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00:00 - Intro
01:23 - Build, Design & Comfort
04:47 - Impedance & Sensitivity
05:21 - Sound: Objective
09:07 - Sound: EQ
09:40 - Full Score One Amp
13:31 - Resolve & Cameron chitty chat
17:48 - Sound: Subjective
21:13 - Conclusion
One thing to add - the cup angle can be changed by pulling up on the red dot on the cup ring and rotating the cup. This makes sense because depending on the head it could fit differently, so having this option allows for more ergonomic flexibility.
An absolutely fantastic feature to have, truly. At the higher price points, I feel it would be fair to expect it, regardless of brand.
Part of the reason they added this feature is that they wanted to keep the cups relatively small. However, if your head is of a different shape (compared to an average one) or your ears are tilted slightly backward you need to be able to adjust the cups to match that for a perfect fit. The ear cups on the HD800 are massive and so were the ones of the AKG K7XX series... and almost any type of ear would fit inside them. No need for them to be tiltable. But the Austrian Audio designers have now taken a different approach in their post-AKG existence. Things are now tighter and fit more neatly. I prefer this approach.
The Composer headphone was designed by the same guy that designed the AKG K7XX series. But they are very different kind of beasts.
The thumbnail looks like resolve was left unsupervised with a case of 24 hour energy shots 😂
Really like that you added arrows to point out what you are talking about. Hope you continue with that!
I like the arrows explaining parts of the frequency response
Absolutely stellar research Golden! Love the format of more people jumping into a singular review, especially the chat section.
Look forward to seeing Golden's review.
Outstanding review.
Dude I could listen to you talk about anything and it would make my day better. Thanks for being a gold star vibe among often-not-that on youtube.
Resolve here - it's nice to hear that. Usually my voice has the opposite effect hahah
Thanks for this lads, much appreciated
Good review. The lateral imaging and great separation is a typical Austrian Audio standout feature and it's great to see that it is highlighted here. I have the Hi-X60 and it has this very feature in abundance. Better lateral positioning and imaging than a Hifiman Jade or a Stax L-300, and those are electrostats... I do also agree about the price and that it's very high. I have been talking to Kurt at Austrian Audio for a couple of years now and I kept nagging him about a high-end headphone. My idea was one in the price region of an HD800 or Focal Clear. When this finally came out, something I had been waiting for, my jaw dropped a bit when seeing the price. Somewhat hoping for the price to go down to Sennheiser HD800s level and then I'd get one in a heartbeat. Also interesting what you saw about it sounding a bit more natural than the Planars. That has also always been my impression and is a reason I don't use them anymore.
Thank you for your videos
oh come one, say TTT a few more times :D I love your reviews and all that knowledge that backs'em up! always a pleasure
Oh joy, just what we need, ANOTHER headphone connector.
I'm happy that Resolve tried to bring in his experience on the subjective side, and described one or two specific points about the headphone.
The smiling Andrew in the thumbnail was unexpected to say the least lol
BTW - regarding the intro, good job not mentioning the war! :)
I was going to go with the Habsburgs but that's maybe a bit obscure for people haha.
Sweet. Hoping for E3 and Diana MR reviews
E3 already had a review. Also, as an owner, 100% worth it. This is coming from someone who's used and tried many totl headphones
@@HiLoMusic Yes, I was hoping to get Resolve's perspective as I enjoy his reviews… besides, only DMS has heard the E3
I second the MR review
SPOILER: The MR is extraordinary. If you don't own a TC or a V2, this sits comfortably in between them. If you own TC, I'd leave it. If you own V2, well worth upgrading.
@@cancerparty But I want comparisons to other things... ...but I guess that's helpful mind you
Hi, thanks for all the reviews. I am new to this but learning quickly.....I think. Have you guys reviewed any Dali Headphones? For some reasons I keep getting DALI IO-12's appearing on my feed and have no idea how they compare. Any help would be really appreciated.
