Austrian Audio The Composer (headphones) and Full Score one (headphone amplifier)

[lewdish]

AA Composer's known measurements so far:

Oratory's Gras 48BC Measurement

Resolve's BK5128 Measurement

Crin's K812 Measurement


At least we know Austrian Audio is Def the same team behind the AKG K812. Response characteristics looks pretty similar, and an overall improvement but strangely Oratory's measurement shows that they run out of steam after 9Khz vs Resolve's measurement on the BK5128 shows more extension after 10khz.

Austrian Audio def has some target that they intend to hit every time. After all the Austrian engineers left AKG during the Samsung acquisition, it looks like they brought all their research w/ them to AA. I own the AA Hi-x65 and they do a similar dip around 1.5khz, its not offensive in anyway, but maybe its something their team thinks is useful in monitoring or preference applications. A lot of HifiMan's headphones also exhibit a similar dip.

 

[oratory1990]

At least we know Austrian Audio is Def the same team behind the AKG K812. Response characteristics looks pretty similar, and an overall improvement

It may look like it, but they sound distinctly different.
Note the Composer's emphasis on the 3 kHz region, where the K812 is distinctly below the target (being much closer to the HD800 in that regard).
The Composer also doesn't have the distinct sharpness / sibilance around 9 kHz that plagued the K812 (the K812 has a few resonances on the loudspeaker that they could not eliminate before they were told to move to production)

 

[TRDK]

Hi @oratory1990

Does this settings - Roon - looks alright?

THX

Torben

 

[lewdish]

It may look like it, but they sound distinctly different.
Note the Composer's emphasis on the 3 kHz region, where the K812 is distinctly below the target (being much closer to the HD800 in that regard).
The Composer also doesn't have the distinct sharpness / sibilance around 9 kHz that plagued the K812 (the K812 has a few resonances on the loudspeaker that they could not eliminate before they were told to move to production)
View attachment 348645

The composer is def more refined, arguably an evolution in a good way. My primary note w/ AA so far is that they have a rather sizable dip at that 1.5khz across most if not all their products. Would love to see someone measure their budget products as well like the x15 to see if that translates as well. A lot of the new stuff looks like a go for me. Def want to give them a listen somewhere some day.

Though I do wonder Is there a primary reason for why Resolve's measurement shows more top end extension, is the 5128 more accurate in the higher frequencies?

 

[oratory1990]

Though I do wonder Is there a primary reason for why Resolve's measurement shows more top end extension, is the 5128 more accurate in the higher frequencies?

I would not call it accuracy, but the 5128 generally records higher SPL at high frequencies (about 6 kHz and upwards), presumably in part due to the shape of its pinna.

Hi @oratory1990

Does this settings - Roon - looks alright?

Numbers are entered correctly! But more important is how does it sound?

I personally find that the Composer only needs very little adjustment, something like this: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kohd...ting.pdf?rlkey=yub2fkcna5v7212rm472mwpty&dl=0
This won't make it perfectly match the Harman target, it'll have a little more heft in the mids but slightly less bass (compared to Harman)

 

[TRDK]

@oratory1990 - Thanks. Changed it to:

Sounds better - THX

Torben

 

[audiofromaustria]

Are there any waterfall diagrams, such as burst decay, cumulative spectral decay (CSD), etc.?

 

[audiofromaustria]

Are there any more detailed specifications for the Full Score One available anywhere?
Specifications for different load resistances?
And for THD, IM and Noise?

Has anyone here looked into the Full Score One in detail and can share their experiences?

 

[audiofromaustria]

In order to tell you the power, we gotta know at what impedance is it rated for at 9Vrms. Amps are voltage sources so they can not always manage the output voltage if the impedance is too low, requiring more current then their output transistors can manage.

V = I x R and P = V x I. Two simple equations, you don't need the nerds for that.

Power is Voltage times Current but we don't know the Current, we know the Resistance. So if we replace I with its equivalent from V = I x R equation, we can do the whole calculation in one step, instead of calculating the current first. If we do that, we find:
P = V x V / R

So the power it can deliver (if it can do 9V at 10ohms) would be :

P = 9V x 9V / 10ohms = 8.1W

I don't think it can do 8.1W. Maybe 9V is output voltage driving 300ohms load? If that is the case just replace 10ohms with 300ohms above.

With amplifiers, it is generally not possible to draw a straight line between the maximum available current and the maximum voltage. To be on the safe side, you need to measure each value using standard resistance values (or, better still, impedances consisting of LCR components – this usually only applies to loudspeakers, where phase shift occurs).

