OVERALL
ALTERNATIVES
SPECS
VS AVERAGE
REVIEWS
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Austrian Audio The Composer Review | 93 Data compared

Avg. price:~£2,200Form factor:over-earConnectivity:wiredBattery life:N/A hoursActive noise cancellation (ANC):no

Austrian Audio The Composer Review: Compare 93 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Headphones category and whether it is worth buying.

Austrian Audio The Composer
5.9/10

Overall score

Score
5.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the headphones' quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best headphones on the market.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
▼ Worse than 71% of models
Score components

80%

5.3

Technical score

20%

8.1

User score

▼Worse than 71% of headphones
4.4

Value for money

Value for money
4.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
▼ Worse than 99% of models
Score components

70%

5.9

Overall score

30%

1.0

Price

▼Worse than 99%
5.3

Technical score

Technical score
5.3/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
▼ Worse than 84% of models
Score components

52%

6.2

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

5.6

Design

8%

4.0

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

3.8

Calls & Controls

▼Worse than 84%
8.1

User score

User score
8.1/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
▲ Better than 70% of models
Score components

70%

9.2

User ratings

30%

5.4

Number of reviews

▲Better than 70%
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Where to buy
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of pair of headphones Austrian Audio The Composer

Technical score
Technical score
5.3/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
▼ Worse than 84% of models
Score components:

52%

6.2

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

5.6

Design

8%

4.0

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

3.8

Calls & Controls

5.3
User score
User score
8.1/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
▲ Better than 70% of models
Score components

70%

9.2

User ratings

30%

5.4

Number of reviews

8.1
Popularity
Popularity
5.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you prefer headphones that have already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
▼ Worse than 55% of models
Popularity:
Austrian Audio The Composer has a popularity score of 5.4 points, which is lower than that of 54.1% of products in this category.
5.4
Value for money
Value for money
4.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
▼ Worse than 99% of models
Score components:

70%

5.9

Overall score

30%

1.0

Price

4.4
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
no
This pair of headphones does not support active noise cancellation. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
Driver type
dynamic
Driver size
49 mm
Market range: <10 mm – >50 mm
This pair of headphones uses a driver size of 49 mm, larger driver size than 86.2% of headphones.
Number of drivers
1
Market range: <1 – >4
This pair of headphones uses 1 drivers, fewer drivers than 4% of headphones and equal to 96% of headphones.
Lowest frequency
5 Hz
Market range: <5 Hz – >20 Hz
This pair of headphones reaches a lowest frequency of 5 Hz, lower lowest frequency than 86.3% of headphones and equal to 10.8% of headphones.
Show more
Noise-canceling microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not support a noise-canceling microphone. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
Can be used as a headset
no
This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while 15.1% is. 84.9% of headphones can be used as headsets.
Number of microphones
0
Market range: <0 – >4
This pair of headphones has 0 microphones, fewer microphones than 73.2% of headphones and equal to 26.9% of headphones.
Boom microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not include a boom microphone. 13.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
Microphone SNR
N/A
Show more
Connectivity
wired
This pair of headphones supports wired connectivity, less flexible connectivity than 49.2% of headphones and equal to 50.8% of headphones.
Bluetooth version
N/A
Maximum Bluetooth range
N/A
Audio latency
N/A
Multipoint support
no
This pair of headphones does not support multipoint. 30.6% of headphones support multipoint.
Show more
Ambient sound mode
no
This pair of headphones does not offer ambient sound mode. 24.9% of headphones support ambient sound mode.
EQ support
no
This pair of headphones does not support EQ customization. 23.2% of headphones support EQ.
Companion app
no
This pair of headphones does not work with a companion app. 21.6% of headphones support companion apps.
Adjustable ANC levels
N/A
Voice assistant support
no
This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants. 60.9% of headphones support voice assistants.
Show more
Battery life
N/A
Battery life with ANC
N/A
Charging time
N/A
Quick charge
no
This pair of headphones does not support quick charging. 33.1% of headphones support quick charge.
Battery capacity
N/A
Show more
Brand name
Austrian Audio
Form factor
over-ear
Weight
385 g
Market range: <14 g – >340 g
This pair of headphones weighs 385 g, heavier than 94.3% of headphones and equal to 0.3% of headphones.
Acoustic design
open-back
Clamp force
?
Show more

