[Audio Addict]

I have a Ray Samuels Audio A-10 Thunderbolt II and it's fully made in the US. Ray also sold direct. Casework alone can be over a $1000 and more when you think about a dual chassis. If he is using custom transformers and PCBs, the pricing continues to go up. With such a low price, how can he stay in business. We need more electrostatic manufacturers.

 

[project86]

Yes definitely the more expensive way of doing business compared to outsourcing.

I don't necessarily mind when companies do that as it just seems to be the way of things lately, and it's hard to avoid. But at the same time I will certainly give credit to Corsonus and Schiit and anyone else trying to do most or all of their build locally. I suspect there are many people who feel the same as I do.

Corsonus is brand new and just trying to get off the ground. I don't imagine the pricing could possibly stay so low if he grows to a more sizeable operation. But his goal is to keep it reasonable to I don't think it will skyrocket either.

 

[Audio Addict]

On the pictures of the amp and power supply the finish does not look the same. Is that just the lighting?

 

[project86]

No that's the way the prototype is. Justin was messing with different processes to see how things turned out, and turned out close enough for demo purposes.

A purchased unit should have a better match, and even the prototype was fine to the eye in most lighting.

 

[mypasswordis]

Yes, the review unit is kind of a mashup of parts due to the long and tedious processes involved in hand finishing the amp, and the possibility that the unit would be damaged or lost in shipping. I'd show you vids of the finishing and anodizing process but it would be more fun to watch paint dry. Before anodization, just looking at the parts funny would result in a scratch or blemish so everything must be meticulously handled with nitrile gloves.

The casework would indeed be over $1000 if bought in low quantities, and that's not including all the CAD/CAM design work that goes into it. Everything is modeled and simulated a dozen times by me before any tool is placed into the spindle, because a big enough crash will result in thousands of dollars in damage and possibly even worse, totaling the casting and thus the machine.

 

[Audio Addict]

Yes, the review unit is kind of a mashup of parts due to the long and tedious processes involved in hand finishing the amp, and the possibility that the unit would be damaged or lost in shipping. I'd show you vids of the finishing and anodizing process but it would be more fun to watch paint dry. Before anodization, just looking at the parts funny would result in a scratch or blemish so everything must be meticulously handled with nitrile gloves.

The casework would indeed be over $1000 if bought in low quantities, and that's not including all the CAD/CAM design work that goes into it. Everything is modeled and simulated a dozen times by me before any tool is placed into the spindle, because a big enough crash will result in thousands of dollars in damage and possibly even worse, totaling the casting and thus the machine.

Any official launch date yet? I noticed the checkout was not working on your website.

 

[Audio Addict]

Got this on loan a couple days ago and really enjoying it so far with my Shangri la Jr. I dare say I think I am enjoying it more than the Formula S + Power man -> Susvara but will give it more time.

Unfortunately I do not have as much experience with other estats or energizers. The only other energizer I have in-house is the Stax SRM-007t which so far (understandably) doesn't compare to the Kodachi. Haven't experienced 009 for more than a few minutes, so can't draw that comparison either. I can say this is a great sounding setup and will post some thoughts and impressions in a week or so.

Do you have a picture of the back? Is it a balanced design?

 

[mypasswordis]

I have sold several units already but until I was sure about the supply chain issues due to covid, I didn't want to do a full public release. As mentioned before, some parts were out of stock for months and some up to a year or more lead times, even now.

Yes it is fully balanced from input to output, and single ended in terms of topology, fully dc coupled just like most Stax and Kevin Gilmore amps (no caps in signal path).

 

[Audio Addict]

Interesting article I came across from PS Audio's Copper E-zine.

Based in Maryland, Corsonus is the brainchild of young entrepreneur Justin Chow. A former youth orchestra violinist, Chow became interested in headphones while in high school and got his start in electronics and DIY audio customization while in college. He only started learning the craft of machining in 2018!

Justin Chow of Corsonus.

The Kodachi ($3,600) is a fully DC-coupled, tube/solid state hybrid amplifier. In the driver stage, it uses two 6SN7GTB tubes (and variants such as the Psvane CV181-Z). The power supplies including the tube heater supply are all fully-regulated, low-noise designs. The amp is available with a number of power tube, gain and other options.

The Corsonus Kodachi.

The chassis for both the amp and the seperate power supply are designed and milled by Chow out of a large block of billet aluminum. The power supply starts out at 15lb. and the amp is about 12lb. The separate chassis allow better thermal stability and heat dissipation.

