Products
DALI IO-12
Noble FoKus Apollo
Tested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Feb 02, 2026 08:00 PM
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Amazon.com
Tested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Jan 06, 2026 07:30 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
Bass Amount
Emphasized (3 dB)
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
Treble Amount
Slightly Underemphasized (-2 dB)
MicYes
Sound Signature
Warm
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
Bass Amount
Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
WirelessYes
TransducerHybrid
Treble Amount
Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
MicYes
Sound Signature
Balanced
Our Verdict
DALI IO-12
Noble FoKus Apollo
The Noble FoKus Apollo are better all-around headphones than the DALI IO-12, though some will still prefer the DALI for their comfortable fit and premium construction. Both these luxury over-ears feature some extra emphasis in the bass range, though the Noble have a bit of extra sharpness in the treble. If you're not a fan of the default sound, the Noble let you customize the sound via a graphic EQ and presets, while the DALI only feature two presets to switch between. The Noble offer a lot more versatility when it comes to use cases too, as their great boom mic is a boon for calling, and their superior ANC system blocks out a lot more external noise than the DALI. Plus, the Noble's mic can be used while connected over a wired connection, meaning they can be used as a wired gaming headset.
Variants
- IO-12 (Dark Chocolate)
- IO-12 (Mocha Grey)
- FoKus Apollo (Silver Gray)
Check Price
Dark Chocolate
IO-12
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Amazon.com
Silver Gray
FoKus Apollo
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Amazon.com
Mocha Grey
IO-12
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Amazon.com
Silver Gray
FoKus Apollo
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Silver Gray
FoKus Apollo
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Silver Gray
FoKus Apollo
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Main Differences for
Sports And Fitness
Sports And Fitness
Threshold
Sports And Fitness
7.0
7.3
Stability
6.5
7.0
Bluetooth Connection
7.5
8.4
Full Comparison
Sound
Sound Profile
Sound Profile
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
Normalization Frequency
700 Hz
550 Hz
Bass Amount
Emphasized (3 dB)
Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
Treble Amount
Slightly Underemphasized (-2 dB)
Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
Sound Signature
Warm
Balanced
Frequency Response Consistency
5.8
8.2
Consistency L
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
Consistency R
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
Std. Deviation
1.40 dB
0.76 dB
Raw Frequency Response
Raw FR L
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
Raw FR R
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
8.5
9.4
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
RMS Deviation From Target
3.6 dB
2.4 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
20 Hz
20 Hz
Low Bass
2.4 dB
1.18 dB
Mid Bass
4.63 dB
3.44 dB
High Bass
3.54 dB
-0.72 dB
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
9.3
8.8
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
RMS Deviation From Target
1.07 dB
1.65 dB
Low Mid
0.89 dB
-1.85 dB
Mid-Mid
0.49 dB
1.15 dB
High Mid
-1.12 dB
-0.39 dB
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
8.4
8.3
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
RMS Deviation From Target
2.96 dB
3.1 dB
Low Treble
-2.2 dB
0.13 dB
Mid Treble
-1.32 dB
1.52 dB
High Treble
-5.59 dB
-1.39 dB
Peaks/Dips
8.0
6.9
Peaks/Dips Graph
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
Peaks
1.09 dB
2.05 dB
Dips
1.68 dB
1.43 dB
Stereo Mismatch
6.8
8.4
Frequency Response Mismatch
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
Phase Response Mismatch
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.48 dB
0.30 dB