Looks awesome. Black on black is my aesthetic.
such a cool cable connection design. I wish hd 6xx had this
Alcantara pads will come in the near future
I do want to give a shout out to how beautiful the industrial design is on these headphones. I often wear headphones during Zoom meetings at work, and some higher end headphones will have co-workers asking, "why are there two giant speakers strapped to your head?" These are slim and look extremely professional. If they were HD800s kicked up to an even higher level of performance I'd probably buy a pair. Alas, seems like that's not the case. At least not at this price.
I'm still really disoriented when I read 5128 measurements since I've seen so many Gras ones 😅 I second @hemispherecompensation - MR Review would be great! Curious to see an HD490 Pro review as well...
If you have Mojo2, you must try to get a hold of these headphones to have a listen. Very pretty, romantic sound. Strong bass and sub-bass, with high dynamics, cymbal hits, and guitar plucks all come alive. Very intimate sounding, not a super large soundstage. These elements, together, create something very special.
The HD800 remains the top choice for resolution and detail-it's a timeless classic. Introduced in 2009, this headphone can be acquired for around 500 euros in the used market. Don't be misled; avoid overspending. Opt for used items, as higher prices don't necessarily equate to better sound quality. Present-day prices are soaring without a proportional increase in premium features.
High definition driver baby !!!
It's a bit harsh and sibilant.
My Stax L300 was better
Cleaner driver...
@@saschamilenkovic4320 your stax sounds ethereal and lacks dynamics. Stax compress dynamic range to minimize distortion. 🤣
HI! I'm considering whether to buy the Composer or the Meze Empyrean 2, the build quality of the Empyrean seems much better, from a sound point of view which do you prefer, and which would you recommend?
This one was really interesting to listen to at CanJam, but nearly impossible to get a handle on with how loud it is there
It's hard to even consider something like the Composer at $2700 (really overpriced) when the Meze Empyrean 2 exists at $3K
And tungsten exist at 1499$, which makes every headphone irrelevant😌
@@renbanhart.s Exactly. The only negative to the Tungsten is you need a powerful amp to drive it properly which may be an extra purchase. I'll tell you another Giant Killer HP that I actually own and it's very easy to drive.... the JM Audio XTC2 Open Back Dynamic HP. This thing is amazing for $1044. I wish the HP Show would get one in and review it. It's the best kept secret in the HP hobby imo
@@JTB-- Wasn't Michael the Director not too impressed with those ones?
@@JTB--Been hearing a lot about the XTC 2 and definitely want to try it. Curious what configuration you have? And have you heard the Tungsten? Can you compare?
@@-ANJ. I'm not sure what configuration my XTC 2 is. I just kept emailing back and forth with John telling him what I like most in a headphone. Bass, Punch/Slam Soundstage. Basically wanted it to be a good All Rounder HP. Whatever technology John has come up with to Mod and tune headphones is amazing. The XTC 2 went way above my expectations for the money. I sold my Caldera after A/B with the XTC 2. Not saying they are better.... I just prefer the XTC 2 for my music genre's more which are Hard Rock, Classic Rock, Metal. They perform great will any Genre really. I also told him to make sure the treble wasn't too hot. He nailed everything. The cool thing about Jim is he will Re-Tune your HP for free if you don't like the tuning. As far as the Tungsten goes... i thought about getting one... but the wait was a turn off and the power requirements are really a turn off. I've been through that nightmare with the Susvara and don't want to do it again with the Tungsten. Too much money to invest in an Amp for one headphone. I'm happy in the Mid Range now. Geshelli Stack, Lokius, LYR 3 with an Apos Ray 6SN7 Reserve Tube and my secondary rig mostly for gaming and movies is a Schiit SYN, Lokius to a Nitsch/Schiit Pietus Maximus amp(No DAC card). I'm very happy with this Middle of the pack range of products that are really good bang for the Buck... compared to when I was foolishly spending big money on TOTL Gear and HP's and having buyers Remorse more times than not. I'm a big believer in Diminishing Returns now.
You guys should review the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro
@Resolve Listening to music I can only focus on the sense of physicality/punch and slam and that is all that I care about. Do I need help?
He chooses the music he listens to based on how good it sounds on his gear; I think we all know who needs help.
Sennheiser HD 490 Pro review from Resolve would be dream
The special connector doesn’t bug me one bit. Pro Sennheisers also use a special connector and it’s never an issue.
