Austrian Audio Hi-X65

HiFi, OpenBack
Austrian Audio Hi-X65 — Vienna’s Best Kept Secret

Austrian Audio rose from the ashes of the original AKG Vienna team when Samsung moved AKG operations to South Korea. The engineers who designed classic AKG headphones started fresh, and the Hi-X65 is their open-back studio flagship. It carries decades of Viennese acoustic engineering heritage in a thoroughly modern design.

Build & Design

Clean, professional, and well-made. The Hi-X65 features memory foam earpads, a comfortable headband, and an understated design that says “studio tool” rather than “lifestyle product.” At 310g it’s light enough for extended sessions. The folding mechanism is practical for storage, and the build feels solid without being heavy.

The proprietary Hi-X driver is a 44mm unit developed entirely in-house — Austrian Audio designed and manufactures their own drivers, which is increasingly rare.

Sound

Bass

Neutral and precise with genuine extension. The Hi-X65 doesn’t add warmth or slam — bass is tight, fast, and accurate. Bass guitar notes have excellent definition, kick drums are punchy without boom. For mixing work, this precision is ideal. For casual listening, it rewards good recordings and exposes poor ones.

Mids

This is where the AKG heritage shines. The Hi-X65’s midrange is open, detailed, and slightly forward — vocals are present and clear with excellent intelligibility. Acoustic instruments have natural timbre and realistic decay. It’s a sound that immediately brings to mind the classic K712 Pro, but more refined and controlled.

Treble

Extended and revealing without harshness. There’s a slight brightness that aids detail retrieval without becoming fatiguing. Cymbals have natural shimmer, and the overall top end is smooth enough for long sessions whilst remaining informative.

Soundstage & Imaging

Wide and precise — the open-back design provides good spatial representation, and imaging is studio-grade accurate. Instrument placement is clear and unambiguous, making the Hi-X65 an excellent mixing tool. Against my HD600, the staging is wider with better lateral precision.

Comparisons

Against the HD600, the Hi-X65 is more detailed and wider, with better bass extension, but the Sennheiser’s midrange warmth is more emotionally satisfying. Against the DT 900 Pro X, the Austrian Audio is smoother in the treble and more natural in the mids. DMS praised the Hi-X65 as “the studio headphone the AKG K7-series should have evolved into.”

Through the RME ADI-2 DAC FS and Sparkos Gemini, the Hi-X65 sounds superb — transparent enough to reveal the Gemini’s tube character without colouring it.

Verdict

Pros

  • Excellent studio-grade tuning
  • Comfortable for long sessions
  • Superb midrange clarity (AKG heritage)
  • Well-built with practical features

Cons

  • Not widely known outside pro audio circles
  • Slightly lean for bass-heavy music enjoyment
  • Design is functional rather than eye-catching
  • Limited availability in some regions

Ratings:

  • Build & Design: 8 / 10
  • Sound: 8.5 / 10
  • Comfort: 8.5 / 10
  • Value: 8.5 / 10

The Hi-X65 is what happens when legendary engineers start over with a clean slate and modern tools. Vienna still knows how to voice a headphone.