ARC ON·EAR "interface" DAC/amp/DSP from IK Multimedia

[john61ct]

Targeted at music creators, maybe sound engineers?

Dunno if serious kit...

Canned frequency response calibration for 50+ headphones, especially modern IEMs

IK Multimedia Releases Major Update To Arc On Ear Headphone Interface

IK Multimedia’s Arc On Ear DAC and headphone amplifier is now compatible with 50 models of in-ear monitors for studio reference mixing with a new level of accuracy.

www.forbes.com

Fresh From the Bench: IK Multimedia ARC ON·EAR USB-C Audio Interface and Headphone Amplifier

With the ARC ON·EAR - a USB-C Audio Interface and Headphone Amplifier with analog input and integrated DSP for playback correction - IK Multimedia introduced a new portable hardware device that corrects a headphone's frequency response and replicates the soundstage of professional studio...

audioxpress.com

Cool or what? Other ways to get something similar?

 

[Soundproof]

Sold via stores and webshops directly aimed at musicians/music industry, and their site only focuses on that market too, thus no consumerfocus as far as I could see.

Featurewise - for consumers/listeners - there are probably more than the few I'm aware of, but i would argue DX1 II has better features than this one, including balanced and optical. Got the USB C for power/sound and PEQ with downloadable profiles and so on, and it is platform neutral.

Speaking for the IK M Arc would possibly be fullsize jack and battery....

 

[john61ct]

$180 here

https://vintageking.com/ik-multimedia-arc-on-ear-headphone-correction-system-demo-deal-open-box

only $70 more than Topping DX1 II ?

It seems that both HPamp sections handle both demanding high-impedance headphones and sensitive, low-impedance IEMs well, pretty rare?

Topping's standard 10-band manual system is enough DSP? I like the open ecosystem, input manually from public databases like AutoEQ or Squiglink, save three separate PEQ presets.

IK Multimedia has automated headphone correction but not open, its "ARC 4 Software Engine" database has over 250 profiles so far, sounds great

but is apparently a walled garden.

Dunno how useful the "studio-focused room simulation" is...

Supposedly a couple dozen speakers are "emulated", reminds me a bit (as a noob to all this mind you) of SoundID Reference's "Translation Check"

But that runs in your PC so lots more DSP capacity.

 

[john61ct]

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