[NZtechfreak]

I've have a review set of the iO-6 headphones, courtesy of Dali. I've not spent enough time with it to perform an in-depth review however have a few initial straight out of the box thoughts.

In terms of aesthetics, construction and ergonomics, I like it's presentation with it's carry case....rather chic with it's semi-hardshell case in denim-like material. The inside is felt-like which is soft on the headphone itself, and the zippers are far away enough to ensure it doesn't scratch the headphones. There's only one internal pouch to hold the charging and analogue cables.

As for the headphone itself, it's more delicate and smooth expressing a more sophisticated classy headphone (note I come from a primarily V-Moda portable headphone which has gone for a more rugged style). The synthetic leather of the earpads and headphone band also oozes finesse. The cups swivel and the earpads rock smoothly in perpendicular axes to each other which makes it easily adjustable. As for the arms that hold the cups, the slide is a little more stiff to adjust but once adjusted, it wouldn't slip accidentally. As the cups swivel, it hangs comfortably around the neck without any discomfort.

Around the head though, comfort is probably my biggest issue ergonomically. It clamps around my cranium rather hard so I can't listen to it long despite the flexibility of the earcups and earpads. I hope that over time though with gentle flexing of the headphone band, that it'll improve over time. The cups are circumaural and whilst I've read that some other reviewers state it's not deep enough, I don't have an issue with the depth for my ears. It is actually deeper than the V-Moda M-100 Master and Crossfade Wireless Codex (and these are the V-Modas with the deeper cups). I should be more specific that with the iO-6 cups, that the dust protector mesh to the top of the earpads are about the same as the V-Moda's however, the iO-6 dust protector mesh still sits a few more millimetres above the driver, whereas the V-Moda dust protector mesh rests right on top of the driver.

All the controls are on the right cup with physical clickable buttons rather than the Sony 1000XM series touch capacitive approach. Call me old school but I like the physical buttons more (and I used to own the Sony 1000XM2 before selling it off MDR-1000X before giving them to my nephew). The iO-6 button clicks are feel definitive like how buttons should be; folks would know in my V-Moda reviews (as much as I like V-Moda), their buttons are one of their weakest points feeling cheap/flimsy.

Whilst these days a lot of wireless headphones recommend having accompanying iOS/Android apps for greater control, the iO-6 has gone for just a more traditional straight wireless approach.

Sonically, my first thoughts were "these are like closed HD800s" (but no, not like the HD820s). The presentation is light and airy and sets the listener far from the stage. Attending many Tokyo International Audio Shows in the past few years, I'm familiar with Dali speakers and get the impression their headphone tuning comes from their experience with their speakers. The sound signature lends well to the classical genre where finesse in presentation is needed for the listener to subtle details complex orchestral piece. At least in my opinion, this is akin to the HD800 (and to a certain extent to the HD800S which I used to own too). Where I do wish more out of the iO-6 however is more bass slam, so listening to rock vocals (e.g. Billy Joel), or Dance, EDM, it's not as engaging. However with certain genre, it's exuberates a classy presentation for a wireless headphone.

Thanks for that, can probably cross them off my list given the drawback here is particularly troublesome for me - tight impactful bass is a requisite here (there is a reason my venerable HE-6 remains one of my favourite headphones ever). Still looking for a new ANC since my partner has basically stolen my WH-1000XM3, but looking for something better sounding. Have you heard the Sennheiser M3 or the Technics ANC 'phone released this year by any chance?

 

[AnakChan]

Thanks for that, can probably cross them off my list given the drawback here is particularly troublesome for me - tight impactful bass is a requisite here (there is a reason my venerable HE-6 remains one of my favourite headphones ever). Still looking for a new ANC since my partner has basically stolen my WH-1000XM3, but looking for something better sounding. Have you heard the Sennheiser M3 or the Technics ANC 'phone released this year by any chance?

Sadly since moving back from one of the largest cities in the world to one of the smaller ones, I’ve not had the opportunity to test out other headphones.

At least in my initial opinion, the iO-6 aimed to be somewhat more genre specific, but I’m sure others may disagree.

 

[NZtechfreak]

Sadly since moving back from one of the largest cities in the world to one of the smaller ones, I’ve not had the opportunity to test out other headphones.

At least in my initial opinion, the iO-6 aimed to be somewhat more genre specific, but I’m sure others may disagree.

Seem to be some happy campers here across multiple genres, your comment echoes others I have seen though and is sufficient to prevent me buying these (I don't anticipate being able to audition them, and headphone resale here in NZ is terrible). The Sennheiser seems like it could be decent, I'm a bit worried about the apparent bass boost there though, but providing its tight and well-controlled (unlike the Sony) I can probably live with it +/- EQ a little. At least I can try the Senns in store locally.

