It is no secret that I am an Electrostatic man, as an audio purist, dynamic and even planar magnetic headphones can’t quite approach the speed and musicality of an Electrostat. It is also common knowledge that Dan Clark has been one of my favorite headphone designers since I first met him a little over ten years ago. As such, I was extremely excited when he began working on an Electrostatic headphone, the Dan Clark Audio VOCE, and followed its development closely, loving every iteration as it steadily improved over its lifespan, in fact, I believe I was the first to review the VOCE, and was intent on purchasing one once I was fiscally able, but unfortunately by the time that became possible they were no longer available. While I was suitably impressed by its bigger sister, the Dan Clark Audio CORINA Electrostatic Headphone, I never was able to get a hold of a review sample to test out in a controlled environment, that is, until now. Now I own one and have decided to take the opportunity to do a follow up review to give my personal take.

The Dan Clark Audio CORINA Electrostatic Headphone

What sets the Dan Clark Audio CORINA Electrostatic Headphone and Dan Clark Audio Electrostatic Headphones in general apart from the crowd is that Dan chose to attack head on and successfully overcame the primary drawback of electrostatic headphones, which is limited dynamic range due to limited excursion. Limited excursion is a problem endemic to all planar loudspeakers and headphones, this is due to the diaphragm being bracketed by motor elements, magnets in the case of planar magnetic, and stators in the case of electrostatics. As such, Dan Clark had plenty of experience in trying to deal with this issue since all of his headphone designs have been planar in nature, hence he was able to achieve his goal by employing advanced flow systems, materials, and technologies along with pushing diaphragm compliance to its extreme edge (so much so that in early VOCE prototypes the simple air pressure of placing the headphones on your head could cause the diaphragm to strike the stator).

Which, I guess, brings us to the question of what makes electrostatic speakers so special? Two things: the critical difference between planar magnetic and electrostatic designs is diaphragm mass, a planar magnetic has a copper voice coil adhered to the surface of the diaphragm, whereas the electrostatic has no voice coil, and lower mass means quicker response in both acceleration and deceleration of the diaphragm, IE: greater sonic accuracy. The more important difference that separates planar designs from dynamic designs is uniformity of force applied to the diaphragm. In a dynamic speaker, the voice coil is attached to a single spot on the diaphragm, which causes the diaphragm to deform as it moves, where in a planar design, the motive force is applied to the entire surface of the diaphragm uniformly, vastly reducing diaphragm deformation, resulting in significantly less waveform distortion.

The CORINA integrates Dan Clark Audio’s state-of-the-art Advanced Metamaterial Tuning System (AMTS), allowing them to voice the CORINA with a focus on a natural midrange with a top end free of annoying treble spikes.

To explain AMTS, I’ll simply quote Dan Clark Audio: “AMTS is a patent-pending inline device placed between the transducer and the ear. It integrates waveguides, diffusion control, quarter-wave, and Helmholtz resonators into one compact structure.

Diffusion reduces some standing wave formation while resonators act as both precision and broad filters to smooth and shape the frequency response, smoothing the sound from the midrange through the highest frequencies.

By eliminating standing waves and smoothing system response, AMTS renders high frequencies with a refreshing accuracy and clarity with all genres of music.”

In appearance the CORINA is a blend of the new and the old for Dan Clark Audio, it uses the circular cups of all the early Dan Clark Audio headphones with the same gimbals and memory metal headband design that has made them famous for comfort and hearty durability, while the leather head band strap is similar in design to all their current headphones with the name CORINA embroidered in black and blue stitching. The grills have an attractive fractal design, and the detachable cable departs from the traditional Dan Clark Audio connectors to differentiate the need for the five pin electrostatic headphone amp connection at the amplifier side. (A bias voltage is required to energize the stators, note the CORINA is compatible with all electrostatic headphone amplifiers that provide the higher 580V PRO bias voltage).

Features:

• AMTS for a smoother midrange and top end
• New self-adjusting headband for a more comfortable listening experience
• Re-engineered 88mm driver with more consistent diaphragm tension and uniformity for enhanced linearity and better channel matching
• Matched ear pads for better imaging
• New ergonomic ear pad design with suede contact surfaces for comfortable extended listening

Living with the Dan Clark Audio CORINA Electrostatic Headphone

To test the Dan Clark Audio CORINA Electrostatic Headphone I employed what my LSA VT-70 Tube Integrated Amp running through a Woo Audio Wee Electrostatic Headphone Energizer Converter, wired up with  Black Dragon Cables, a Core Power Technologies A/V Equi=Core 1000,  with Vera-Fi Audio VBH-1 (Vibration Black Hole) isolation feet, and the dCS Bartók APEX DAC (soon to be subject of another follow-up review)

Selecting Christian McBride Big Band’s “Without Further Ado, Vol 1” (24-bit/96kHz – Qobuz), I was immediately impressed by the dynamic range and fantastic tonal balance, with a strong, snappy bottom end and a mellow musical and extremely detailed highs. Vocals were in the room natural, with an intimate yet massive in-studio soundstage. The vibes were crystal, and the piano had a delicate Steinway timbre. The overall experience was magical. The upright bass held a realism I simply haven’t experienced with headphones.

