DALI IO-6 Wireless Hi-Fi headphone: Wonderful, warm sound awaits buyers

Exceptional sound quality and noise reduction combine with solid construction and enviable comfort in this top-notch headphone.

- SCOTT WILKINSON

DALI (Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries) was founded in 1983 to create “loudspeakers with outstanding performance and natural sound at competitive prices.” Since then, the company has upheld that mandate with many wonderful-sounding speakers, including the recently reviewed Rubicon 6 (go.macworld.com/rbc6).

Now, DALI has entered the headphone arena with its IO-4 (go.macworld.com/dli4) and IO-6 models. When I tried on the IO-6 at CES 2020, I was impressed with what I heard, so I requested a review sample. After more extended listening, I’m even more impressed than I was in Vegas. (Editor’s note: In case you find our font confusing, DALI’s IO branding is “eye-oh,” not “one-zero.”)

FEATURES

The IO-4 and IO-6 are both Bluetooth-enabled wireless headphones available in two colors: Iron Black and Caramel White. Their over-ear, closed-back design uses replaceable memory-foam earpads covered with synthetic leather, which are quite comfortable and form an effective seal around the ears. This provides passive noise isolation at mid and high frequencies, but it can’t do much to block low-frequency ambient noise.

That’s where active noise cancellation (ANC) on the IO-6 comes in. (The IO-4 does not include ANC.) Like virtually all other headphones with this feature, ANC reduces the level of low frequency ambient sound using phase cancellation, which lets you hear more detail in the music at lower volumes. That extra bit of electronics also adds five grams to the weight (325 vs. 320 grams or 11.5 vs. 11.3 ounces), which is still on the light side.