Has anyone compared the sound of the IO-4 with the IO-6 with ANC off? I only need ANC occasionally (office use) and generally prefer not to use it. But I get the impression that the 6 is designed to give best sound with ANC on rather than off. My B&W and B&O headphones sound best with ANC off, which suits the way I like to use them. Just wondering how it is with the Dalis.
Dali Headphones
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I have both right now. I think the IO-4's and IO-6's with ANC off sound the same. The bass is lighter than most headphones in this category and not overemphasized, as others have described. They sounds awesome, but if you like strong bass you will likely be disappointed.
Others have suggested that maybe the IO-4's are tuned to sound like the IO-6's with ANC on. I do not believe that to be the case from my usage and it seems unlikely.
The IO-6's with ANC on still sound very good. Some headphones sound obviously worse with ANC on (I recall the B&W PX were quite a bit worse with ANC on), these just sound a little different but still very good, IMO. ANC on results in mildly stronger bass and it seems like frequencies in the vocal range are a little more recessed.
If you are concerned about not getting enough bass, I'd recommend the IO-6 so you have the ANC option that will help a bit, even if you don't really need the ANC at the time.
We've decided to share a measurement of the bass performance of the IO's, which illustrates how large an impact a leakage at the earpads can have on the low frequencies. A leakage can be caused by thick hair, by wrongly mounted earpads or by wearing glasses, which this test simulates.
There's several interesting conclusions to be drawn from the graph.
1. The IO's actually go lower with ANC OFF.
2. The introduced leakage has a massive impact on the bass performance.
3. When there is a leak and ANC is ON, the headphones will try to compensate for the leakage, which results in an unwanted audible behaviour in the lower frequencies.
There's several interesting conclusions to be drawn from the graph.
1. The IO's actually go lower with ANC OFF.
2. The introduced leakage has a massive impact on the bass performance.
3. When there is a leak and ANC is ON, the headphones will try to compensate for the leakage, which results in an unwanted audible behaviour in the lower frequencies.
Thank you Ulmer. Very helpful. I have the PX and, indeed, the ANC has a pretty bad impact on the sound. I like them without ANC, but the lack of comfort is also an issue. I love the sound of my B&O H9i without ANC, and find the sound different but okay with ANC on. Having tried Momentum 2 and B&W P7 wireless, I've learned I'm not keen on heavy bass. I find it tiring to listen to. How good is the passive noise isolation on the IO-4?
This is brilliant. Many thanks for sharing so much with us here!! Loving the headphones.
I feel like the passive isolation quite good.
I do wear glasses, which makes me wonder about the air leak effect mentioned by Brintkiks. The arms of mine are quite thin. Something to experiment with though.
StrangeStranger
New Head-Fier
Thanks for sharing! But what about ears not fitting inside earpads? Or is it not a problem as long as they are fully covered?
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I will say though that we have had positive feedback from users wearing glasses, so it really depends on the shape of your ears, your head and the arms of your glasses. The leakage in the graph is a forced leakage, so you might experience it differently. You can test it with a known bass track with glasses on and off.
Yes, this could also cause some leakage, but it is not given. Different heads and ears might experience it differently. Personally I tug in the top of my ears into the cups, while the earpads rest on my earlopes. This doesn't affect the bass performance for me. And I don't consider myself to have small ears.
Maukey
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I have glasses with VERY thin frames as well. No audible difference for me with glasses on vs off. I do have small ears and I make sure as Brintkiks said, to have the top of my ears fully enclosed in the ear cup.
Maukey
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Oh WOW! I spoke too soon. After Brintkiks posted his graphs, I started thinking, have I tried these without my glasses on? I actually had not. Well after experimenting with glasses on vs. off, and keep in mind my glasses are very thin, it is a noticeable difference in bass response with glasses on vs. off. This is in powered listening with ANC OFF. The thing is, with ANC ON it’s not a noticeable difference. I’m thinking the ANC is compensating for the leak in the seal. But with ANC Off, the bass is about 3 to 6 dbs lower in my opinion with glasses on as opposed to off. I didn’t realize what I was missing. When I first started listening to these and noticing the increase in bass when using ANC, I assumed it was intended. I never thought that I wasn’t getting a proper seal as I always wear thin frames to avoid this with headphones. Wow this sucks. The first time in a while that I’ve experienced this issue. Unfortunately this may be a dealbreaker for me unless I can figure out a way to fix it. Contacts are out of the question no matter how much I like these LOL. Any suggestions? It’s one thing when you don’t realize what you’re missing. Now that I’ve heard the REAL signature with ANC Off, I’m stuck.
sluggishuser
New Head-Fier
I usually put my glasses on with its earpieces resting on the earcups of my headphone. But whether it works or not depends on your frame.
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I’m out in a park whilst kids are playing & I have the iO-6 with ANC on (1st time for me!).
A few thoughts, these headphones are crystal clear. I’m liking them the more & more I spend time with them & the reproduction is very refined.
Also for the first time today I feel I’m more satisfied with the bass - listening to Chvrches’ Graves & Taylor Swift’s New Romantics (yes, highly influenced by Japan’s a Terrace House
), the bass is tight & impactful. I think why it’s perceived (even by me earlier on prior to today), is that the bass recovery is very fast (as such tight). Any decay is quickly overshadowed by the next beat.
Vocal mids & percussion highs are also very crystal clear & spacious. These are one of the most high resolution Bluetooth headphones I’ve heard to date.
A few thoughts, these headphones are crystal clear. I’m liking them the more & more I spend time with them & the reproduction is very refined.
Also for the first time today I feel I’m more satisfied with the bass - listening to Chvrches’ Graves & Taylor Swift’s New Romantics (yes, highly influenced by Japan’s a Terrace House
), the bass is tight & impactful. I think why it’s perceived (even by me earlier on prior to today), is that the bass recovery is very fast (as such tight). Any decay is quickly overshadowed by the next beat.Vocal mids & percussion highs are also very crystal clear & spacious. These are one of the most high resolution Bluetooth headphones I’ve heard to date.
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tiagopinto
500+ Head-Fier
Thanks @WDitters . I think I wasn't completely honest. I'm worried about the bass. I bought some AEons last year and to me they are too "soft" for some music genres. That's why I'm asking
This is what I usually use:
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