Austrian Audio

80 / COMPUTER MUSIC Autumn 2020
> reviews / mini reviews
Web presonus.com
Gear near-ield monitors
We reviewed the larger E8XT in 280 – the XT
series being the latest incarnation of Presonus’
popular series of monitors launched back in
2013. It was a thumbs up for a great value
monitor on which we said “they really are an
excellent buy for the budget producer, even
though said producer might need a bigger
room than their bank balance!” The smaller
7XTs, then, might well be the XTs we’re looking
for, packing in the power and design, but their
smaller size perhaps ofering serious
monitoring for smaller music setups.
As with the larger 8, the number in the title
refers to the size of the bass driver/speaker, so is
seven inches in diameter, the high frequency
tweeter being the same 1.25-inch silk-dome
design found in the rest of the range. Together,
they deliver a impressive frequency response of
42Hz to 20kHz. (The 8s went down to 35Hz,
pretty much what you’d expect given the larger
woofer size). Power-wise 75W from the LF driver
and 65W from the HF. That’s more than enough
power for the smaller studio space that these
monitors are designed for.
Their dimensions (240 x 242 x
365mm) and weight (8.6kg a piece) also
back this up – the depth in particular
means that these will be more
comfortable in a smaller space. That
said, these are still not the kinds of
desktop models that the likes of IK, JBL
and Genelec have become famous for.
You’ll still need a fair amount of room
and ideally stands to put them on.
Other features include the new EBM
(Elliptical Boundary Modeled)
waveguide – that widens the sweet spot
of the speakers – plus Low-cut, Mid, and
High controls to tune the speakers to
your room plus useful acoustic position
controls for placing the speakers against
a wall, away or in corners.
Performance-wise, that wide sweet spot
shines through again, as it did with the 8s,
meaning you get much greater listening
position lexibility or can have a couple of
people monitoring together. The bass response
evidently doesn’t give you as much oomph as
the 8s, but at close monitoring doesn’t sound
lacking; still controlled and non labby. In fact,
given their lower price and less physical impact,
we’d easily recommend these over the 8XTs for
smaller spaces, and if you are new to ‘proper’
studio monitoring, these are a great entry point
to that pro world which will ultimately lead you
to better results for your mixes.
n 9 / 1 0 n
mini reviews
A rapid-ire round-up of sample libraries, ROMplers and music gear
Web soundtech.co.uk
Gear Closed back headphones
Headphones are becoming more popular as the
alternative way of monitoring music. The
obvious beneits are the space they take up (or
don’t take up) and their more neighbour-friendly
volume. The fact that they have come on so
much technology-wise over recent years has
also helped. Austrian Audio are newcomers to
the ield, a company who have only been around
for three years but who have already made a
great impact with a couple of microphones.
At 305g, the ‘phones are pretty light in weight
but boast specs that are anything but. With a
frequency response of 5Hz to 28kHz that’s more
than enough for all humans (why not get your
dog to join in), and the impedance of 25 Ohms
means they will work well with portable devices
such as mobile phones. Their closed back
design means that they are great for mixing on
the move as you’ll get less interference from the
outside world – nor will you interfere so much
with said world – although we have to say that,
generally speaking, we’re big fans of open back
headphones that just give you a wider and
more immersive experience.
With just one 3m cable and a soft carrying
case, there’s not much in the way of extras.
However, the headphones are comfortable and
sit well for longer listening sessions. The 44mm
driver design is, according to AA, the optimal
size for headphones, as it “ensures professional
performance in the Hi-X, moves a lot of air and
eliminates ‘wobbling’ of the diaphragm”.
In use, the feared lack of space that closed-
back headphones sometimes deliver
compared to open doesn’t materialise – these
are lovely, the mix swirling widely around your
head and the sonic insulation helps make the
listening experience more intimate than you’d
expect. Initially the response sounds a little mid
forward and bass is lacking but the ‘phones
seem to settle, revealing your mix secrets
gradually as you get used to them. There are
perhaps more accurate mix headphones but
they can often take your head of. These ofer a
more balanced and comfortable approach –
and a mix experience we’ve grown to love.
n 9 / 1 0 n
Austrian Audio
Hi-X55 £249
Presonus
Eris E7XT £170 each
CMU287.rev_minis.indd 80 24/08/2020 10:49