I seen an Austrian Audio guy say on a Sound On Sound interview that these phones are aimed at the digital studio engineer. From recording through to mastering. They are not really designed for listening to the finished mix. The flat response across all frequencies is deliberate.
I have the Beyer Dynamic 770 I use for the creative process when I can't be loud, and the Sennheiser 280 for mixing....when I can't be loud. I just bought the Austrian Audio hi-X55 to replace both sets of cans but I'm wondering as q drum n bass producer how these will work with understanding my bass frequencies since these are so true in the mid- high range? I suppose I'll have to rely more on observing the frequency analyzer and not very much on my ears?
A Finished track that you listened to, if well and accurately presented makes you know the headphone great, I was turned by the, the lower mids and thereabouts a little upward thus making the lows seem weak, this is a deal breaker, whats the point of being able to being able to reach 5hz but it drowned. I didnt test it myself, just based on what Ed is saying here. I was looking for a comparision to the HD 600 from sennheiser
Jekey Daniel Hi Jekey, you’re welcome, thanks for watching. I was of the belief that the old A7s (which mine are,2005) were fitted with the Beryllium tweeters before it was deemed a hazardous metal and the newer versions, including the A7Xs use the ribbons... Either way, they sound crystal clear 🙂
So, I have those (without being an engineer/producer or anything of that sort, just want to enjoy great film music and those have been my first 'real' headphones) and I am absolutely happy with the sound quality but to be fair I don't have any reference. After two years of using them have you noticed anything fishy about the adjustment mechanism? I'm just about to send them to Thomann for the second time in not even a year. I don't have a big head and only use two 'clicks' on both sides for them to fit comfortably. The issue is that the black plastic encasing with the serial number on it starts breaking very easily at the top down the sides on both sides. They are never lying on a table or something and are treated very well. So, with this in mind I can't take any review which begins with an unboxing of freshly delivered headphones (or any device for that matter) seriously as the long term experience is simply missing and those issues are just missing and in most cases on the more important side of the spectrum. After the first six months I had to send them back as the locking mechanism didn't work anymore and they just kept sliding down I became very cautious and checked those parts every now and then. Now after another five months they are starting to crack again. I am absolutely disappointed but don't want to give them away as they are amazing. Both in audio quality and comfort while wearing. I can wear them for hours sometimes without even plugged in. Sometimes I just enjoy the isolated silence while working at the computer as it directs my focus on what I want to do. But my reason to comment is a different one. You've been wearing them wrong the hole time and it bugged me the whole time. You had L and R switched and because of that they can't fit properly obviously and they have to sit properly to get the proper sound stage. Another point would be that I thought them to be horrible when I first used them but after a few days maybe a week or two the speakers 'warmed up' (I don't know if that's a thing?) and sounded amazing. They fall flat with electronic dance music (Drum and Bass/Techno) but exceed astonishingly with acoustic instruments and great orchestras. And I was used to cheap consumer headphones (in-ear mostly) that emphasize on the lower frequencies. I don't know what's going on but my guess is that companies think more bass means more quality?
@@EdThorne What do you think?? Of course It does!! You're hearing leftside right and rightside left, so sounds of your music sound from the wrong side.
The low Hz range is not too unusual of a spec for headphones. The 1980s MDR-V6 is specced at 5 Hz to 30 kHz range. People say humans can't hear below 20 Hz but on sine wave tests I always can..
great video, i appreciate you taking the time you took to make it. i went in to our local store intending to get some cables, came out with this set, luckily wife didnt see me buy them or i'd b e in the dog house, had a question , would a dac/amp help these sound better ? if so if you had any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated . i want to be able to listen to music on my pc , thank you again very much.
You’re welcome, and thanks for watching. If you’re listening through an audio interface you won’t need a headphone amp, if you’re listening straight out of your computer then I would maybe suggest getting one. The ART headphone amps are good value for money.
Out of interest is there anything you should be looking for specs wise with headphones. Always wondered how you know if your headphones are of high quality compared to others. I use sonarworks but I hear lots of people going on about audeze. Is there anyway of knowing the quality of your headphones by looking at the specs. And if so what should you be looking for?
Paul Third The headphone arena is drenched with mixed opinions on what to prioritise. Specs are all marketing hype anyway imo. I’d suggest searching for a frequency response chart and choosing a flat pair, and checking Sound on Sound/Audiophile page reviews. It also depends if you want proper mixing headphones or a nice listening experience for editing/comping etc. I find they’re often not the same thing...
