If the contents of this issue are anything to go by, Autumn 2024 is delivering a rich crop of new headphones. Austrian Audio’s contribution to this bountiful harvest is the Hi‑X20, a closed‑back, moving‑coil model that sits in between the affordable Hi‑X15 and the more upmarket pairs in their range.
Austrian Audio draw on the expertise of many people who worked at the old AKG headquarters in Vienna and, inasmuch as their existing models have a family sound, it’s one that has something in common with AKG’s, involving a readily apparent presence boost in the upper midrange and high frequencies. That tendency is particularly pronounced in the Hi‑X15s, which are some of the brightest cans I’ve used: ideal for ensuring the drummer’s click track cuts through, perhaps less so for delicate mixing decisions. The Hi‑X20s are designed to present a different voicing.
In physical terms, the two models are outwardly identical, except that the 20s are finished throughout in a sober black, without the 15s’ silver and red elements. Consequently, the new cans are lightweight and comfortable, and boast longevity‑oriented features such as removable earpads and a detachable cable. Thankfully, they’re supplied with a longer cable than the Hi‑X15, along with a black drawstring bag for (somewhat) safe keeping. Like all of Austrian Audio’s headphones, the Hi‑X20s are low‑impedance designs that use the company’s proprietary “high excursion” driver, combining high sensitivity with low distortion.
They’re even a bit more restrained at the top than more expensive models like the Hi‑X60.
Voicing
The Hi‑X20s do indeed have a noticeably different voicing from the Hi‑X15s, but they’re still recognisably part of the Austrian Audio family. In other words, they are on the bright side of neutral, but not nearly as much as their junior siblings. In fact, they’re even a bit more restrained at the top than more expensive models like the Hi‑X60 — or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the brightness of the Hi‑X20 seems focused in a narrower frequency range, somewhere around 4‑5 kHz. On first encounter, this might still challenge your judgement around sibilance or cymbal splashiness, but I think it would be easy enough to compensate for either with experience or EQ, and in other respects, the Hi‑X20s fulfil all the requirements of a good pair of general‑purpose studio headphones. They’re less fatiguing, more listenable and more versatile than the Hi‑X15, and given the very modest difference in price, the choice seems like a no‑brainer.
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