Beyerdynamic DT700 Pro X vs Austrian Audio Hi-X55 vs Hi-X60

Slush

I have the Beyerdynamic DT700 Pro X and the Austrian Audio Hi-X55 on view, comparing these with each other, but having a hard time deciding between the 2. I am wearing glasses and the bass/subbase sound less energetic on the Austrian with my glasses on, taking them off is more energy. This is less of a problem on the Beyer. Easy choice you would think, but the Austrian has such incredible detail.. it’s like a crystal. You can ‘feel’ all the little details and it has an incredible soundstage for a closed back, like you are in a small room. The Beyer is beautiful too, a little less soundstage, not as super detailed as the Austrian Audio. The Beyer is like wearing 2 teddybears on your head, super comfortable. Austrian Audio is second in wearing comfort. Both have an outstanding build, both are the same price. But damn, my glasses take away some bass on the Austria, more so than on the Beyer.

richardyot

If it was me I would go for the Beyers, the frequency response on the Austrians looks a bit whack to me, the Beyers are going to be more neutral and accurate.

I think the detail you're hearing on the Austrians is likely down to the skewed frequency response, with exagerated highs and scooped mids. In the image below the thick green line is the Harman Curve (which is considered the ideal response), and the Austrians are way off:

The Beyers do a better job IMO, although that notch at 4k isn't ideal:

KMTGN

Too much detail can result in dull mixes. Although I think that the dt 700 is ok with detail. The scene is also ok, in any case it is better to set the scene in monitors

Slush

@KMTGN said:
Too much detail can result in dull mixes. Although I think that the dt 700 is ok with detail. The scene is also ok, in any case it is better to set the scene in monitors

Absolutely, they have great detail, the bass issue is less and they are extremely comfortable.

Slush

@richardyot said:
If it was me I would go for the Beyers, the frequency response on the Austrians looks a bit whack to me, the Beyers are going to be more neutral and accurate.

I think the detail you're hearing on the Austrians is likely down to the skewed frequency response, with exagerated highs and scooped mids. In the image below the thick green line is the Harman Curve (which is considered the ideal response), and the Austrians are way off:

The Beyers do a better job IMO, although that notch at 4k isn't ideal:

I replied but accidentally removed it.
I was aware of the somewhat strange frequency response before I bought them, but these things need to be heard IRL. They have exceptional detail and clarity. I added TB Morphit to the chain and selected the Austrian Audio profile, even with a corrected curve it still has this crystal ‘etched’ clarity. But the bass issue while wearing my glasses is unfortunately a problem.

kirmesteggno

Is the 900 X and open back an option? It's on my list next time I visit the music store. It measures better than the 700 X, and like the old 990 the open back construction should also provide a wider sound stage vs. the closed back 7xx models.

espiegel123

Sometimes "clarity" means unusual frequency that will sound nice with some sources but lousy with others depending on the sweet spots of the instruments being mic'd.

Slush

@espiegel123 said:
Sometimes "clarity" means unusual frequency that will sound nice with some sources but lousy with others depending on the sweet spots of the instruments being mic'd.

@kirmesteggno said:
Is the 900 X and open back an option? It's on my list next time I visit the music store. It measures better than the 700 X, and like the old 990 the open back construction should also provide a wider sound stage vs. the closed back 7xx models.

Unfortunately only closed backs!

I added a review from the Austrian Audio Hi-X55 as they are a little less known as the Beyer. No matter which review I read about these, they’re all very positive and considered as hq studio monitoring hp.
The Austrian is developed by the old AKG team who started their own company after AKG was bought by Yamaha (sorry that whas Samsung) and moved to California: https://homedjstudio.com/austrian-audio-hi-x55-review/

kirmesteggno

@Slush said:

@espiegel123 said:
Sometimes "clarity" means unusual frequency that will sound nice with some sources but lousy with others depending on the sweet spots of the instruments being mic'd.

@kirmesteggno said:
Is the 900 X and open back an option? It's on my list next time I visit the music store. It measures better than the 700 X, and like the old 990 the open back construction should also provide a wider sound stage vs. the closed back 7xx models.

Unfortunately only closed backs!

I added a review from the Austrian Audio Hi-X55 as they are a little less known as the Beyer. No matter which review I read about these, they’re all very positive and considered as hq studio monitoring hp.
The Austrian is developed by the old AKG team who started their own company after AKG was bought by Yamaha and moved to California: https://homedjstudio.com/austrian-audio-hi-x55-review/

Thanks, interesting. Saw that the MixbusTV guy reviewed them too, definetely somebody who knows. My dealer has them and the X65 open back ones which I'll try for sure. Big advantage that I can just pull my studio and current Logic project out of the jacket 😎

Slush

@kirmesteggno said:

@Slush said:

@espiegel123 said:
Sometimes "clarity" means unusual frequency that will sound nice with some sources but lousy with others depending on the sweet spots of the instruments being mic'd.

