Austrian Audio Hi-X20

The Austrian Audio Hi-X20 is a closed-back over-ear studio headphone that boasts a neutral frequency response and high precision. However, it is not intended to hit the budget hard. It fills the gap between the circumaural consumer model Hi-X15 (review) and the much more expensive professional over-ear Hi-X55 (review).

Austrian Audio Hi-X20 – what you get

The Hi-X20s come with the headphones themselves, as well as a 3m straight cable with 3.5mm jack plugs. Both plugs are gold-plated for corrosion protection. The plug, which connects to the left earcup of the headphones, has a bayonet lock. There is also an adapter for a 6.3mm jack plug. However, this adapter is not gold-plated. To protect the headphones from dust and dirt during storage and transport, an unpadded carrying pouch is included, which can be closed with a leather strap. A hand-signed certificate of quality, a quick reference guide and a sticker with the company logo complete the package. The certificate of quality is rather unusual for headphones in this price range and is a real bonus.

Design of the Austrian Audio Hi-X20

The Austrian Audio Hi-X20 fits seamlessly between the Hi-X15 and Hi-X25 (we tested the Bluetooth version, Hi-X25BT), but has a simpler colour scheme. It is almost entirely black. Only the manufacturer’s logo on the back of the earcups and the manufacturer’s name on the arm of the headband are in dark red. The closed earcups of the headphones are made of plastic. The earcup cushions are surprisingly deep.

The fact that the moving parts of the headphones and headband are made of metal suggests a long life. Incidentally, Austrian Audio only offer a wider headband and more generously curved arms on their higher-end Hi-X55 and Hi-X60 models (see review).

Specifications of the Austrian Audio Hi-X20

The 44mm Hi-X drivers in the Austrian Audio Hi-X20 are dynamically driven by ring magnets. A copper-clad aluminium voice coil ensures relatively low weight and fast diaphragm impulses. The drivers offer a frequency response that starts at 12 Hz in the bass range. In the treble range, the headphones can reproduce up to 24 kHz. This is well beyond the typical human hearing range at both ends of the spectrum. This means the headphones have plenty of frequency headroom in both the bass and treble ranges.

From the manufacturer’s stated sensitivity of 113 dB SPL/V, it can be deduced that the headphones have an efficiency of almost 97 dB/mW. This is accompanied by an impedance of 25 ohms. This, combined with their efficiency, makes them compatible with lower power and voltage headphone preamps. This means they can be used with low-cost audio interfaces or headphone splitters, as well as laptops and smartphones.

The Austrian Audio Hi-X20 in real life

To ensure that the cable plug sits firmly in the headphones, you have to twist it in the bayonet lock. However, there is hardly any room for the fingers holding the plug between the earcup and the plug. In addition, the plug is smooth and offers no grip for turning. The manufacturer could improve this small detail.

The stereo side is printed large and clearly on the inside of the earcups. This means that the Austrian Audio Hi-X20s can be put on quickly and easily without having to search for labels or try them on. The size adjustment of the headphones is notched and smooth. However, once adjusted, the Hi-X20s remember their size and are not as easy to adjust.

The ear cups can be tilted and swivelled. As a result, the headphones adapt well to the shape of your head. The ear cushions are pleasantly soft, and the memory foam fits so well that the user does not feel the pressure of the Austrian Audio Hi-X20. However, it is enough to keep the relatively light test candidate (255g without cable) firmly in place. The folding mechanism of the headphones is very easy to use and, unlike some of the competition, does not require the user to use a lot of force.

What the Austrian Audio Hi-X20 sounds like

The Austrian Audio Hi-X20 partially lives up to its claim of producing a neutral sound with the precision that professionals in recording studios can work with. Although its midrange does offer a high level of speech intelligibility, it sometimes pushes vocals too far to the fore. In music productions with vocals, for example, the vocals stand out. At louder volumes, the presence of voices can even seem piercing. This also affects the mids, which are important for the guitar sound in rock, alternative and metal music. We therefore recommend working with these headphones at a lower volume.

The promised precision is indeed delivered in the treble range. There are plenty of reserves in the super-high frequency range. The Hi-X20 also impresses with its powerful bass reproduction, which is controlled down to the lowest frequencies. There are none of the annoying resonances that can be heard in some closed-back headphones.

The Hi-X20’s stereo image is pleasantly wide and the subjective signal resolution is good, not least because of the detailed treble. What is surprising for a pair of headphones in this price range is the dynamic range and the associated depth. Classical music is reproduced particularly vividly.

The acoustic isolation to the outside is rather unbalanced. Even at low volumes, mid-range signal components are clearly audible. The attenuation of external noise is also unevenly distributed across the frequencies. While the highs are severely attenuated, the lows and mids come through relatively well. So don’t expect too much isolation.

The bottom line

The Austrian Audio Hi-X20 closed studio headphones offer amateurs and professionals an affordable sound tool with a strong midrange. It scores with a wide frequency range that delivers controlled bass, deepest lows and precise, open highs, as well as quite aggressive mids.

The Hi-X20 is easy to use and comfortable to wear, with a detachable cable of sufficient length for a wide range of applications. What’s more, it can be folded to save space for easy transport and stored in the included pouch. The closed-back design makes them ideal for streaming and recording, as well as low-level monitoring during recording. Content creators and mix engineers looking for a new tool with good value for money should give the Austrian Audio Hi-X20 a try to see if its sound profile suits them.