Austrian Audio Full Score One

"Any worry that the Full Score is optimised only for its natural partnering headphones proves unfounded"

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Analogue headphone amplifiers are less common than they used to be, thanks to the domination of the more fashionable DAC/headphone amp alternative. However, a dedicated analogue unit still has a place. It is ideal if you just want to add headphone functionality to a system, or are trying to eke the final degree of performance from your cans. Austrian Audio’s Full Score One is one of the finest examples we have come across in recent years.

Austrian Audio is a young company, formed in 2017. But don’t think that youth means a lack of experience. The team behind the brand have been in the business for decades, having worked for AKG Acoustics up until its Vienna-based facilities were closed following Samsung’s takeover of its parent company Harman International in 2016.

Since then, Austrian Audio has carefully built a surprisingly diverse range of products from microphones and headphones to studio-orientated software. Then there is the Full Score One headphone amplifier we have on test here.

VISUAL APPEAL

It’s a small unit, about the size of a hardback book, and is beautifully made. We like the curved metal casework and the neat way the volume control is integrated, though it would have been nice if the dial were just a little thicker to make it easier to handle. Front-panel headphone connections comprise a pair of 6.3mm sockets, and, beneath a sliding flap, a four-pin balanced XLR output.