For some , a pair of headphone is something to get you through the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. and commute . Perhaps you ’ll spend £ 100 , or mayhap as much as £ 300 . The following headphones from Dali and Focal have different ideas .
These are headphones lay towards the bounty and luxury end of theheadphone market , and they ’re not really intend to get you through the daylight ( but you could use them that path , of course ) ; but almost as a mode statement , a piece of lavishness headwear to go with your Louboutin or Burberry bags .
They exist in a dissimilar realm of the market , and if that sound like something you ’re concerned in , which of theDali IO-12andFocal Bathysshould you get ?
Price
Neither pair of headphones are what you ’d call low-cost . The Focal Bathysfirst launched in 2022and have n’t total down in monetary value by much since . £ 699 / $ 799 / € 799 is what they ’re currently fit for .
The Dali IO-12 are even more expensive at £ 999 / $ 1299 / € 999 . However you look at them , you ’ll have to fork out a sizeable clod of change to yield both .
Design
Of the two , the Bathys are smaller ( at least they look more compact ) , and somewhat light by about 20 g. Neither pair trouble the likes of Bose andSonyin terms of weight , but you do finger the weight of the Dali more than the Focal , specially with its straight - shaped earcups .
The clamping force is an area we found looser on the Dali than the Focal . Does this make them more well-fixed ? If a compressed clamp violence is an upshot then it may be , but we often base that the size of it of the IO-12 had more of an impression in terms of comfort than clamping force . Both are comfortable but the Dali feels the heavier of the two .
The Focal chiefly expend buttons for operation , while the Dali also uses strong-arm controls but position them around and on the earcup itself . The Dali feel responsive and reliable , while the Focal ’s buttons do n’t experience quite as nice to use , specially for the asking price , and the playback button did n’t always work out .
The general build quality of both headphones is of a high quality , and the aesthetics are quite endearing in both illustration and very different from each other . Vegans may not appreciate the use of goods and services of genuine leather with the Focal though . We do like the dark chocolate finis of the Dali , but the Focal ’s Dune finish is also very appealing too .
Features
If you ’re expect a barreload of lineament from both earpiece then require to be let down . The Dali IO-12 does n’t even have a control app .
Bluetooth support is much the same as both headphones can stream inaptX Adaptive Bluetooth , and with both headphones the wireless carrying into action is ensure one with only minor breaks in the signal even in meddling areas .
Both earpiece also supportsactive noise cancellation , and the Focal is the better performer of the two in our notion . It inhibit more noise than the Dali does , and while neither is inevitably the most telling ANC span for the price , the Focal would be our alternative if you wanted better noise - cancellation , and it offers the ability to tweak how much sound gets let in . With the Dali , ANC is either on or off .
assault and battery life is claim to be 30 hour with the Focal and 35 hours with the Dali . In our tests we find they could both last for a prospicient metre , the Dali to about 30 60 minutes , while the Focal seems to last for longer . How long we have n’t yet figured out as after an eight hour drain they were still at 100 % .
On both headphones you could conform the EQ , though the Bathys pass on more way to play around by having a tradition EQ pick in its app . With the Dali you’re able to only trade between its normal mode and a Bass Boost mode ( which we do n’t opine is as good ) . The Focal & Naim app also has Mimi Sound Personalisation , which adapt the earpiece strait to match your hearing power . Neither pair extend the amount of customisation that you might expect even from less expensive heapdhones , but there ’s more room to adjust and customise with the Bathys than there is on the Dali .
Sound Quality
Both headphones sound very good , we will not altercate that , but unless you ’ve catch deep enough pockets for both , you ’ll involve to opt between them . Our pick would be the Focal Bathys .
The Dali IO-12 are the warmer - sounding headphone of the two , and they reproduce vocal with a with child sense of smoothness and detail . The soundstage has a small more profoundness to it than the Focal seems capable to present , which help us position and localise instruments and singers ’ voices a morsel honorable .
The Focal , however , is clearer and more detailed with its crisper tone , and this is especially evident with how it handles the midrange . We wish how both headphones handle with this sphere of the frequency range , but we incur the Focal presents more insight than the richer - sound Dalis do .
With regards to bass , the Dali is richer in its performance while the Focal is punchier . Both carry low frequencies with sight of energy , but we end up preferring the Focal ’s rigorous and clear performance . And with the highs , the Focal ’s crispness bring out detail a little more than the Dali , which is no slouch either , but again the Focal edges it with more clarity .
Both can used through a pumped-up connection ( USB - C is best ) , with the Bathys featuring a USB DAC to come in the phone in . In either showcase , they both sound excellent , though the Focal Bathys would get our nod overall ; the Dali IO-12 is a wondrously melodic take heed too .
Verdict
In Focal ’s party favor is a upright haphazardness - cancel experience , a clear , elaborate and inisghtful audio performance and a greater arcdegree of customisation ( if you desire it ) . They ’re arguaby a little more comfortable to hold out , though that might depend more on personal penchant .
The Dali ’s a dandy listen too , and their approach to sound is fond , musical one which they come after with aplomb . Their ANC could be well , peculiarly for how much they be , but they ’re a very telling pair of phone in other areas . We do n’t think you could go wrong with either pair , but the Focals have a wider entreaty . And they ’re considerably less expensive too .
