[angelom]

The Hungarian review reveals what I hear when I listen to these headphones in the store, and there’s a big bump in the mid-bass frequency that sometimes is too much. It reminds me a lot of the Meze 99 Classics in this regard. I only listened for several minutes connected via BT to my phone, so I can’t say too much, but like the Meze 99 Classics, if you listen to the Dali IO-12 with a baseball cap or something similar, you can slightly reduce the seal and make the headphones less boomy and more natural. Let me know if you try this and the results,

My iO-12 including a baseball cap as extra accessory, and I'm always wearing this when I'm using this headphone. I only love the sound of the iO-12 with this baseball cap... but the best part is that everybody is saying I'm the more cool person in the room!

 

[paco Tomoya]

In fully passive mode the Solitaire T is generally better that the iO-12's fully passive mode, in my opinion, and is more similar to the other Solitaire T modes (BT and and USB-C modes) -- this is one great aspect of the Solitaire T. BUT I think that in BT and USB-C modes, the iO-12 is giving a little (but clearly noticeable) better sound quality, SPECIALLY noticeable when using well-recorded music, music that you can finding a lot more commonly in classical, jazz and in 1970s and 1980s rock and pop (western music) albums.

I am a lover of classical music. I listen to the most familiar works (The Butterfly lovers Violin Concerto from China) in-depth comparison between solitaire t and io 12. I agree with you. Now I don't regret return the solitaire T back. Only when I listen to pop music, I will miss the strong feeling of solitaire T's strong voice close to my face.

 

[paco Tomoya]

The Hungarian review reveals what I hear when I listen to these headphones in the store, and there’s a big bump in the mid-bass frequency that sometimes is too much. It reminds me a lot of the Meze 99 Classics in this regard. I only listened for several minutes connected via BT to my phone, so I can’t say too much, but like the Meze 99 Classics, if you listen to the Dali IO-12 with a baseball cap or something similar, you can slightly reduce the seal and make the headphones less boomy and more natural. Let me know if you try this and the results,

I also noticed that there is indeed some buzz, especially after comparing the 3.5 passive wired mode, this feeling is stronger. The buzzing medium and low frequency bands when I listen in wired mode have been reduced a lot. In Bluetooth mode, I was waiting for the cover of io-6, and I ordered a pair on the Dali official website (dali local salesman told me that it was not compatible with io12, but I still want to try it), hoping to solve this problem. In addition, my head may not be big enough, and io12 always slips, so I also wear a certain hat to increase my head circumference.

So everyone does this. Haha

 

[angelom]

The Hungarian review reveals what I hear when I listen to these headphones in the store, and there’s a big bump in the mid-bass frequency that sometimes is too much. It reminds me a lot of the Meze 99 Classics in this regard. I only listened for several minutes connected via BT to my phone, so I can’t say too much, but like the Meze 99 Classics, if you listen to the Dali IO-12 with a baseball cap or something similar, you can slightly reduce the seal and make the headphones less boomy and more natural. Let me know if you try this and the results,

You giving a 'like' to my previous post, and that is a surprise for me because I'm using sarcasm in all of that post (maybe you appreciating this sarcasm, or possibly you thinking I'm being serious??). Anyway, I will giving you a more serious answer now.

For me is very interesting that few people (only few) mentioning a mid bass 'problem' in the iO-12, and this is more common from people that already seeing a FR graph -- this is only a testament of what I see in all posts (and a couple of apparent 'reviews' on line) and not necessarily saying nothing more than that, but is also true that I seeing very often in my experience that people speaking of hearing this or that problem ONLY after seeing a FR. PLAESE don't take offence or misinterpret my comment. Please.

BUT, also VERY interesting is the fact that few people (only few) finding the iO-12's sound lean/thin (not enough bass!). I'm not sure I seeing this type of discrepancy before with any others headphone. Then, of course, we don't always knowing if people are using ANC On or Off and/or 'hi-fi' or 'bass' setting', apart from people having their typical (maybe more bassy) sound preferences.

But independently of all of the above comments, I think, like I saying before, that the iO-12 is, in MY very personal opinion, giving a great balance between a more lean/thin/clinical (maybe very more close to Diffuse Field type of curve) and a little more warm, BUT still sufficiently reference/neutral type of curve, that, for me, is approaching a more realistic (close of what we hearing in real life), AND still reference, sound. (this is with ANC Off and in "hi-fi" setting).

As you probably know, the concept of what a correct FR curve is still a debate for many years, and today, for good or for bad, is apparent that the Harman curve is winning more adepts.

