[jthomp72]

Just teasing you You know us headphone fanatics are always looking for the next thing to be excited about. I know most of it is marketing hype but it’s still fun to hope that they are right. Every once in a while they are.

I still haven’t found a wireless ANC pair that has completely blown me away in every aspect, yet… still waiting for someone to get the combination of software and hardware completely right everyone is close it’s just not quite there yet

 

[Halimj7]

I still haven’t found a wireless ANC pair that has completely blown me away in every aspect, yet… still waiting for someone to get the combination of software and hardware completely right everyone is close it’s just not quite there yet

Have you tried Audiotechnica wb2022?

 

[ThEvil0nE]

If you are speaking only about proper good sound, then I'm sorry saying that the px8 mustn't be mentioning at all when comparing with the iO-12, Solitaire T, ML 5909 or the Focal Bathys. Yes, people have their sound preferences, but in that case maybe we must also mentioning the AirPods Max or some very more cheap Sony models that having muddy sound but maybe a preference for some people and they thinking that this 1000(+) EUR headphones are not so good. I still think, by the way, that the 6-7 years old B&W P7 Wireless sounding better than the very more expensive px8 (specially in the mids and treble) and having better construction quality. I even saying in the px8 fanboy thread that, for me, the AirPods Pro 2nd gen sounding better than the px8. Of course my views aren't very popular there.

Add the DSR9BT on that. Tho it doesn't have ANC, it's one that I still use today and would probably be using it wirelessly until the battery gives up.

 

[angelom]

Just teasing you You know us headphone fanatics are always looking for the next thing to be excited about. I know most of it is marketing hype but it’s still fun to hope that they are right. Every once in a while they are.

You know, when I see last year this new 1300 EUR / $1600 USD headphone, the Solitaire T, and learning that isn't have leather earpads, I'm in shock because all expensive ANC headphones until that time having leather earpads, so I have big doubts about trying this new product. Then I learning that is a conscious decision by T+A not using leather in the headband and earpads for the principles of the main engineers in the company, and that they trying using very good vegan leather instead.

Not real leather is always a problem for me (before the Solitaire T) because my ears ALWAYS getting hot and/or sometimes sweating. Still, I deciding I want trying this new headphone with real new tech AND very little marketing (even today you see not many reviews, but several are from truly reputable sources), and thinking that even if I love the sound but the earpads are a problem, like always before, I returning the headphone and lose money in shipping back to other country.

My great surprise is that this is the first headphone with not real leather that I can using for several hours (is one year now of ownership). But even in the beginning, and with my good surprise, I posting some very critical posts about the Solitaire T (like here I'm one of very initial owners), aspects that aren't very good in that time, and some aspects that T+A fixing later. Even before T+A fixing those things, I deciding keeping this very expensive and (specially in the beginning) imperfect headphone because of the great sound (in fully passive and BT modes), comfort and the 'travelability' (great for travelling with small case and folding mechanism in the headphone), and later even corroborating is have very good ANC for airplane travel).

 

[Halimj7]

You know, when I see last year this new 1300 EUR / $1600 USD headphone, The Solitaire T, and learning that isn't have leather earpads, I'm in shock because all expensive ANC headphones until that time having leather earpads, so I have big doubts about trying this new product. Then I learning that is a conscious decision by T+A not using leather in the headband and earpads for the principles of the main engineers in the company, and that they trying using very good vegan leather instead.

Not real leather is always a problem for me (before the Solitaire T) because my ears ALWAYS getting hot and/or sometimes sweating. Still, I deciding I want trying this new headphone with real new tech AND very little marketing (even today you see not many reviews, but several are from truly reputable sources), and thinking that even if I love the sound but the earpads are a problem, like always before, I returning the headphone and lose money in shipping back to other country.

My great surprise is that this is the first headphone with not real leather that I can using for several hours (is one year now of ownership). But even in the beginning, and with my good surprise, I posting some very critical posts about the Solitaire T (like here I'm one of very initial owners), aspects that aren't very good in that time, and some aspects that T+A fixing later. Even before T+A fixing those things, I deciding keeping this very expensive and (specially in the beginning) imperfect headphone because of the great sound (in fully passive and BT modes), comfort and the 'travelability' (great for travelling with small case and folding mechanism in the headphone), and later even corroborating is have very good ANC for airplane travel).

Glad to hear. What do you like about Solitaire T sound? Thanks.

 

[angelom]

Glad to hear. What do you like about Solitaire T sound? Thanks.

