Earsonics Corsa Review

Today we have a review of a new Earsonics Corsa IEM which costs €399.

Disclaimer: The Earsonics Corsa was provided by Earsonics directly. The review reflects my unbiased opinion as always. Some parts of this review are identical to the Earsonics Blade review since they share the same materials and the same design. 

New Design from France

Earsonics decided to make their first two hybrid IEMs and they recently launched the Stark and Blade. You can see their respective reviews on Headfonia here and here. Considering Earsonics’ track record and their house sound, I’m surprised that it took this much time for them to unveil a hybrid IEM. Earsonics has always been a company that prioritized fun and enjoyable sound rather than reference. That’s why they have a distinctive fan base after all.

However, the biggest difference with the new lineup is the design of the shells. Earsonics completely overhauled its design philosophy with these models. They now use anodized zinc and magnesium alloy. This is the latest addition to that “Full Metal Jacket” lineup, but unlike the other two, this one has a full BA configuration.

Earsonics Corsa

About Earsonics

The French IEM manufacturer is a well-recognized brand with a good reputation among audiophiles. It was established in 2005 by Franck Lopez and the priority back in the day was to provide good monitoring solutions for the artists on stage.

Then it evolved to be a very popular IEM manufacturer for audiophiles, especially for those who seek out something “different”. We have reviewed lots of Earsonics gear over the years. The S-EM9, ES2 & 3, EM10, S-EM6 v2, ES5, Grace, and the list goes on and on including the older ones like the S-EM6, EM32, and the EM6 (Custom Version). Our last custom Earsonics IEM review was the EM64 stage monitor by Lieven. My favorite one, however, is the Purple model, which is still on our Best Universal IEMs list.

About Earsonics Corsa

As I mentioned, Earsonics has released two new hybrid IEMs called Stark and Blade as their new “FMJ” line. The Corsa is the most recent addition but this time this one has a full 3BA setup. The other two are hybrid IEMs that have an 8mm dynamic driver.

Aside from the internal design, the external has been drastically changed. The acrylic or plastic shells are gone. Now we have anodized zinc and magnesium alloy for the shells. Also, the internal electronics are secured in a 3D acrylic housing inside for perfect positioning and also for acoustic reasons. So overall, the Earsonics Corsa is completely identical to the other two models, except for the color scheme.

Build Quality & Design

So yes, the new Corsa boasts quality. I mean, it’s incredible. I’m one of those people who criticized Earsonics’ plastic shells, which honestly didn’t live up to their price brackets in the past. With their new hybrid series, Earsonics have managed to pull off a huge jump in terms of build quality.

The Earsonics Corsa has a fantastic build quality. There’s no other way to put it. When I opened the box and inspected the earpieces, I said “wow, finally”. This is a great new era for Earsonics in my opinion, and I hope they will keep up the same high level with new models. This is a big leap forward. The users of these new models now can smoothly say that they get what they paid for.

The design topic is always subjective of course, but I can say that the Corsa looks even better in real life than in the photos. Compared to Stark’s silver faceplate part with a brown inner shell, the Corsa has a brown faceplate and a brown inner part as well. It looks quite serious and professional. The faceplate parts reflect the light nicely with different angles. Of course, this design might come a bit dull and pale for you, and I can’t blame you on that one. After all, it’s all about personal taste.

However, the cable doesn’t complete this design well in my view. The silver color is ill-fitted with these colors especially with silver 3.5mm jack and 2-pin connectors. So I didn’t really like the new cable. It’s good that they don’t supply the stock Plastics One cable anymore, but I think that the new “Hi-Res” cable doesn’t look premium enough to complement this new design. I think a more premium-looking cable would’ve been perfect. A black-colored one of course.

Fit

The new chassis structure means extra weight and the Corsa is a heavy monitor when compared to many IEMs. So not every tip is good for the best fitting experience, at least that has been the case for me. Fortunately, Earsonics provide lots of ear tips in the package. Gone are the days when Earsonics would ship only a few tips, you have many choices now. Standard silicone ones, black double flanges, and foams. So you have lots here. I’m sure one would find the best possible fit for their needs.

Earsonics Corsa

In my case the classic Earsonics double flange tips work the best. They provide me a snug fit and they balance out the weight nicely. They also go very deep into my ear canals. That way the isolation also becomes satisfying, although not being on the same level as foams. The shells stick out pretty much especially with double flange ones since the chassis is not too compact or small. There is certain heft and mass so don’t expect to have a quick nap with these. Yet, I find the fit very comfortable and pleasing overall.

Page 2 – Sound

Page 3 – Technical Performance, Comparisons, and Conclusion

4.5/5 - (21 votes)
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A keen audiophile and hobby photographer, Berkhan is after absolute perfection. Whether it is a full-frame camera or a custom in-ear, his standpoint persists. He tries to keep his photography enthusiasm at the same level as audio. Sometimes photography wins, sometimes his love for music takes over and he puts that camera aside. Simplistic expressions of sound in his reviews are the way to go for him. He enjoys a fine single malt along with his favourite Jazz recordings.

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