Earsonics Corsa Review

Earsonics Corsa Review

Earsonics, based out of France, has been producing universal and custom IEMs since 2005. They released the Corsa over the summer of 2021, touting both its high quality acrylic structure and the “rigor” of its tone. But how does it really sound? This is my first time trying a product from Earsonics and I’m excited to see what we have in store.

What’s In The Box?

-Earsonics Corsa Universal IEMs.

-4C HI-RES cable (3.5mm jack)

-6 pairs of ear tips (memory foam, silicone, double flange silicone, 2 sizes each)

-Pocket sized carrying case

-Warranty Card and User Manual

-Cleaning tool

Look and Feel

The Corsa has a pretty straight forward and serious look to it. While the material used to make the buds appears a little plastic-y and may not be the most aesthetically pleasing, you will see shortly that its actually made of a rather durable high quality. The white, braided 4C HI-RES cable with its silvery jack added a bright contrast to the grey buds my particular unit had that I found visually appealing. The carrying case was soft with a semi-firm quality, and fit well enough into my pocket.

As for ear fit, I had no major issues. My only minor criticism is of the non-rounded edge along the back of the buds, which at times became noticeable when touching the ridge of my outer ear. Lastly, the Corsa is a bit heavier than most IEMs, but I didn’t find this detrimental to the fit and if anything made them feel safe and secure.

Design

The Corsa utilizes three proprietary balanced armature drivers exclusive to Earsonics on each side, with each one dedicated to bass, mid, or treble. A “3D Full Acrylic” structure is used to hold the 3 drivers and control phase. Phase control is further optimized with the use of Earsonics’ own EVS (Ergonomic Versatile Shell) and FUSION technology in the crossover impedance corrector. The body of the buds, which act as an acoustic chamber, is made from zinc and magnesium alloy, making them resilient to rust and trauma.

-Impedance: 31 ohms

-Sensitivity: 119 dB

-Driver: 3BA (balanced armature)

-Frequency Range: 10 Hz – 20 kHz

Soundstage

The Corsa has a fairly natural balance through most of the frequency spectrum, but certainly not without its own distinct and even bold coloration. The EQ emphasis rests in the high mids, making harmonic qualities quite noticeable. They are unique in that the mids produced a subtle, vibrating physical sensation, especially in vocals and pianos, which I felt even more than the sub vibrations. The flip-side of this balance is that there were moments where layering became less precise as a result of this prominent harmonic texture.

Depth came through pretty well, which was particularly noticeable on tracks with fade ins and build ups. Width and imaging were solid and did the job well, though these qualities did not leave me with significant impressions one way or another.

Lows

The Corsa doesn’t rely on its subs for its energy. Bass parts came through naturally but also restrained; I heard them more than I felt them. Around 80-250Hz still came through the mix with confidence, with attenuation occurring below what I would estimate to be 60 Hz. When considering the rest of the sound character, however, it’s obvious that Earsonics is pointing the listener towards other parts of the frequency spectrum.

Mids

The mids are the most intricate part of the Corsa’s timbre. A narrow cut in the low mids accompanied by a wider boost in the high mids is the main contributor to its overall sweet character. I found vocals cut through the mix loudly and were driven by their soprano qualities. Due to the harmonic emphasis that I previously mentioned, crescendos were especially cacophonous and dramatic, driving into your ear but stopping just short of being harsh.

Highs

I found the highs to be by and large true to the mix, with a surprisingly analytical and flat quality. They give room for the high mids to shine without disappearing. Frequently I find headphones or IEMs with mid heavy balances to shy away from their high end in fear of harshness. It was refreshing to see that Earsonics didn’t do this with the Corsa, and instead leaned into the brightness with confidence.

Overall

The Earsonics Corsa goes in a daring direction with its moderately balanced yet energetic timbre. At $450, do I think this is a buy for everyone? Probably not. Some listeners might be missing the subs. But its bright harmonic intensity might be exactly what some people are looking for. Not many IEMs can offer the unique sound character contained in the Corsa.

You can buy the Earsonics Corsa at Audio46.