I don't know if you reading all my posts in this thread (thanks God isn't a monster long thread yet with hundreds and hundreds of irrelevant posts), or maybe you reading them very quickly. I think I giving sufficient descriptions about the sound (comparing with the iO-12 principally), so maybe you can reading them for the first time or read them again more slowly. If you have more questions, ask me here (if is relevant with the iO-12) or directly in the Solitaire T thread (if not relevant to the Dalis for not derailing this thread).

 

[arminh]

So far I always purchased my headphones long after they were released and didn't think that I had anything to share on forums that had not been discussed already. The IO-12 is the first time that I ordered a new headphone without having seen reviews. I just received my Dali IO-12 a few days ago. Before I give my first impressions let me first explain why I bought the IO-12: I was not looking for a wireless headphone. I was mainly looking for headphones that provide good isolation for working at the office. I'm perfectly fine with using a wired connection. For 6 years I've been very happy with B&O H9 (connected via BT) but over the past years I found the pressure of the (for me) small ear pads on my ears increasingly painful. In the past year I was mostly using the Meze Liric and DCA Aeon 2 Noire which I enjoy very much (with some EQ) but I was still always looking for headphones that might be even more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. That's why I was very excited about the large ear pads of the IO-12. At home I also enjoy using my Focal Clear Mg and Audeze LCD-X.

Now coming to my first impressions about the sound of the IO-12: I'm mostly using the IO-12 in Hifi mode via USB-cable with Neutron Player running on my iPhone 14 Pro. I'm usually using an EQ according to my personal preference (I like it a bit more V shaped) but even without EQ I enjoy the sound of the IO-12 a lot. Most important for me in terms of sound is how often I think that someone is in my room making some of the sounds only to find out later that it was actually part of the music. How does it compare to my other headphones? In terms of feeling as if the music is at least partly coming from my room my impression is that the IO-12 easily beats all of my other headphones. When trying the IO-12 I discovered the album "Falling or flying" by Jorja Smith. Multiple times I thought someone was in my room making noises but it was actually part of the music. When I listened to this album with my other headphones I was disappointed that none of them gave me the feeling to this extent. I'm just not sure if there is something very clever going on in the treble with the IO-12 which could also be applied to other headphones by using more advanced EQ.

In terms of precise localization and instrument separation the Liric still seems to me to be slightly better. In terms of the bass: the IO-12 doesn't have the micro-detail in the bass like the LCD-X but like many dynamic driver headphones the bass is certainly more punchy than all my planar magnetic headphones. It just doesn't quite reach the level of punchiness of the Focal Clear. Overall I really love the sound of the IO-12 very much! Also the IO-12 is certainly among the most open sounding closed back headphones that I have ever heard.

Since I'm mostly considering the IO-12 as an alternative to the Liric the large case of the IO-12 doesn't bother me at all. It is even a bit thinner than the Liric case. Also the weight of these two headphones is very similar.

There are however a few issues with the IO-12 which I very much hope can be fixed somehow or at least I can get used to:

• The 3.5mm audio cable provided by Dali with my iFi Gryphon DAC doesn't get anywhere close to the performance when using the IO-12 with the USB cable which is very disappointing.
• I find the USB and audio cables provided by Dali to be quite microphonic. I've also used a silicone USB cable from Anker (type 643) since I usually love how flexible and soft it is but it is also very microphonic with the IO-12. This is far from what I've become used to with Meze Liric and their premium cables and DCA and their Vivo cables. Please let me know if you have a suggestion for a better non-microphonic USB-C cable for the IO-12!
• I've tried multiple devices and laptops with multiple different apps and I always get some cracking noises every few seconds whenever I play something in 96kHz. Not sure if my IO-12 is faulty or if it is something that can be fixed with a firmware update. If I downsample the recording to 44.1kHz or 48kHz everything is fine. It would be great if others could check this with their IO-12!
• The DAC inside the IO-12 doesn't support 88kHz at all.
• Usually I can change the volume with my Apple Watch in 1dB steps. With the IO-12 the volume noticeably jumps every three steps. Also when using the IO-12 with Audirvana on my laptop the hardware volume control allows only 3dB steps. For me these steps are too big. On my laptop I can get around this by using the software volume control in Audirvana which also works with the buttons on the IO-12. On my iPhone in Neutron Player I can use the EQ preamp but I can't adjust this via the volume control buttons.
• Since the sound quality of the IO-12 seems best when using it with USB-C I would love to use it like this even when travelling just with my iPhone. Unfortunately, the power of my iPhone 14 Pro is not sufficient to drive the IO-12 via USB. The Liric works perfectly with my iPhone + Qudelix.
• The large ear pads of the IO-12 are not as comfortable for me as I was hoping since they are not really deep enough for my ears. Not sure if I can use them for an entire day at the office. I'm still very happy about the size of the ear pads. I just wish they were a bit deeper.

