Introduction

I\OAudio made a memorable debut on TechPowerUp earlier this year, which is a feat considering that brand name is one of the more challenging from an SEO perspective, let alone typing and remembering it. I've seen many refer to it as I/O Audio instead, which probably helps the brand out despite not being able to trademark this version. Regardless, the VOLARE was impressive in a few different ways—luxurious unboxing experience on par with flagship IEMs, clean-yet-catchy shells and faceplates, and a sound signature that did not do much new, yet did it well enough to merit a recommendation all things considered. I\OAUDIO is one of the brands I visited at the 2024 Shenzhen International Audio Show, and the brand used this event to officially launch its second product—the SOGNO.


VOLARE is Italian for "to fly," and SOGNO is Italian for "dream," so we can see I\OAudio has a specific naming scheme going on. The SOGNO also shares a similar design language as the VOLARE, which is not a bad thing since people seemed to generally appreciate how the latter looks. This time round, I\OAudio is going for a hybrid driver configuration, using two dynamic drivers placed in a coaxial arrangement and a total of six balanced armature drivers, but not in the way you are probably thinking. Expect to see a set that costs less than the VOLARE thus, but still offering a premium accessory package to where you feel there's plenty of value on offer even before you start listening to the SOGNO. As the tagline of this review suggests, the SOGNO is also leaning more towards the Harman in-ear tuning philosophy, which can be divisive at the best of times. Let's see how the SOGNO fares with all these examined deeper in our review, which begins with a look at the product specifications in the table below. Thanks to I\OAudio for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp!

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

I mentioned straightaway that the SOGNO is less expensive than the VOLARE, so the unboxing experience is understandably less extravagant. A more typical IEM product box shape greets us this time, with an outer sleeve given a glossy iridescent coating such that the letters on the front, including the brand and product names, shine in multiple colors when viewed from an indirect angle. On the back are product specifications in multiple languages, a factory provided frequency response curve—always happy to see these, especially when paired with the measurement setup—and contact information for the brand itself. The inner box slides out easily from either side, and we see this is a black cardboard box with the product name on the front and a frequency response curve used as background "art." It opens from the front side like a gift box, with paperwork in a separate compartment on the inner lining and everything else neatly packed with a cardboard cover helping separate and mark them for your convenience. I\OAudio provides a warranty card, a microfiber cleaning cloth, a QC card, and user manual going over the setup, use, and maintenance of these IEMs.


That cover sheet is easy enough to remove, and now we see several individual items to take out. The top left section contains five marked IEM ear tip hard plastic boxes, which are very convenient for you to take with you as needed. This is a more practical approach compared to the pull-out foam tray we get with the VOLARE. These are the same ear tips we saw before too, with I\Audio supplying four types of silicone and one type of memory foam tips, each in sizes S/M/L, for a total of 15 pairs of ear tips. The silicone tips differ in bore width and length as well as flange thickness/stiffness too, but there are enough options provided to help ensure a good fit and seal for anyone using the SOGNO. There is also a smaller cardboard box containing a branded soft cloth drawstring pouch you can use to store and carry the IEMs, and it comes with the cable and other cable accessories inside.


The storage/carry case for the I\OAudio SOGNO is the exact same as what we saw with the VOLARE. It is black to match the rest of the accessories, larger than average to where this is not pocketable and more a case that goes in a bag/backpack, uses what appears to be high quality leather—or at least high quality pleather—with excellent stitching throughout, has I\O branding embossed on the top, and opens/closes firmly to where I am confident this is not going to inadvertently come loose and allow the contents inside to drop out anytime soon. The case adopts a circular puck shape but with a flat section that allows you to place the case horizontally or vertically, and comes with a soft lining on the inside with plenty of room for the cable and IEMs—after you have removed the foam inserts used for the packaging anyway. Speaking of which, we see the IEMs are placed within individual foam compartments for added protection on their way to you.