@@EdThorne I had a pair of beyer dt770 then something happened with the wiring so my wife bless her soul went to curry's and asked for advice about the best mixing Headphones for a surprise Christmas present years ago. Boy sold her a £350 pair of bose qc 35 ii. Noise cancelling is fantastic don't get me wrong but from what iv read it lacks detail. I think they sound great but it's a shame I'm missing out on the detail. Thinking about maybe seeing if I can fix the beyers and sell the bose and maybe buy a new pair
Paul Third Bless her. Sweet thought. It also depends if you want closed back or open back. Pros and cons to both. Obviously closed back for recording and more bass when mixing.
@@EdThorne now I'm just looking for the best detail. Going to invest in a little labs monotor headphone amp. I mix using sonarworks so just want to ensure that I don't miss out on anything sonically. Especially with my plugin comparisons. Details key for me.
bro how are you. ? I have a question I just got a pair. and one of the sides is harder to move then the there side is this normal ? the side were the cable goes is a little more resistance to move to rotate the ear cup then the other.
@@EdThorne you are welcome 🙂 glad to hear you are good . thank you so much . Yea my head phones are like that but they sound good the ir no resistance in one side to rotate the ear cup 🙏🏽🙏🏽
they feel loose cause you are wearing wrong...also they sound just a bit different if you wear them correct.
Yeh, I hadn't spotted the huge L&Rs inside the ear cups until I edited the video. Do you think it makes that much of a difference?
I seen an Austrian Audio guy say on a Sound On Sound interview that these phones are aimed at the digital studio engineer. From recording through to mastering. They are not really designed for listening to the finished mix. The flat response across all frequencies is deliberate.
Would mastering not involve listening to a finished mix?
@@EdThorne Yes, it most certainly would.
I have the Beyer Dynamic 770 I use for the creative process when I can't be loud, and the Sennheiser 280 for mixing....when I can't be loud. I just bought the Austrian Audio hi-X55 to replace both sets of cans but I'm wondering as q drum n bass producer how these will work with understanding my bass frequencies since these are so true in the mid- high range? I suppose I'll have to rely more on observing the frequency analyzer and not very much on my ears?
A Finished track that you listened to, if well and accurately presented makes you know the headphone great, I was turned by the, the lower mids and thereabouts a little upward thus making the lows seem weak, this is a deal breaker, whats the point of being able to being able to reach 5hz but it drowned.
I didnt test it myself, just based on what Ed is saying here.
I was looking for a comparision to the HD 600 from sennheiser
Thanks for the review. A small correction : Adam monitors are using ribbon tweeters, not beryllium :)
Jekey Daniel Hi Jekey, you’re welcome, thanks for watching. I was of the belief that the old A7s (which mine are,2005) were fitted with the Beryllium tweeters before it was deemed a hazardous metal and the newer versions, including the A7Xs use the ribbons... Either way, they sound crystal clear 🙂
So, I have those (without being an engineer/producer or anything of that sort, just want to enjoy great film music and those have been my first 'real' headphones) and I am absolutely happy with the sound quality but to be fair I don't have any reference.
After two years of using them have you noticed anything fishy about the adjustment mechanism? I'm just about to send them to Thomann for the second time in not even a year. I don't have a big head and only use two 'clicks' on both sides for them to fit comfortably. The issue is that the black plastic encasing with the serial number on it starts breaking very easily at the top down the sides on both sides. They are never lying on a table or something and are treated very well. So, with this in mind I can't take any review which begins with an unboxing of freshly delivered headphones (or any device for that matter) seriously as the long term experience is simply missing and those issues are just missing and in most cases on the more important side of the spectrum.
After the first six months I had to send them back as the locking mechanism didn't work anymore and they just kept sliding down I became very cautious and checked those parts every now and then. Now after another five months they are starting to crack again. I am absolutely disappointed but don't want to give them away as they are amazing. Both in audio quality and comfort while wearing. I can wear them for hours sometimes without even plugged in. Sometimes I just enjoy the isolated silence while working at the computer as it directs my focus on what I want to do.
But my reason to comment is a different one. You've been wearing them wrong the hole time and it bugged me the whole time. You had L and R switched and because of that they can't fit properly obviously and they have to sit properly to get the proper sound stage.
Another point would be that I thought them to be horrible when I first used them but after a few days maybe a week or two the speakers 'warmed up' (I don't know if that's a thing?) and sounded amazing. They fall flat with electronic dance music (Drum and Bass/Techno) but exceed astonishingly with acoustic instruments and great orchestras. And I was used to cheap consumer headphones (in-ear mostly) that emphasize on the lower frequencies. I don't know what's going on but my guess is that companies think more bass means more quality?
Why did you have them on backwards?
They sound like you’re in a swimming pool whichever way round you have them. The stereo imaging and top end detail is fantastic though.
