Shure AONIC 50 vs DALI IO-6
I did a comparison of those two before, but with defective units and only a few days in. It makes sense to read it
here since this is just an addition. I did also edit my first impressions to clarify some "wrong/oudated statements".
After receiving replacement units I used them for a few weeks now. There won't be a big sound comparison though, because more competent people already did that and I like both of them.
The Shure "defect" turned out to be that "LDAC 96kHz" bug, which seems to appear with Android devices. Since it works just fine with my laptop it doesn't seem to be a hardware problem. Shure is working on a fix.
The DALI defect was due to a faulty production batch, which has been recalled. Most of those units shouldn't be available in shops anymore.
Build Quality and Design
Shure AONIC 50:
- The ANC/Env switch seems to be a hard switch, which is nice.
- Despite it's weight it feels really light and soft on my head and the ears. It feels so much better on my head than the DALI's.
- The case is unnecessarily big. Shure says, it's intention is to let people fit cables and a player inside. In my eyes that's not needed those days, where most of us using a smartphone. And they don't even fit in fully extended, which I would love to see on all cases to be honest.
- At that price point an additional storage bag would be nice.
- The 2.5mm TRRS input is a bit of a shame. Wouldn't hurt them to make it 3.5mm.
DALI IO-6:
- At that price point an additional storage bag would be nice.
- The power switch is a soft switch, which is possibly prone to failure. Several problems have already been reported in the DALI's thread.
- Slight background hiss, when turned on and even when no music playing.
- Has a tight fit, that creates some cabin pressure for me. Even when off and no music playing. This fit is necessary though, for the best sound results.
- Having a feature to switch off automatically when "idling" for too long is quite nice.
Sound
Shure AONIC 50:
- Has a slight crackling noise when music starts/stops. Like powering on/off the dac/amp.
DALI IO-6:
- Positioning on the ears is very important for the best sound result.
- Slightly louder (about 2 points on a scale from 0-25)
- Still a slight crackling on the left ear cup. Way less than with my fist pair, but still present.
- Slightly more bass and sharper highs.
ANC and Environmantal Mode
Shure AONIC 50:
- I experienced a really subtle "deep pulsating hum" with normal ANC once. I couldn't find out if that was due to some specific outside noise that went through, or an ANC flaw. Anyone else experienced this?
App (Android)
Shure AONIC 50:
- No idle timeout, but should be easy to implement via the firmware/app.
- Contrary to what other people said, the firmware update worked flawless for me. Headphones were near the phone and I didn't change any settings to make it less interruptive.
DALI IO-6:
- No App. And also no plans for an app in the future, according to the DALI support.
While the DALI IO-6 aren't bad at all, for me personally the Shure AONIC 50 are the clear winner. Without that comfort issue with the DALI's on my head, the decision would have been harder, but it is what it is.
As before, I will forward some of those statements to Shure and report back with answers.