DALI IO-12 review: Can it really be worth paying four figures for a pair of Bluetooth headphones?

Hi-fi speakers for your head? A lofty claim, but DALI has reasonable cause to make it with the iO-12 headphones. The manufacturer has stuffed some of the tech from its superb speakers into these closed-back over-ear cans, promising to deliver a truly premium, high-resolution, distortion-free listening experience – at a price to match.

Because, yeah, there’s no getting around the price. If we call the $499 Sennheiser HDB 630 ‘premium’ – and we do – what name do we give the $1,699 DALI iO-12? Can it really be considered one of the best pairs of Bluetooth headphones if most people realistically won’t even consider buying it?

Only one way to find out. Let’s take a closer listen.

Sound profile

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This headphone sounds superb. At this price, it has to. The DALI IO-12 houses 50mm custom drivers featuring a SMC (Soft Magnetic Composite) system, the same tech that has been used in DALI’s hi-fi speakers since 2012. DALI has a very technical explanation of what this tech is and how it works, but the salient point is that it significantly reduces distortion for a superlatively clean sound.

The overall sound of the DALI IO-12 is luxurious. In the default Hi-Fi mode, it feels wonderfully smooth and balanced, with a rich warmth to the overall sound and a pleasing separation of tones. I gave the headphones a challenge – the guttural, bluesy psychedelic rock album Swaken, by French-Moroccan group Bab L'Bluz. Even amidst the chaos of the most frenetic songs, I could pick out all the elements cleanly. There was the roomy reverb on the drums, the crunch of the guitar, the smooth lilt of the vocals, everything sitting on its own plane. Clarity in the mid-range is just uniformly excellent. Marvellous.

Bass can be boosted a little with the ‘Bass’ setting on the EQ button. I’ll discuss this more in the next section, but for me, the boost falls firmly in the category of nice-to-have, without ever feeling necessary. In the default mix, bass is present but reined in – there’s none of the bass bloat that certain pairs of headphones default to in an attempt to impress you. It’s commendably restrained. And if you want a bit more, the option’s there.

The trebles too are crisp but well controlled. I bounced through John Williams’ jazzy, foot-tapping score to Spielberg’s 2002 film Catch Me If You Can, and the overall balance was just superb. Every part of the orchestra was exceptionally clear and well delineated, with cheeky woodwinds in the high registers balancing perfectly with the walking bass down low. And those finger clicks! Cracked like whips.

I listened via wired and wireless Bluetooth connections, and I was never less than delighted. I finished up by taking a trip through a few classic pop albums, including Christine and the Queens’ Chris and Carly Rae Jepsen’s Dedicated. The level of resolution and nuance in the sound consistently allowed me to pick out new harmonies and details I’d never noticed before. It’s very impressive across the board.

Features

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Luxurious, streamlined simplicity is clearly a big part of the design ethos behind the DALI IO-12. The makers don’t want you fiddling around with sliders on an app; they want you simply slipping the headphones on and immersing yourself in sublime sound. As such, there is no app. None at all. Modes, such as they are, you control via the buttons on the headphones.

This means no app-based EQ – though on inspecting the headphones, you will no doubt quickly spot the button with an EQ symbol next to it. However, this is arguably a slightly grandiose label for what’s actually on offer; all it does is switch between two EQ modes. Hi-Fi (normal), and Bass (boosts the bass a little).

Grandiose it may be, but I did like it. Hi-Fi mode is ideal for at-home listening, and was the mode I spent most of my time with, but the Bass mode is great for providing a little extra cut-through when you’re out and about, helping your tunes rise above the outside world. The bass punches more, but never feels overbearing or bloated – I particularly appreciated it while revisiting The Smiths’ radio sessions on Hatful of Hollow. That extra weight in the bass made ‘What Difference Does It Make’ all the more driving and urgent.

ANC is present and correct, available in three modes: On, Transparency and Off. Personally I’m with DALI here; I think these three modes are all you really need, and generally find the idea of precisely tuning ANC to a decimal-point degree on an app to be a bit… fussy. The ANC itself is effective for day-to-day listening, blocking out the rumbles of trains, planes and automobiles.

It’s not quite as all-consuming as the class-leading noise-cancelling on the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 or the Sony WH-1000XM6 – when I was listening while calls were happening the same room, participants’ voices cut through a little more than they did when I was using those super-powered headphones. But it’s very good, and the transparency mode is effective when you need some spatial awareness.

The DALI IO-12 also offers wired listening, with playback via USB-C or via 3.5mm mini-jack. Battery life runs to a solid 35 hours of listening, and can be used passively with a wired connection even if the battery is dead. Call quality is excellent on both ends.

Value

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Erm... Well. I’m aware that I’m only still talking to a few of you here, since most people saw that price tag up top and instantly clicked away. I’m not saying that the DALI IO-12 isn’t necessarily worth $1,699 / £850 (the current US/UK street prices; I’m not sure of the reason for that big regional disparity), but I do know that this is a price that most headphones enjoyers will simply not even consider paying.

At this price, the DALI IO-12 is competing with the likes of the $1,499 Focal Bathys MG rather than the $230 Sennheiser Momentum 4. The sound is truly excellent, but whether it’s worth paying at least double or triple the cost of the most popular models on the premium headphones market… that’s a tough sell. I love these headphones, but I will not personally be buying a pair once my review unit goes back. And so I cannot in good conscience recommend it to you.

Comfort & build

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The first thing that will strike you about the DALI IO-12 is its size. This is a wide, beefy, chonky pair of headphones, one that can quite easily double the width of your head when worn. It comes in a square, fabric-covered hard case with leather trim, packaged with USB and 3.5mm cables.

However, that size really works in the DALI IO-12’s favour, as this is a superbly comfortable pair of headphones. The oversized earcups are finished in leather, as is the padded headband (and that’s real leather – this pair is not vegan-friendly), and the overall effect is one of easy-wear comfort for hours and hours.

The app-less headphones rely on physical controls, which are well-designed. On the right ear cup, the main panel is used for play/pause and volume control. There are also buttons for ANC, EQ mode and power, as well as the USB-C port. The left ear cup houses just the 3.5mm connection.

Should you buy?

These are high-end, luxury headphones. Is their quality really twice as good as that of the current best Bluetooth headphone, the Sennheiser HDB 630? Or four times as good as that of the Sennheiser Momentum 4? Hell no!

But with the DALI IO-12 you are paying for those luxury trappings: the real-leather trim; the custom-developed Hi-Fi headphone driver unit; the silky convenience of a near-perfect stock sound out of the box.

The DALI IO-12 barely puts a foot wrong. It looks, feels and sounds brilliant. If that’s worth almost four figures to you, then go nuts.

For me – and most of you – it just doesn't make any sense at all.