[Dalmonegrig]

Question: Am I going to see massive sound improvements just plugging the USB-C Directly

I’ll make a point: I did not conduct blind testing. For me, a USB connection DALI iO-12 is more preferable for critical listening compared to a Bluetooth connection. Under the same listening conditions (file, source) when USB connection, I get better detail (resolution). Despite this, when Bluetooth connection DALI iO-12, I also get very good sound quality and often use it.

 

[mcook1970]

I will be completely honest but to my ears I really couldn't hear any degradation between BT and USB connection. This is what makes this headphone best in class IMHO. In comparison, the Bathys were much better in USB dac mode than BT. In BT mode they could be quite 'biting', particular in the treble region. Having a headphone where BT is just as good as any other connection is a game changer. This is why I am really loving the Dali's, they just represent everything that is good in a headphone multiplied by 3 (BT, dac and passive mode). I doubt I'll use the dac or passive mode as much as BT because I am so impressed with the sound quality.

 

[angelom]

I will be completely honest but to my ears I really couldn't hear any degradation between BT and USB connection. This is what makes this headphone best in class IMHO. In comparison, the Bathys were much better in USB dac mode than BT. In BT mode they could be quite 'biting', particular in the treble region. Having a headphone where BT is just as good as any other connection is a game changer. This is why I am really loving the Dali's, they just represent everything that is good in a headphone multiplied by 3 (BT, dac and passive mode). I doubt I'll use the dac or passive mode as much as BT because I am so impressed with the sound quality.

I love John Lennon's music (with and without The Beatles), an incredibly talented musician. Probably my favourite 2 songs are: 'Gimme Some Truth' and 'Watching The Wheels' ('Working Class Hero' and 'God' are excellent too).

 

[jthomp72]

If you're looking for a song to really stretch the Dali iO-12's prowess may.I suggest Bridge Over Troubled Water by Jacob Collier. He is a master of layering many many vocal layers at once and these headphones shine with it. I was blown away.

 

[angelom]

If you're looking for a song to really stretch the Dali iO-12's prowess may.I suggest Bridge Over Troubled Water by Jacob Collier. He is a master of layering many many vocal layers at once and these headphones shine with it. I was blown away.

Is always fascinating for me seeing people's different tastes in music, or different preferences for different versions of the same piece of music.

For me the original version by Simon and Garfunkel is very more better -- "Less is more" is my immediate thinking (but is true too that I think the last minute of the original version by Simon and Garfunkel is not very good and is spoiling a very good composition, having very indulgence in what is, for me, before this minute, a very, very good and strong song).

Here is a good example of a similar thing, but in this case both versions are actually featuring one of the two original composers. For me the first version is very more better; the second version is nice and good too but is very more polished and even 'bombastic' for me, and is losing, very clearly for me, the strong emotional aspect of this composition. BUT this is my personal opinion, of course.

 

[jthomp72]

Is always fascinating for me seeing people's different tastes in music, or different preferences for different versions of the same piece of music.

For me the original version by Simon and Garfunkel is very more better -- "Less is more" is my immediate thinking (but is true too that I think the last minute of the original version by Simon and Garfunkel is not very good and is spoiling a very good composition, having very indulgence in what is, for me, before this minute, a very, very good and strong song).

Here is a good example of a similar thing, but in this case both versions are actually featuring one of the two original composers. For me the first version is very more better; the second version is nice and good too but is very more polished and even 'bombastic' for me, and is losing, very clearly for me, the strong emotional aspect of this composition. BUT this is my personal opinion, of course.

I love the Original version of this song just as much as well, but the thing that gets me about the version I recommended is the number of different voices that are layered in it. I like that because it gives me a really interesting look into how great the separation ability of these headphones are if that makes sense.

 

[mcook1970]

It is always interesting to hear a different version of song. There are some should not be touched and considered sacrilege. I find it difficult hearing a different version of Bridge Over Troubled Water because I cannot unhear Art Garfunkel's beautiful voice. However, there are many, many versions of songs that I prefer over the originals.

The main ones I can think of are:
Hurt - Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails)
It Doesn't Matter Anymore - Eva Cassidy (Buddy Holly)
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)
Yesterday - Marvin Gaye (The Beatles)
All Along The Watchtower - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Bob Dylan)

BTW, I listened to the Atmos version of the last song on mye Dali's last night via the Amazon Music app and it sounded absolutely amazing! Cleaner Jimi vocal and guitar output versus every other version I have listened to. I think most of this is down to the headphones as opposed to the mix because i also listened to it on my Bose Quietcomfort Ultra's and it just sounded like a different mix of the track versus the Dali's which made it sound like a completely new recording!

 

[angelom]

It Doesn't Matter Anymore - Eva Cassidy (Buddy Holly)

Yes!

Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)

Yes! This is a classic better version of the original.

Yesterday - Marvin Gaye (The Beatles)

Yes!

All Along The Watchtower - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Bob Dylan)

Yes!
---------------

Also, for me:
"Fields Of Gold" - Eva Cassidy (Sting)
"I Can't Explain" - David Bowie (The Who) --- Bowie's version is superb, very sexy and so different from The Who's.