The Kodachi is designed with special consideration to being able to drive electrostatic headphones. Comparing the different tube configurations available for the amp yielded very discernable differences in the same music references, which included excerpts from orchestral recordings, jazz from Snarky Puppy, and Led Zeppelin’s “Achilles Last Stand.” Transparency in the highs, midrange depth, and bass response and impact were all refined but altered for different tastes, not unlike using a Pultec Tube EQ-1 graphic equalizer to shape the sound in a recording studio.

Overall, a praiseworthy debut from a talented designer who clearly loves what he does.

https://www.psaudio.com/copper/article/canjam-nyc-2020-show-report-part-two/

 

[sa11297]

Got this on loan a couple days ago and really enjoying it so far with my Shangri la Jr. I dare say I think I am enjoying it more than the Formula S + Power man -> Susvara but will give it more time.

Unfortunately I do not have as much experience with other estats or energizers. The only other energizer I have in-house is the Stax SRM-007t which so far (understandably) doesn't compare to the Kodachi. Haven't experienced 009 for more than a few minutes, so can't draw that comparison either. I can say this is a great sounding setup and will post some thoughts and impressions in a week or so.

After having the Kodachi for some time on loan, here are my takeaways.

A bit about me:
Most of my music library is electronic music, with some indie, alternative, and classical and I tend to enjoy a bright and engaging sound profile over a warm and laid back one.
I primarily used the Sagra dac -> Kodachi -> Shangri la Jr. for my impressions and the other energizer I had as a point of comparison is the Stax 007t. Unfortunately, I did not have a 009/009s or KGSSHV or BHSE to provide more points of comparison. Also, I only had the stock tubes available (new issue Tung Sols 6SN7GTBs) so was not able to compare how the sound changes with tube rolling.
Lastly, I am not a reviewer, just a guy that likes listening to headphones

Build/Design:
I'm not going to comment too much here because this is not the final version to my understanding, and I am not sure how much is different with the production units. I will say the build is very high quality. The chassis is beautifully made. The volume knob (the part you would touch when adjusting volume, not commenting on the underlying electrical component or pot) doesn't have the same level of quality in my opinion. Additionally it has an odd finish to it. This very well may not be the same knob that is used in the production version. Last note regarding the volume knob/pot, at very low volumes, the left channel is louder than the right channel. Channel imbalance at low volumes is quite common in my experience, so I wouldn't say this is an issue.
The form factor is very nice, quite small compared to other energizers in this price range.
One thing worth noting is that I would say this runs quite hot. I would say it is the hottest out of the gear I have but most of my gear is solid state, so that is to be expected. The volume knob gets quit hot overtime, such that I would not want to rest my hand on it for more than a few seconds.
Lastly, the energizer and power supply are very heavy especially for the size. Gives it a sense that you are dealing with a high quality, heavy duty piece of gear.

Now that we have the build out of the way, let's talk about what matters, the sound.
Sound:
Overall I would say the Kodachi sounds clear, transparent and fairly uncolored. If you are looking for a very lush and overly smooth sound for that "tubey" and "musical" experience, this is not the energizer for you.
At least with the included tubes, the Kodachi was relatively brighter and more engaging than the warmer and more laid back 007t. Interestingly, I found that I did enjoy the warmth of the 007t over the signature of the Kodachi although I tend to prefer a brighter rather than a warmer sound generally. (This very well could be a result of the tubes, synergy with the JR, or synergy with the Sagra.)
Other than differences in signature, there were two other big differences I noticed compared to the 007t. Firstly the dynamics, dynamic range is very good on the kodachi. Secondly, the bass slam and impact on the Kodachi was a bit odd. To my ears, it was a bit limp and not as satisfying as on the 007t although personally this isn't a huge deal as when I want satisfying bass, I look towards the 1266tc rather than an electostat.
Overall I would say the Kodachi was a step up but I was surprised with how well the 007t was able to keep up.

Recommendations:
This is a difficult one for me to comment on because I feel like I would have to have a lot more experience with other high end tube energizers (BHSE, etc) and how the 009/009s reacts to it in order to be give an informed and reliable opinion. Additionally, I have found that personally I prefer the susvara and 1266tc and will probably stick to a conventional headphone setup rather than an electrostatic setup going forward (although I would like to try a 009/009s just to be sure), so I am biased towards dynamics and planars and they qualities they provide.