Next up was “Man’s Best Friend” (24-bit/48kHz – Qobuz) by Sabrina Carpenter, while dominated by electronic instrumentation, the CORINA had no issues offering up the necessary club sound that this pop act required, with plenty of thumping bass and dynamics.

Quickly switching to The Beths and “Straight Line Was A Lie” (24-bit/96kHz – Qobuz), I was treated to mosh pit vibes and an authentic rendering of the primitive distorted guitars, pulsating bass, and blistering drums.  The track “Mosquitoes” presented intimate vocals and acoustic guitar at the opening, that made it easy to picture Elizabeth Stokes a few feet away.

Moving on to my regular play list I cued up my 24-bit/96kHz vinyl rip of Stravinsky’s “The Firebird Suite” as performed by Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra not only could you hear the far walls of the massive hall, but each musician was fixed to his spot in the orchestra and details that normally would get lost in the cacophony of sound stood out giving each instrument its due. Musicality reigned supreme as the overlapping melodies wove a tapestry of aural ecstasy. The timpani rolls came through clearly between the impactful crescendos, as did the many percussive sounds that compete for your attention, I don’t think I have listened to a headphone that has the articulation of bass and percussion that the CORINA exhibits. Most impressive was the fact that I did not need to turn down the volume for the crescendos, the CORINA happily force-feeding me the peaks without distortion.

Bringing up my sub-bass test track “Can-utility And The Coastliners” (“Foxtrot” – Genesis – DSD) I was not disappointed by the CORINA’s ability to dig down deep, as well as articulate the difference between the bass guitar and the bass pedals.

I followed this up with one of my favorite piano pieces, Kieth Emerson’s interpretation of “Hang On To A Dream” (“Elegy” – The Nice – DSD). The piano had that sharp crispness that only a real piano can make, caused by the harmonic dissonance of three similarly tuned strings struck together, and every note of Keith’s virtuoso lightning-fast piano was clearly represented. Again, the soundstage was massive. The bass guitar exhibited exceptional tone, and the bells of the tambourine shimmered, and the cymbals had epic decay.

Just for fun, I put on an old favorite Roto Rooter Good Time Christmas Band’s “The Martian March” (“Roto Rooter 1972-1976” – 16-bit/44.1kHz). The interplay of the horns, drum, synth, and bass guitar transported me back to their live performances I witnessed in the ‘70s.

Conclusions on the Dan Clark Audio CORINA Electrostatic Headphone

When you approach the extreme high end of headphones, IE: above $5,000, the differences become subtle, but differences they remain. And for my money, the Dan Clark Audio CORINA Electrostatic Headphone sits at the top of the heap. Offering up the unparalleled resolution of an electrostatic with unmatched dynamic range (in an electrostat) and a linear tonal balance that not only reaches deep into the subsonic with weight usually reserved for other lower resolution designs but is able to present smooth, unemphasized high frequencies, and a musicality that is to die for, the CORINA is the ultimate headphone for the audio purest.

While the CORINA is not the most expensive headphone in its class, in fact I have headphones in my collection that cost more, the need for a special amplifier does make it a pricey consideration, but one should also remember that the DAC of choice for most reference systems (such as the Bartók or the DAVE) will cost more than most electrostatic headphone amplifiers, and I will for one point out that the amplifier is still a more critical component in your sonic performance than a DAC, in fact to get the most out of my $8,000 headphone a $5,000 headphone cable is required, so everything is relative.

Completely genre agnostic, I believe the Dan Clark Audio CORINA Electrostatic Headphone is the perfect choice for anyone who is seeking the ultimate in sonic performance, and I’ll be very surprised if anyone is able to improve upon it. If it had not been previously awarded our Headphone of the Year award, it would probably be my first choice for this year’s honor.

Price: $4,499.99

Manufacturer’s Website: https://danclarkaudio.com/headphones/corina1.html

Specifications

Model                                                                                                                             CORINA

Driver Type                                                                                                                   Electrostatic

Driver Size                                                                                                                     88mm

Capacitance with 2m Cable                                                                                      135pF

Weight                                                                                                                             465gr     

Shipping Dimensions                                                                                                   18x14x19

Shipping Weight                                                                                                            TBD

Frequency Response                                                                                                   *Yes (flat to 6Hz)