Austrian Audio first came about when the AKG offices closed in Vienna after being acquired, with a group of personnel founding Austrian Audio in 2017. The company has since made a name for itself with its headphones for everyday listening (see our review of the Hi-X65) and for business and gaming use cases.

As the company's first headphone amplifier, the Full Score one has Austrian Audio's proprietary True Transient Technology, which is designed to deliver transients like the snap of a kickdrum or the twang of a guitar string in their original detail.

The amplifier has a max output voltage of 19 dBV, 9 Vrms @ 0.01% THD (total harmonic distortion) at 5Hz to 20kHz, and can handle both low and high-impedance headphones from 10 ohms to over 300 ohms.

As for outputs, the Full Score one has a 4-pin XLR output alongside two 6.35mm TRS outputs on the front. At the rear, you will find a 3-pin XLR input and RCA inputs.

Inside, the amplifier uses a fully discrete analogue amplifier design without any integrated circuits in the signal path to ensure clean sound quality without noise. A wide band, fully symmetrical voltage feedback circuit is paired with a triple emitter follower output stage biased in class B, a high-speed push-pull gain stage, and a cascoded parallel differential input stage.

Austrian Audio CEO Martin Seidl told StereoNET:

Our technical approach to our first headphone amp was comparable to building a very low-noise power amplifier. The Full Score one handles low-impedance headphones down to 10 Ohms and high-impedance, low-sensitivity headphones with over 300 Ohms.

The Austrian Audio Full Score one will be available in the European Union from March 2024 onwards at an RRP of €1,499. The amplifier will be available in the UK from April 2024 onwards, with a price tag of £1,299.

Visit Austrian Audio for more information