The IO Audio Cielo ranks #168 out of 1448 total In-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: IOAudio
Prices on this page were last checked October 20, 2026 at 10:35 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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#168 IO Audio Cielo: $999 Bloom Audio $999 eBay
Pros: A 16 balanced armature earphone measured by two reviewers, with sub bass reaching to 20 Hz and bass through the 1 to 2 kHz range within about 1.2 dB of target. Deviation is a low 1.55 dB and 119.5 dB/Vrms sensitivity makes it easy to drive.
Cons: Presence sits about 2.5 dB low with a 4.3 dB dip near 4.4 kHz, so vocals are slightly recessed and the tilt is warm. At $999 the IOAudio Sogno rates much higher for less.
Is the IO Audio Cielo right for you?
Buy it if
- you want the tuning most listeners prefer in blind tests out of the box (Harman score 79).
- your taste runs warm: it scores 84 for that sound.
- you want sub-bass rumble that reaches down to 20 Hz.
Skip it if
- you want the best value: the higher-rated QCY HT05 MeloBuds ANC costs about $965 less.
| Released | Mar 2026 (7 months ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.55 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 16 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 30kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 79 (average of 2 squig.link measurements scored separately, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 15.3 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 119.5 dB/Vrms (@1kHz) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.6 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.32 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ Presets
Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the average of 2 independent measurements from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Harman match with this EQ: 91 out of 100, up from 79.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +0.3 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -4.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 266 Hz | -1.9 dB | 1.16 |
| Peak | 4,541 Hz | +4.5 dB | 1.42 |
Neutral target
Set a preamp of -4.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the average of 2 independent measurements from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Neutral match with this EQ: 92 out of 100, up from 45.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -8.2 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -4.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 261 Hz | -1.8 dB | 0.99 |
| Peak | 4,541 Hz | +4.5 dB | 1.42 |
Studio flat target
Set a preamp of -4.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the average of 2 independent measurements from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Studio flat match with this EQ: 92 out of 100, up from 25.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -10.7 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.2 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 25 Hz | -1.5 dB | 1.96 |
| Peak | 69 Hz | +1.0 dB | 2.42 |
| Peak | 239 Hz | -3.4 dB | 0.72 |
| Peak | 2,773 Hz | +4.2 dB | 1.13 |
| Peak | 4,472 Hz | +1.9 dB | 3.71 |
Warm target
Set a preamp of -2.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the average of 2 independent measurements from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Warm match with this EQ: 93 out of 100, up from 84.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +0.6 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 261 Hz | -1.7 dB | 1.37 |
| Peak | 4,402 Hz | +2.9 dB | 3.00 |
| Peak | 7,555 Hz | -2.8 dB | 6.00 |
Bass target
Set a preamp of -4.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the average of 2 independent measurements from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bass match with this EQ: 92 out of 100, up from 72.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +4.1 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -4.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 266 Hz | -1.9 dB | 1.22 |
| Peak | 4,541 Hz | +4.5 dB | 1.43 |
Bright target
Set a preamp of -6.2 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the average of 2 independent measurements from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bright match with this EQ: 91 out of 100, up from 34.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -8.2 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.2 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | -1.6 dB | 2.21 |
| Peak | 263 Hz | -1.8 dB | 0.91 |
| Peak | 2,121 Hz | +1.1 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 4,068 Hz | +1.6 dB | 3.33 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +5.8 dB | 0.96 |
| Peak | 6,761 Hz | -2.8 dB | 6.00 |
V-shaped target
Set a preamp of -6.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the average of 2 independent measurements from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted V-shaped match with this EQ: 88 out of 100, up from 68.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +4.8 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -0.3 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | -1.0 dB | 3.46 |
| Peak | 82 Hz | +1.1 dB | 1.28 |
| Peak | 266 Hz | -0.7 dB | 1.55 |
| Peak | 1,136 Hz | -1.3 dB | 2.75 |
| Peak | 2,127 Hz | +1.3 dB | 4.91 |
| Peak | 4,039 Hz | +1.5 dB | 2.74 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +5.6 dB | 0.78 |
| Peak | 6,934 Hz | -3.2 dB | 5.85 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
Frequency Response
How the IO Audio Cielo measures across the audible range, against the Harman in-ear target that most listeners prefer in blind tests. Where the line sits above the target that range sounds louder (more bass, brighter treble), below it quieter. The curve is the average of 2 independent measurements, and both lines are shifted so their 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB.
Measurement data: the average of 2 independent measurements from the squig.link databases of atechreviews and dentreviews. Thanks to each of them for publishing their work.