Introduction

IOAudio 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. IOAUDIO 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 IOAudio 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, IOAudio 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 IOAudio for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp!

Specifications

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