 

[Dragonmilenario]

You giving a 'like' to my previous post, and that is a surprise for me because I'm using sarcasm in all of that post (maybe you appreciating this sarcasm, or possibly you thinking I'm being serious??). Anyway, I will giving you a more serious answer now.

For me is very interesting that few people (only few) mentioning a mid bass 'problem' in the iO-12, and this is more common from people that already seeing a FR graph -- this is only a testament of what I see in all posts (and a couple of apparent 'reviews' on line) and not necessarily saying nothing more than that, but is also true that I seeing very often in my experience that people speaking of hearing this or that problem ONLY after seeing a FR. PLAESE don't take offence or misinterpret my comment. Please.

BUT, also VERY interesting is the fact that few people (only few) finding the iO-12's sound lean/thin (not enough bass!). I'm not sure I seeing this type of discrepancy before with any others headphone. Then, of course, we don't always knowing if people are using ANC On or Off and/or 'hi-fi' or 'bass' setting', apart from people having their typical (maybe more bassy) sound preferences.

But independently of all of the above comments, I think, like I saying before, that the iO-12 is, in MY very personal opinion, giving a great balance between a more lean/thin/clinical (maybe very more close to Diffuse Field type of curve) and a little more warm, BUT still sufficiently reference/neutral type of curve, that, for me, is approaching a more realistic (close of what we hearing in real life), AND still reference, sound. (this is with ANC Off and in "hi-fi" setting).

As you probably know, the concept of what a correct FR curve is still a debate for many years, and today, for good or for bad, is apparent that the Harman curve is winning more adepts.

I know it was a sarcastic and humorous comment But I like it anyway. Like I said, I only tried these headphones in the store briefly, but I really felt the bass was strong and uncontrolled… You can read about this in my previous comment, before any charts came out. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable with my opinion; it’s just my first take with this headphones. It really reminds me of the Meze 99 Classics’ sound in that regard, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[angelom]

You can read about this in my previous comment, before any charts came out.

Just for accuracy, the post that you are referencing is from 4 weeks ago (13th March), and already in that time we have 2 sources that publishing graphs/measurements and several posts in this thread discussing this measurements.

 

[angelom]

Here is an excellent pop/rock song. Here the iO-12 really is doing a very excellent job extracting important details in the song, specially revealing the sounds of the acoustic guitar vs the other electric guitars that, with other headphones, is very more difficult discerning in several parts of the song. The iO-12 is also reproducing the percussion really very well.

 

[Dragonmilenario]

Just for accuracy, the post that you are referencing is from 4 weeks ago (13th March), and already in that time we have 2 sources that publishing graphs/measurements and several posts in this thread discussing this measurements.

Ok, but for me, the first time I saw measurements was in the Hungarian review.

Anyway, I feel that, but I only listened to the Dali IO-12 for several minutes with my iPhone at the store, so perhaps it wasn’t the best way to thoroughly test them.

Am I the only one experiencing this sensation (more bass than desirable and a slight sense of uncontrolled bloat)?

 

[angelom]

Ok, but for me, the first time I saw measurements was in the Hungarian review.

Anyway, I feel that, but I only listened to the Dali IO-12 for several minutes with my iPhone at the store, so perhaps it wasn’t the best way to thoroughly test them.

Am I the only one experiencing this sensation (more bass than desirable and a slight sense of uncontrolled bloat)?

With ANC Off and "hi-fi" setting the sound is (very close to) reference/neutral, with VERY controlled bass (some people complaining this settings isn't have sufficient bass because they're coming from more typical bassy headphones) --- for Dali this is the best reference sound available and I'm agree 100%. Several/many reviews aren't specific about this critical differences in the sound reproduction of the iO-12 (and even their measurements aren't always very clear about this).

If you are trying in a shop the iO-12, you MUST ensuring that you have ANC Off and use the "hi-fi" setting for the best reference sound. Is possible that you have double bass lift if you have ANC On and "bass" setting On.

 

[Dalmonegrig]

Am I the only one experiencing this sensation (more bass than desirable and a slight sense of uncontrolled bloat)?

If you are trying in a shop the iO-12, you MUST ensuring that you have ANC Off and use the "hi-fi" setting for the best reference sound. Is possible that you have double bass lift if you have ANC On and "bass" setting On.

I confirm the post angelom. This is indeed true.
The DALI iO-12's bass is not bloated, it is well structured.
Perhaps the pair of headphones you were listening to is new. DALI iO-12 must be given time to work, at least 70 hours.

