Over ear, open back: Austrian Audio - The Composer with Fiio M11 Plus
Torben
8 Likes
Does anyone know how to buy the Composer in the US?
The US Distributor currently does not have a timeline for when theyâll be receiving stock unfortunately. So itâs still going to be a ways out before anyone in the US has them available for purchase.
I have lied, the Austrian Audio Composer is now available for purchase and Iâve been told that the shipment from Austria to North America should be arriving tomorrow or early next week to the distributor for The Composer (which is not the same as the ones that are currently dealing the pro line-up).
3 Likes
Just saw that! Very curious to hear them.
- Very good tonality and technicalities
- Ultra-clean and ultra-fast driver
- Amazing bass range down to the lowest frequencies
- Very easy to drive (using Fiio M11 Plus medium gain)
- Magnet attachment for earpads
- Very comfortable - I normally get warm ears, so far that is not the case
Torben
5 Likes
I havenât had the chance to listen to one yet but I know @Resolve currently has one and I know @GoldenSound also has one and both have mentioned they both quite like it.
Iâve heard it described as a HD 800S upgrade. The build quality on it looks fantastic.
P.S. Nice Rooms stand!
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Do you know in terms of what? There are a lot of flagships that can be upgrades to the 800s, but it depends on what aspects are prioritized.
2 Likes
Itâs tonally similar to the HD 800S but has better bass, a less preferable midrange and pretty equal treble.
It also doesnât have snug connectors that cause regular people and reviewers alike to pull the connectors out of the socket so just based on that alone itâs an upgrade 
I know Resolve will be posting measurements and at my request, will also be posting direct comparisons to the HD 800S as well.
I suspect that itâs not going to be a headphone I personally enjoy as it will be too bright for my tastes but I suspect many people will enjoy it based on feedback Iâve heard from both our reviewers and other people in various audio circles whoâs opinions I hold highly.
7 Likes
For me it has been very important that I can drive The Composer with a DAP
The Composer
Sound pressure level (SPL) - 112 dB (1 V)
Impedance - 22 Ω
Donât think this is possible with HD 800S
HD 800S
Sound pressure level (SPL) - 102 dB (1 V)
Impedance - 300 Ω
Torben
4 Likes
Austrian Audio Composer Review in Progress
Austrian Audio were kind enough to send over the Composer, along with the Full Score One amplifier (which will be discussed at a later date). Weâll have the review video out soon but in the meantime here are the results.
Also, big shoutout to Oratory1990 for putting this headphone on my radar. I was not expecting it to be as solid as it is.
As usual, if you donât understand what youâre looking at for the following section, watch this video.
Austrian Audio Composer Measurements:
B&K 5128
Raw
Calibrated
This is a generally good tuning for anyone looking for a neutral-bright set of headphones with a similar sound signature to that of the Sennheiser HD 800 S, HiFiMAN HE1000 V2, and Arya series.
You get full bass extension all the way down to 20hz, which is impressive for an open-back dynamic driver headphone. Itâs even throughout the mids until around 2khz, where thereâs a notable dip. Ear gain around 3khz is right on the edge of where I like it, and then a bit of brightness in the treble.
Interestingly I find that the 6khz peak on the Composer is masked by the emphasized upper treble a bit, so itâs less noticeably imbalanced than the 6khz peak on the HD 800 S.
As mentioned, Iâd actually describe the Composer as a dynamic driver HE1000 V2, or maybe even Arya V3 or Organic. The sound signature is very similar to those, so Iâll be comparing them in the review as well. But in the meantime, here it is compared to the HD 800 S.
Composer vs HD 800 S
You can see itâs similar for a number of features like the 6khz peak, but the Composer also does meaningfully better in the bass and sub bass, with better extension down low.
GRAS
Vs Harman 2018 OE
On GRAS you can see basically the same thing, minus the upper treble information which is to be expected. Again, itâs a solid response for ear gain enthusiasts with a few quirks like the 2khz dip and the 6khz peak, just like on the 5128.
To reiterate, it leans a bit brighter than neutral. Note that when I say this, I donât mean like⊠Beyerdynamic levels of brightness, I mean closer to the typical HiFiMAN sound signature.
Harmonic Distortion
If you do not understand what youâre looking at here, or if youâre unsure what the audibility thresholds are for harmonic distortion, please watch this related video.
95dB
Mainly elevated third in the bass and second around 2khz. Note the percentage view as things are still under 2% here at 95dB.
105dB
This is where things get a bit wild with higher order products in the bass when you push it.
What does this mean? For the composer, harmonic distortion wonât be an issue under normal conditions, so donât think this means youâll hear audible distortion products in your music. However, it will absolutely limit what you can do with EQ, meaning you canât push the bass like crazy on this the way you could with planars - like something from Audeze or the Meze Empyrean 2.
While itâs somewhat to be expected with this type of driver, I do wish this could be better at the price point.
Impedance Curve
Low impedance and easy to drive, but itâll be affected by source output impedance as well. So if you want things to be unchanged, a lower OI source is better here.
Excess Group Delay
Nothing out of the ordinary.
EQ Profile
The Composer was fairly easy to EQ, although I wouldnât say this is an âEQ requiredâ headphone by any stretch. Just a reminder, my position on this subject is that every headphone can and should be improved with EQ - personalization is one of the keys to great sound quality.
As mentioned, I was conscious of the fact that the Composer doesnât have the ultra low harmonic distortion you may find with certain high end planars, but you can still push it a bit with no issues. And thankfully itâs already pretty close to what I like, just a bit on the brighter side.
One caveat to this is that filling in the 2khz dip does seem to reduce the âsoundstage effectâ, making the sound a bit more intimate. So decide how much of that you want.
EQ Result
I also kept some of that counter-clockwise tilt that it has by default intact. I figure this is a great headphone for classical and jazz music - stuff with instruments, and having a slightly more clarity focused presentation with a bit more treble energy really makes that music shine in my opinion.
Notes:
- Build quality is exceptional. The materials feel very high quality.
- Comfort is also extremely good - this is an all day kind of headphone thanks to it also being lightweight at around 398g.
- Large oval pad opening with lots of space for my big ears inside. The pads pop on and off magnetically.
- Unique cable connector style with 2 pronged plugs on the headphone side. I havenât seen this before.
Overall, I like this headphone a lot for my preferred styles of music, but it also wonât be as versatile for all genres. I think my main complaint is just the price point. Itâs a bit extra given it trades blows with the HD 800 S and thereâs also stiff competition around its asking price.
6 Likes
Overall, I like this headphone a lot for my preferred styles of music, but it also wonât be as versatile for all genres.
Can you give a couple of examples of good, but more versatile headphones in the same price range?
Meze Empyrean 2 would probably be my pick around there.
1 Like
Man, didnât realize this was 2.7k. Looks great on paper but that price is definitely going to be a pause moment.
1 Like
Hi Resolve,
On sound quality alone would you pick the Utopia over the Composer?
Thanks!
Yes, without question.
3 Likes
Posting the video review here for folks who havenât seen it yet:
4 Likes
Another review (German):
Torben
@Resolve - Hi Andrew
Not sure how to read your numbers. This is my current EQ:
But how do this compare to your numbers? What is what in your table?
Thanks
Torben
1 Like