Many thanks to @mypasswordis for the opportunity to try out the Kodachi

 

[DesignTaylor]

I’ve been auditioning the Kodachi for a couple of weeks as part of a tour the builder arranged and wanted to share some impressions.

My Background
I’m more of a speaker guy but I’ve been deep into head-fi for the past few years. I’ve been fortunate to try a ton of gear in that time including a handful of estats and energizers. If I had to pick one set up for life it would likely include an R2R DAC, tube amp, and a pair of open-backed planars if that helps to give a sense for my preferences.

Auditioning Environment
I listened to the Kodachi with both analog and digital sources and got to try pairing it with the STAX SR-009, Hifiman Shangri-la JR, and ES Labs ES-1a. For comparison I had a Mjölnir-Audio modded SRM-007tA (6S4A, CCS, etc.) and a Mjölnir-Audio Transformer Box driven with a Schiit Aegir. I also did some tube rolling with the Kodachi, but more on that later.

Build and Usability
The Kodachi is actually more compact in person than I expected. The two chassis design can sit side by side or stacked and would work on a desktop or in a media rack. The all-aluminum housings are just awesome. Nothing feels more solid than a massive aluminum billet. I think the intent behind the build is to utilize the housing as heat sinks. There is only one set of 3-pin stereo XLR inputs. The finishing of the aluminum, the feat, screws, and pro-bias 5-pin connector are all top-notch. My personal gripes are that I don’t love the finish on the volume knob and that one box has a blue light and the other has a green light, but these are just niggles.

Listening Impressions
What I love about estats is their speed, clarity, impact, and detail retrieval capabilities. What I dislike about estats is that they can sound overly dry, brittle, and mechanical to my ears. I believe the Kodachi is attempting to address some of these common estat criticisms while also providing the end-user with the ability to tweak the sound via tube rolling.

For me, estats tend to lack some warmth and euphoric qualities. For some, that sound signature may be perfect but for me it can feel a little unnatural. The Kodachi has a fullness to its presentation that I really responded to. Switching between energizers, the Kodachi also seemed to have more weight. Even lighter, more ethereal notes have some added body.

There is a bit of a softening to the typical estat sound signature which makes the Kodachi less fatiguing. Typically symblent sounds are also nicely controlled resulting in symbol washes that sound natural and real. Overall there is just less estat glare. The presentation feels more fluid and intimate with the Kodachi. Vocalists, strings, and horns can all be very breathtaking. It’s a more romantic sound that’s sweeter and inviting.

At certain points, especially with very complex music, the Kodachi can feel a bit congested compared to the 007tA which tends to emphasize separation and clarity.

The qualities I noted above can be pushed and pulled significantly depending on the tubes you load into the unit.

Tube Rolling
I’ve done a lot of tube swapping on my headphone and speaker amps over the years and my experience rolling on the Kodachi was unique. Swapping out the 6SN7 tubes in the unit completely changes its profile in surprising ways. The shift in presentation is analogous to changing input, power, and rectifier tubes at the same time on a traditional tube amp.

The builder sent a pair of reissue Russian Tung Sol tubes that I didn’t care for and definitely did not get along with Hifiman JR, so I quickly moved on. The Shuguang Treasure Cv181-z emerged as my favorite and paired pretty well with all three earspeakers. I also liked the Shuguang 6N8PA, which turned out to be the best match for the Hifiman JR. The other two worth mentioning are a pair of NOS RCA 6SN7GTB and a set of OTK Russian 6N8P I tried. Both offered a well-balanced presentation but didn’t emphasize the fuller sound I was after.

Conclusions
The Kodachi is a very special piece of gear with excellent craftsmanship. I think the fact that (with some trial and error) it can be dialed in to match your tastes and favorite pair of headphones is unique and exciting. I’m not aware of any other energizer like it.

Most of the amps I’ve sampled to date have a pretty consistent sound signature. Some do it better and/or have more power on tap, but overall they’ve felt relatively similar in their approach. The Kodachi offers something a bit different. Is it right for you… hard for me to say, but if you love estats and tube rolling you owe it to yourself to give it a listen.

The amp is on tour right now so if you’re interested I’d reach out asap to get added to the list.
https://www.head-fi.org/members/mypasswordis.35395/

 

[Audio Addict]

I’ve been auditioning the Kodachi for a couple of weeks as part of a tour the builder arranged and wanted to share some impressions.