 

[paco Tomoya]

I confirm the post angelom. This is indeed true.
The DALI iO-12's bass is not bloated, it is well structured.
Perhaps the pair of headphones you were listening to is new. DALI iO-12 must be given time to work, at least 70 hours.

My io12 has been working for 100 hours, but the low-frequency buzz in Bluetooth mode and dac mode does exist (much less than most other headphones!). I slightly adjusted the position of the earmuffs and wore them closer to the back of my ears, which solved the problem,At this time, the position of the earmuffs was close to my neck,And a small hole is exposed, which reduces the sealing.
This problem exists in those pop music with heavy bass,There is no problem in the classical symphony.
And, There will be no problem after the low frequency is weakened a little in the wired mode.

I think this is just my personal problem, but it may also exist in others people like me. I'm very thin, and I suspect it's caused by earmuffs pressing my facial bones.

I still enjoy the sound of io12. When the io6 earmuffs I ordered arrive, I will report the change in listening feeling.

 

[angelom]

New iO-12 review from Spain: https://www.avpasion.com/analisis-auriculares-dali-io-12/

Here is the English translation:


Dali IO-12, analysis: authentic HiFi sound for your ears with and without wires

By Antonio Mira Published 10 April 2024

There are very inexpensive, mid-range, high-end wireless headphones and then there are the premium models. And we are not talking about models such as the AirPods Max or the Bowers & Wilkins Px8, but about headphones that seek to take the quality of sound a step further. Models such as the Focal Bathys or the Dali IO-12 that we have had the opportunity to try. Headphones that are overflowing with quality on all four sides and that, thanks to their new 50 mm SMC drivers, are able to take music to a really high level, even when we use them without cables.

But let's not get ahead. I have had the opportunity to spend several weeks trying these headphones from the Danish manufacturer Dali and in this analysis I am going to tell you everything they offer and how they work. But first of all I want to thank Sound & Pixel Planet, Dali's official distributor in Spain, for the transfer of the product for its analysis and the trust placed in AVPasión. Without this type of assignment it would be impossible for us to bring you these analyses of such high-end equipment. And now yes, let's see what these spectacular Dali headphones offer us.


Design: abundance of elegance

The IO-12 are not Dali's first headphones, since the manufacturer also has the IO-6 and the IO-4, both models with a much more contained price. But the IO-12 play in another category and, although they have a design style similar to that of their little brothers, they offer a much more luxurious finish. One of the big differences is found in the pads, which in the Dali IO-12 are more square and much larger. They are made of genuine leather and their size seeks to completely wrap the ear, thus avoiding leaks and offering a better seal.

The headband is also lined with genuine leather and offers a rather soft sliding adjustment. The area that makes contact with the head is very soft, which allows a comfortable adjustment of the headphones. They do not exert much pressure on the head, but the adjustment is firm, at no time will we notice that they are loose or that they fall off. I personally have spent quite a few hours with them and I can say that they are one of the most pleasant headphones to wear that I have ever tried.

Although the part of the pads is very different, the Dali IO-12 do look more like their little brothers in the outside of them, where we have that round shape so characteristic of the brand. In the left headset we have a 3.5 mm jack connector that we can use to connect the headphones by wire. They can be used passively, which means that we can continue to use them even when the battery runs out, and that's great.

But we have all the controls placed in the right earpiece. And it is important, since the Dali IO-12 do not have an application to configure and control the headphones. Everything is done from the device itself, with physical buttons, since it does not have a touch surface as we see in other models that are also wireless. It is perhaps a risky decision, but it makes clear the confidence that the Danish manufacturer has in its best headphones.

So, in the right earphone we have the power button, a USB-C port to charge the headphones and the button to control the noise cancellation system (it allows you to switch between on, off and transparent mode). But we also have a small button that allows us to switch between two equalization modes: HiFi and Bass. As you can already imagine, the first offers a purer tonal balance while the second "puts" a little more weight on the low frequencies.

The controls I have mentioned are placed on the profile of the headset, but in the central part of the right earpiece we have more controls, divided into two circles. With the two controls placed in the outer circle we can control the volume, while the control placed in the inner circle will allow us to control playback and even calls, depending on the number of touches we make. You have to study a little what it does, but once you have them under control they are quite intuitive and easy to handle.

And to close with the design, the Dali IO-12 do not fold, but they do fold inwards to be totally flat. In this way we can put them in the spectacular carrying case included by the manufacturer, as luxurious almost as the headphones themselves. It is not a compact and light case, rather the opposite. It is a large case, all lined with a soft finish and with two holes to place the accessories that accompany the headphones, one that has a small magnetic "gate" and another that is a mesh with a rubber.

