Whether wired or wireless, the IO-12 offer sumptuous sound and comfort.

With luxurious design and premium sound quality, DALI's IO-12 headphones are totally at home near the pointy nose of the plane. Exquisite levels of comfort and superb audio performance come standard, but the omission of a companion app is odd, and the cumbersome carrying case makes for puzzling first impressions. The well-respected Danish speaker specialist has found an elegant way to offer discerning travellers a first-class audio experience. So, if you're in the market for headphones that prioritise luxury and sound, the IO-12 is an essential audition.

To gaze upon the Dali iO-12 is to see a beautiful set of headphones blessed with a plethora of connectivity options, including 3.5mm and USB-C wired audio (take note, iPhone 15 owners) for up to 24-bit/96kHz resolution, or aptX Adaptive quality if going wire-free. And the chocolate finish with gold accents and sumptuous padding are nothing short of stunning. The audio is detailed and insightful whether you choose to select the bass boost button or listen unadulterated and the ANC is also surprisingly effective. That said, those who love in-app sonic tailoring are not best served here – there is no app whatsoever. Do you care? Well, that's up to you.

Draadloze hoofdtelelefoons zoals de IO-12 zullen voor sommige consumenten wellicht onbegrijpelijk overkomen. Met een prijskaartje van 999 euro is deze Deen heel wat duurder dan iets als de WH-1000XM5 van Sony of de Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. Maar daar krijg je ook echt iets voor terug. Om te beginnen een andere kijk op akoestisch design en geluid, wat zich vertaalt in een fijnzinnige, gedetailleerde en levensechtere geluidservaring. De DALI IO-12 mag een draadloze hoofdtelefoon zijn, het is een koptelefoon die ook een hifi-hoofdtelefoon is. Die twee zaken leken onverenigbaar, maar de DALI (en enkele rivalen) tonen aan dat het wel kan. Wie kritisch is ingesteld, vindt bovendien ruime ondersteuning voor betere codecs én een steengoede USB-DAC-modus. De fijne afwerking die de IO-12 echt luxueus maakt, zoals het hoort voor prijs, maakt dit headfi-verhaal compleet. Het is misschien veel om aan de kerstman te vragen, maar toch maar eens proberen.

The DALI IO-12 is one of the best ANC wireless headphones that I have come across. As a top-tier product, they trade blows with the likes of Mark Levinson and T+A for the wireless ANC headphone crown. The IO-12 can proudly stand on its own in such company as I find them clearly superior in comfort and at the very least on par in sound quality. Beyond that, it is simply a matter of details as to which model any consumer would prefer over the other. But to answer the biggest question, “Are the DALI IO-12 worth the $1,300.00 MSRP?” The answer is unquestionably, yes!

Nicht nur klanglich, auch dank seiner luxuriösen Anmutung und der tadellosen Verarbeitungs- und Materialgüte ist der IO-12 sein Geld wert. Aufgrund seiner Vielseitigkeit empfiehlt sich der IO-12 sowohl für den stationären als auch für den mobilen Einsatz – und damit tatsächlich für den anspruchsvollen Highender auf dem Sofa ebenso wie für den hörenden Weltenbummler, dem die klassischen ANC-Over-Ear-Vertreter von Bose und Co. zu profan erscheinen. Dali hat sein Versprechen gehalten. Chapeau!

A premium price doesn’t automatically make for a premium product, and neither does a quantity of premium materials. But the DALI IO-12 manages to combine performance, materials and price into an undeniably premium package - albeit one that goes without the control app that some customers might be expecting. As far as audio performance is concerned, though, there’s nothing lacking here.

Is it stating the bleeding obvious to say you shouldn’t rush into spending £999 on a pair of headphones? The Dali IO-12 have plenty to recommend them, of course – given the right tools to work with, they’re capable of really excellent performance. But I can’t pretend they’re perfect, especially where noise-cancellation is concerned – and if you’ve got a smaller-than-average head, they’re a non-starter.