 

[WDitters]

At least in my initial opinion, the iO-6 aimed to be somewhat more genre specific, but I’m sure others may disagree.

I would not say that the DALI IO-6 are genre specific. I would say that they match certain music styles more than others ... But that in fact applies to just about every pair of headphones in the world .. I have never come across headphones that would not excel in one area and leave somewhat to be desired in others ... Ironically less detailed cans, perhaps with a bit of additional bass tend to be somewhat more forgiving than others .. But at the end of the day, isn't that quest for a good pair of cans that tickles our fancy in the right areas what it's all about?

 

[NZtechfreak]

The three in my sig sound good with everything to me, that's the reason I've kept them. I don't need an ANC headphone to compete with any of those, but I do want the one that plays to my preferences the best and currently it sounds like the Dali are not that headphone for me. That's not knocking the Dali or anyone who likes them, just speaks to me knowing exactly what I want and reflects the reality that I can't hear these for myself without buying them.

 

[Brintkiks]

Yes they did while I was watching TV on my laptop.
Now thay are doing fine watching Youtube on my laptop and playing Tidal on my Samsung Galxy Note.

Thank you for sharing this info. It's most likely a Windows issue. Do you use Windows 10? There can several reasons for this issue and I will try and address them below:

1) If you pause a video or music player in one browser window and start another in a different browser window, then Windows might send a signal to the headphones in some cases that the signal is paused. Even though you are running a different player. Then after 10 minutes, the headphones will shut down.
2) Windows has a power saving setting, which allows it to shut off the connection to Bluetooth devices, which then causes the headphones to shut down. You have to go into your Bluetooth settings and remove the permission to cut the connection.
3) Sometimes Windows has some issues figuring out whether the DALI headphones are a headset (for phone calls) or a headphone. This can limit the use of the headphones. So please check which kind of device, your headphones are registered as in the Bluetooth settings.

A trick to keep your headphones playing is to activate ANC, as ANC will keep your headphones activated for 8 hours, before they turn off. If you try this, it will show you if it is a headphone or Windows issue. If they still shut down with ANC activated, we will have to dig deeper into this issue.

 

[WDitters]

@Brintkiks Since the earpads are connected with a bayonet lock, would you guys consider bringing out larger sized pads? That way you could easily accommodate people with larger ears without affecting the DALI IO Sound. You could sell these as an add-on option, after all the bayonet lock system is ideally suited for that purpose .... (I am asking as I have to slightly fold my earlobes into the pads myself ... )

 

[StrangeStranger]

@Brintkiks Since the earpads are connected with a bayonet lock, would you guys consider bringing out larger sized pads? That way you could easily accommodate people with larger ears without affecting the DALI IO Sound. You could sell these as an add-on option, after all the bayonet lock system is ideally suited for that purpose .... (I am asking as I have to slightly fold my earlobes into the pads myself ... )

This would make them so close to ideal headphones for me. I'd prefer to have that choice when buying, because I wouldn't need standard pads, but add-on option is great too.

 

[listenerAndPlayer]

Received the iO-4 (less than 3 days from ordering them,with Amazon Global Priority shipping) from Amazon U.K. and the B&W PX7's that I purchased about 3 weeks ago are already in the box with the return label. I spent about and hour, on and off, going back and forth between the two of them and the differences were stark. Without changing anything other than pairing one and then the other, the PX7's were decidedly louder than the DALI's. The bass on the the B&W's was much, much more pronounced than the iO4s. Too much for classical, which is the music that I principally listen to. Worse though, was that the sound of the PX7's was, what could best be described as muddy in comparison. The DALI's were clear, crisp and the closest sound to a live performance than I've ever heard. Listening to my go to recording - The Philadelphia Orchestra performance of The Rite of Spring (Nézet-Séguin conducting). The clarity, sound stage (now I think that I really know what that means), the immediacy of the music was wonderful. Followed that up with a bit of Mahler's 3rd, which was also wonderful, and finally a Beethoven Piano sonata. I was astonished by the sound of the instrument in the Beethoven. Again, clear, beautiful and balanced. In particular, with all of these recordings, the bass is balanced with the rest of the ranges. Any less bass, would have been too little - that is to say, it's just before the edge of being too little - definitely not over the edge for the music that I prefer. If your taste in music tends to have a lot of bass and you like it, these headphones are definitely not for you.

I'm not going to say much about the fit and finish and controls, since other people have done so quite thoroughly. One observation (not really a complaint) is that the iO4's only come with a soft bag vs. the hard case of the iO6. If I'd realized that, I might have spent a bit more and bought the iO6. Anyone know if it's possible to buy just the hard case?