What accessories come with the headphones? Well, Dali includes a 1.2 m USB-C cable (for charging and USB audio), a 3.5 mm mini jack stereo cable of 1.2 m in length, a 3.5 mm mini jack stereo cable of 3 m in length, a 3.5 mm mini jack to 6.3 mm jack adapter and a flight adapter.


Unique driver technology

Let's now take a quick look at all the technology that these headphones hide. The Dali iO-12 are the first headphones in the world that have an SMC magnetic system. Using the same material as in the DALI EPICON speakers, the Soft Magnetic Compound (SMC) reduces eddy currents and hysteresis to reduce odd harmonic distortion drastically. This translates into a clearer sound with ultra-low distortion.

Thanks to the 50 mm drivers with patented SMC magnets, but also to exclusive technologies such as low-loss surround, rigid paper fiber cones and low-resonance housings, the Dali iO-12 offer the same dynamic capabilities and clarity offered by the manufacturer's speakers. With all this, they are compatible with 16- to 24-bit audio formats, with a sample rate of 32, 44.1, 48 and 96 kHz.

Dali IO-12 drivers analysisBeyond SMC drivers, these headphones offer other interesting technologies. For example, they have Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity with compatibility for AAC, aptX, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive codecs. In addition, as we have already mentioned, they also offer the possibility of using them with cable, thus offering greater versatility.

They also have active noise cancellation technology. It blocks low-frequency outdoor noises to offer better music playback. It counts against ANC modes, being able to adapt the amount of sound we hear to each situation. The Dali's cancellation system is not up to the level of the one that Sony or Bose have, but the truth is that it does a very interesting job, allowing the music to sound even better. With the engine sounds or similar it does a good job, with the voices and the murmur a little worse. But even so, it is a system that is appreciated that they incorporate high-end headphones.

Finally, Dali indicates an autonomy of up to 35 hours with the noise cancellation system activated. In my experience, it is quite reliable data. I charged them when they arrived and I didn't have to charge them again throughout the test. The headphones have charge level LEDs and also an audible warning that tells us how much charge is left when you turn them on.


Sound quality

The Dali IO-12 have a fabulous sound. So, in short. And they do it whether we have them connected by cable or if we use them via Bluetooth. Even so, there are clear differences. To "power" them as God intended, I connected them by cable to one of the most well-known headphone DAC/Amp of recent years, the Eversolo DAC Z8. I also tried them with the new iFi Audio NEO iDSD 2, which you will have a review shortly. Both are desktop DACs that we could consider high-end.

Heard in this way, the Dali IO-12 offers a super detailed sound, with a well-controlled and direct lower area, with a medium range is clean and eloquent. They have a great dynamic range, creating a large and well-defined sound stage, with very good levels of separation and a totally correct overall presentation. They may not be the most exciting or direct headphones I've ever heard, but they offer a magnificent balance between an analytical and entertaining sound.

As for the two equalization modes, I have already mentioned it before, but there is not much difference between them. The Hi-Fi mode offers a slightly better balanced presentation, while the Bass mode gives a punch to the bass. Of course, don't expect some super-present low frequencies, since that's not the idea that Dali has. The sound is still refined, but with a "touch" on the bass.

Switching to wireless music playback means losing some clear quality, especially if we use platforms such as Spotify. With Tidal the thing improves a little, recovering much of its power if we also use a player capable of working with the aptx HD codec. But still one of the great virtues of the Dali IO-12 is that they are capable of a magnificent sound quality even when the source is of low quality, achieving a defined and direct sound. I've heard other high-end headphones that are choked on low-quality files.


Conclusions and price

The truth is that when I met the Dali IO-12 I had some doubts about what a manufacturer like Dali was looking for by launching wireless headphones of this price on the market. They are expensive for those who are simply looking for high-end wireless headphones, and on the other hand we know that the most audiophile users usually "flee" from wireless headphones. But after testing them for several weeks, I think I already understand what the manufacturer is trying to do. They want to offer a premium product designed to cover both the wired and wireless worlds. And I think they have achieved it.

They are very nice headphones (at least in my opinion), super comfortable and made with all the care and using the best materials. They offer the versatility of both wired and wireless connection, the latter being compatible with high-resolution codecs. They also have an active noise cancellation system that, without being the best, helps to achieve a better sound quality. And this is precisely its strong point, which I understand the manufacturer is looking for. The Dali IO-12 offer spectacular sound quality. The more you listen to them, the more you want to keep listening to them.

