Ken Jacobsen was playing a Dvořák recording through Austrian Audio's Composer when he noticed that a microphone had been placed too close to the harp, and he could even tell which part of the harp it was aimed at. Austrian Audio says it designs its headphones to reveal that kind of detail. Its founders came from AKG's team in Vienna and began with studio microphones, and Rob Tavaglione of Mix points out that microphones and headphones are the same kind of device, "doing basically the same thing in reverse." Every Hi-X headphone uses the company's own driver, built so its diaphragm can travel a long way in and out without wobbling, which Austrian Audio says makes the sound faster and more precise. What Hi-Fi? found the Hi-X55 "far more analytical" than its warmer rivals, and it heard the flagship Composer as "essentially neutral without sounding bleached." Austrian Audio suits listeners who want to hear what is really on a recording, from engineers checking a mix to hifi fans who love detail.

For home listening, start with the open-back Hi-X65. What Hi-Fi? recommends it for exactly that, gave its sound and build five stars, and heard it improve at each step from a MacBook to a Chord Hugo 2 DAC, so it rewards a good source. If you need quiet around you, or want to block out the room, the closed-back Hi-X55 seals well with its memory-foam pads, and Tavaglione's musician clients mostly preferred it for recording. Sam Inglis of Sound On Sound says it is easy to drive from most sources. The step up is the Composer, the hifi flagship. It needs little power, and Jacobsen ran his amps at 9 or 10 o'clock where most headphones need 11 or 12. What Hi-Fi? still heard it get better through a Chord Hugo TT2, and Austrian Audio recommends its own Full Score One amplifier. The earcups tilt through four positions, and Ryan of Skeeb23 found that tilting them gave his wife a snug fit.

Austrian Audio opened in Vienna in July 2017 with a core team of 22 former AKG people from acoustics, electronics, test and measurement and other fields. Its first products were studio microphones, the OC818 and OC18, each built around a ceramic capsule that the company handcrafts in Vienna. Sam Inglis wrote that the company "followed up their superb OC-series microphones with a range of cans," starting with the Hi-X55. The first three Austrian Audio headphones What Hi-Fi? reviewed all earned five stars, and the entry-level Hi-X15 won a What Hi-Fi? Award. The Composer took the brand into high-end hifi. Marcus of Headfonics sees it as a spiritual successor to AKG's K812 flagship, and What Hi-Fi? found its detail "broadly on par with Focal's Utopia at double the price." It won the EISA award for Best High-End Headphones for 2024-2025. The Composer is engineered and made in Vienna, and the Hi-X60 and Hi-X65 come with a hand-signed quality certificate.