Over the years I've had a bunch of terrible cheap headphones, moved up to the first Sony NC headphones, then the Bose QC-25s, the B&W PX's and most recently the Sony WH-1000XM3. I had high hopes for the PX7's and had sold my Sony's before I'd even received the B&W's. In terms of sound quality, none of these can compare to the DALI's They are keepers and I expect that I'll have them for a long time.

 

[Maukey]

Just received my Dali iO-6 today. Haven't had much time with them. Spent a little time listening to them in Bluetooth on my iPad Pro 11 and MacBook Pro. Also tried them with the Aux and USB cable on my Mac, and tested them out on my Xbox One X. Tried them with ANC on and off, as well as in Passive mode. Initial impressions are quite favorable. A couple of things I've noticed.

First, the bass is very lite if you use them with ANC off. I would say below neutral by about 3dbs or more. Activate ANC or Transparency, and the bass becomes neutral with the rest of the sound. Initially I thought I was hearing things because I haven't seen this mentioned, but I confirmed it when I used them with my Xbox. Explosions literally had no bass, or should I say VERY little. Once I turned on ANC, the bass impact was definitely more noticeable. Not Sennheiser Momentum 3 noticeable, but perfectly acceptable. It's definitely a neutral sound signature with ANC on. Very clear and detailed. I'm not sure I've heard a wireless ANC headphone with the clarity this provides. I can see where some may miss the bass impact for more energetic music, but if you're a fan of accuracy, this is the Wireless ANC headphone for you. I just personally wouldn't use this headphone with out ANC or Transparency on. It becomes too anemic for my tastes.

Second, the volume on my Mac when using Tidal is not very loud at all when in Bluetooth mode. I literally have to turn the volume all the way up, and I still could use an extra couple of clicks. Plugging it up makes it a little better but not by much. The funny thing is, when I go bluetooth to my iPad using Apple Music, the volume is noticeably better. It's in line with the Momentum 3. I'm going to do more testing, but I'm wondering if I use Apple Music on my Mac, would that increase the output of the headphones. I just signed back up for Tidal so I haven't tested it with any other headphones. Could it have something to do with the fact that the headphones are streaming in AAC, and Apple Music I believe is AAC? I'll do more testing.

These are just my initial quick thoughts. I'll provide more as I get more time with the Dalis. I will say they are very comfortable for me. But I have a narrow head with small ears. I'm usually lucky when it comes to headphones and comfort. Not many create problems for me.

 

[Javawocky]

It is worth to remember, if SQ is everything and ANC is not needed (as the Passive Noise Isolation is quite effective) then IO-4 performs on level with IO-6 and other headphones in this price range - at €100 less and with 60 hours of battery life.

Hi Brintkiks, I see some people saying the IO-6 have more bass with ANC on than off. Is that true and, if so, are the IO-4 tuned to sound like IO-6 with ANC on (more bass) or like IO-6 with ANC off (less bass)? I use headphones (PX and H9i) with ANC off most of the time (switch on when my office colleagues get a bit loud). With both the PX and H9i, I prefer the sound with the ANC off. I was considering the IO-4 as I already have two noise cancellers. However, if the Dali headphones sound a bit thin without ANC, then that makes the IO-6 a better bet than the IO-4 - unless the IO-4 are tuned to sound like the IO-6 with ANC on rather than off. Hope you're still following this!

Cheers,
Alastair

 

[xoxiax]

I've received yesterday the IO-6, which i'm comparing with PX7 and Mw65 i already had. It's too soon to make any definitive judgement, but i wanted to share one first impression: reading all the comments about the absence of lows i was really afraid and i must say that i've found myself (obviously subjectively and for my taste) positively surprised, not missing bass energy listening to some of my better known techno, electro or idm songs. Maybe in some songs and without ANC (yes, @Javawocky, ANC on increases the lows... without it i definitely lacks for EDM despite of Mingus or Leonard Cohen sounding wonderful) it could be on the frontier of the bass light lands, but they compensate that in terms of energy with a fuller sound than anything i've tried (Sony xm3, Lagoon, h8i, h9i, px7 and mw65) through all the frequencies. I've also found that they react positively (without significative distortion) to a +6 db increase on the 60 Hz region with my zx300 EQ. With that adjustment they definitely win punch and get closer to my ideal of sound. Really engaging, transparent, spatial and beautiful sound.
That said, all these experiences happened at home, and it's on the go where i normally miss bass on my headphones. Today i'll try it on the subway and and see if it gets lost with all the rumble.

