aaronjensen
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There aren't any firmware updates yet, that I know of.
New Dali iO-12 ANC Headphones – Impressions Thread
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bluex
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I'll keep the Dali, I love those headphones.
Tested with different settings, different music genres, lower volume higher volume, and so on
Absolutely brilliant. I think, they reached the Bluetooth sound quality limits
By the way, guys, do you use any equalizer ( Android )?
If yes, which one would you recommend?
Free or payware.
Thank you
Tested with different settings, different music genres, lower volume higher volume, and so on
Absolutely brilliant. I think, they reached the Bluetooth sound quality limits
By the way, guys, do you use any equalizer ( Android )?
If yes, which one would you recommend?
Free or payware.
Thank you
angelom
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I'll keep the Dali, I love those headphones.
Tested with different settings, different music genres, lower volume higher volume, and so on
Absolutely brilliant. I think, they reached the Bluetooth sound quality limits
By the way, guys, do you use any equalizer ( Android )?
If yes, which one would you recommend?
Free or payware.
Thank you
I'm happy seeing that you like the iO-12 very much and that apparently you making the correct decision in your purchase.
About EQ'ing, this is obviously a personal preference. I'm a person, like I saying before in this thread, that don't like EQ'ing my headphones, except if is absolutely necessary (like with the HD800 and ML 5909 very occasionally because of the treble peaks that are sometimes difficult for my ears when I turning up the volume).
My habits of listening to music aren't possibly very common -- I listen very, very frequently to very long playlists in random mode, so each track is coming from a different master quality. So, for me personally, the factory sound of a headphone is extremely important, and in this case only the Solitaire T and iO-12 (the Dalis with ANC Off and "hi-fi" setting) are the headphones that making me VERY happy (from sound quality perspective) without using EQ at all.
With my iO-12 I occasionally use the "bass" setting (always with ANC Off) with rare old albums that have a thin-sounding mastering (I can't doing this with the Solitaire T's 'bass' preset setting in the app because the bass is very elevated, by the way).
Correct tonal balance (frequency response) is a discussion that happening for years and will possibly continuing for (very more) years, but generally you have 2 types, one that is little more rich/warm sounding and other that is more thin/lean sounding. I really think the iO-12 achieving a really very good balance between this 2 types of approaches of correct/realistic sound reproduction (with ANC Off and "hi-fi" setting).
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speaking only about battery replacement, That is one thing I like about the PSB M4u 9. They have rechargeable AAA batteries included, you can either swap those out for new rechargeable AAAs, or if you are in a pinch and don't have a cable etc, use non rechargeable AAAs.
Gonna pick up the IO12 in a few weeks, really looking forward to it.
Dalmonegrig
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As stated earlier in the post.I think, they reached the Bluetooth sound quality limits
Dali iO-12 headphones support Audio Codecs aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, which transmit files in good quality.
At the same time, Dali iO-12 does not support LDAC, LHDC, UAT Bluetooth codecs, which are capable of transmitting a higher quality data stream.
The UAT (Ultra Audio Transmission) codec, the latest development from Hiby, transmits data with a maximum bitrate of 1.2 MBit/s and stream parameters up to 24 bits/192 kHz.
In addition, at the current time I do not know of any company that has developed Bluetooth codecs that are capable of transmitting a DSD data stream (DSD 64 - 1024). When this happens then we can call it a day.
Bluetooth codecs
In the meantime, no, the limit of Bluetooth sound quality has not been reached.
There is still something to work on!
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Since iPhone do not support these bluetooth codecs, how is the sound out of Dali-IO connected to an iPhone?
Dalmonegrig
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Dali iO-12 supports AAC Bluetooth Codec.
The iPhone uses its AAC Bluetooth Codec to connect to the Dali iO-12.
Yes but AAC goes up to 44khz. Does it still sound good?
angelom
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I use my iO-12 with my iPhone 15 Pro and 16 inches 2021 MacBook Pro, both devices using AAC, and the sound is excellent.
For your information: "AAC offers sampling frequencies between 8 kHz and 96 kHz and any number of channels between 1 and 48."
Dalmonegrig
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Everything is relative and depends on your preferences.
Briefly, I will describe the sound differences (sound quality is indicated from average to best).
Headphones Dali iO-12 (connection via Bluetooth, ANC off, Hi-Fi mode).
iPhone 8 Plus (Audio Codec AAC) - dynamic sound. Not suitable for critical listening.
Phone (Audio Codec aptX HD) - better timbral fidelity and resolution (detail).
Headphones Sony WF-1000XM5 | Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro
Samsung S24 Ultra (Audio Codecs LDAC, Samsung Seamless Codec) - first-level harmonics (overtone, after-sound) are heard. Can be used for critical listening.
This is also clearly audible on the Dali iO-12 when connected via USB.
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angelom
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I don't know the Samsung S24 Ultra or the iPhone 8 Plus, but the S24 Ultra releasing 7 years before the 8 Plus, and I don't know if the more new iPhone 15 Pro (September 2023) is giving better sound quality than the iPhone Plus 8. BUT I know that I can doing serious critical listening with my iPhone 15 pro and MacBook Pro.
Last year I buying and testing the Creative BT-W5 aptX adapter, that is offering aptX, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive, and I comparing the excellent Solitaire T using the BT-W5 with aptX HD and (native) AAC from my MacBook Pro -- I hearing no real/significant difference in sound quality between AAC and aptX HD and returning the BT-W5 for this reason (and also because is making the ST very more loud and the volume control is becoming more bad than already is in the ST). I don't doing this same test with the iO-12, and for now I don't have a plan for doing this, even when the iO-12, in difference with the Solitaire T, is offering not only aptX HD but also aptX Adaptive.
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streetbeat
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Sorry, do you mind to share how you've got aptX HD and LDAC on S24 Ultra? I think it goes with SBC and SSC only ootb, right?
bluex
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streetbeat
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Thanks for confirming your situation. I'm really puzzled why for example gsmarena doesn't mention any aptX against latest Galaxy premium phones... Was the reason I've been sticking to my S10+ since launch, because I didn't want to lose aptX option
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Dalmonegrig
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Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra supports Bluetooth codec:
aptX - HD button needs to be activated
LDAC
Samsung Seamless Codec
and many more good technologies of the future, for example Wi‑Fi 7 or Galaxy AI.
I had serious intentions of buying the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but the technologys implemented in the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra won.
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