Nine years ago, when I reviewed the original Dan Clark Audio (MrSpeakers at the time) ÆON, I was absolutely astonished that Dan was able to capture the sound of his reference headphone of the day in an entry-level offering. Over the years, there have been a plethora of improvements bringing the current ÆON line to a level far above those original reference models. Dan has now decided to not only reaffirm his entry-level offering but to take it in a totally new direction in sound in the shape of the Dan Clark Audio ÆON CORE Planar Magnetic Headphone.

The Dan Clark Audio ÆON CORE Planar Magnetic Headphone

The ÆON CORE introduces an all-new driver engineered for maximum efficiency and is Dan Clark Audio’s first headphone tuned to a revised Harman over-ear target developed through research with Dr. Sean Olive.

To quote Dan Clark Audio, “ÆON CORE’s tuning is grounded in a corrected version of the Harman over-ear target — one that Dan Clark developed alongside Dr. Sean Olive in 2025. The original Harman curve was derived using a custom measurement pinna unavailable to anyone else, so all measurements comparing Headphones to the target curve actually contained a small error. Clark and Olive published an AES paper with a corrected curve that reflects the measurement system used by Audio professionals worldwide.

The practical effect is a tuning that’s subtly but meaningfully different from prior ÆON models: a slightly warmer mid-range. As a result, vocals are forward without hardness, and strings have a lush and organic texture. The overall experience is incredibly engaging, musical, and fun with a wide range of musical genres.”

ÆON CORE’s planar magnetic driver stack was engineered around three priorities: efficiency, sonic excellence, and affordable manufacturing, and is Dan Clark Audio’s most easily driven headphone to date at 97 dB/mW sensitivity.

Those familiar with the previous ÆON models will note a bold departure from the original aesthetic with aluminum and wood ear cups similar to those used on the Dan Clark Audio E3 and new aluminum gimbals, which surrender the fold-up design, presumably to keep manufacturing costs down and focus resources to more important considerations like sound.

Living with the Dan Clark Audio ÆON CORE Planar Magnetic Headphone

I burned in the Dan Clark Audio ÆON CORE Planar Magnetic Headphone with my HIFIMAN EF600 R2R DAC & Headphone Amp sourced from a Schiit Audio Yggdrasil Singular DAC using Black Dragon Power Cables, Black Dragon balanced 3-pin XLR Interconnects, and Core Power Technologies A/V Equi=Core 1000.

My first impulse was to begin my listening with the HIFIMAN GOLDENWAVE SERENADE DAC/Headphone Amplifier, as that seemed a little more on a par with the ÆON CORE, but change my mind and decided to stick with the EF600 using the HIFIMAN R2R DAC in Low Gain NOS and the single-ended “Dummer” cable provided with the headphone. Queuing up the first album on Qobuz’s “New Releases”; “In the Hour of Chaos” (24-bit/48kHz – Qobuz) by Allison Russell. The bass had an electronic sound and was pervasive and up front; the vocals were set back from the bass on a plane with the other keyboard sounds, with the guitars and percussion behind that. Overall, the soundstage was intimate and close except when artificially enhanced through delay and reverb.

Since Allison didn’t really speak to me or give me much of a bar from which to judge, I moved on to The Rolling Stones’ new release “Foreign Tongues” (24-bit/96kHz – Qobuz), which kinda harkens back to their ‘70s sound with a solid rock ‘n roll blues underpinning. As such, there was a feeling of a large, almost outdoor concert venue. While more subdued, the bass still had a warm, fat presence. There was a good depth to the soundstage, setting the musicians a distance from the listener. Cozy live is the best way to represent the presentation.

Stepping up to the SERENADE, the bass was tighter, deeper, and stronger. Jack White’s voice was so real, for his latest “Frozen Charlotte” (Jack White – 24-bit/96kHz – Qobuz) in another large outdoor stadium soundstage, with rich, deep, edgy guitar, pulsating bass, sixties-style distorted keyboard, and snappy, mellow drums.