💲 BUY the Austrian Audio Hi-X55 Headphones here:
Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/ZoDez
Thomann: redir.love/thoprod/483668?offid=1&affid=707
🖥AUSTRIAN AUDIO WEBSITE: austrian.audio
holy shit we found jimmy neutron
Haha. I’ve not had that comparison yet 🤣
Iems and headphones generally go well below speakers on sub bass
Wear the headphones right!!! 3:49
Yeh, I hadn't spotted the huge L&Rs inside the ear cups until I edited the video. Do you think it makes that much of a difference?
@@EdThorne What do you think?? Of course It does!! You're hearing leftside right and rightside left, so sounds of your music sound from the wrong side.
@@jimis3167 Of course from a stereo imaging POV, that goes without saying, but it won’t make a difference from a frequency response/detail POV.
@@EdThorne Yes, in frequency response perspective, It doesn't.
@@EdThorne yes but the ear cup design is crucial to frequency response, so try wearing them correctly it can actually shape the tone
The low Hz range is not too unusual of a spec for headphones. The 1980s MDR-V6 is specced at 5 Hz to 30 kHz range. People say humans can't hear below 20 Hz but on sine wave tests I always can..
great video, i appreciate you taking the time you took to make it. i went in to our local store intending to get some cables, came out with this set, luckily wife didnt see me buy them or i'd b e in the dog house, had a question , would a dac/amp help these sound better ? if so if you had any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated . i want to be able to listen to music on my pc , thank you again very much.
You’re welcome, and thanks for watching. If you’re listening through an audio interface you won’t need a headphone amp, if you’re listening straight out of your computer then I would maybe suggest getting one. The ART headphone amps are good value for money.
Out of interest is there anything you should be looking for specs wise with headphones. Always wondered how you know if your headphones are of high quality compared to others. I use sonarworks but I hear lots of people going on about audeze. Is there anyway of knowing the quality of your headphones by looking at the specs. And if so what should you be looking for?
Paul Third The headphone arena is drenched with mixed opinions on what to prioritise. Specs are all marketing hype anyway imo. I’d suggest searching for a frequency response chart and choosing a flat pair, and checking Sound on Sound/Audiophile page reviews. It also depends if you want proper mixing headphones or a nice listening experience for editing/comping etc. I find they’re often not the same thing...
@@EdThorne I had a pair of beyer dt770 then something happened with the wiring so my wife bless her soul went to curry's and asked for advice about the best mixing Headphones for a surprise Christmas present years ago. Boy sold her a £350 pair of bose qc 35 ii. Noise cancelling is fantastic don't get me wrong but from what iv read it lacks detail. I think they sound great but it's a shame I'm missing out on the detail.
Thinking about maybe seeing if I can fix the beyers and sell the bose and maybe buy a new pair
Paul Third Bless her. Sweet thought. It also depends if you want closed back or open back. Pros and cons to both. Obviously closed back for recording and more bass when mixing.
@@EdThorne now I'm just looking for the best detail. Going to invest in a little labs monotor headphone amp. I mix using sonarworks so just want to ensure that I don't miss out on anything sonically. Especially with my plugin comparisons. Details key for me.
@@PaulThird try out the hd560 with an xduoo link 2 or a 58x with an xduoo link 2.
Austrian Audio or Ollo Audio? I can’t choose which I want the most to buy. I want them both! :)
Alexey Soloviev Music I haven’t heard the Ollo Audio but I know @WhiteNoiseStudios says good things about them 🙂
@@EdThorne ollo. did i say ollo? ollo. Ollo , alexey.
Ed Thorne The price for both if I’m mistaken is the same. I guess when I have money I need to go to the store and try them before buying
@@AlexeySolovievMusic Maybe Marlon can hook you up for a review.
Ed Thorne I watched and love his review but if there an opportunity to listen to these headphones at the store that would be great! :)
bro how are you. ? I have a question I just got a pair. and one of the sides is harder to move then the there side is this normal ? the side were the cable goes is a little more resistance to move to rotate the ear cup then the other.
Hi, I’m great, thanks for asking 🙂 I haven’t noticed this but I’ll check when I get back in the studio and let you know.
@@EdThorne you are welcome 🙂 glad to hear you are good . thank you so much . Yea my head phones are like that but they sound good the ir no resistance in one side to rotate the ear cup 🙏🏽🙏🏽
With these headphones would it be okay to connect these straight into my laptop for mixing? or better to connect through an audio interface?
Ethan Ghoura They have a very low impedance so you’ll be fine connecting directly to your laptop.
@@EdThorne great! Thanks for the reply, very helpful:)
J'ai eu le même visage et même réaction lorsque j'essayais mes hi 55😄😆🤣... Je me suis dit mais toutes cette tunes pour moins de song😁😀
Good