Introduction (Does It Do What It Should)

It’s been a while since I have reviewed an IK multimedia product, and I have to admit, I might not be the audience made for them. I mean, they make some really high end audio equipment for musicians, and I’m assuming that this applies to content creators. Anyway, they let me try out the ARC on Ear.

You see can in the video me trying it out, and I have to admit, this video is of an inferior quality compared to one made 3 years ago. I will have to say that I probably didn’t do a good job demonstrating this guy because I wasn’t really sure how. I do want to make certain that I do my job telling you all about it.

According to the IK Multimedia website, traditional headphones don’t really “tell the whole truth”.

This is because their frequency response is never perfectly flat, and their exaggerated stereo image alters your perception of balance, timbre, and space. The result? Endless revisions, ear fatigue, and mixes that don’t translate.

ARC ON EAR is a revolutionary standalone headphone DAC and amplifier that instantly corrects your headphone’s response and recreates the experience of mixing on professional studio monitors.

So I think what this boils down to is that you can have confidence in what you are hearing from your headphones. It’s kind of like this: whenever I make my videos, I will adjust the volume and other specifications, but when I finally play the video, it might not sound right.

This is because the Arc On Ear has audiophile DAC and heaphone amplifier with built-in correction. It can then remove the guesswork from mixing on headphoens, so I’m told, and recreate the same experience of monitors in a studio. You can also virtually audition your mix on other top playback systems. Now, you should definitely get the Arc On Ear software, which can customize and load up to 5 profiles.

I have to admit, I don’t know if the headphones that I used support the Arc On Ear, as I checked, and the specs say the Cloud II is suported by not necessarily the Cloud III. There were some buttons on here like the Calibration, Studio, and Fn, but the only one that I could really get to work was the volume. I found that hooking it up was a little strange, and it has a rechargeable battery of 4 hours of playback.

So, in order to make certain whether this can compare to the professional sound of a studio, I would have to hear what the professional studio sound would be like. Something tells me this would be very great, really.

“No drivers. No plug-ins. No DAW required. ARC ON•EAR is a self-contained hardware system that works with any setup”. If this is something that you want to get into, head on over to the IK Multimedia website and pay $299.99 for it. If you act quickly, you might be able to get in on a deal for $249.99.

Facts About The Company

According to the company website, IK Multimedia has devoted technologies to make them accessible to everyone can enjoy the sounds, tools, and experiences they want, whether for guitar, recording, instruments, or creators.

What Does This Company Make?

The answer to that question is quite a lot, as they have things for guitar, recording, instruments, and they support creators with their cool technology.

As a sample, we once reviewed this:

IK Multimedia iRig Pro Quattro I/O Review

Just the Specs, Man

Audio

Supported sample rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192kHz
Frequency Response: 10Hz – 80kHz (-1dB)
Maximum output level +19dBu
Maximum input level (analog): +10dBu
High damping factor output stage design
Dynamic Range (32Ω, 1kHz): 107.9dB
Dynamic Range (150Ω, 1kHz): 112.7dB
Dynamic Range (300Ω, 1kHz): 116.9dB

Latency

Latency (Phase Align OFF): 1.35ms
Latency (Phase Align ON): ~ 21.0ms (depends on the selected headphone model)

Power

Integrated lithium rechargeable battery (up to 4 hours of use) / USB

Connections

Analog input on 3.5 mm jack
Headphone out on 6.3 mm jack
Digital audio input on USB-C

Dimensions

Size: 7.9 cm / 3.11″ x 7.7 cm / 3.03″ x 3.5 cm / 1.38″
Weight: 170 g / 5.99 oz

Package includes

ARC ON•EAR processor
Carrying case
USB C-Type to USB C-Type cable (0.6 m / 23.6″)
3.5 to 3.5 mm thread-on Stereo TRS cable (0.6 m / 23.6″)
3.5 to 6.3 mm thread-on TRS adapter

Okay, Get To The Unboxing Already!

Maybe I Want It, But Is There Anything Else Like It? Maybe For A Lower Price? Please?

I’m sure that IK Multimedia makes a lot of great products, and that is for darn sure. I don’t review a lot of products like these, and I guess that would make IK Multimedia unique.