Given how long it’s been since its release, I hope there will be some feedback by now.

For my part, I can say that with TTT on, the Full Score One sounds good – probably (in the absence of more precise measurements) very close to the ideal ‘a piece of wire with gain’. However, I only have ‘mild’ dynamic headphones to hand.

See my previous post.

 

[IngMishael]

Are there any waterfall diagrams, such as burst decay, cumulative spectral decay (CSD), etc.?

useless in headphones

 

[oratory1990]

With Austrian Audio having released a new model in their Hifi lineup, here's measurements comparing the two of them.
You can clearly see how the new Arrange is tuned towards people who like more bass and low-mids.

 

[ergre]

I bought the arranger. I went to a shop and auditioned a couple of headphones. Never noticed Austrian audio before really. It is also a pretty practical headphone. It is not a strange technical metal or wood sculpture for on your head like other audiophile headphones. I really love it.

 

[Somafunk]

I’ve often looked at the composer and thought it looks fantastic, a good product design but it’s 4x my allowable budget for anything iem/headphone related, good video below from Cameron where he talks about why it works so well for his listening experience

I see the new Arranger and it’s “only” £900 but I’m not sold on the somewhat clunky looking design (yes I’m shallow ), I admit the graph above from oratory seems to indicate I’d like the sound from it though.

The Arranger | Austrian Audio Reference Open-Back Headphones

Experience reference-grade audio anywhere with The Arranger by Austrian Audio. High-end open-back sound meets a robust, foldable design. Hear your music clearly!

austrian.audio

 

[thewas]

Yes, as usually the Headphone Show has a good review and measurements of it, even the in-ear response of the reviewer.

LLM summary of the video:

This video from The Headphone Show features reviewer Golden Sound discussing the Austrian Audio Composer, a high-end dynamic driver headphone. He praises it for balancing top-tier performance with practical, "sensible" design.

Design and Ergonomics​

• Build Quality: The reviewer considers this one of his favorite physical designs. It uses robust, solid materials without being overly heavy or bulky [01:24].
• Comfort: It features both tilt and swivel adjustments with low friction, and a suspension strap that prevents "hot spots" even during long sessions [01:30].
• Professional Look: Unlike many high-end headphones with "alien-like" headbands, these are sleek and modest enough for professional video calls [01:50].
• Connectivity: A major critique is the proprietary dual banana plug cable. While well-made, it is difficult to replace with aftermarket options [02:10].
• Ease of Drive: These are exceptionally sensitive ($22\Omega$). They can be driven to loud volumes by an Apple dongle, though a high-quality, low-noise source is recommended to avoid hiss [03:18].

Sound Quality​

• Bass: Unusually for a dynamic driver, it has a "planar-like" flat bass extension with very little sub-bass roll-off, making it very punchy and easy to EQ [04:25].
• Mid-range & Soundstage: There is a narrow dip at 2 kHz. While some might find this affects vocal timbre slightly, the reviewer argues it creates a massive, spacious soundstage—a rarity for dynamic headphones [05:15].
• Treble: This is a bright-leaning headphone. However, the treble is "smoothly bright" rather than peaky, meaning it provides high detail and "incisive" technicalities without being offensive [16:13].
• Pad Swapping: The reviewer strongly recommends the optional suede pads over the stock leather ones. The suede pads improve the seal, provide more sub-bass, and balance the upper mids for a more "correct" sound [10:05].

The "Sensible" Conclusion​

The reviewer summarizes the Composer as a "pleasantly sensible" high-end headphone [19:20]. It doesn't require a massive amplifier, it’s comfortable for all-day wear, and it delivers a fun, engaging, and highly detailed sound that is easy to tweak with simple shelf filters if you find it too bright.

 

[ergre]

I’ve often looked at the composer and thought it looks fantastic, a good product design but it’s 4x my allowable budget for anything iem/headphone related, good video below from Cameron where he talks about why it works so well for his listening experience

I see the new Arranger and it’s “only” £900 but I’m not sold on the somewhat clunky looking design (yes I’m shallow ), I admit the graph above from oratory seems to indicate I’d like the sound from it though.

The Arranger | Austrian Audio Reference Open-Back Headphones

Experience reference-grade audio anywhere with The Arranger by Austrian Audio. High-end open-back sound meets a robust, foldable design. Hear your music clearly!

austrian.audio

The design reminds me of 1920’s Art Deco. I think that is cool.