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...