As for the price, as I said, it is high. The Dali IO-12 are for sale in specialized stores with an official price of 999 euros.

DALI IO-12

POSITIVE ASPECTS

Incredible sound quality
First-class materials
Super comfortable
Possibility of connecting them by cable and Bluetooth
Compatible with aptX, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive codecs
Good battery life
It includes multiple accessories and a high-quality case

NEGATIVE ASPECTS

They do not have an application for control or equalization
Active noise cancellation is below other proposals
The travel case is very nice, but it's huge.
High price

Rating 9.4

Dali IO-12: technical specifications​

Dali IO-12	CHARACTERISTICS
Type of headset	Bluetooth wireless closed over-ear headphones
Speakers	50 mm drivers with SMC technology
Technical characteristics	Active noise cancellation Ambient sound step
Bluetooth codecs	AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive
Bluetooth	v.5.2
Frequency response	10 – 48,000 Hz (+/-3 dB)
Impedance	25 ohms (Passive Mode)
Maximum SPL	100 dB
Battery autonomy	35 hours with active noise cancellation
Input connection	3.5 mm mini jack, USB-C
Supported audio formats	16-24 bit audio, with sampling rate 32/44.1/48/96 kHz
Finishings	Dark brown
Accessories supplied	1.2 m USB-C cable 3.5 mm mini jack stereo cable of 1.2 m in length 3.5 mm mini jack stereo cable of 3 m in length 3.5 mm stereo mini jack to 6.3 mm jack adapter Flight adapter Carrying case
Availability	available
Official price	999 euros

 

[angelom]

Here is a perfect example of why --like I saying before-- I find the majority of supposed reviews mediocre or just --in all honesty, in this case-- clearly bad. Here is a perfect example: this is a review from Trusted Reviews that publishing yesterday, "DALI IO-12 vs Focal Bathys: Which should you get?"

The problem for me is NOT that the supposed reviewer is preferring the Bathys than the iO-12, but that is very obvious his complete bias in favour of the Bathys --- the Bathys is winning in EVERY single category, even on battery life (that in my tests is better in the iO-12, and that the specifications saying Bathys = 30h and iO-12 = 35h).

More problematic is that Trusted Reviews is claiming that they are 100% independent reviewers --- maybe they really are 100% independent but some of people they have 'reviewing' products are mediocre or just very, very incompetent.

I will not commenting about every aspect of this supposed review because there are too many things I think are wrong. For people that caring about good sound, his descriptions of sound of this two headphones are often ridiculous or simply very wrong and, frankly, independent of sound preferences, useless.

 

[Dragonmilenario]

Here is a perfect example of why --like I saying before-- I find the majority of supposed reviews mediocre or just --in all honesty, in this case-- clearly bad. Here is a perfect example: this is a review from Trusted Reviews that publishing yesterday, "DALI IO-12 vs Focal Bathys: Which should you get?"

The problem for me is NOT that the supposed reviewer is preferring the Bathys than the iO-12, but that is very obvious his complete bias in favour of the Bathys --- the Bathys is winning in EVERY single category, even on battery life (that in my tests is better in the iO-12, and that the specifications saying Bathys = 30h and iO-12 = 35h).

More problematic is that Trusted Reviews is claiming that they are 100% independent reviewers --- maybe they really are 100% independent but some of people they have 'reviewing' products are mediocre or just very, very incompetent.

I will not commenting about every aspect of this supposed review because there are too many things I think are wrong. For people that caring about good sound, his descriptions of sound of this two headphones are often ridiculous or simply very wrong and, frankly, independent of sound preferences, useless.

Dali IO-12 is a headphone that sounds better compared to the Bathys in every single aspect, in my humble opinion. While the Bathys is not a terrible headphone, the Dali IO-12 is more mature and stands out as one of the best in this category, with the Solitaire T.

 

[paco Tomoya]

Dali IO-12 is a headphone that sounds better compared to the Bathys in every single aspect, in my humble opinion. While the Bathys is not a terrible headphone, the Dali IO-12 is more mature and stands out as one of the best in this category, with the Solitaire T.

All these commentators' articles ignore the description of the appearance! Today, I went out with bathys and accidentally fell down. I'm fine, but the sharp head beam of bathys cut a wound on my neck! As an outdoor headset, there is no reason to have such a sharp corner anyway! I didn't talk about it in the thread of bathys, and the fans there may not care about it at all. But I think headphones are very objective, and sound quality is the first priority. However, as outdoor headphones, safety is more important than sound quality! Although I still like bathys, I'm also worried about getting hurt again!