 

[jthomp72]

The main ones I can think of are:
Hurt - Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails)
It Doesn't Matter Anymore - Eva Cassidy (Buddy Holly)
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)
Yesterday - Marvin Gaye (The Beatles)
All Along The Watchtower - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Bob Dylan)

If you like a particular melody or a particular song, I encourage you to check out secondhandsongs.com where you can enter a song and find the original version and every recorded cover of it so you can see who all has performed a song. Useful when you really are digging a particular melody or want to see just who’s covered something you enjoy.

 

[mcook1970]

Yes!


Yes! This is a classic better version of the original.


Yes!


Yes!
---------------

Also, for me:
"Fields Of Gold" - Eva Cassidy (Sting)
"I Can't Explain" - David Bowie (The Who) --- Bowie's version is superb, very sexy and so different from The Who's.

Fields of Gold - Yes!

I love Bowie and I love The Who, I think the best cover version he ever did was Wild Like The Wind on his Station To Station album. IMHO its his best ever vocal, i think he is channeling the Nina Simone version rather than the Johnny Mathis one, either way he completely makes it his own!

 

[mcook1970]

If you like a particular melody or a particular song, I encourage you to check out secondhandsongs.com where you can enter a song and find the original version and every recorded cover of it so you can see who all has performed a song. Useful when you really are digging a particular melody or want to see just who’s covered something you enjoy.

I just gave it a try and randomly came up with...Billie Jean by Chris Cornell, wowzers!

CHRIS CORNELL Billie Jean LIVE

 

[angelom]

I love Bowie and I love The Who, I think the best cover version he ever did was Wild Like The Wind on his Station To Station album. IMHO its his best ever vocal, i think he is channeling the Nina Simone version rather than the Johnny Mathis one, either way he completely makes it his own!

Absolutely true. 'Wild Like The Wind' is really, REALLY a wonderful and unique version of the song by Bowie, and definitely one of his best songs of all time. By the way, even when 'Station to Station' is not my favourite album (I love DB and have all his albums), the song "Station to Station' is probably my favourite Bowie song.

 

[mcook1970]

Absolutely true. 'Wild Like The Wind' is really, REALLY a wonderful and unique version of the song by Bowie, and definitely one of his best songs of all time. By the way, even when 'Station to Station' is not my favourite album (I love DB and have all his albums), the song "Station to Station' is probably my favourite Bowie song.

I listened to Black Star the other evening. It is my favourite DB album even though its probably the worst in terms of dynamic range/compression. I managed to get a DSD vinyl transfer and it was a much better quality. I played the Hi Res Flac version the other night and it sounded geat on the Dali's, i didnt even think about the dynamic range/compression, i was too immersed in the music. And this was on BT mode! Testament to how well these headphones perform, I am so pleased with them.

 

[angelom]

I listened to Black Star the other evening. It is my favourite DB album even though its probably the worst in terms of dynamic range/compression. I managed to get a DSD vinyl transfer and it was a much better quality. I played the Hi Res Flac version the other night and it sounded geat on the Dali's, i didnt even think about the dynamic range/compression, i was too immersed in the music. And this was on BT mode! Testament to how well these headphones perform, I am so pleased with them.

One and half months ago I writing the post below:

I love a lot of David Bowie's music (not all) and, like the majority of people that appreciating Bowie's music very much, his best albums, in my opinion are, without doubt, from early 1970s until the very excellent 'Scary Monsters' (1980). 'The Next Day' is a really, really very good comeback album after many years of not so good music by DB.

Bowie dying 8 years ago (2016) and his last album, 'Blackstar' (that he making when he already knowing that he will dying soon), is so very excellent and, for me, very possibly his best album from all his discography ---'Hunky Dory', 'Scary Monsters' and 'Ziggy Stardust', for me, being his second, third and fourth best albums--- and very possibly this creativity being the result of the urgency of knowing his time in this earth isn't very long.

One more time the Solitaire T, even when is really a great headphone, can't reproducing so excellently the sound of 'Blackstar' like the iO-12 (the ST making this album more warm and thick sounding than is appropriate).

Maybe you can please sending me a private message and telling me how I can obtaining a better version of Blackstar with better dynamic range (I'm agree with you that Blackstar isn't have good DR like so many of Bowie's albums after the 1908s, but still the recording isn't bad, actually -- good DR isn't always giving better overall sound, and low DR isn't always giving overall bad sound). Like you can seeing in my post above, Blackstar is Bowie's best album for me. Thank you in advance!

 

[mcook1970]

One and half months ago I writing the post below:



Maybe you can please sending me a private message and telling me how I can obtaining a better version of Blackstar with better dynamic range (I'm agree with you that Blackstar isn't have good DR like so many of Bowie's albums after the 1908s, but still the recording isn't bad, actually -- good DR isn't always giving better overall sound, and low DR isn't always giving overall bad sound). Like you can seeing in my post above, Blackstar is Bowie's best album for me. Thank you in advance!

I will PM you in due course

It is unfortunate that on some of the tracks (particular 'Tis A Pity She Was A...') it is incredibly distorted. Maybe this was the effect both Bowie and Viscounti both wanted but it detracts away from how good the musicianship is across all the tracks. When I listen to it on vinyl it sound much cleaner and refined.