 

[Halimj7]

So far I always purchased my headphones long after they were released and didn't think that I had anything to share on forums that had not been discussed already. The IO-12 is the first time that I ordered a new headphone without having seen reviews. I just received my Dali IO-12 a few days ago. Before I give my first impressions let me first explain why I bought the IO-12: I was not looking for a wireless headphone. I was mainly looking for headphones that provide good isolation for working at the office. I'm perfectly fine with using a wired connection. For 6 years I've been very happy with B&O H9 (connected via BT) but over the past years I found the pressure of the (for me) small ear pads on my ears increasingly painful. In the past year I was mostly using the Meze Liric and DCA Aeon 2 Noire which I enjoy very much (with some EQ) but I was still always looking for headphones that might be even more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. That's why I was very excited about the large ear pads of the IO-12. At home I also enjoy using my Focal Clear Mg and Audeze LCD-X.

Now coming to my first impressions about the sound of the IO-12: I'm mostly using the IO-12 in Hifi mode via USB-cable with Neutron Player running on my iPhone 14 Pro. I'm usually using an EQ according to my personal preference (I like it a bit more V shaped) but even without EQ I enjoy the sound of the IO-12 a lot. Most important for me in terms of sound is how often I think that someone is in my room making some of the sounds only to find out later that it was actually part of the music. How does it compare to my other headphones? In terms of feeling as if the music is at least partly coming from my room my impression is that the IO-12 easily beats all of my other headphones. When trying the IO-12 I discovered the album "Falling or flying" by Jorja Smith. Multiple times I thought someone was in my room making noises but it was actually part of the music. When I listened to this album with my other headphones I was disappointed that none of them gave me the feeling to this extent. I'm just not sure if there is something very clever going on in the treble with the IO-12 which could also be applied to other headphones by using more advanced EQ.

In terms of precise localization and instrument separation the Liric still seems to me to be slightly better. In terms of the bass: the IO-12 doesn't have the micro-detail in the bass like the LCD-X but like many dynamic driver headphones the bass is certainly more punchy than all my planar magnetic headphones. It just doesn't quite reach the level of punchiness of the Focal Clear. Overall I really love the sound of the IO-12 very much! Also the IO-12 is certainly among the most open sounding closed back headphones that I have ever heard.

Since I'm mostly considering the IO-12 as an alternative to the Liric the large case of the IO-12 doesn't bother me at all. It is even a bit thinner than the Liric case. Also the weight of these two headphones is very similar.

There are however a few issues with the IO-12 which I very much hope can be fixed somehow or at least I can get used to:

• The 3.5mm audio cable provided by Dali with my iFi Gryphon DAC doesn't get anywhere close to the performance when using the IO-12 with the USB cable which is very disappointing.
• I find the USB and audio cables provided by Dali to be quite microphonic. I've also used a silicone USB cable from Anker (type 643) since I usually love how flexible and soft it is but it is also very microphonic with the IO-12. This is far from what I've become used to with Meze Liric and their premium cables and DCA and their Vivo cables. Please let me know if you have a suggestion for a better non-microphonic USB-C cable for the IO-12!
• I've tried multiple devices and laptops with multiple different apps and I always get some cracking noises every few seconds whenever I play something in 96kHz. Not sure if my IO-12 is faulty or if it is something that can be fixed with a firmware update. If I downsample the recording to 44.1kHz or 48kHz everything is fine. It would be great if others could check this with their IO-12!
• The DAC inside the IO-12 doesn't support 88kHz at all.
• Usually I can change the volume with my Apple Watch in 1dB steps. With the IO-12 the volume noticeably jumps every three steps. Also when using the IO-12 with Audirvana on my laptop the hardware volume control allows only 3dB steps. For me these steps are too big. On my laptop I can get around this by using the software volume control in Audirvana which also works with the buttons on the IO-12. On my iPhone in Neutron Player I can use the EQ preamp but I can't adjust this via the volume control buttons.
• Since the sound quality of the IO-12 seems best when using it with USB-C I would love to use it like this even when travelling just with my iPhone. Unfortunately, the power of my iPhone 14 Pro is not sufficient to drive the IO-12 via USB. The Liric works perfectly with my iPhone + Qudelix.
• The large ear pads of the IO-12 are not as comfortable for me as I was hoping since they are not really deep enough for my ears. Not sure if I can use them for an entire day at the office. I'm still very happy about the size of the ear pads. I just wish they were a bit deeper.

