DALIIO-8 Over-The-Ear Wireless/Wired Hi-Fi Headphones with ANC, Bluetooth AptX & Patented SMC Driver Technology, 35 Hours Battery Life - (Iron Black)

These are really expensive headphones (especially in the US). Are they worth the high cost? Probably. I am really enjoying them and there are only a few quibbles I have. The sound quality is absolutely stunning and probably the best sounding wireless headphones I have yet tried. I have an extensive collection of headphones and some are very high-end but these are possibly the best. This is the first headphone I have that don’t have an app so there is no EQ adjustment other than a button on the right ear cup to toggle between Hi Fi and Bass settings. And this is the first headphone I have used where I don’t feel the need to adjust the sound in the least! It is near perfect right out of the box. The HiFi setting is best, the bass setting just adds too much and is part of the downside with these as at loud volume there can be some distortion which the bass setting only adds to. I think the distortion comes from my glasses disrupting the seal of the ear cups and I am testing this theory out. It’s not too much of an issue as it isn’t really recommended to listen at full volume anyway (hearing protection and all that). The bass is strong but not overwhelming , the treble is clean and clear but not harsh in the least (which is usually something that bothers me) and the soundstage is wide. All instruments are in their place and so clear and well defined as are the vocals. I am hearing details I never noticed before and am constantly impressed by the quality of sound on display here. As for the controls they are all physical buttons, no touch controls here. The buttons are all on the right ear cup. The main ring on the front is for play/pause and skipping tracks forward or back. The outer ring is for volume up (top) and down (bottom). It is easy to hit the play/pause button when attempting to adjust the volume but this should get better as I get more accustomed to it. It is similar to Beats Studio controls. The other buttons are on the side for power/bluetooth connection, EQ and ANC. The ANC button is weirdly up front and feels awkward to press. I will get used to it though with time. The ANC is adequate. When music is playing a majority of sounds are reduced and it’s enough to keep enjoying your music. The call it “audiophile ANC” as it is designed to not impact the sound quality and it doesn’t as far as I can tell. Transparency works ok too but I wish it would focus more on voices and not just pipe in all sounds. The other downside to no app is there is no way to check the status of the headphones (is ANC on?) but it does announce what setting it is when you change it with the buttons. Also announces battery level on start up. 2 other issues: when I had both my iPhone and iPad connected I would hear a strange tone in the background every once in awhile, similar to a notification, like announcing it’s connected to 2 devices. When I “forgot” the headphone in the iPad Pro settings so it was just connected to my iPhone it went away. Also the led lights for Bluetooth connection and battery level stay lit all the time when powered on. I prefer they just come on when starting up or when paused, but oh well. Oh and the last issue I have is that it is great to have the ability to use them passively with no power and was looking forward to the USB C audio connection…but it is USB A to USB C so I can’t plug into my IPhone or iPad Pro in any way since there’s no audio jack there as well. I may try using another USB C cable I have to see if it will work with it. Again, I use wireless 99% of the time, which is what I prefer anyway, but it would be nice to have it. My other high end headphones (Bang &Olufsen H100, Focal Bathys, and Bowers & Wilkins Px8 all have the usb c audio cable. Not sure why Dali didn’t go this route with their cable. Now again, is it worth the price? If you values sound above all else then I would have to say yes. Also build quality is very nice, they are comfortable for long listening sessions with no issues. The carry case is a little cheap and bare bones but it works just fine. I went with the caramel white color and it looks nice but now think the iron black might be better. The white (or cream)color on the ear cups do stand out and make the cups look bigger on the head. The black would, probably, look more subtle. I like doing different colors though as black can be so boring on a headphone. They are pretty nice looking though, I admit. I am happy with my purchase overall. (But so pricey! Not sure the price is justified, really, but the Dali iO-12’s cost something like $400 more and I’m not certain what the difference is other than larger rectangular ear cups…?). I am definitely a headphone “junkie” and these are very near perfect!

Was hoping to give it 5 stars, but not a profound listening experience. Often prefer the comfort of my air buds.

These headphones are truly exceptional. The Hi-Fi mode produces remarkably clear and crisp sound, while the Bass mode offers impressive and powerful bass. The battery life is outstanding, and I particularly appreciate the classic design and excellent build quality. I am truly blessed to have encountered the finest headphones available today, such as the stellar Dali IO-12 model. However, I must confess that my heart belongs to the IO-8. I suggest giving them a try and hopefully, they will have the same positive impact on your life as they have had on mine.

Absolutely incredibly headphones. Rivals some of the best car audio systems I've heard. Extreme comfort. Build quality is top notch and overall its just a pleasant experience. Highly recommended!

Received them at 11:30am - Saturday... It's Sunday, 6:15pm and I have not taken them off..... Best investment of my LIFE!!!! Clarity is unreal...