TechRadar Verdict
The Austrian Audio Hi-X20 are more of the same from a company with an extraordinarily impressive strike-rate where affordable over-ear headphones are concerned. Unless you’re preoccupied with low-frequency wallop, there isn’t an aspect of the Hi-X20 sound that will underwhelm.
Pros
- +
Rapid, revealing and entirely believable sound
- +
Good standard of build and finish
- +
Look better than previous Austrian Audio models
Cons
- -
Could conceivably sound punchier
- -
A shorter cable option would be nice
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Austrian Audio Hi-X20: Two-minute review
The company hasn’t been around all that long, but this is not Austrian Audio’s first rodeo at the entry point of the wired over-ear headphones market. Its performance credentials are established, but with the Hi-X20 it seems to have decided that it would like its headphones to look as coherent as they sound to sit among the best wired headphones out there. Which can only be a good thing.
The ‘Hi-X’ bit of the model number means ‘high excursion’, and the Hi-X20 use the same 44mm full-range dynamic driver assembly as all the other ‘Hi-X’ models in the Austrian Audio line-up. This, too, counts as an uncomplicatedly good thing.
And when it comes to ‘performance’, the Hi-X20 are all business. From detail retrieval to dynamics, and soundstaging to tonal balance, they’re a confident and very accomplished listen. They unify recordings properly, strike a nice balance between ‘poise’ and ‘attack’, keep momentum levels high and have complete command over rhythm and tempo. Some listeners might conceivably require greater punch from the (nicely shaped, nicely varied) low frequencies that are on offer here, but everyone else can just revel in sound quality that makes the asking price seem a bit like a misprint.
Austrian Audio Hi-X20 review: Price & release date
- Released October, 2024
- Priced $150 / £120 / AU$250
The Austrian Audio Hi-X20 have been on sale since October 2024, and at a price of $150 / £120 / AU$250 they’re one of the company’s most affordable designs. But while the affordable wired over-ear closed-back design isn’t the most fashionable at the moment, it’s not as if the Hi-X20 are your only choice. Plenty of brands, from FiiO to Sony and many points in between, have a comparable model in their line-ups…
Austrian Audio Hi-X20 review: Specs
Type | Wired over-ear, closed-back |
Drivers | 44mm full-range dynamic |
Weight | 255g |
Cable length | 3m |
Connectivity | 3.5mm with 6.3mm adapter |
Frequency response | 12Hz - 24kHz |
Austrian Audio Hi-X20 review: Features
- 44mm full-range dynamic drivers
- 12Hz - 24kHz frequency response
- Detachable 3m cable
The same high-excursion dynamic driver is fitted to every ‘Hi-X’ headphones in the Austrian Audio line-up. It’s a 44mm full-range number, backed by a powerful ring magnet and lightweight copper-covered aluminium voice-coil. A strong magnetic field, optimal airflow and rapid impulse reaction all combine in the arrangement to deliver, according to the manufacturer, a frequency response of 12Hz - 24kHz.
The Hi-X20 are supplied with a three-meter length of cable for connection to a source. At one end it clicks and twists into a 2.5mm socket on the left ear cup, while at the other end its 3.5mm termination also features a 6.3mm adapter. It’s a useful length of cable if you’re using your headphones in a professional capacity, sure, but it’s a bit much if all you’re doing is domestic listening. A second, shorter option in the packaging might have been nice.
That’s pretty much your lot for ‘features’. Even the most expensive passive headphones tend not to have all that long a list of features, and the Hi-X20 simply have the essentials.
- Features score: 4.5/5
Austrian Audio Hi-X20 review: Sound quality
- Fast, attacking-yet-controlled sound
- Confident, positive presentation
- Some listeners will require greater bass presence
Despite sharing the same driver arrangement as every other ‘Hi-X’ model, Austrian Audio has tuned the Hi-X20 to address some perceived issues in the way some of the brand's predecessors sound. Whether or not it has been successful in this endeavour, there’s certainly no getting away from the fact that the Hi-X20 are a persuasive listen and an accomplished product.
There’s straight-edged attack to the onset of sounds, no matter where in the frequency range they occur. The top end is bright and shining, nicely controlled and with enough substance to prevent even the crunchiest treble sounds becoming edgy or hard. The Hi-X20 are speedy in their presentation, and keep momentum levels high in every circumstance.
A 24bit/44.1kHz FLAC of Lamb’s Trans Fatty Acid from Kruder & Dorfmeister’s The K&D Sessions illustrates the point in full. The Hi-X20 fairly motor through the tune, expressing the rhythm confidently and offering a direct, convincing overall presentation. Integration of the frequency range is smooth throughout, and in the midrange there’s a degree of positivity that makes the vocal performance sound assertive and articulate.
At the bottom of the frequency range, the Austrian Audio extract and contextualize just as much detail as elsewhere, and there’s pleasing variation to bass sounds. They’re not without substance, either – although the fleet-footed nature of the sound here means the lowest frequencies can be fractionally slender – if you’re the sort of listener who likes to be pummelled by low-frequency presence, you might conceivably find the Hi-X20 a little on the lean side.
Dynamic headroom is considerable, and the Austrian Audio respond instantly to switches in volume or intensity. They create a large, well-defined and properly organized soundstage, too, and manage to unify even complex recordings into singular occurrences rather than present them as a collection of individual and unrelated events.
