The new IO-8 headphones from DALI, (Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries) are now available in Canada and the United States. They are likely also available everywhere else, but in Denmark these product launches are signaled with very different rituals. The factories send out balloons to the air, which signals to the Danish people that a new product from its local audio industry is now available. The people will then rush to the town square (many on bicycles) to learn what product was made available that day. They are then bound by secrecy, because no matter how proud they are about what their own industry produces, they are not allowed to share that information with the outside world. Thankfully, in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada there are still magazines and media organizations that receive press releases from the local distributors, allowing outlets such as audioXpress to inform the potential buyers of these great wonders that come out of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Focusing again on the quality of audio reproduction, the new DALI IO-8 headphones feature many of the same innovative technologies found in the IO-12, including the same electronics and with support for both wireless and wired use. As far as the available information reveals, the new IO-8 headphones have slightly better Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) that doesn't degrade the sound quality. Priced at $900 USD, the new "audiophile-grade" headphones are available for pre-order in Iron Black and Caramel White colors, and will ship in late November 2025.
"DALI has truly built upon the success of the EISA award-winning IO-12, and we are very excited to introduce the IO-8 to the Hi-Fi headphone market this year," says Jason Zidle, DALI Brand Manager for Lenbrook Americas. "We wanted to ensure the IO-8 was designed with the same DNA and by the same team responsible for our successful and sought-after flagship KORE Loudspeaker."
The IO-8 headphones use the same 50mm driver of the IO-12, which is the biggest size driver used in closed-back, circumaural designs that enclose the entire ear. These DALI speaker driver diaphragms are made exclusively from proprietary paper and wood fiber materials. "The paper fiber material used in the IO-8 drivers employs randomly aligned fibers of variable length to create a light yet stiff diaphragm that offers optimal damping. The result is natural, relaxed sound quality brimming with detail," the company reveals.
With the IO-8, DALI's engineers also strove to cover both wired or wireless use equally as well, delivering the highest performance as conventional, passive analog headphones, or used wirelessly for on-the-go convenience. The ANC implementation also includes an active transparency mode to allow users to remain aware of the environment.
The earcups in the IO-8 headphones feature multifunction buttons, which DALI says are intuitive and allow full control with one hand, without the need for a smartphone app. That includes selecting between sound modes, with a punchier, bass-focused setting, or a more balanced 'Hi-Fi' mode. The IO-8 earpads are finished in luxurious, high quality real leather. In addition, the headphones feature a radial brushed and anodized finish to the earcup external surfaces.
In terms of specifications, the IO-8 headphones are Bluetooth 5.2 (Qualcomm platform) with support for SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, and aptX Adaptive codecs. With the supplied 3.5mm mini-jack and USB-C cables, users are able to listen to their music from a host of devices including smartphones, portable players, games consoles and more. Like the IO-12, these headphones feature an advanced lithium-ion battery that delivers up to 35 hours of playback on a single charge.
www.lenbrookamericas.com
www.dali-speakers.com