@kirmesteggno said:
Is the 900 X and open back an option? It's on my list next time I visit the music store. It measures better than the 700 X, and like the old 990 the open back construction should also provide a wider sound stage vs. the closed back 7xx models.

Unfortunately only closed backs!

I added a review from the Austrian Audio Hi-X55 as they are a little less known as the Beyer. No matter which review I read about these, they’re all very positive and considered as hq studio monitoring hp.
The Austrian is developed by the old AKG team who started their own company after AKG was bought by Yamaha and moved to California: https://homedjstudio.com/austrian-audio-hi-x55-review/

Thanks, interesting. Saw that the MixbusTV guy reviewed them too, definetely somebody who knows. My dealer has them and the X65 open back ones which I'll try for sure. Big advantage that I can just pull my studio and current Logic project out of the jacket 😎

This one

I read more than once that these seem the most detailed hp under a 1000, and that the frequency response chart might scare some people but that they need to heard to get it. But some find them terrible as they are so unforgiving. Anyway, they can be eq or run through TB Morphit to make them neutral. These are not hp to just listen to music for fun, they are for super detailed mastering. That’s what made me curious. Tomorrow I’ll try them again against the Beyer, will try to put my glasses in a different position, the legs on top of the shells as some folk’s suggested to avoid breaking the pad sealing

kirmesteggno

@Slush

The frequency repsonse makes sense to avoid "ear gain" while still providing clarity, more on that below.

There are different philosophies for mixing when it comes to monitoring, many mixing engineers who work on consoles like a very revealing or overemphasized upper midrange like 3k to 5k because they can counter harshness blindly without having to look at a screen. Also true for dawless people or those relying on controllers a lot, who want to run around tweaking on the knobs of their synths and have no visual guide.

Headphones designed for this usecase are the AiAiAi TMA-2 Studio, big bump at 4k and low latency 3,5mm jack wireless transmitter and receiver to move freely. I have those on my list too because I want to hear if they annoy me for louder music listening and longer sessions or not. They're also very light and known to be very comfortable to wear which is what I'm after.

The resulting "blind" mix of cans with a midrange bump often has the opposite curve as the monitoring, e.g. the very common smiley curve with a dip in the midrange which is genererally regarded as pleasant. That's why monitors tuned like this are often more seen as work tools, not something for "enjoyment".

Others who do use screens often optimize for maximum comfort and avoiding ear fatigue. A 4k bump means more "ear gain" a perceived lack of bass because if you turn things up to get more bass, the 4k area starts to hurt.

Those who want to listen loud and with a lot of lowend usually avoid 4k bumps which is e.g. where the Beyers can come in handy. The Austrian audio also avoid it according to measurements, and kinda compensate for this in the lower mids and the highs to still get enough clarity. I'm in this camp as well I think, I don't use hardware nor controllers, and I want something I can use for hours.

My current cans, the HD25 start to hurt if I keep them on the ears for more than 30 minutes, but they sound really awesome loud with incredible transient response, absolute beasts for their size. They work well for DJing where you change their position a lot between on ear and off ear, but not really for production..

Picking the right cans isn't easy..

Slush

@kirmesteggno said:
@Slush

The frequency repsonse makes sense to avoid "ear gain" while still providing clarity, more on that below.

There are different philosophies for mixing when it comes to monitoring, many mixing engineers who work on consoles like a very revealing or overemphasized upper midrange like 3k to 5k because they can counter harshness blindly without having to look at a screen. Also true for dawless people or those relying on controllers a lot, who want to run around tweaking on the knobs of their synths and have no visual guide.

Headphones designed for this usecase are the AiAiAi TMA-2 Studio, big bump at 4k and low latency 3,5mm jack wireless transmitter and receiver to move freely. I have those on my list too because I want to hear if they annoy me for louder music listening and longer sessions or not. They're also very light and known to be very comfortable to wear which is what I'm after.

The resulting "blind" mix of cans with a midrange bump often has the opposite curve as the monitoring, e.g. the very common smiley curve with a dip in the midrange which is genererally regarded as pleasant. That's why monitors tuned like this are often more seen as work tools, not something for "enjoyment".

Others who do use screens often optimize for maximum comfort and avoiding ear fatigue. A 4k bump means more "ear gain" a perceived lack of bass because if you turn things up to get more bass, the 4k area starts to hurt.

