DALI IO-12 HEADPHONES REVIEW

Oscar Stewart takes a listen to the £999 DALI IO-12 Headphones.

Dali is a big name in the HiFi world making a wide range of loudspeakers, from budget to high-end, and they also have a smaller range of portable audio kit. One of those products is the newly released IO-12 HiFi Wireless headphones featuring their patented SMC magnet driver technology. 

This is one of the more expensive wireless ANC headphones on the market, coming in at £999, but do they have what it takes to justify their price? 

BUILD QUALITY, FEATURES, AND COMFORT OF THE IO-12

The Dali IO-12 have a mostly plastic build quality, with soft-touch earcups and a rubberised headband padding. The outer faceplates are metal, the main arms are also metal, the earpads are made from genuine leather and they feel well put together overall. There’s a USB-C port for charging or wired use, a 3.5mm input for using them wired too, there are a couple of different buttons for different functions, and, of course, an LED status light. You get a lovely carry case with them too which helps protect them when travelling and, it has little pockets/cutouts for the cables which is a nice touch. 

Feature-wise the Dali IO-12 are quite a versatile headphone; they are closed back and feature ANC (Active Noice Cancelling) which can be on when using them in wireless or wired mode. There are 2 sound profiles when listening in wireless or using the internal DAC in wired mode, one is HiFi and the other Bass. Dali prides themselves on these headphones not requiring a complicated partnering app, instead you can adjust the settings on-the-fly via the buttons on the headphones. There’s a single on/off button, and you also have the ANC button which switches between ANC/Transparency/Off. The right faceplate is a button which functions to play/pause the music, and the trim around this faceplate houses the volume up/down buttons – the buttons are easy to press, however, they do feel a little clicky (I would have preferred a more dampened feel). 

These feature a massive 50mm driver with Dali’s patented SMC magnet technology, Bluetooth codecs supported are AAC/aptX/aptX HD/aptX Adaptive and battery life is up to 35hrs. The passive mode via 3.5mm input with the headphones off is fully passive with the audio not going through the internal DSP – this is a sign that Dali has tuned the drivers and housing instead of just applying a load of DSP. It also means you can use them if the battery runs out, provided you have a 3.5mm output to hand. There are 33 volume steps in wireless mode, which is a lot more than most and allows you to find a suitable volume level in any environment.

The headband is leather and the bottom padded section is a soft rubbery material that is well cushioned, and the the earpads are sort of rectangular and made from genuine leather – they are quite big which is good in a comfort sense but appearance-wise they do look physically big when you are wearing them. The earpads are nice and deep and easily cover my ears, they are also well padded which leads to good comfort levels all-round, a must for a headphone that is designed for out-and-about daily use. 

SOUND QUALITY

First off, I mostly used these on my daily walk to work to test out the wireless portable side of things. My phone uses aptX HD when connected to the Dali IO-12 and I used a mix of lossless and lossy streaming. 

I’ll start off by saying the ANC works best in an enclosed environment, so trains and planes are great, but I did notice a fair amount of wind noise when walking down the street with ANC on. Luckily the passive isolation is excellent, so turning ANC off when outside wasn’t an issue. Transparency mode works as it should and allows you to hear your surroundings as and when needed. 

For out-and-about listening I did slightly prefer the Bass setting in terms of the sound mode as it adds a little body to the sound without affecting too much of the rest of the frequency range. Skindred – Gimme That Boom is a driving rasta-metal anthem that wants you bouncing around the room and the Dali IO-12 certainly deliver this when in bass mode with a healthy dose of sub-bass rumble backed up by solid mid-bass punch. Vocals still cut through with good clarity, as does the treble but the Bass setting works best when out and about – it’s a little OTT when using these are home though, in my opinion. 

When in a quiet place, though, HiFi mode is best when it comes to sound quality, The IO-12 offering up a stunningly detailed and beautifully controlled sound. Lucy Rose – Be Alright through these shows off just how well-tuned they are, there is little sense of Bluetooth compression holding them back, instead, you get quite a wide and nuanced sound that is akin to a good wired headphone. There’s a huge amount of resolution to the sound and the layering is perfect. Lucy’s vocals are pitch-perfect and well-centred whilst the piano and guitars come in around them in a very convincing way. 

Put on something heavier, Imminence – Coming Undone, and you have a very well separated sound that is equally detailed and controlled. They don’t ever become congested with this kind of music. Bass lines are easy to follow and the treble is very crisp whilst there is also great extension on both ends. This does however highlight that the IO-12 do have a slight tendency to sound a little harsh in the treble on certain tracks in HiFi mode. There’s a slight emphasis in the lower treble region that makes things sound a little metallic and thin at times, even though there is good body to the rest of the sound. 