Austrian Audio The Composer vs the average pair of headphones

246810TotalDesignSoundBatteryConnectivityCalls & ControlsFeatures
  • Hi-Res Audio certification
    This pair of headphones has Hi-Res Audio certification, the average pair of headphones does not. 23.1% of headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified.
  • Spatial audio support
    This pair of headphones supports spatial audio, the average pair of headphones does not. 15.9% of headphones support spatial audio.
  • 13 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (5 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    5 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 9 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (49 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    49 mm vs 40 mm
  • 24,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (44,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    44,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 20 mm more spacious earcup height
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup height than the average pair of headphones (80 mm vs 60 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup height of 60 mm.
    80 mm vs 60 mm
  • 0.2 % lower distortion
    This pair of headphones has a lower total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.1 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.1 % vs 0.3 %
  • Open-back design
    This pair of headphones uses an open-back design, while the average pair of headphones does not. 9.1% of headphones have an open-back design.
  • 20 mm more spacious earcup height
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup height than the average pair of headphones (80 mm vs 60 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup height of 60 mm.
    80 mm vs 60 mm
  • Open-back design
    This pair of headphones uses an open-back design, while the average pair of headphones does not. 9.1% of headphones have an open-back design.
  • Hi-Res Audio certification
    This pair of headphones has Hi-Res Audio certification, the average pair of headphones does not. 23.1% of headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified.
  • Spatial audio support
    This pair of headphones supports spatial audio, the average pair of headphones does not. 15.9% of headphones support spatial audio.
  • 13 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (5 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    5 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 9 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (49 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    49 mm vs 40 mm
  • 24,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (44,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    44,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 0.2 % lower distortion
    This pair of headphones has a lower total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.1 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.1 % vs 0.3 %
  • 7 newer release date
    This pair of headphones was released more recently than the average pair of headphones (2023 vs 2016). The average headphones were released in 2016.
    December 2023
    2023 vs 2016
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 76.6% higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (385 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    385 g vs 218 g
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.
  • 6 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (96 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    96 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • Not headset-ready
    This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while the average pair of headphones is. 84.8% of headphones can be used as headsets.
  • 24.44x more expensive
    Austrian Audio The Composer is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£2,200 vs £90).
    £2,200 vs £90
  • 65.3% worse value for money
    Austrian Audio The Composer has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (4.4 vs 7.3).
    4.4 vs 7.27
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • 24.44x more expensive
    Austrian Audio The Composer is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£2,200 vs £90).
    £2,200 vs £90
  • 65.3% worse value for money
    Austrian Audio The Composer has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (4.4 vs 7.3).
    4.4 vs 7.27
  • 76.6% higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (385 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    385 g vs 218 g
  • No travel bag
    This pair of headphones does not include a travel bag, the average pair of headphones does. 65.4% of headphones include a travel bag.
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 6 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (96 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    96 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • Not headset-ready
    This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while the average pair of headphones is. 84.8% of headphones can be used as headsets.
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This pair of headphones has fewer microphones than the average pair of headphones (0 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    0 vs 1
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

9.0
The Headphone Show
≈ estimated
08/05/2026
Measurements and long-term use · tuning and on-head tests
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is accurate, detailed and punchy, easy to live with, and rarely needs EQ.
9.5
Ken Jacobsen
≈ estimated
19/01/2025
Hands-on review · sound tests and break-in notes
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer offers reference-level top end and detail for its class, and is highly recommended despite a bright tuning.
Not graded
Not graded