Weighted Frequency Response Mismatch
1.90 dB
0.81 dB
Weighted Phase Mismatch
2.3°
0.9°
Group Delay
8.4
7.7
Group Delay
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
Weighted Group Delay
0.7 ms
0.9 ms
Cumulative Spectral Decay
CSD
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
PRTF
5.4
4.8
PRTF
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
PRTF Accuracy (RMS Deviation)
5.77 dB
2.22 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
4.56 dB
1.39 dB
PRTF Distance
9.03 dB
6.72 dB
Harmonic Distortion
9.3
7.7
Harmonics Levels
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
THD Ratio
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
WHD @ 94 dB SPL
0.05%
0.43%
WHD @ 104 dB SPL
0.16%
0.52%
Electrical Aspects
Impedance
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
Sensitivity @1kHz-1V
106.7 dB SPL
110.4 dB SPL
Bluetooth Max SPL
104.1 dB
104.6 dB
Virtual Soundstage
0.0
0.0
Virtual Soundstage
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Head Modeling
No
No
Speaker Modeling
No
No
Room Ambience
No
No
Head Tracking
No
No
Virtual Surround
No App
No
Test Settings
Firmware
Unknown
R1322A_20241203_v1.0.6
Power
On
On
Connection
Bluetooth
Bluetooth
Codec
aptX HD, 24-bit, 48kHz
aptX HD, 24-bit, 48kHz
Test Instrument
Audio Precision APx517B
Audio Precision APx517B
EQ
Hi-Fi mode
Default (Flat)
ANC
On
On
Tip/Pad
Default
Default
Microphone
Integrated
Boom
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
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Type
Over-ear
Over-ear
Enclosure
Closed-Back
Closed-Back
Wireless
Yes
Yes
Transducer
Dynamic
Hybrid
Comfort
8.0
8.0
Comfort Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Weight
0.84 lbs
0.74 lbs
Clamping Force
1.3 lbs
1.2 lbs
Controls
7.7
8.1
Controls Picture
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Compare High-Res
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use
Good
Good
Feedback
Good
Good
Call/Music Control
Yes
Yes
Volume Control
Yes
Yes
Microphone Control
No
Mute/Unmute
Channel Mixing
No
No
Noise Cancelling Control
On/Off
On/Off
Talk-Through
On/Off
On/Off
Additional Controls
Bluetooth + Multi function
Bluetooth + Multi function
Portability
5.7
5.6
Portability Picture
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Compare High-Res
L
7.9" (20.1 cm)
8.2" (20.9 cm)
W
8.2" (20.9 cm)
8.6" (22.0 cm)
H
2.3" (5.9 cm)
2.3" (5.9 cm)
Volume
151.40 in³ (2,481.00 cm³)
166.35 in³ (2,725.92 cm³)
Transmitter Required
No
No
Case
8.0
8.0
Case Picture
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Type
Hard case
Hard case
L
9.2" (23.4 cm)
8.0" (20.2 cm)
W
9.0" (22.9 cm)
9.2" (23.3 cm)
H
2.7" (6.9 cm)
3.2" (8.1 cm)
Volume
224.25 in³ (3,674.86 cm³)
232.41 in³ (3,808.51 cm³)
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
Build Quality Picture
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Stability
6.5
7.0
Stability Picture
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Headshots 1
Angled Picture
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Side Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Headshots 2
Front Picture
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Compare High-Res
Rear Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Top
Top Picture
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Compare High-Res
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Isolation
Noise Isolation - Full Range
7.8
9.4
Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
Noise Cancelling
Yes
Yes
Overall Attenuation
-20.30 dB
-26.19 dB
Bass
-9.21 dB
-20.60 dB
Mid
-20.68 dB
-25.23 dB
Treble
-33.35 dB
-34.05 dB
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
6.6
9.0
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
Airplane Noise Attenuation
-15.57 dB
-20.71 dB
Airplane Noise Isolation Audio
Office Noise Attenuation
-16.04 dB
-19.59 dB
Office Noise Isolation Audio
Street Noise Attenuation
-17.83 dB
-23.69 dB
Street Noise Isolation Audio
Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
Female Voice 1
Male Voice 1
Female Voice 2