Hi, could you ask me a question? Is the headband made of leather or synthetic leather?
the design is so sick
WE WANT THE SENNHEISER HD 490 PRO REVIEW!!!
It just came out, give them some time
Fresh reviews did a gaming focused one which i appreciated
Meh.
it’s fine. it’s like hd560s and hd600’s baby, nothing worth hype.
Listen to the Neumann-NDH-30. Same headphone.
Servas aus Kärnten, Greetings from Carinthia
Seawas
I love Wörthersee
What headphone stand is on Cameron's desk?
I would also love to know
the amp surprised me. The sound is incredible for its price. I am using the amp with Woo Audio PHANTOM DAC cable for a simple one-box setup.
How would you say it compares to a Focal Utopia? Or a Dan Clark Expanse?
I prefer it over the Expanse (and to be fair I prefer most headphones over that one), but I like the Utopia better, but they're very different. From the DCA stuff I'm particularly interested in the E3 and the Corina though, so maybe those are for future comparisons.
@@ResolveReviews Yes, that would definitely be interesting.
Hey, can you recommend some headphones if all I care about is natural timbre, decay and good soundstage depth? My Sennheiser hd800 seems to struggle in this department. It has less ss depth compared to my sony ier m9, 64audio u12t and softears twilight
@maximgodunov7717 Have you tried any of the Beyerdynamic Ts? I have the Xelento and it has wonderful depth and great timbre. It beat my Stax electrostats in that regard so I suspect the big over- ears are also great, try 2 generation T1 or T5 as they are supposed to still have more of the original Beyerdynamic character. If you are super sensitive to treble might need to look elsewhere though.
It's been a long time since I listened to dt770 but didn't feel like they had much of it. Haven't heard t series. Interesting to know about stax because I never tried it, but heard some people saying sound comes from inside your head out of nowhere
Please review the ea500LM
Prioprietary connector for the cable? Bzzt, Fail. Respect for the dynamic IM measurements on the amp - very interesting.
Thanks for the review! I really want to buy the Composer if they are willing to change the connector to a standard one that would be great.
In your email marketing its says " The Sennheiser HD800s upgrade you've been looking for"
The 2k dip is a real problem for production use. The last thing any music engineer wants is to add the infamous 2.5kHz ugly frequency. I wouldn’t use these based on that.
They are not made for 'production use'. These are for audiophiles and for listening to the end product.
@saschamilenkovic4320 they said they made them for product use when asked at socal.
@@saschamilenkovic4320 Thanks.
@@enjoshi-godrez8775 What do you mean by “product use”?
@enjoshi-godrez8775 They already have models for that, for mastering, mixing and recording. And they are primarily designed for that (and don't have as much of a 2k dip). Their studio workhorses. The Composer is their first headphone that is meant to also appeal to audiophiles (they call them 'connoisseurs' on their website as 'audiophile' can be perceived a bit negatively these days). Of course they won't say there and then: oh no you can't use them for production work. But speak to them about their product range and what their headphones are tuned for and designed for specifically and they will tell you in detail.
Resolve looks like he's tweaking in the thumbnail-
I understand its there flagship headphone but i think its stupid they went from a £350 headphone (Hi-X65) to one that cost over £2000. Its better but not by that much price increase.
You forgot about that famous(or infamous) disgruntle austrian painter on your opening mr. resolve
one thing you forgot to mention is that they made designs and the diagrams for the connectors open source. so pretty much anyone with the right tools can make these connectors themselves.
You forgot Arnold in the intro 😛
Ndh30 pls
These look cool. But the price..
funny that he began the vid with Austria presentation, US people probably think is Australia lol
Those pads don’t look like they’re gonna last all that well
Wow is that amplifier a joke? Must be! That enormous thing for something that tiny amplifiers for a fraction of the price can do, and they do it without needing that weird TTT button.
Austria, known for akg... And that's it for me lol (Well every austrian audio headphone is built very good so the composer's are quite similar in build quality to their previous cans)
I thought he's gonna say painter for real lol.
