Dan Clark Audio announces the ÆON CORE, an $899 closed-back planar
DCA puts what it calls its most efficient driver yet into a closed-back ÆON chassis at $899, with a revised reference tuning.
Dan Clark Audio has introduced the ÆON CORE, a closed-back planar-magnetic headphone at $899 with a new efficient driver and a revised Harman tuning, shown at High End Vienna 2026 and shipping from 14 June.
Efficiency claims matter more on planars than on most headphone types, because low sensitivity is what forces buyers into a bigger amplifier than they budgeted for. If the CORE is genuinely easier to drive than earlier ÆON models, that changes the total cost of ownership as much as the sticker price does, which is why sensitivity and impedance, not the marketing adjective, are the numbers to wait for.
Announcement sources
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This is an announcement, not a verdict. Specifications come from the manufacturer and nothing here is measured until a unit reaches the rig. For tested planar, see Planar reviews. Back to all new releases.