Male Voice 2
ANC Wind Handling
ANC Wind Handling Graph
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
ANC Wind Noise
Leakage
7.6
7.7
Leakage
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
36.26 dB
35.16 dB
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
Yes
In-Line
No
No
Boom
No
Yes
Detachable Boom
No
Yes
Mic
Yes
Yes
Recording Quality
7.1
8.0
Microphone Frequency Response
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
Recorded Speech
LFE
276.97 Hz
68.25 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
4.74 dB
2.21 dB
HFE
6,834.38 Hz
6,736.4 Hz
Weighted THD
0.672
0.163
Gain
20.74 dB
-5.64 dB
Noise Handling
6.7
7.9
SpNR
Preview Graph
Preview Graph
SpNR
31.95 dB
21.02 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
6.5
7.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
7.0
8.5
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
Active Features
Battery
9.2
8.2
Battery Type
Rechargable
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
35.9 hrs
46.2 hrs
Additional Charges
0.0
0.0
Total Battery Life
35.9 hrs
46.2 hrs
Charge Time
2.4 hrs
3.5 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
Auto-Off Timer
No
Audio While Charging
Yes
Yes
Passive Playback
Yes
Yes
Charging Port
USB-C
USB-C
App Support
0.0
7.5
App Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
App Name
No App
Noble Fokus
iOS
No
Yes
Android
No
Yes
macOS
No
No
Windows
No
No
Equalizer
No
Graphic + Presets
ANC Control
No
On/Off
Mic Control
No
No
Room Effects
No
No
Playback Control
No
Yes
Button Mapping
No
No
Surround Support
No
No
Connectivity
Wired Connection
7.0
7.1
Cable Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Analog Audio
Yes
Yes
USB Audio
USB-C
USB-C
Detachable
Yes
Yes
Length
N/A
4.07 ft (1.24 m)
Connector
1/8" TRS
1/8" TRRS
Latency - Analog
32.0 ms
30.3 ms
Latency - USB
36.9 ms
34.9 ms
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Connection
Analog
Analog
Bluetooth Connection
7.5
8.4
Bluetooth Version
5.2
5.3
Multi-Device Pairing
2 Devices
2 Devices
Quick Pair (Android)
No
No
Quick Pair (iOS)
No
No
Line Of Sight Range
291.01 ft (88.70 m)
334.65 ft (102.00 m)
Latency - SBC
273 ms
271 ms
Latency - aptX
265 ms
264 ms
Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality)
355 ms
N/A
Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency)
76 ms
N/A
Latency - LDAC
N/A
276 ms
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Codec
aptX Adaptive (Low Latency)
aptX
AAC Support
Yes
Yes
Wireless Connection (Dongle)
0.0
0.0
Line Of Sight Range
N/A
N/A
Latency - Dongle
N/A
N/A
Recorded Latency
N/A
N/A
PC Compatibility
Analog
Audio Only
Audio + Microphone
Wired USB
Audio Only
Audio + Microphone
Non-BT Wireless
No
No
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
Audio Only
Audio + Microphone
PS4 Wired USB
Audio Only
Audio + Microphone
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
No
PS5 Analog
Audio Only
Audio + Microphone
PS5 Wired USB
Audio Only
Audio + Microphone
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio Only
Audio + Microphone
Xbox One Wired USB
No
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
Audio Only
Audio + Microphone
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Base/Dock
0.0
0.0
Type
No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock
USB Input
No
No
Line In
No
No
Line Out
No
No
Optical Input
No
No
RCA Input
No
No
Dock Charging
No
No
Power Supply
No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock
Check Price
Dark Chocolate
IO-12
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Silver Gray
FoKus Apollo
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Mocha Grey
IO-12
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Silver Gray
FoKus Apollo
SEARCH
B&H
Silver Gray
FoKus Apollo
SEARCH
BestBuy.com
Silver Gray
FoKus Apollo
SEARCH
Walmart.com
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DALI IO-12
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Comments
DALI IO-12 vs Noble FoKus Apollo: Main Discussion
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