Dali is a company best known for the hi-fi speaker systems that can turn any space into an audiophile haven. However, they do have a few products that allow you to take your hifi sound on the go. The Dali IO-8 is one of their few models that has gotten quite a bit of attention, and today I was lucky enough to test it out for myself. At $900, the Dali IO-8 is a high-end model in the Bluetooth world that is sure to turn a lot of heads. 

What Comes In The Box

• IO-8 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones
• 1.2m USB-C cable (for charging and USB audio)
• 1.2m 3.5 mm mini jack stereo cable
• Travel case

Aesthetics and Functionality

These headphones look fairly similar to other models produced by Dali. The IO-8 has an all black look that is sleek and makes a worthy fashion accessory as well as a piece of audio gear. The ear cups are slightly smaller than most, and they are snug on the head. There is some weight on them that is noticeable, but it isn't overbearing and weighs you down during use. For long listening sessions or traveling on long public transit journeys, these are an excellent choice. 

Dali does something interesting and different from other companies that make Bluetooth headphones. Most of the time, you will see headphones or true wireless earbuds that also have an app that goes along with it, allowing users to customize and adjust their listening experience from the phone. Dali does not do this; instead, they put all the controls you might need when adjusting your sound on the right ear cup and made it a one-stop-shop for all your controls. It's a clever way of making it simple for users, with tactile buttons instead of sensor pads for touch controls. 

Overall, the functionality and startup of the Dali IO-8 was extremely simple. Holding down the power button immediately turned it on and enabled Bluetooth pairing; I connected to both my phone and my computer. Listening began shortly after and I was analyzing the sound from the headphones.

Tech Specs

• Frequency Range [± 3 dB]: 10Hz - 43,000Hz
• Headphone Principle: Closed back circumaural (over ear)
• Impedance (Passive mode): 25 Ω
• Full Range Driver: 50 mm
• Connection Input: Bluetooth® 5.2, 3.5 mm mini jack, USB-C
• Wireless Input Audio Codecs: AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive
• Battery Playback Time: Up to 35 hours
• Weight: 325g

Listening Review

Soundstage & ANC

In the Dali IO-8, users are given a wide soundstage. I like getting immersed into my tracks and my listening, and the Dali IO-8 does a great job in doing that. The sound wraps around me and the accuracy of the imaging is quite good. The signature leans towards the bass end, regardless of being in bass mode or hifi mode. The dynamic responses from the frequencies give tracks a lot of character and color, which makes listening entertaining. I wouldn’t be using these as a reference headphone anytime soon, but certainly as a casual listening one. 

The active noise canceling is highly effective, and you can hear the differences between the various modes when it is activated. It's definitely noticeable when you get into the different modes. The ANC activated cancels out any noise around you, and the pass through makes your music and ambient noise blend together seamlessly. Even when the ANC mode is completely off, the design makes the ambient noise very muffled and there is a good amount of noise cancellation from physical design alone. 

Low Frequencies

As I mentioned before, the low end is the most dominant part of the frequency response. I opted to listen in hifi mode, as the bass mode was a bit overwhelming with the low end. The low frequencies are very driving and take over a track, letting all the other frequencies follow close behind it. For the person that loves bass like myself, this is an ideal headphone to get that powerful 808 kick. The bass sounded like it was right at home in upbeat genres like pop and rock, where the low end held a steady beat to keep your head moving. 

Mid-Range Frequencies

The mid-range is excellently detailed and has clear distinction between all of its layers. The depth of this soundstage is most noticeable in this range, where vocal layers and production effects expand outwards rather than just staying flat. Large instrumental groups get a lot of detail and color as well, which makes a ton of genres a pleasure to listen to. I was listening to “Corazón partío” by Alejandro Sanz, and I fell in love with the track all over again when listening to the color of the guitars and percussion instruments in the mid range. Everything was excellently detailed and placed in the field, it was like the entire band was in front of me. 

High Frequencies

The high end gets a lot of attention and a nice power boost, which is very helpful since it's going up against a prominent low end. The brightness and airiness evens out the thick and driving low end, and it even has a lot of color that doesn’t get piercing or shrill. It doesn’t sound the most natural when it dissipates at the top, and the cut off tends to feel a little quick and sudden which can be annoying to the trained ear. Listening to “TITLE TRACK (we can’t change this later)” by Negative 25, the computerized effects and production really popped out with a lot of great detail and clarity that made the whole track come alive. 

Summary

For $900, the Dali IO-8 is certainly something you have to make sure you’re going to love before you buy it. If you like good noise cancelation and a driving low end, these headphones may be worth the investment. The design is sleek and is comfortable for long use. Blocking out the noise from your morning commute or locking in to do some work at the office will be easy with these, all while giving you high quality sound for over 30 hours. To know if they are the right ones for you, I highly suggest giving them a listen and testing them with your favorite tracks. 

The Dali IO-8 is available at Audio46 today.