Dali IO-8 review: Over-ears balancing between lush and obtainable

Introduction

Mainstream brands try to focus on the high-end segment headphones area for some time, but it has not been a one-sided battle. The premium establishment has come back swinging, right where mass-market appeal meets audiophile excess. Danish speaker specialist Dali has done just that for the IO-8, diluting its wireless flagship into something more obtainable – without forgetting what its fans care about most.

There’s aptX Adaptive Bluetooth, 24/96 playback via USB-C and wired analogue listening hasn’t been forgotten either, so sound quality is still very much a focus. Active noise cancellation still does a good job, but it’s the kind that will never color your music to mute the outside world. No expense has been spared on materials either.

At $899/£599 it goes head to head with other high-end headphones including the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 And Focal Bathys. But when you see how the Dali IO-12 would the IO-8 be almost affordable in comparison?

Design and construction: shell for leather

Round ear cups and brushed metal finish give the IO-8 a slightly more traditional look than the IO-12. However, a sneaky look at the CE information reveals the IO-12 branding which suggests the two have a few shared parts, so it’s really just the square ear pads and color scheme that visually separate the two.

You get a similar fabric-wrapped headband, which feels quite luxurious, is reasonably adjustable and applies just the right amount of clamping force. There is memory foam padding underneath, but not enough to match the padding Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones‘cloud-like cushioning feeling. At 325 grams these are lighter than the Focal Bathys, but considerably more than the more widespread ones Sony Wh-1000XM5 And Sennheiser momentum 4.

The leather covering these thick, round ear cushions is real, and vegans are not offered a synthetic alternative. The cups themselves tilt well and rotate 180 degrees, so I had no problem getting comfortable. You need particularly large lugs to make them more of an on-ear headphone than an over-ear headphone. Each pad can be easily unscrewed for cleaning or replacement, which bodes well for long-term use.

My review unit arrived in Iron Black colours; even with the anodized metal finish I think this is the more subtle of the two on offer. Caramel White combines brown leather and textile with a white chassis and silver finish, which is more of a design statement than I want to make with my technology. That said, both have more to offer than slightly stripped-down headphones from the likes of Sony, Sennheiser and Sonos.

Features and battery: wired for sound

The IO-8 comes in a fabric-lined hard carrying case, which is convenient for taking the headphones with you when you’re on the go. There’s room inside for the included USB-A to USB-C charging cable and a 3.5mm auxiliary cable, but I didn’t find the materials to feel nearly as high-quality as the cases you get with the B&W PX8 or Focal Bathys.

Which cable you use determines whether you can play 24bit/96kHz digitally or listen to true analog from your source; The 3.5mm cable allows you to completely disable the headphones’ internal amplification and digital signal processing, so all the heavy lifting is done by your player. This passive mode also requires no power, so you can use it when the battery is completely empty; it’s something the B&W PX8 can’t do.

On the wireless side, Bluetooth 5.2 isn’t exactly advanced these days, but the IO-8 still supports the aptX Adaptive codec for higher quality listening on compatible equipment. I also had no problems pairing with two devices at the same time.

I saw very close to Dali’s claimed 30 hours of ANC on Bluetooth listening, and it will creep closer to 35 if you can go without noise cancellation. Charging from empty takes about two hours and you can listen via 3.5mm while you’re at it.

Dali hasn’t deviated from the IO-12’s “no companion apps, thank you” approach, which is good or bad depending on whether you equate a long list of features with value for money. You won’t find head-tracking spatial audio, EQ-adjusting hearing tests or customizable controls here – just a handful of physical buttons that handle the basics.

Apart from the 3.5mm input, everything is on the right earcup. The power button also allows for Bluetooth pairing; there are dedicated buttons to switch between ANC modes and the two EQ presets; individual volume keys; and a play button that lets you skip songs with a double tap, or wake your phone’s voice assistant with a press and hold.

I like how a voice announces the remaining battery life and confirms that you’re connected as soon as you turn the headphones on (in the most prim, genuine British accent I think I’ve ever heard from a pair of wireless cans)

Sound quality and noise cancellation: audio comes first

Dali says the IO-8 has audiophile-quality ANC, which is another way of saying these headphones aren’t chasing Bose, Sony and the rest for outright noise cancellation. Instead, the goal of the game is to reduce background noise enough that you can still make out the details in your music, without any audible impact on the sound quality. That seemed like a pretty accurate description from my testing, where louder external sounds still filtered through, but in most environments I could listen at 50% volume and still appreciate the subtle guitars on Eddie Kendricks’ music. My people… Wait a minute.

This also gave the IO-8’s 50mm dynamic drivers the best possible chance to shine. Dali’s tuning favors a balanced presentation, with presence at both ends of the frequency spectrum and a smooth transition between the two. Sub-bass and bass notes have a satisfying impact, while hi-hats and vocals maintain a sense of crispness. They don’t extract every ounce of detail like the B&W PX8, but are arguably a little more nuanced at the low end.

I definitely preferred the standard Hi-Fi EQ preset; the Bass mode made my playlists sound just a little too boomy, which added an extra dose of low end but distracted from the rest of the mix. There were certain tracks that I thought were still quite full in Hi-Fi mode, leaving me longing for some sort of neutral or balanced preset – or better yet, a fully custom EQ.

Chet Faker’s downtempo interpretation of No diggity emphasized a satisfyingly wide soundstage, but these headphones also do justice to cozier compositions. James Blake is more claustrophobic Relapse avoided instruments tripping over each other. Overall, songs aren’t pushed forward or inward as much as their closest competitors, which I think makes this an excellent choice for fatigue-free long listening sessions.

Dali IO-8 judgment

A few years ago the Dali IO-8 would have been aimed exclusively at audiophiles – but today that’s a different story, long after the Apple AirPods Max essentially made £500 headphones ‘mainstream’. They’re not just competing against other high-end brands, and the competition is packed with features.

Whether you prioritize enjoyable listening over companion apps and extra functionality will decide whether these cans are worth your attention. They’re undeniably comfortable, have plenty of noise cancellation for the money and will arguably have a longer lifespan than some rivals thanks to the true analogue playback option. The sound quality is also comfortable there.

So they’re not really headphones for everyone – the alternatives only cover one or two base stations – but there’s a lot to be said about Dali’s more singular focus.

Dali IO-8 technical specifications

Drivers	50mm dynamic
A.N.C	Yes
Connectivity	USB-C, 3.5mm, Bluetooth
Bluetooth version	Bluetooth 5.2
Codecs supported	aptX Adaptive, AAC
Sustainability	IP52
Battery life	30 hours (ANC on) 35 hours (ANC off)
Dimensions	179x225x93mm, 325g