Those who want to listen loud and with a lot of lowend usually avoid 4k bumps which is e.g. where the Beyers can come in handy. The Austrian audio also avoid it according to measurements, and kinda compensate for this in the lower mids and the highs to still get enough clarity. I'm in this camp as well I think, I don't use hardware nor controllers, and I want something I can use for hours.

My current cans, the HD25 start to hurt if I keep them on the ears for more than 30 minutes, but they sound really awesome loud with incredible transient response, absolute beasts for their size. They work well for DJing where you change their position a lot between on ear and off ear, but not really for production..

Picking the right cans isn't easy..

The AiAiAi TMA-2 Studio where on my list too, I believe Richie Hawtin uses this in his studio (but who knows). From what I know AiAiAi is a modular system, they come in parts you have to put together, interesting.
I have been researching new headphones for weeks now. Good points about what you write about the frequency responses. I avoided the DT770 as I understood many find it too harsh, something I tend to avoid. I did not notice this on the DT700.

rs2000

When mixing, I use headphones response correction anyway so I would personally prefer the more comfortable, closed back model.

kirmesteggno

@Slush said:

@kirmesteggno said:
@Slush

The frequency repsonse makes sense to avoid "ear gain" while still providing clarity, more on that below.

There are different philosophies for mixing when it comes to monitoring, many mixing engineers who work on consoles like a very revealing or overemphasized upper midrange like 3k to 5k because they can counter harshness blindly without having to look at a screen. Also true for dawless people or those relying on controllers a lot, who want to run around tweaking on the knobs of their synths and have no visual guide.

Headphones designed for this usecase are the AiAiAi TMA-2 Studio, big bump at 4k and low latency 3,5mm jack wireless transmitter and receiver to move freely. I have those on my list too because I want to hear if they annoy me for louder music listening and longer sessions or not. They're also very light and known to be very comfortable to wear which is what I'm after.

The resulting "blind" mix of cans with a midrange bump often has the opposite curve as the monitoring, e.g. the very common smiley curve with a dip in the midrange which is genererally regarded as pleasant. That's why monitors tuned like this are often more seen as work tools, not something for "enjoyment".

Others who do use screens often optimize for maximum comfort and avoiding ear fatigue. A 4k bump means more "ear gain" a perceived lack of bass because if you turn things up to get more bass, the 4k area starts to hurt.

Those who want to listen loud and with a lot of lowend usually avoid 4k bumps which is e.g. where the Beyers can come in handy. The Austrian audio also avoid it according to measurements, and kinda compensate for this in the lower mids and the highs to still get enough clarity. I'm in this camp as well I think, I don't use hardware nor controllers, and I want something I can use for hours.

My current cans, the HD25 start to hurt if I keep them on the ears for more than 30 minutes, but they sound really awesome loud with incredible transient response, absolute beasts for their size. They work well for DJing where you change their position a lot between on ear and off ear, but not really for production..

Picking the right cans isn't easy..

The AiAiAi TMA-2 Studio where on my list too, I believe Richie Hawtin uses this in his studio (but who knows). From what I know AiAiAi is a modular system, they come in parts you have to put together, interesting.
I have been researching new headphones for weeks now. Good points about what you write about the frequency responses. I avoided the DT770 as I understood many find it too harsh, something I tend to avoid. I did not notice this on the DT700.

The older Beyers are known to be bright but not harsh, they all the have the 4k dip and boosted highs I think, the 770 have it for sure. This dip can make it sound a bit weak on vocals though, which is why many use the 770 in vocal booths because it results in more presence with the singers compensating for it, the singers have to use more power to clearly hear their voice which results in a better recording in the end.

Slush

I return the Austrian Audio Hi-X55, and I ordered the Hi-X60 instead. I find the Hi-X55 an amazing spacious, clinical and super detailed headphone, but it’s more mid focused for vocals and weak in the bass. According to reviews the Hi-X60 seems more neutral tuned and with better bass. And more expensive (outch!). I am keeping the Beyer DT700 for a bit longer to test some more. But the thing with the DT700 is that it kind of sounds the way it looks; warm, creamy and very comfortable, a buddy, and a bit too layback in the highs. I completely miss that amazing spacious ultra detailed (‘etched’) colder analytical character from the Austrian, which suits my music style so well (minimal Techno).

Indeed, picking the right cans isn’t easy.

NoiseHorse

Hey we need a current Picking the Right Cans thread! I’m curious what all you real people like for your headphones, Harman Curve or however you decide.