On opening the box, there is the standard instruction booklet along with the headphones in a foam cutout. The foam helped keep the headphones in pristine condition during storage and transport. 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. 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.

With smartphones, the sound output does sound grainy and a bit compressed. This is further improved when pairing the Hi-X60 with a dedicated audio player or a DAC-amp combo enhance its overall sound quality.

Austrian Audio Hi-X55 Closed-Back Headphones Features:

When I listened to bass guitars, the bass notes were sustained and textured. The Hi-X55 has enough resolving capability to present the timbre qualities of bass guitars and separate them from even guitars that are being strummed with the same note. This is something that I haven’t heard except in more detailed planars. On the other hand, the Hi-X60 is a bit heavier and has a tighter clamp on an over-ear design. Despite greater clamp force and heavier overall, the Hi-X60 is more comfortable to use over longer periods. Performance

They sound great and their sound field is very large, which is a particular asset if you deal in largely electronic music and therefore have almost limitless control over the little worlds of sound you create.

Professional Closed-Back Over-Ear Headphones

I was surprised that the two headphones sound so similar, but the Hi-X55 just felt more natural in the way it presents the decays in percussive hits. I can say that both headphones have their own strengths, but I’m impressed at how the Hi-X55 overcame the perceived weaknesses of a dynamic driver design and caught up with a planar driver’s speed. Writing some comparisons among ATH-M70x, Audeze LCD-1 and Hi-X55 before my memory fades out. I don't have LCD-1 and Hi-X55 at the moment. It's very relative con but keep in mind you won't enjoy most of the music in these. You will hear harsh highs and resonances in bad mixes which you usually don't hear. These were designed for professional work and not for amusement. At first glance, the Hi-X55 looks like it has smaller supraaural ear cups, but the earpads have thin walls so that the inner diameter of the earpads ends up larger than you would expect based on the ear cups making it a compact circumaural.

Listening to the Hi-X55 through lesser sources will just reveal the weakness of your source chain, as the Hi-X55 will be indiscriminate in which details it will let you hear. Select Comparisons Sony MDR-7506 TechnicalSince the Hi-X55 has a single entry system, the internal wiring from the left to the right side of the headphone is exposed. The wire is twisted in such a way that it would be difficult to accidentally snag on the wires. Materials On the box, Austrian Audio claims that these can go as low as 5Hz which is super impressive. If I put the x55s on my iFi Hip DAC with XBass on, there is improved bass performance. I suspect that one could EQ or apply a bass boost and find more of the bass that he or she is looking for. I just don't have the means to do it well. When I was discussing the review with Austrian Audio’s marketing team, they reminded me that the Hi-X55 is a headphone designed to do mastering and studio work. I think this was to temper my possible expectations, especially in the bass department.