Austrian Audio- Full Score One, The Composer, Hi-Xxx, etc.
2 Likes
I don’t know of many reviews out yet, but the new The Composer headphones from Austrian Audio look pretty interesting.
2 Likes
Got one on loan, can post some impressions later.
Build quality is really nice, similar levels of construction and comfort to something like the empyrean ii. My main complaint so far is the cable as it’s very thin and tangles easily. Plus the connectors aren’t norrmal so not too many companies are making a replacement cable for them. I saw Brise had some options but I asked Peter of DHC and he doesn’t make anything that would work with them.
9 Likes
They look really nice.
Regarding the connectors, it’d be nice if Austrian Audio released adapters. Maybe something like the dual banana plug to 3.5mm. That could keep a smaller profile and be a relatively ubiquitous connector that many would have cables for.
1 Like
It’s all you need 
1 Like
Turns out Austrian Audio has a model for the connector on these headphones that’s available to anyone so Peter of DHC or Skedra have said they could make a cable.
I didn’t like this headphone at first. I had been trying a ZMF Eikon and that is pretty warm with muffled treble so putting these on for the first time and the top end air and energy was overwhelming. It sounded a bit hollow in comparison. But the more I’ve listened to these, the more I like them. I’ve tried them on a variety of amps including the Schiit Tyrs with the Serene as a preamp, Apex Teton, and DNA Stratus. I like them most on the Teton and Stratus. I’m not sure why the Teton pairing works since the OI on that amp is so high but they don’t sound boomy or muddy like headphones can sound when the amps output impedance is really high. The Tyrs add a bit of extra grip and texture to the low end but don’t do anything to tame the treble of the headphone.
The sound is a bit v-shaped as the mids sound a little distant or hollow at times. The bass is probably my favorite part. It reaches down very low and is quite punchy as well. The top end is aggressive and am a bit worried it could be too much over time. I haven’t got fatigued yet but will update if that happens.
I need to do more comparisons with these. They out perform the Atticus and Eikon but that’s not much of a challenge 
. I preferred these over the 800S. I’ve seen comparisons drawn between the two of them but they don’t sound all that similar to me. The composer sounds much more balanced. I’ll try and get some comparisons together to tungsten, maybe 1266, and perhaps d8kple too.
5 Likes
Probably some people taking the freq response at face value lol.
Anyway, nice impressions! And curious to hear more. 
1 Like
I wonder how the matching amp (Full Score) pairs with them?
The True Transient Technology (TTT) sounds like they’re utilizing harmonic distortion as part of the design, though it also seems like it’s switchable feedback.
Thanks for the initial impressions.
1 Like
Did a quick comparison against caldera. Composer seems like a brighter, leaner caldera, but with more punch. Caldera can sometimes sound a little muddy next to Composer but generally sounds more natural overall and with better separation and depth of stage.
Tungsten seems like a nice middle ground between the two. It’s not quite as dark as the caldera nor does it have the sharpness and shrill sound that the composer has especially in the treble. It also stages wider then both while having the most slam of the three.
So far I’m finding Composer to be impressive for a dynamic driver especially in the bass but am not sure I prefer it to other options like tungsten, caldera in some cases, or any of my estats. I’ll post some more notes when I make additional comparisons this week.
Haven’t heard that pairing yet and am not sure if my dealer has a loaner available for that amp or not. That would be a good baseline though instead of just plugging into the random amps that I have here.
4 Likes
Comparing composer and 1266 tonight. 1266 has more air and resolution in the treble, the treble on composer is just forward and sharp although it does have a bit more energy to it. On some tracks the treble on 1266 seems a bit laid back in comparison. The composer has a closer in presentation, sounds come from more in the head vs the 1266 which is more out in front of you. The bass is plenty on both although the 1266 reaches down a bit lower with more texture.
It’s not a huge difference though, I think if you like the 1266 presentation you may also enjoy composer. There’s been a couple moments where 1266 sounds a bit disjointed in that the bass is separated from the rest of the mix, that could be related to the fit but I don’t have that issue with Composer. It’s a bit more cohesive sounding.
10 Likes