DALI IO-8 Over-Ear Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones Caramel White

The DALI IO-8 sits beneath the flagship IO-12 in DALI’s IO headphone range, sharing its engineering approach but at a more accessible price point. Where the IO-12 targets uncompromising desktop and home listening, the IO-8 is designed as a versatile everyday headphone that moves between home, office and travel use without sacrificing the tonal balance DALI is known for in its loudspeaker lines.

Driver Technology

At the heart of the IO-8 is a custom 50mm full-range driver built around DALI’s proprietary paper fibre cone technology. The diaphragm uses randomly aligned fibres of variable length — a material closely related to the paper and wood fibre cones found in DALI’s full-size loudspeaker drivers — creating a light yet stiff structure with inherently good internal damping. The amplification stage is a fully bridged (BTL) Class D output, and the internal audio processing runs natively at 48 kHz, matching the sample rate of most USB and Bluetooth aptX Adaptive sources. This avoids the sample rate conversion step that can introduce audible artefacts in other wireless headphones.

Connectivity

The IO-8 offers four distinct connection modes. Wireless Active mode uses Bluetooth 5.2 with support for AAC, aptX, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive codecs, accepting 16–24 bit audio at sample rates up to 96 kHz. Bluetooth Dual Mode allows simultaneous connection to two devices — a smartphone and a laptop, for example — with automatic source switching. Wired Active USB mode connects via the included 1.2 m USB-C cable, bypassing Bluetooth entirely for the cleanest possible digital signal path; DALI notes that USB is likely to provide the best sound quality of all connection modes. Analogue Wired Active mode uses the supplied 1.2 m 3.5mm stereo mini jack cable with the headphones powered on, retaining ANC, DSP and sound mode functions. Finally, Analogue Wired Passive mode works with the headphones switched off — no battery, no DSP, no ANC — making the IO-8 usable as a conventional passive headphone when connected to a dedicated headphone amplifier or in-flight entertainment system.

Active Noise Cancellation

The IO-8 incorporates active noise cancellation tuned by DALI to reduce ambient distractions without compromising the audio signal. Three ANC modes are available: ANC On for maximum noise reduction, Transparency to pass ambient sounds through for situational awareness, and Off to disable the system entirely. Wind Noise Suppression is also included. A dedicated push button on the right ear cup cycles through the modes. ANC and Transparency are available in all active modes (Wireless, USB and Analogue Wired Active) but are not available in Analogue Wired Passive mode.

Sound Modes & Controls

Two equalisation profiles are accessible via a button on the right ear cup: Hi-Fi mode, which preserves the natural frequency balance of the incoming signal, and Bass mode, which boosts low-frequency emphasis for a punchier presentation. All playback controls — volume, play/pause, track skip, voice assistant activation and call handling — are managed through physical buttons on the right ear cup. There is no companion app; DALI has opted for hardware-only control.

Battery & Practicalities

Battery life is rated at up to 35 hours with ANC off, or up to 30 hours with ANC engaged. A full charge takes 1 hour and 50 minutes via USB-C. The headphones carry an IP52 rating for dust and splash resistance, fold flat via a one-way hinge for compact storage in the included travel case, and feature replaceable ear pads that attach via a bayonet fitting. The IO-8 is Hi-Res Audio Certified and supports hands-free calling with Updated Clear Voice Communication (CVC).

What the Press Says

• "Clean, crisp and detailed sound" — What Hi-Fi? ★★★★★ (January 2025)
• "Positive, detailed and completely convincing sound" — TechRadar ★★★★★ (October 2024)