My Background
I’m more of a speaker guy but I’ve been deep into head-fi for the past few years. I’ve been fortunate to try a ton of gear in that time including a handful of estats and energizers. If I had to pick one set up for life it would likely include an R2R DAC, tube amp, and a pair of open-backed planars if that helps to give a sense for my preferences.

Auditioning Environment
I listened to the Kodachi with both analog and digital sources and got to try pairing it with the STAX SR-009, Hifiman Shangri-la JR, and ES Labs ES-1a. For comparison I had a Mjölnir-Audio modded SRM-007tA (6S4A, CCS, etc.) and a Mjölnir-Audio Transformer Box driven with a Schiit Aegir. I also did some tube rolling with the Kodachi, but more on that later.

Build and Usability
The Kodachi is actually more compact in person than I expected. The two chassis design can sit side by side or stacked and would work on a desktop or in a media rack. The all-aluminum housings are just awesome. Nothing feels more solid than a massive aluminum billet. I think the intent behind the build is to utilize the housing as heat sinks. There is only one set of 3-pin stereo XLR inputs. The finishing of the aluminum, the feat, screws, and pro-bias 5-pin connector are all top-notch. My personal gripes are that I don’t love the finish on the volume knob and that one box has a blue light and the other has a green light, but these are just niggles.

Listening Impressions
What I love about estats is their speed, clarity, impact, and detail retrieval capabilities. What I dislike about estats is that they can sound overly dry, brittle, and mechanical to my ears. I believe the Kodachi is attempting to address some of these common estat criticisms while also providing the end-user with the ability to tweak the sound via tube rolling.

For me, estats tend to lack some warmth and euphoric qualities. For some, that sound signature may be perfect but for me it can feel a little unnatural. The Kodachi has a fullness to its presentation that I really responded to. Switching between energizers, the Kodachi also seemed to have more weight. Even lighter, more ethereal notes have some added body.

There is a bit of a softening to the typical estat sound signature which makes the Kodachi less fatiguing. Typically symblent sounds are also nicely controlled resulting in symbol washes that sound natural and real. Overall there is just less estat glare. The presentation feels more fluid and intimate with the Kodachi. Vocalists, strings, and horns can all be very breathtaking. It’s a more romantic sound that’s sweeter and inviting.

At certain points, especially with very complex music, the Kodachi can feel a bit congested compared to the 007tA which tends to emphasize separation and clarity.

The qualities I noted above can be pushed and pulled significantly depending on the tubes you load into the unit.

Tube Rolling
I’ve done a lot of tube swapping on my headphone and speaker amps over the years and my experience rolling on the Kodachi was unique. Swapping out the 6SN7 tubes in the unit completely changes its profile in surprising ways. The shift in presentation is analogous to changing input, power, and rectifier tubes at the same time on a traditional tube amp.

The builder sent a pair of reissue Russian Tung Sol tubes that I didn’t care for and definitely did not get along with Hifiman JR, so I quickly moved on. The Shuguang Treasure Cv181-z emerged as my favorite and paired pretty well with all three earspeakers. I also liked the Shuguang 6N8PA, which turned out to be the best match for the Hifiman JR. The other two worth mentioning are a pair of NOS RCA 6SN7GTB and a set of OTK Russian 6N8P I tried. Both offered a well-balanced presentation but didn’t emphasize the fuller sound I was after.

Conclusions
The Kodachi is a very special piece of gear with excellent craftsmanship. I think the fact that (with some trial and error) it can be dialed in to match your tastes and favorite pair of headphones is unique and exciting. I’m not aware of any other energizer like it.

Most of the amps I’ve sampled to date have a pretty consistent sound signature. Some do it better and/or have more power on tap, but overall they’ve felt relatively similar in their approach. The Kodachi offers something a bit different. Is it right for you… hard for me to say, but if you love estats and tube rolling you owe it to yourself to give it a listen.

The amp is on tour right now so if you’re interested I’d reach out asap to get added to the list.
https://www.head-fi.org/members/mypasswordis.35395/

Do you think it would be your desert island setup (There is solar power already on the island )?

 

[myrnaloy]

I notice the shopping cart is still not working. When will it be available for purchase again?

 

[Audio Addict]

I notice the shopping cart is still not working. When will it be available for purchase again?

It's been a couple of months, anyone else from the tour?