How does it perform wirelessly? And how does the midrange compare to your other headphones? Thanks.

 

[arminh]

How does it perform wirelessly? And how does the midrange compare to your other headphones? Thanks.

In terms of tonal balance I don't hear any differences between USB-C mode and wireless mode. So far I can only share my very first subjective impressions. To me the midrange does sound very clear and detailed and I could very well imagine that at least for some frequencies it reaches the level of some electrostatic headphones (but I don't have experience with electrostatic headphones!). Before the IO-12 it was always the Liric that seemed to show me details that I had never noticed with any of my other headphones. Those details were also there in the LCD-X but it didn't seem to point them out to me like the Liric did. I think the IO-12 is on a similar level like the Liric. As I wrote before I'm still more confident to know exactly where the instruments are located with the Liric but sometimes the IO-12 seems to deliver even more clarity. I think this clarity contributes to making the compression artefacts of the wireless mode a bit more noticeable. For this reason I will try to use USB-C whenever possible.

 

[Zojokkeli]

Got my IO-12 last week and can also share some initial impressions.

For my use case, I bought the IO-12 as a high-end wireless headphone for work and travel to replace my Sony WH-1000XM5. Not planning on using them via USB-cable or passive mode. Important to me is that they sound good when I listen to music and I can use them in Teams meetings.

- Sound quality via bluetooth and ANC on is great for a wireless headphone. It's good enough for me that I'll happily listen to music with them even when working at home. Has similar tonal balance as my Dali Opticon 8 speakers, which is to say very clear, but exciting sound.
- ANC seems good enough, but it gets truly tested tomorrow when I have a short flight to Sweden with a small propeller plane that makes hellish noise.
- Switching between listening to music on my phone to making Teams calls with work laptop works well enough.
- Noises coming through the transparency mode sound a little bit weird, but it's not an important feature for me. Good to know for people who want use it, though.
- Comfort is great for me. Love the leather earpads. Most comfortable wireless headphone I've used.
- Build quality is mostly great too, but it looks and feels quite plasticky at points. Also the volume up button doesn't have the same clear tactile feel as the volume down button. Can't really tell when I press it. Could be just my unit, though.
- Button placement is clear to me and I learned them very fast. In comparison to Audeze Penrose for example, where I still have issues with the buttons and wheels even after 2+ years of owning them.
- Can't adjust volume during Teams calls for some reason. It's just over the limit I find comfortable, and I haven't found a way how to make them quieter. Windows volume control doesn't do anything, Teams device volume control doesn't do anything except when fully muted, and the headphone volume control doesn't do anything. Very annoying and the biggest gripe I have at the moment.
- Carrying case is quite big, but still fits decently into my back bag. Could've been shaped like the XM5 case instead of being square to make it little bit smaller.
- No mobile app. I don't need one, but might be a dealbreaker for some. I lost interest in app-controlled audio devices when I lost connection to my Elac Sub 2050 after an IOS update. Wasn't able to update the firmware of the subwoofer either despite numerous attempts.

Some features that I need to test at some point:
- Gaming via bluetooth on Nintendo Switch. Not the most important feature, but good to have during hotel stays on work trips.
- Passive mode. Not planning to use it, but might as well test it since it's there. Will drive it with Schiit Ragnarok 1 fed by Schiit Bifrost 2.
- USB mode. Reportedly it's even better than wireless, but I'm planning to use IO-12 in wireless mode only. Can test it out, though.

In summary:
+ Great sound for a wireless headphone.
+ Great comfort.
+ Good set of accessories.
+/- Build quality. Mostly great, but some parts look cheap and the volume up button doesn't have clear feeling.
+/- Transparency mode. It's there and it works, but just sounds off to me.
+/- Big carrying case.
+/- No app for EQ etc.
- Lack of volume control during Teams calls.

Won't replace my actual headphone rig, but I could see IO-12 being an only headphone for someone who wants good sound and the simplicity of wireless headphones.

 

[Fabik]

Good news: The battery on the iO-12 is replaceable by yourself outside of the warranty. Within the warranty period, it is of course recommended to send the headphones in. At least that was the answer from the retailer HiFi-Klubben (great store!).

 

[begor]

https://majorhifi.com/dali-io-12-review

Another review.