Selecting “FATHERS” (24-bit/48kHz – Qobuz) by Nate Smith, Kiefer, Carrtoons, and producer Kenny Beats, it became clear the intent here was fun rather than accurate. Again, the bass had a stage edge standing in front of the speaker sound, while overall the feeling was misty nightclub.

Next on the docket was my favorite amplifier, the Schiit Audio VALI 2++, which is my favorite because it is a mind-boggling good tube amp for only $150, making it a great choice for the ÆON CORE. For the DAC, I used the Yggy because it was on hand and not necessarily the deciding factor in this.  I was going to move to my regular playlist at this time but noticed a new Shonen Knife album, “Let’s Knife Re-Cut” (24-bit/48kHz – Qobuz), which is a rerecording of their 1992 release “Let’s Knife”. Song, amplifier, and headphone appeared to be a match made in heaven. Warm, forceful bass, musical fuzzed guitars, deep impactful drums, and honeyed vocal, with plenty of dynamics and a spacious soundstage.

To get a true sense of tonal balance, I selected my HiFiAudio.Guru playlist;  https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/10673532 and moved straight into “The Firebird Suite”  (“Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite (1919 Version) – Borodin: Overture & Polovetsion Dances from Prince Igor” – Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra – 16-bit/44.1kHz – Qobuz) for which I switched the VALI 2++ into high gain to meet the dynamic needs of the track. Not only was the timbre of instruments spot on, the transient response was epic and the soundstage massive with a real sense of air between the musicians. This worked so well that I stepped up to the Schiit Audio Lyr+ Fusion Architecture™ Headphone Amp and Preamp and repeated this test. There was an appropriate increase in detail and realism to the soundstage. We had entered a stage where the DAC actually plays a factor, so I admit the Yggy is not the most logical choice, but it is not like the ÆON CORE wasn’t keeping up.

Listening to “Can-utility And The Coastliners” (“Foxtrot” – Genesis – 16-bit/44.1kHz – Qobuz), Peter’s voice gave one of the most in-room presentations I have heard; the sub-bass was quick, tight, deep, and slightly emphasized, yet did not impinge on the other instruments

The last test in days gone by would have been to use my smartphone as source; unfortunately, my smartphone no longer had a headphone output, so this chore fell to my iPad. Queuing up “Polyester Bride” by Liz Phair (“whitechocolatespaceegg” – 16-bit/44.1kHz – Qobuz), what I was presented with was a bass-forward rendition with a large soundstage and an overall fun experience.

Pink Martini’s “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” (“Sympathique” – 16-bit/44.1kHz – Qobuz) was its normal haunting self, still presented in a vast hall.

Conclusions on the Dan Clark Audio ÆON CORE Planar Magnetic Headphone

Magnifique! The Dan Clark Audio ÆON CORE Planar Magnetic Headphone is certainly a departure from what I think of as the Dan Clark sound, and it is not exactly what I would look to for a reference headphone. What I love about Dan Clark headphones is their unrelentingly brutal honesty, giving you exactly what you put into it, unvarnished; the ÆON CORE is not that. What the ÆON CORE is, is audiophile sound for the masses, able to adapt to any source or genre. It’s live performance, Poppy sound profile is extremely forgiving, yet uncluttered; the bass performance is exceptional, though a little bit emphasized, yet not muddy by any stretch of the imagination. The ÆON CORE is just simply enjoyable to listen to, like comfort food, no deeper than it pretends to be.

So if you are looking for a headphone that can scale up to your best kit, but never disappoint no matter how meager the source, that will work well with any genre of music, and give bass heads the thrill of their lifetime without mudding up the mix for the rest of us, the Dan Clark Audio ÆON CORE Planar Magnetic Headphone should be on your short list. Congratulations, Dan, another success.

Price: $899.99.

Manufacturer’s Website: https://danclarkaudio.com/aeon-core.html

Specifications:

Weight	440gr
Impedance	17ohms
Sensitivity	~94 dB/mW
Frequency response	Yes, it has one
Distortion	< 0.1% ref 80dB White Noise