Here's a brief review of the Austrian Audio Hi-X60 headphones, which I've now had a for a few months. I bought them to replace my NAD HP50 headphones, which I liked very much despite the fact that they were somewhat uncomfortable. I was looking for a pair of neutral, closed-back headphones with a decent sense of space. One specific requirement is that replacement pads needed to be available from the original manufacturer (I've had too many experiences where the pads have worn out on headphones and all the non-OEM replacement pads I've tried have messed up the sound). I listen mostly to classical music of all types except vocal.
Build quality and comfort:
These phones are very well made and seems as though they should be very durable. Contrary to some reports above, they arrived in perfect condition. They are very comfortable; I've had no problems wearing them for extended periods of time. Isolation is extremely good. The phones are not super-sensitive to how they are placed on the ears - moving them around a bit on my head seems to make no difference in sound quality. Replacement ear pads and headband pad are available from Austrian Audio.
There are two possible negatives. First, these phones are heavier than other phones I've previously used. This does not affect comfort, but it does cause them to slip way out of position if I, say, lean over to pick something up off the floor. They are definitely not the phones to use while exercising or otherwise engaged in any activity that involves a lot of motion. Not a problem for me, since I only wear them while sitting in my chair or on the couch. Second, these phones seem to need a solid seal around the ear to sound their best, and that seal can be broken if you wear eyeglasses. With my glasses on, I notice a slight loss of immediacy, the sound has a bit less of the "you are there" quality. I've cut some thin foam pads to place around my eyeglass temples and fill in the space between the temples and my head; this seems to solve (or at least greatly minimize) the problem.
Sound Quality:
Really good!
The bass is extended, clean and natural. There no bloat or exageration, which I find to be a problem with many other phones. Midrange is accurate and natural, and highs seem natural without being harsh. Overall, instrumental timbres seem very natural and accurate. There's plenty of detail, but it in no way interferes with simply enjoying the music. There's an excellent sense of space, particularly for a closed-back phone. So far as it's possible to compare speakers and headphones, the sound from these phones is very close to that of my carefully set-up ProAC 1SC's, which are my reference.
In sum, I'm very happy with these phones. They have the accurate, natural sound quality that I so liked with the NAD HP50s, but are far more comfortable, have an even better sense of space, and appear to be more durably built.
I hope this is helpful for anyone considering buying these phones!
Build quality and comfort:
These phones are very well made and seems as though they should be very durable. Contrary to some reports above, they arrived in perfect condition. They are very comfortable; I've had no problems wearing them for extended periods of time. Isolation is extremely good. The phones are not super-sensitive to how they are placed on the ears - moving them around a bit on my head seems to make no difference in sound quality. Replacement ear pads and headband pad are available from Austrian Audio.
There are two possible negatives. First, these phones are heavier than other phones I've previously used. This does not affect comfort, but it does cause them to slip way out of position if I, say, lean over to pick something up off the floor. They are definitely not the phones to use while exercising or otherwise engaged in any activity that involves a lot of motion. Not a problem for me, since I only wear them while sitting in my chair or on the couch. Second, these phones seem to need a solid seal around the ear to sound their best, and that seal can be broken if you wear eyeglasses. With my glasses on, I notice a slight loss of immediacy, the sound has a bit less of the "you are there" quality. I've cut some thin foam pads to place around my eyeglass temples and fill in the space between the temples and my head; this seems to solve (or at least greatly minimize) the problem.
Sound Quality:
Really good!
The bass is extended, clean and natural. There no bloat or exageration, which I find to be a problem with many other phones. Midrange is accurate and natural, and highs seem natural without being harsh. Overall, instrumental timbres seem very natural and accurate. There's plenty of detail, but it in no way interferes with simply enjoying the music. There's an excellent sense of space, particularly for a closed-back phone. So far as it's possible to compare speakers and headphones, the sound from these phones is very close to that of my carefully set-up ProAC 1SC's, which are my reference.
In sum, I'm very happy with these phones. They have the accurate, natural sound quality that I so liked with the NAD HP50s, but are far more comfortable, have an even better sense of space, and appear to be more durably built.
I hope this is helpful for anyone considering buying these phones!