On the other side, i find them way toooo big, very comfortable but also heavy, not staying firm on the head, not foldable... lacking, in sum, portability. Considering we're talking about ANC headphones (which surely not the totality, but the majority of users will want them for use on the go at public spaces), i think Dali has lost some crucial points here.
These days i'll make a decision between MW65 (2nd in sound for my taste, with punchier bass, worse soundstage and better in terms of comfort, size...) and Dali's to see which ones stay with me.
By the way, i'm really surprised about how well the original P7W stand in front of the IO6. I couldn't imagine it would be so difficult to find a headphone that could surpass the rendition of the B&W. I've had to buy and send back several models to find something such satisfying (for my taste PX7 is a step back).

I'll continue testing, thanks to all the users on the forum for the different opinions that helped me to try them. They definitely deserve a try.

 

[WDitters]

Note to all .. I do not find the bass to be light, or leaving to be desired .. It is present and tight, it's just not as exaggerated (or better said v-shaped) as some other cans out there... But it definitely is present and well ballanced I would say ... Just try Evolution 1:1 by Connect.Ohm or SA-MY-D by Hedegaard & Matt Hawk .. The IO definitely have the power to impress in these tracks ..

Having said that, approx 100h into burn-in I can confirm that the IO only improve with use .. Perhaps not as significantly as the Bowers PX that definitely required 200h of burn-in before coming together but still .. The IO only get better and better

(and wrt my observations about platforms and codecs, unfortunately Apple devices as well as Windows PCs are somewhat limited compared to Android:

PC's typically default to the Bluetooth SBC codec; Macbooks might switch to standard APTX but are do not offer APTX HD; iPhones have AAC codecs ...

All these codecs unfortunately provide a lesser quality audio stream than codecs like LDAC and APTX HD. It might not be very obvious with Spotify music that offers 320kbps bitrates at best, but you will definitely notice this with CD-quality audio on Tidal and Qobuz)

 

[WDitters]

And with respect to the IO's clarity, detail and speed, as well as their well balanced nature .. Check Keith don't go on Nils Lofgrens astonishingly beautiful album Acoustic Live .. I remember the PX7 completely ruining that .. Whereas on the IO it shines ...

(Disclaimer: I only listen to Tidal and Qobuz CD-quality streams as well as 16/44 FLACS and Hi-Res FLACS ... Spotify is practical when traveling, but I definitely prefer full-res or hi-res)

 

[Steelydanman]

I've received yesterday the IO-6, which i'm comparing with PX7 and Mw65 i already had. It's too soon to make any definitive judgement, but i wanted to share one first impression: reading all the comments about the absence of lows i was really afraid and i must say that i've found myself (obviously subjectively and for my taste) positively surprised, not missing bass energy listening to some of my better known techno, electro or idm songs. Maybe in some songs and without ANC (yes, @Javawocky, ANC on increases the lows... without it i definitely lacks for EDM despite of Mingus or Leonard Cohen sounding wonderful) it could be on the frontier of the bass light lands, but they compensate that in terms of energy with a fuller sound than anything i've tried (Sony xm3, Lagoon, h8i, h9i, px7 and mw65) through all the frequencies. I've also found that they react positively (without significative distortion) to a +6 db increase on the 60 Hz region with my zx300 EQ. With that adjustment they definitely win punch and get closer to my ideal of sound. Really engaging, transparent, spatial and beautiful sound.
That said, all these experiences happened at home, and it's on the go where i normally miss bass on my headphones. Today i'll try it on the subway and and see if it gets lost with all the rumble.

On the other side, i find them way toooo big, very comfortable but also heavy, not staying firm on the head, not foldable... lacking, in sum, portability. Considering we're talking about ANC headphones (which surely not the totality, but the majority of users will want them for use on the go at public spaces), i think Dali has lost some crucial points here.
These days i'll make a decision between MW65 (2nd in sound for my taste, with punchier bass, worse soundstage and better in terms of comfort, size...) and Dali's to see which ones stay with me.
By the way, i'm really surprised about how well the original P7W stand in front of the IO6. I couldn't imagine it would be so difficult to find a headphone that could surpass the rendition of the B&W. I've had to buy and send back several models to find something such satisfying (for my taste PX7 is a step back).

I'll continue testing, thanks to all the users on the forum for the different opinions that helped me to try them. They definitely deserve a try.

I’m like you, every headphone I get is in the hope of matching my p7w but to my ears at least they fall short. It does sound at least that you are considering the Dalis a genuine challenger although I must say I had the m60’s and returned them very quickly so with you not being sure on first listen if the Dalis better the masters that’s a worry, I must admit I am still on the fence. If they had a full rich sound like the p7w then it would be a no brainer for me, I look forward to your final thoughts