 

[TomBY]

I was looking for a better BT headphone for travel, as such portability an ANC are important. I owned a Sony WM 1000 XM4 and while the ANC is excellent, the sound quality did not impress me. The sound is rather muddy, the lows and mids not being well separated. I hear mostly classic and Jazz music and I don‘t like heavy bass.

I went out to some hifi stores in Germany, one of them HiFi Klubben in Hannover (great, supportive people there). During travel, I use a Fiio M11 Plus Ltd. player, listening to imported music from Qobuz.
Just before going to the hifi stores, I learned about the new Dali IO-12, I already use Dali Opticon 6 MK I loudspeakers, so I was curious about the IO-12. Unfortunately, HiFi Klubben could not provide the IO-12 on time, so I had to chose between the BO H95 and the BW PX8. I preferred the sound of the PX8 and because the H95 had difficulties connecting reliably with the Fiio Player, I purchased the PX8, which I liked so far.

At HiFi Klubben in Munich, I had the opportunity to finally compare the PX8 with the IO-12.

And I agree with the other posters, that the Dali IO-12 has a somehow better sound, but to my opinion not as much as I would spend nearly double the money for it (I paid 528 € for the PX8). The IO-12‘s soundstage is wider, and the vocals clearer and a bit less sibilant in some recordings, however, the separation of bass and mids did not impress me, there are not much better than the PX8.

The IO-12 is a bit more comfortable in wearing, thanks to the larger ear pads, however, the PX8‘s comfort isn‘t bad either. The passive isolation of the IO-12 is better, but I found the ANC of the PX8 little more effective.

However, the dealbreaker for me was the huge and thick case. Sorry Dali, but for travelers, this is a no go. It only barely fit into my business backpack (designed for 15 inch notebooks) so this was clearly the end of the story. I think Dali should try to develop a kind of IO-8, which is more compact, but with sound close to the IO-12. That would be something, I would consider to buy.

As of build quality, I was disapointed for the price tag of 999 € as well. The PX8 has a much nicer finish and design, the IO-12 looks comparatively cheap, although the leather is really nice.

So these are my thoughts on the Dali IO-12. Definitely a nice headphone with great sound for a BT device, but not for a traveller.

 

[angelom]

— Wrong post. Sorry.

 

[Denkmal]

I was looking for a better BT headphone for travel, as such portability an ANC are important. I owned a Sony WM 1000 XM4 and while the ANC is excellent, the sound quality did not impress me. The sound is rather muddy, the lows and mids not being well separated. I hear mostly classic and Jazz music and I don‘t like heavy bass.

I went out to some hifi stores in Germany, one of them HiFi Klubben in Hannover (great, supportive people there). During travel, I use a Fiio M11 Plus Ltd. player, listening to imported music from Qobuz.
Just before going to the hifi stores, I learned about the new Dali IO-12, I already use Dali Opticon 6 MK I loudspeakers, so I was curious about the IO-12. Unfortunately, HiFi Klubben could not provide the IO-12 on time, so I had to chose between the BO H95 and the BW PX8. I preferred the sound of the PX8 and because the H95 had difficulties connecting reliably with the Fiio Player, I purchased the PX8, which I liked so far.

At HiFi Klubben in Munich, I had the opportunity to finally compare the PX8 with the IO-12.

And I agree with the other posters, that the Dali IO-12 has a somewhat better sound, but to my opinion not as much as I would spent nearly double the money for it (I paid 528 € for the PX8). The IO-12‘s soundstage is wider, and the vocals clearer and a bit less sibilant in some recordings, however, the separation of bass and mids did not impress me, there are not much better than the PX8.

The IO-12 is a bit more comfortable in wearing, thanks to the larger ear pads, however, the PX8‘s comfort isn‘t bad either. The passive isolation of the IO-12 is better, but I found the ANC of the PX8 little more effective.

However, the dealbreaker for me was the huge and thick case. Sorry Dali, but for travelers, this is a no go. It only barely fit into my business backpack (designed for 15 inch notebooks) so this was clearly the end of the story. I think Dali should try to develop a kind of IO-8, which is more compact, but with sound close to the IO-12. That would be something, I would consider to buy.

As of build quality, I was disapointed for the price tag of 999 € as well. The PX8 has a much nicer finish and design, the IO-12 looks comparatively cheap, although the leather is really nice.

So these are my thoughts on the Dali IO-12. Definitely a nice headphone with great sound for a BT device, but not for a traveller.

Very much agree with your synthesis. I kept the PX8 as it - for me - is better at pretty much all aspects of the UX, incl comfort and overall portability... The IO-12 is definitely more hifi but less complete as an ANC can for me.