Austrian Audio Hi-X6 Hi-X60

The Austrian Audio Hi-X60 is a wired, closed-back studio headphone with detailed sound and excellent build quality. It's a great tool for mixing and tracking but lacks Bluetooth, ANC, and a decent mic. Comfort is average, and the price varies wildly, so shop carefully.

The sound signature here is what you'd hope for from a studio headphone: detailed, clear, and mostly neutral. The 5Hz to 28kHz frequency response is wider than most people can hear, but it speaks to the driver's control at the extremes. In practice, the low end is tight and defined, not bloated, which is critical for mixing bass and kick drums. The sound quality score lands in the 83rd percentile, making it one of the stronger performers in its class, though it's not quite best-in-class. You're getting a revealing listen that will expose flaws in a mix, which is exactly the point.

The isolation is purely passive, relying on the closed-back design and pad seal. It's effective enough for tracking and noisy environments, but the ANC score is a low 30th percentile, which makes sense since there's no active circuitry to cancel anything out. The mic performance is a real weak spot at the 15th percentile, so don't plan on taking calls with these. The connectivity score is also low at the 35th percentile, dragged down by the lack of Bluetooth or USB-C audio. This is a single-purpose analog tool, and it performs that single purpose well.

Stacked against the Sony WH-1000XM6 or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, the Hi-X60 feels like a specialized race car in a field of luxury sedans. The Sony and Bose are packed with features like adaptive ANC, transparency modes, and excellent mics, making them infinitely better for commuting, travel, and calls. But their sound is processed and colored, while the Hi-X60 gives you a raw, unflattering look at your audio. For pure critical listening, the Austrian Audio wins on honesty.

Compared to the Sennheiser Momentum 4, the gap narrows a bit. The Sennheiser has a more consumer-friendly tuning but still offers high-resolution audio over USB-C and a much better feature set. The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 is in another league for build and luxury, but it's also consistently at the top of the Hi-X60's price range. If you need a headphone that can mix a track and then take a call, none of these wireless competitors are ideal, but the Hi-X60 can't take the call at all. It's a studio monitor that happens to sit on your head.

Value is tricky here because the price is all over the map. We've seen the Hi-X60 listed between $461 and $1150. At the lower end of that spread, you're getting a well-built, great-sounding studio headphone that competes with the likes of the Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X. At the higher end, you're wandering into territory occupied by the Sennheiser Momentum 4 or even the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2, which offer wireless connectivity, ANC, and far more features for everyday listening. If you're buying these strictly for studio work, hunt for a price closer to that $461 mark. If you're a casual listener looking for a premium closed-back, there are more versatile options that won't require a separate mic for a Zoom call.

The Austrian Audio Hi-X60 is a closed-back studio headphone built for one thing: accurate, detailed monitoring. If you're mixing a track or tracking vocals and need to hear exactly what's happening without your headphones bleeding into the mic, these are aimed squarely at you. The 44mm drivers and Hi-Xcursion technology promise a natural, spacious soundstage, and the foldable design makes them easier to toss in a bag than most studio cans. They sit in a weird price pocket, though, with listings ranging from $461 all the way up to $1150 depending on the vendor, so shopping around is a must.

Comfort is a mixed bag. The memory foam pads and that cut-out in the headband are designed for long sessions, and the build quality is a standout, landing in the 92nd percentile in our database. But the overall comfort score sits right at the 50th percentile, which means for every person who finds them a perfect fit, someone else is adjusting them every twenty minutes. They're not heavy at 320g, but clamp force and pad shape are personal things.

These are wired, 3.5mm headphones with a 25Ω impedance, so you can drive them from an audio interface or even a laptop headphone jack without much trouble. But don't expect any wireless tricks, active noise cancellation, or a usable built-in mic. The Hi-X60 is a purist's tool, and it makes zero apologies for that.

Skip the Hi-X60 if you need a headphone for commuting, travel, or office calls. The complete lack of Bluetooth and active noise cancellation, combined with a poor built-in mic, makes them frustrating for daily life outside the studio. If you want a premium closed-back for music enjoyment on the go, the Sony WH-1000XM6 or Sennheiser Momentum 4 are far more practical choices. Also, if you have a larger head or wear glasses, the average comfort score suggests you should try before you buy, as the fit can be a dealbreaker for long sessions.

The Austrian Audio Hi-X60 is a purpose-built tool that excels at its job and ignores everything else. The sound is detailed and accurate, the build is top-notch, and the passive isolation works well for recording. If you're a musician, producer, or audio engineer who needs a reliable set of closed-back cans for tracking and mixing, and you can find them at a price closer to $460, they're a solid buy.

But if you're a general listener who wants one headphone for music, podcasts, calls, and travel, you should look elsewhere. The lack of wireless connectivity, the poor mic, and the polarizing comfort make these a tough sell for everyday use. This is a single-purpose instrument, and it's best left in the studio where it belongs.