Switching to a 24bit/96kHz FLAC file of Nick Drake’s Which Will allows the Hi-X20 to demonstrate their understanding of tone and texture. The acoustic instrumentation and close-mic’d vocal is delivered in an intimate, assured style – not every pair of headphones can make this recording sound as near-field and naturalistic as this, no matter the asking price.
- Sound quality score: 4/5
Austrian Audio Hi-X20 review: Design
- Neat folding arrangement
- Metal headband and hinges
- Replaceable ear pads
You don’t ‘design’ headphones, really, certainly not affordable headphones – you ‘build’ them. And so the Hi-X20 look just as you’d expect a pair of affordable over-ear closed-back headphones to look. ‘Design’ doesn’t come into it.
Mind you, at least the Hi-X20 don’t follow the example of previous affordable Austrian Audio models by having far too many colours and textures involved. The HiX-20 are almost entirely black in finish, with only a smattering of branding picked out in red. The plastic that constitute the rear of the ear cup and cover the headband adjustment mechanism feel sturdy enough, and the slow-retention memory foam that makes up the ear pads and sits across the inside of the headband is pleather-covered and comfortable.
In fact, thanks to their 255g weight and some judicious clamping force, the whole experience of wearing the Hi-X20 is comfortable. There’s plenty of headband adjustment available, and the Austrian Audio fold plenty small enough to fit into the small, soft bag they’re supplied with.
- Design score: 5/5
Austrian Audio Hi-X20 review: Value
- Comfortable, good-looking and acceptably finished
- Long cable only minor shortcoming
They’re the best-looking ‘Hi-X’ headphones so far, they’re built and finished to a very acceptable standard, they’re comfortable and they sound great. Maybe the cable is on the long side, but if you can live with this minor shortcoming (and you really ought to), there’s no disputing the value for money the Hi-X20 represent.
- Value score: 5/5
Should I buy the Austrian Audio Hi-X20?
Section | Notes | Score |
---|---|---|
Features | High-excursion dynamic driver; 12Hz - 24kHz frequency response | 4.5/5 |
Sound quality | Attacking-yet-controlled sound; positive presentation | 4.5/5 |
Design | Fold together neatly; lots of headband adjustment; sturdy feel | 5/5 |
Value | Best-looking 'Hi-X' headphones so far | 5/5 |
Buy them if...
You enjoy direct, revealing sound
They have great powers of insight, the Hi-X20, but even more than this they’re an engaging and entertaining listen. It’s a potent combination
You enjoy an understated look
Unlike previous Austrian Audio efforts, the Hi-X20 are not showy where colors are concerned – and they’re all the better for it
You intend to listen for hours on end
The Austrian Audio are comfortable for the long haul, and their ear pads don’t heat up anything like as quickly as some alternative headphones
Don't buy them if...
You’re a bass fiend
Low frequencies are properly represented here, but the Hi-X20 are a whippet of a listen, rather than an XL Bully
You get tangled easily
Three meters of cable might be ideal for some users, but the rest of us are going to find ourselves with a lot of cable that’s just in the way
Austrian Audio Hi-X20 review: Also consider
Header Cell - Column 0 | Austrian Audio Hi-X20 | Grado SR80x | Sivga Oriole |
---|---|---|---|
Price | $150 / £120 / AU$250 | $125 / £130 / AU$179 | $199 / £219 / AU$399 |
Drivers | 44mm full-range dynamic | 44mm dynamic | 50mm dynamic |
Weight | 255g | 240g | 280g |
Cable length | 3m | 1.8m | 1.8m |
Connectivity | 3.5mm with 6.3mm adapter | 3.5mm | 3.5mm or 6.3mm cable |
Frequency response | 12Hz - 24kHz | 20Hz - 20kHz | 20Hz - 20kHz |
Grado SR80x
If you'll accept an open-back design (and one that sits on, rather than over, your ears) there's so much to love sonically about Grado's May 2021-release affordable headphones. The design is Grado's calling card – just don't wear them on the bus unless you want to annoy your fellow commuters.
Read our Grado SR80x review for the full story.
Sivga Oriole
Another beautiful set of headphones that belie their lowly price tag, this time over-ears and finished in wood. The sound is strong and vivacious too, if lacking in a little of the dynamic nuance of much pricier options. See our Sivga Oriole review for the full story
How I tested the Austrian Audio Hi-X20
- Connected to an iFi iDSD Diablo 2 headphone amplifier
- With a variety of digital audio file types and sizes
- For well over a working week
My reference amplifier (a Naim Uniti Star) has a 3.5mm headphone socket – and so all my testing was done using a (delightfully capable) iFi iDSD Diablo 2 headphone amp connected via UBS-C to an Apple MacBook Pro. And this is loaded with Colibri software in order to play proper high-resolution content, plus less information-rich stuff, too. I listened to music of every style and genre and did all of this for just over two weeks.
- First reviewed: November 2024
- Read more about how we test
Simon Lucas is a senior editorial professional with deep experience of print/digital publishing and the consumer electronics landscape. Based in Brighton, Simon worked at TechRadar's sister site What HiFi? for a number of years, as both a features editor and a digital editor, before embarking on a career in freelance consultancy, content creation, and journalism for some of the biggest brands and publications in the world.
With enormous expertise in all things home entertainment, Simon reviews everything from turntables to soundbars for TechRadar, and also likes to dip his toes into longform features and buying guides. His bylines include GQ, The Guardian, Hi-Fi+, Metro, The Observer, Pocket Lint, Shortlist, Stuff T3, Tom's Guide, Trusted Reviews, and more.
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