I own their previous can (Hi-X65) and it broke under a year. The plastic part of the headband is a design flaw. It has a weak point on the place where it meets the metal and thare is where it cracked. Pretty disappointed that it broke that quickly, I was expecting it to last for a long time. The pleather is also a problem because it can't stand my oily face and start peeling before a year of using them. Though for context I have a beeg head and bald head. I also wear it for at least 8 hours a day on a tropical weather. Another complain from me would be the expensive leather pad replacement. I can't also get it from third party because the pad is proprietary. I want to support companies like Austrian Audio that makes some of their stuff in house instead of outsourcing to China but at the same time I can't help but be very disappointed.
@@kato2395 huh that's odd, well ig they aint for everyone and also have qc issues, the one I borrow from my friend all the time he bought when it was released and it has barely shown it's age
I wouldn't buy it based solely on the connector.
I'm one of those who dislikes the custom cable design. I don't li,e companies that force you to use their accessories only.
It‘s a standard mini banana plug. The design of the connector is open source.
@@ora6925 Thanks, but still, it is the only headphone that uses that connector so any custom will be a one-off. Still sucks and is enough reason for me to pass.
I was really disappointed by the composer they are just nothing special kind of boring. there are plenty of better headphones in the wild and for 2700 dollar it’s way to much for only good sound. there needs something special to justify this high price.
Completely agree. Unfortunately, audiophiles love expensive things regardless of their performance. They will justify it either way as they did for mezes older headphones
I love the looks the full score one is going for, especially cause the XLR output at the front of amps is just not sleek to my eyes. Performance wise it’s hard to justify over the Topping A90D, for example.
price on those is insane, they dont even look premium nor sound is top notch
Now make a version for £400 and you have the perfect headphone
Yeah they got really greedy with this one. 2700$ is way too much for a headphone from a not so reputable and established company. You could probably get two better headphones at this price point.
You're reviewing a 2700$ headphone and you say "there's no creaking or rattling" as a compliment?😂😂😂 Come on dude! There shouldn't be creaking or rattling even in 100$ headphones!
And yet... the industry is what it is, where this regularly occurs
@ResolveReviews Yes, and the Audeze LCD1 is a prime example. Plasticky creaky little thing that it is (at $400)
No word about fake skin earpads? My biggest complain about Composer.
True, I prefer real skin earpads
meh, this just looks an over-engineered and over-priced open-back k371 ! to pay all that money to then have to eq the damn thing is ridiculous. i do like the size of the cups, but the stock price and sound of the akg k371 wins!!
It has nothing in common with the K371. How do you know the 371 wins? According to whom? You? Have you compared the two? Do you have sample tracks with precise descriptions and time stamps for the passages you use to back up your view?
The purpose of Composer is not to impress, but to show the music what it is - in the most realistic and honest way possible. This headphone is more for the audio engineers, than the hi-fi listeners.
It's for people who prefer it authentic, whether they are professionals or just music lovers. Austrian Audio headphones don't sugar coat or colour the music.
@@saschamilenkovic4320 yeah, basically what i said
@DJURBANBG not quite, you said it's 'more for the audio engineers than the hi-fi listeners'. I said it's for both.
@DJURBANBG We both like it, and so will audio professionals and audiophiles alike.
Uh huh, and can you explain why would that be the case?
Judging people for liking bass and saying the phrase "serious audiophile music" in the same breath? God, you really make me want to pick a different hobby.
You realize that's a joke, right?
好怪的高频，听pop高音人声我觉得会很刺
买这么贵感觉是个scam，没任何性价比
Austrian Audio is the old AKG Austria. I feel this Composer is the headphone they wanted to make back in the day before they were cut loose and forced to release the unfinished K812. In that regard, they’ve come full circle. Time doesn’t stand still though, and Meze and Focal provide stiff (European) competition.
That is true. The Composer is what the K812 could have been if things had been different. They have a lot more freedom now under the current owner Martin Seidl. They are now longer under the regiment of a large coproratio that mainly looks at balance sheets and prfist and does not actually about the quality of the products. Ahem Harman... not referring to anyone in particular 😏 haha
Bring on the Meze and the Focal...