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

H
headfonics.com
13/04/2024
Summary of the review
Austrian Audio The Composer Review
H
headfonia.com
22/04/2024
Summary of the review
Austrian Audio The Composer Review - Headfonia
whathifi.com
03/04/2024
Listening test · Open-back headphones
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is a balanced, analytical open-back for buyers at this level, but the headband won't adjust far enough for smaller heads.
t3.com
06/06/2024
Listening test · High-end wired
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is an energetic, detailed headphone that rewards good sources and lossless recordings, but exposes poor ones.
majorhifi.com
22/01/2024
Review · Reference open-back
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is a detailed, holographic reference-style headphone that's easy to drive, though its bass has little impact.
sound-advice.online
07/03/2024
Hands-on review · Premium reference
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is an enjoyable, revealing reference headphone that needs a high-quality headphone amp to sound its best.
trustedreviews.com
26/07/2024
Hands-on review · Over-ear open-back
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is an open, dynamic headphone that suits vigorous music, but it will expose poor recordings and needs a capable source.
stereonet.com
01/05/2024
Listening test · Reference over-ear
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is a direct, detailed over-ear that sounds upfront and natural, but it's only as good as the source feeding it.
T
techradar.com
10/04/2024
Summary of the review
Austrian Audio's The Composer headphones are crashing the high-end audio party
soundonsound.com
15/08/2024
Listening test · Headphones and amplifier
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is a refined, neutral open-back that suits both studio and hi-fi use and works with any headphone amp.
headfonics.com
13/04/2024
Listening review · Flagship open-back
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is a comfortable, clean reference-style headphone with deep sub-bass, though it lacks a little sweetness in the upper mids.
stereonet.com
01/05/2024
Listening test · Reference over-ear
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is a direct, detailed over-ear that sounds upfront and natural, but it's only as good as the source feeding it.
kopfbox.de
03/02/2024
Hands-on review · High-end open-back
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is a high-end open-back for buyers who want top sound, with three cables included, though shallow pads can feel on-ear after a while.
musicalhead.de
01/02/2024
Listening test · High-end open-back
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is a detailed, slightly analytical open-back with deep, controlled bass that drives well from portable players, suiting high-end listeners.
likehifi.de
12/09/2025
Hands-on test · Headphone and amp
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is an open-back reference headphone with wide stereo space and strong dynamics, most convincing when paired with the Full Score One amp.
stereoguide.de
19/10/2023
Hands-on test · Portable player pairing
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is a dynamic open-back with deep, tight bass and wide, natural space that suits high-end listeners using a portable player.
on-mag.fr
04/03/2024
Listening test · Open-back studio
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is a refined, spacious open-back that suits studio and hi-fi use, but its price puts it close to planar rivals like the Meze Empyrean II.
O
on-mag.fr
04/03/2024
Summary of the review
Austrian Audio The Composer: review, opinions, specs, price
(Translated)Show original
hifilivemagazine.com
13/09/2024
Listening test · Amp pairing
Verdict
Austrian Audio The Composer is a clearly neutral, clean-sounding open-back headphone with a natural tone and high technical ability, suited to listeners who want accurate sound from good recordings.
D
digitalvideoht.it
02/05/2024
Summary of the review
Austrian Audio The Composer | Digital Video HT
(Translated)Show original

Third-party reviews

What customers like about Austrian Audio The Composer

  • Exceptional build quality with high-end materials like aluminum and carbon fiber
  • Outstanding comfort for long sessions due to its lightweight design (approx. 385-398g) and low clamping force
  • Highly detailed, transparent, and 'reference' sound signature suitable for critical listening
  • Excellent spatial definition and a three-dimensional soundstage
  • Innovative design features including a tilt-adjustable ear cup system for a custom fit
  • Very easy to drive even with lower-powered devices due to low impedance (22 ohms) and high sensitivity
  • Generous accessory package including three high-quality cables (XLR, 4.4mm balanced, and 3.5mm) and a wooden presentation box
  • Convenient magnetic ear pad attachment system for easy replacement

What customers don't like about Austrian Audio The Composer

  • Proprietary 'banana jack' cable connectors limit third-party cable options
  • Analytical and lean sound profile may feel 'sterile' or lacking in warmth for casual listeners
  • Treble-forward tuning can occasionally sound bright or sharp on certain recordings
  • Lack of tolerance for poor-quality recordings or highly compressed audio files
  • Significant sound leakage and lack of isolation due to the open-back design
  • High price point places it in a competitive market against established luxury flagship models

Verdict

The Austrian Audio The Composer is an open-back, over-ear flagship headphone featuring a 49mm high-excursion dynamic driver with a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coated diaphragm and an N52 neodymium ring magnet system. Technical specifications include a wide frequency range of 5 Hz – 44 kHz, a low impedance of 22 Ω, and a high sensitivity of 112 dBspl/V, making it remarkably easy to drive even with portable sources. Its primary strengths are its exceptional reference-grade clarity, holographic soundstage, and fast, linear bass response that mimics the precision of planar magnetic designs while maintaining dynamic impact. Comfort is prioritized through a lightweight 385g build, a breathable mesh headband, and unique tiltable earcups with four adjustable positions. Notable drawbacks include the use of a proprietary banana jack connector system that limits third-party cable options, a price point that places it in a highly competitive bracket, and a lean midrange tuning that may lack the warmth some listeners prefer for vocal-centric genres.

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