In use the Dali IO-12 are an easy-to-live-with headphone, the controls are simple and intuitive and I do like the “no app” ethos! However, I do find the 2 EQ modes a tiny bit limiting. For example, in HiFi mode they do tend to sound ever so slightly harsh in the treble, yet the Bass preset adds too much body in quieter environments, something in-between would be quite enjoyable.

If you run out of battery or fancy listening without the built-in DSP, you can switch to pure passive mode with a simple 3.5-3.5mm aux cable. Very few wireless over-ears allow for a proper passive mode like this, as most rely on heavy DSP to get their headphones to sound right. The IO-12 sound good in passive mode, and though they have a warm tilt this doesn’t mask an overall clean sound.

Bedouin Soundclash – Money Worries is presented with a nice articulate bass performance that’s both punchy yet has depth to it, the midrange has a good amount of clarity, and vocals don’t suffer from any major colouration. The treble is smooth yet extended and compared to HiFi wireless mode it is smoother with less energy, but I don’t find myself missing that extra zing. Being a closed-back model they don’t have a huge soundstage, but everything is well separated, they do occasionally sound a little flat when in passive mode, however, overall they do put out a respectable sound that’s very enjoyable. 

These are tuned to be used wireless though and I still found myself preferring their sound when used over Bluetooth. And HiFi mode really does impress with the right music. Nirvana – Something In The Way (Live, Unplugged) is another stunning song through the IO-12. Nothing is missing from the recording, from bass to treble; the string section is well rendered and there is beautiful layering to the sound. This is one recording that doesn’t sound harsh at all in the treble and there is a nice sense of space in this song.

QUIBBLES

These can on occasion sound a little bright in HiFi mode with certain tracks. And bass mode is a bit too full when in quiet environments. Also, the wind noise when ANC is on is distracting, something most ANC models don’t suffer from nowadays. 

CONCLUSION

The Dali IO-12 are one of the best high-end wireless options on the market for out-and-about use, they even do a fantastic job when sitting and listening at home, making them an excellent partner for travelling. They are not without fault though, the “no app” ethos means you must settle for either EQ preset and some minor tweaking would be nice. The ANC is also susceptible to wind noise when outside, something not many new ANC headphones currently suffer from. 

The ANC is also not as effective as some other ANC headphones, but putting aside these niggles, you will get exceptional sound and the trade-off will be worth it for some. They have a lot of detail for a wireless headphone with exceptional control and layering. Bass mode is fun when out and about, especially when environmental noise is slightly higher, and HiFi mode is perfect for quiet spaces allowing you to hear the nuances in your favourite tracks. 

These are excellent in a HiFi sense and they have truly great sound quality, especially for a wireless headphone, but they will not be for everyone. Comfort and build quality are excellent and if you are looking for a set of high-quality wireless headphones these deserve to be on your list.  

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality And Features:

Simple but effective functionality

Well-built with premium materials

Sound Quality:

Controlled and detailed

Great extension and layering

Bordering on bright in HiFi mode with certain tracks

Value For Money:

This is difficult, you could argue the sound is worth the price tag, but I don’t think they quite hit the mark fully as a whole, and are perhaps priced a little high. I do believe they would be more competitive at an ever so slightly lower price. 

We Loved:

The premium build and high-fidelity sound from a wireless model 

Easy to use and to live with

We Didn’t Love So Much:

ANC wind noise and slightly harsh treble with certain tracks

Elevator Pitch Review: The Dali IO-12 have come in to disrupt the premium wireless ANC headphone sector. With an easy-to-use design and slimmed-down functionality, they focus on sound quality over gimmicks. In some respects they hit the mark and do offer up a sound quality that can rival some wired models, but the ANC could be more effective and the 2 EQ modes on offer do limit them slightly. If you are looking for a high-end wireless headphone, the Dali IO-12 are well worth looking into. 

Price: £999 / €999 / $1299

Oscar Stewart

SUPPLIED BY DALI

SUPPLIED SPECIFICATION

• DALI’s patented Soft Magnetic Compound (SMC) magnet system.
• True Hi-Fi wireless headphones.
• Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).
• Transparency mode.
• Custom 50mm SMC-based drivers.
• 35-hour battery life.
• Leather ear pads and headband.
• Bluetooth Audio Codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive.
• Charging: USB-C.
• Hi-Res (up to 24Bit/96kHz) USB audio.
• Support for voice assistants.