Наушники — Austrian Audio Hi-X65

The Hi-X65 is a circumaural studio headphone with open earcups and the first open-backed model from Austrian Audio, a Vienna company staffed largely by former AKG engineers. It was created with mixing and mastering in mind, where close and precise listening matters at the final stages of production, and it is made in Austria. Launch pricing was GBP 319 including VAT in the UK and USD 419 in the US market.

Key specs that matter

The transducers are 44 mm High-Excursion moving-coil drivers, the same high-excursion design found in the closed Hi-X50 and Hi-X55, each built around a ring magnet assembly and a light CCA voice coil. The frequency range is of 5 Hz to 28 kHz, with a sensitivity of 110 dB SPL per volt and a nominal impedance of 25 ohm. Harmonic distortion measured at 1 kHz stays under 0.1 percent, and the input power rating is 150 mW. The headphone weighs 310 g without a cable and measures 200 x 170 x 85 mm, close in look and size to its closed sibling.

Engineering and use context

Unlike many studio headphones, the Hi-X65 has no load-bearing plastic parts, since hinges and structural pieces are all metal, and the frame folds compactly for storage. Memory foam is used in the headband padding and in the ear pads, and the pads can be exchanged using the Hi-X65CUK or Hi-X65/60 ECUS replacement kits. Two removable leads are supplied, one 3 m long for studio desks and one 1.2 m long for portable use, both fitted with a 3.5 mm plug, together with an adapter to 6.3 mm. The headphone ships in a large box with foam cutouts and a soft carrying bag, while spare HXC1m2 and HXC3 cables and an HXHC hard case are offered as accessories. With open rear grilles on both cups, sound passes out of the earcup in both directions, so the model suits control rooms and quiet listening spaces rather than recording booths where a microphone is live nearby.

Pairing

The low impedance lets the Hi-X65 run from audio interfaces, mixing consoles and portable players, although its lower volt-based sensitivity means it needs more drive than the closed model to reach the same level. In a mastering chain, a clean dedicated headphone amplifier with a low output impedance gives the extra voltage this model asks for.

Alternatives

The Austrian Audio Hi-X55 is the closed-back option in the same range with a folding frame.