Dali’s latest wireless headphones, the Dali IO-12, will cost $1,299 when they hit retail later this month. That’s a huge jump up from the company’s previous offering, the $500 Dali IO-6, but Dali says the new noise-canceling cans are worth it because of the unusual technology that has been used to create the headphones’ drivers.
The company claims the IO-12 are the world’s first to use a Soft Magnetic Compound (SMC) magnet system — the same tech that Dali patented and used in its acclaimed floor-standing speakers. The primary benefit to SMC is a reduction of hysteresis — distortion that can be caused by resistance to the voice coil in traditional magnet systems. Reducing hysteresis can lower uneven harmonic distortion “drastically,” according to Dali.
The improvement is so notable that Dali’s head of product management, Krestian Pedersen, says the IO-12 “have essentially achieved electrostatic levels of midrange clarity.” Electrostatic headphones have a reputation for exceptional clarity and transparency, but they can cost thousands of dollars and require their own high-voltage power supply, so you can’t use them when you’re away from a power outlet.
The driver itself also borrows a few construction techniques from Dali’s speakers, including the use of a voice coil former — a rigid cylinder around which the coil is wound — which once again leads to lower distortion.
As a wireless set of headphones, the IO-12 support the SBC, AAC, aptX HD, and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs for up to 24-bit/96kHz lossy hi-res audio. And with the included USB-C audio cable, you can get the same resolution losslessly from compatible devices like PCs, laptops, and phones.
We’ve seen USB-C audio on other high-end headphones like the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 and the Master & Dynamic MW75, but these cans typically need to be powered on to work with analog signals. The IO-12, by contrast, has a dedicated analog cable and the company says the sound signature isn’t affected when you use them in their non-powered state.
The headband and ear cushions are made from real leather and the internal battery gets a claimed 35 hours of use per charge. The headphones have active noise cancellation (ANC) and can be used for voice calls and accessing voice assistants, but Dali hasn’t mentioned any transparency or sidetone modes. There’s also no app support for the IO-12. All features, including the two built-in EQ modes (Hi-Fi and Bass), are accessed via the headphone’s controls.
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Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…
MQair is the new hi-res Bluetooth audio codec for fans of MQA
Just when you thought it was safe to step back into the turbulent waters of Bluetooth audio, we have yet another Bluetooth codec to consider. In addition to SBC, AAC, LDAC, and the constantly expanding family of aptX codecs, you can now add MQair (em-kyoo-air).
MQair (known also by its technical label, SCL6) is the latest technology from MQA, the company founded by British audio pioneer Bob Stuart of Meridian Audio fame, and it has just been granted permission by the Japan Audio Society (JAS) to use the society’s Hi-Res Audio Wireless logo. It’s the third Bluetooth codec to receive the certification, the other two being LDAC and LHDC.
Audio-Technica’s $2,700 wooden wireless headphones do something no other headphones can do
Audio-Technica (A-T) has been doing some wild things in honor of its 60th anniversary, like creating a $9,000 phono cartridge, and bringing back its quirky Sound Burger portable record player from the 80s. But those are just fun frivolities. The really impressive birthday gift that this 60-year-old is sharing with the world is the ATH-WB2022, a set of wooden, wireless headphones that claim to be the very first to have built-in balanced stereo.
I know, you may be scratching your head, wondering how this feature can possibly justify an insane $2,700 price tag, but audiophiles are going to be salivating right about now.
Sony is finally adding multipoint to its earbuds
Sony has long been a leader in the world of wireless earbuds, pioneering features like active noise cancellation (ANC) and hi-res audio, but it has never produced a set of wireless buds that can do Bluetooth Multipoint — the ability to connect a set of earbuds to two devices simultaneously. This omission has become even more notable in recent years as brands like Jabra, Anker Soundcore, 1More, and JBL have all adopted it, even on models costing less than $100.
At last, however, Sony has decided to do something about it: starting in November, the company will add Bluetooth multipoint to its LinkBuds, LinkBuds S, and its flagship WF-1000XM4 earbuds via a firmware update.
