I am glad that I have already reviewed some electrostatic headphones before, else adding in more context about how they work and are different from dynamic/planar magnetic headphones would have made this lengthy review even longer. I do think people need to be paying more attention to the e-stat headphone world because we are seeing some fascinating developments here in terms of product design and engineering. The Dan Clark Audio CORINA is a great example of this with a few neat innovations employed. Some, such as the matched ear pads, might be dismissed by a few as an unnecessary or impractical gimmick, but I would rather companies spend money on this than, say, a leather-wrapped box that isn't used after the headphones are removed. Besides, when we talk about products that cost $4500, there are expectations to see features not found in less expensive headphones. With DCA already showcasing driver matching throughout its product line up, this was just the next logical step up for what is now its most expensive product to date.

But no, what interested me most with the CORINA was Dan Clark's vision of how e-stats should sound. I have not heard the VOCE admittedly, but I know what most other e-stats sound like. There are maybe five that I can see myself considering to buy with the vast majority having "special" tonalities that result in poor timbre and specific use cases. The CORINA bucks this trend by not only being the best overall sounding e-stat I've had my ears on, but arguably also the best overall set of headphones period! The end result is a relatively safe tonality backed by good technicalities too, especially when it comes to detail retrieval and vocals reproduction. Then we get to DCA's patent-pending AMTS implementation—well worth reading more about this on page four—that makes this a very smooth sound too without any harsh peaks or dips. The mids are the star of the show here for me but there's still something special about a well-controlled e-stat treble response in terms of how natural everything sounds. This is especially valid with string instruments and piano keys and makes the CORINA a good set for classical music too, although I did add a single EQ filter to provide some more mid-treble energy for my liking.

I mentioned before how the DCA CORINA is the only set to date that has made me appreciate vocals-only tracks enough to add them to my playlist that is otherwise dominated by jazz and orchestral music. This alone makes it special for me and why I thought long and hard about whether or not to give it our top award. Yes, there are the usual e-stat challenges in mind wherein you would make the most of the set when paired with a powerful amplifier capable of providing lots of volts. The $400 Topping EHA5 gets you most of the way though and the fairly neutral tonality of the CORINA combined with drivers that aren't the hardest to drive mean you can perhaps get away with it if your budget was limited. But if you have decided to go all aboard the e-stat train with an excellent, albeit highly expensive amplifier such as my Headamp BHSE, then the CORINA is a logical move to get something that does it all—quite well too! Then there's the nice bonus of replacement cable lengths as well as integrated dust shields which means you do not need to baby the CORINA as much as other e-stats. Given that it's already taken up the mantle of my best sounding set of headphones overall, I suppose it's only fair that I do say it is this editor's choice at least.