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When we reviewed the luxurious Dali IO-12 headphones we loved their looks, we loved their sound, and we tried to forget that they cost a colossal $1,499 / £999, which is roughly AU$1,870. But now they have a more-affordable sibling that promises the same combination of style and substance along with active noise cancellation.
The new Dali IO-8 headphones have been designed by the same team that made the firm's flagship KORE loudspeaker, and they use many of the same electronics as the IO-12. According to Dali, they're "true Hi-Fi speakers for your head."
Dali IO-8 headphones: key features, pricing and availability
The Dali IO-8 are designed to work in both wired and wireless modes, with the latter offering a choice of ANC on, ANC off or transparency mode. As before, there's no companion app, which is unusual for smart headphones; everything's done with the on-headphone buttons. That means you don't get features such as customizable EQ; instead you can switch between Hi-Fi or Bass modes using the controls. The earpads are finished in real leather and the cups are made with a radial brushed and anodized finish.
The diaphragms in these headphones are made from proprietary paper and wood-fiber materials, with randomly aligned fibers of variable length delivering lightness, stiffness and effective damping, according to Dali. The company says that "the result is natural, relaxed sound quality brimming with detail" from the 50mm drivers. Given the stellar performance of the IO-12 headphones, we'd no reason to doubt that; as we said in our review of the flagship over-ears, while some rivals may offer punchier bass or a more flattering audio curve the Dalis delivered "insight, detail, neutrality and precision".
The DALI IO-8 will be available from today, 8 October 2024, priced £599 (about $795 / AU$1,155) – that's still far higher than most of the best noise-cancelling headphones, but Dali's sound comes with a clear upgrade over the majority of the competition. Notice, we don't say 'we expect Dali's sound to come with a clear upgrade' and that is because, as luck would have it, you can already read our really rather positive review of the Dali IO-8…