Over-Ear
Austrian Audio Hi-X15
90Outstanding
$150
Full review dataAustrian Audio Hi-X15 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Austrian Audio Hi-X15 comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 90. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: Austrian Audio Hi-X15 - Outstanding overall at around $149.
Over-Ear
Sony WH-1000XM5
82Great
$250
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Austrian Audio Hi-X15 leads on 2 of 2 measures.
- Austrian Audio Hi-X15
- Sony WH-1000XM5
HearWiki score
90
82
Price (USD)
$150
$250
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
Half a step newer
Sony WH-1000XM5 (2022) against Austrian Audio Hi-X15 (2021). The Sony WH-1000XM5 edges ahead on platform, but only just: ANC type Adaptive against None. It also adds USB-C.
- Hi-X152021
- WH-1000XM520221 yr newer
What differsHi-X15WH-1000XM5
- ANC type
- None
- Adaptive
- USB-C
- No
- Yes
Platform
Everyday features
Specifications
Hi-X15WH-1000XM5
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $150
- $250
- HearWiki score
- 90
- 82
- Released
- 2021
- 2022
- Availability
- Discontinued
- Discontinued
- Driver
- 44 mm dynamic
- 30 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 44 mm
- 30 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 12 Hz - 24 kHz
- 4 Hz - 40 kHz
- Impedance
- 25 Ω
- 48 Ω
- Sensitivity
- 99 dB/mW
- 102 dB/mW
- Sensitivity (dB/Vrms)
- 113
- -
- Bluetooth
- -
- 5.2
- Codecs
- -
- SBC, AAC, LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- -
- Yes
- Wireless range
- -
- 10 m
- Battery life
- -
- 40 h
- Full charge time
- -
- 210 min
- Quick charge
- -
- 3 min → 1 h
- Wireless charging
- -
- No
- Active noise cancelling
- No
- Yes
- ANC type
- -
- adaptive
- Transparency mode
- -
- Yes
- Companion app
- -
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- -
- Yes
- Wear detection
- -
- Yes
- Controls
- -
- touch
- Voice assistant
- -
- Alexa, Google Assistant
- Weight
- 225 g
- 250 g
- Water resistance
- -
- none
- Foldable
- Yes
- No
- Detachable cable
- Yes
- Yes
- USB-C
- No
- Yes
- Connector
- 3.5 mm
- -
- Microphones
- -
- 8
What reviewers said
Austrian Audio Hi-X15
The Austrian Hi-X15 is a wired over-ear headphone that brings studio-grade clarity and detail to a budget-friendly price point. Its lightweight, foldable build and low-impedance design make it a practical choice for on-the-go engineers, while the 44mm dynamic drivers deliver a balanced, revealing sound that suits tracking and mixing tasks. It offers impressive value for those seeking transparent monitoring without breaking the bank.
- Pro:Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- Pro:Lightweight and foldable for portability
- Pro:Easy to drive with low impedance and high sensitivity
- Con:Lacks Bluetooth or multipoint connectivity
- Con:No active noise cancellation
- Con:Some technical specifications are not fully disclosed
Sony WH-1000XM5
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is a premium over-ear wireless headphone built for immersive listening, featuring top-tier active noise cancellation and support for high-resolution audio via LDAC. With a lightweight frame and up to 40 hours of playback, it's designed for long, comfortable sessions, though it lacks water resistance and a foldable design.
- Pro:Excellent noise cancellation
- Pro:Long 40-hour battery life
- Pro:High-resolution LDAC support
- Con:No water resistance
- Con:Non-foldable design
- Con:Premium price point
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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