7506 has been a well-respected studio reference headphone since its release in 1991. It says “studio monitoring” on the top of the headband, so there’s no doubt that it was designed to be used as a studio monitor as well. The midrange is clean and clear with adequate ear gain but the tonality is on the thin and clinical side when it comes to vocals, whether that is a good thing for its intended purpose is beyond my scope of answering. The Hi-X55 has hinges for folding them for traveling and swiveling the ear cups to get that perfect fit on your head. The hinges on the headphones are smooth and they seem quite sturdy.Austrian Audio microphones are calibrated to within one decibel of each other – add another OC18 or OC818 to record in perfect stereo harmony.
One thing to note about the Hi-X55’s single-entry system would be that it’s harder to re-terminate to a balanced connection. While the AEONs have a removable Hirose connector that can easily be replaced with 3 rd party cables. Performance If you’re looking for well-designed wired on-ear headphones for portable or domestic use, these Austrian Audios should be right at the top of your shortlist. The brand may be new, but its Hi-X50 have what it takes to lead the class. Guitar strums on the Hi-X55 are also presented naturally. When I’m listening to the guitars, I can almost imagine the size of the guitar’s body and the way the guitarists are shifting their fingers through the fretboard. Since both headphones are designed for studio use, they have similar tonality. There are just 2 main differences, and it’s that the Hi-X55 has a bit more sub-bass rumble to speak of and that the Hi-X55 has a slight treble peak.
This does not change the musical quality of the two performances - they just sound slightly different. The distance between the Hi-X65 and the K812 is smaller than between one of the AKG K/Q7xx models and the K812. Sound: My first impression is that vocals on songs that I know well are unnaturally boosted. More than I’ve heard before in a headphone. Also the sound stage is noticeably narrow. More like a triangle right in front of my face rather than a full left to right stereo image. Le Sacre du Printemps - This composition also contains a lot of dynamics, brute force, deep and powerful drums and timpani. When I apply some eq in “Total Mix” things start to sound better. That’s a good sign, but if I have to eq them to get them to sound right why not buy a much less expensive set of headhones? Moving on to a more powerful source, the Audio-GD R2R 11 supplies meaty lows on this pair. Staging and imaging are also improved compared to the Hiby R3 Pro.
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