[ASIN]

While it looks good, I would not want a streamer alongside my amp/DAC. It may be that I am old and spent a fortune on LPs/CDs etc. but it is also the fact that some of my rarer recordings are not on streaming services. All-in-all I am thankful I purchased the Arche when I did.

 

[jonstatt]

I don't think this is a replacement for the Arche at all. It's a totally different SKU. The reason I suspect Arche is not available is down to the lack of AKM DAC chips since its factory fire. This has caused a number of products to be discontinued.

 

[iamoneagain]

I don't think this is a replacement for the Arche at all. It's a totally different SKU. The reason I suspect Arche is not available is down to the lack of AKM DAC chips since its factory fire. This has caused a number of products to be discontinued.

Well Naim is Focal’s sister company. So seems sort of a coincidence that they end the Focal Arche and then introduced a new headphone amp to showcase their headphones. Also looked up that fire took place in Oct of last year but Focal started $1000 discount before that. I’m assuming the discount was to unload stock and discontinue the dac.

Besides streaming, this device allows you to hook up a hard drive to use as a server, so you can play your own music as well.

Here’s a review. And see Amazon already has it. Can be shipped by the 15th.

https://www.audioholics.com/amplifi...rbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJtZ2xlbkBpaW5ldC5uZXQuYXUifQ==

 

[jonstatt]

Well Naim is Focal’s sister company. So seems sort of a coincidence that they end the Focal Arche and then introduced a new headphone amp to showcase their headphones. Also looked up that fire took place in Oct of last year but Focal started $1000 discount before that. I’m assuming the discount was to unload stock and discontinue the dac.

Besides streaming, this device allows you to hook up a hard drive to use as a server, so you can play your own music as well.

Here’s a review. And see Amazon already has it. Can be shipped by the 15th.

https://www.audioholics.com/amplifier-reviews/naim-uniti-atom-headphone-edition-the-future-of-streaming?utm_source=Addicted To Audio&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Introducing Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition (YhKtQq)&utm_content=campaign-email&_ke=eyJrbF9jb21wYW55X2lkIjogIktiUkhFayIsICJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJtZ2xlbkBpaW5ldC5uZXQuYXUifQ==

They may have released it at the same time as ending the Arche but it is not Class A to the same power levels at low impedance , it doesn't seem to have optimised presets for focal headphones, and adding the streamer is actually a detractor for me. Glad I got Arche before it disappeared.

Uniti only achieves 3.2mW at class A with 32 ohm impedance
Arche achieves 2x1W at class A at 32 ohms

 

[iamoneagain]

They may have released it at the same time as ending the Arche but it is not Class A to the same power levels at low impedance , it doesn't seem to have optimised presets for focal headphones, and adding the streamer is actually a detractor for me. Glad I got Arche before it disappeared.

Uniti only achieves 3.2mW at class A with 32 ohm impedance
Arche achieves 2x1W at class A at 32 ohms

Yeah, kind surprised it’s not optimized for Focal Headphones like the Focal Arche.

I do a lot of steaming but have no need for a display and found HQPlayer really take the Arche up a notch. I’ll also be able to run Spotify hifi thru HQPlayer once it’s released. This new device can’t work as a HQPlayer NAA endpoint as far as I can see. You also lose the nifty headphone stand. And for some reason the 4 pin balanced headphone output is on the back of the unit like an afterthought.

 

[ASIN]

"...some reason the 4 pin balanced headphone input is on the back of the unit like an afterthought."

Too many bells and whistles with not enough common-sense. I would have thought that, "4 pin balanced" would be what the majority of high-end Head-fiers used and you do not want to have extra long cables just to reach the back.

No doubt I will own one this time next year...

 

[iamoneagain]

"...some reason the 4 pin balanced headphone input is on the back of the unit like an afterthought."

Too many bells and whistles with not enough common-sense. I would have thought that, "4 pin balanced" would be what the majority of high-end Head-fiers used and you do not want to have extra long cables just to reach the back.

No doubt I will own one this time next year...

Well there’s the over $10k Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC that does the same thing. I heard it’s an amazing dac but was given just ok review of its headphone output. At least the Focal Arche seems to be a great headphone amp with a decent dac. And with upsampling software can turn most decent dacs into great ones.

I don’t have direct comparison but could swear my Focal Arche with HQPlayer (sinc-m, DSD 64 setting) is better than the Chord Dave /mscaler combo I used to have. Hearing a few things in same recordings I didn’t hear before. HQPlayer improves the bass texture, depth and layering compared to stock Focal Arche.

 

[jonstatt]

"...some reason the 4 pin balanced headphone input is on the back of the unit like an afterthought."

Too many bells and whistles with not enough common-sense. I would have thought that, "4 pin balanced" would be what the majority of high-end Head-fiers used and you do not want to have extra long cables just to reach the back.

No doubt I will own one this time next year...

Moon Audio will love this as they will get a load of orders for short xlr female to male cables to bring the socket to the front

 

[jonstatt]

Well there’s the over $10k Molo Molo dac that does the same thing. I heard it’s an amazing dac but was given just ok review of its headphone output. At least the Focal Arche seems to be a great headphone amp with a decent dac. And with upsampling software can turn most decent dacs into great ones.

I don’t have direct comparison but could swear my Focal Arche with HQPlayer (sinc-m, DSD 64 setting) is better than the Chord Dave /mscaler combo I used to have. Hearing a few things in same recordings I didn’t hear before. HQPlayer improves the bass texture, depth and layering compared to stock Focal Arche.

I have Dave / Blu II right next to Arche. Arche is definitely not as detailed BUT Arche has more character and with Utopia in particularly gets this warm but detailed full bodied sound that hugs you emotionally in a way Dave doesn't. Dave is accurate, reference, revealing but lacks personality. Arche is a very good Rioja. Dave/Blu II is a chateauneuf du pape . From my experiments, most of that Arche character comes from the amp not the DAC.

 

[iamoneagain]

I have Dave / Blu II right next to Arche. Arche is definitely not as detailed BUT Arche has more character and with Utopia in particularly gets this warm but detailed full bodied sound that hugs you emotionally in a way Dave doesn't. Dave is accurate, reference, revealing but lacks personality. Arche is a very good Rioja. Dave/Blu II is a chateauneuf du pape . From my experiments, most of that Arche character comes from the amp not the DAC.

Using HQPlayer takes the Focal Arche to another level. I didn’t like HQPlayer as much as the mscaler with the Dave, but I was also running it directly out of my iMac at the time. I now have roon on a Intel Nuc sending to iMac running HQPlayer and then back to my Link II with NAA endpoint. So light weight endpoint with excellent usb output. No computer noise or RFI interference.

But I think I find the tone of the Focal Arche better than the Dave when using the Utopia setting. Just has a bit extra bloom the Dave is missing. Whether this is less accurate or not, who knows, but it sounds better to me.

 

[supermj]

I contacted SCV who were the UK distributors for Focal, but now are no longer the distributors. They told me to contact Naim who should now be handling any problems, they told me they would investigate and the next day i got this e-mail… >

So, it’s not the best news I’m afraid. I’ve spoken to one of the folks a bit higher up in the Focal UK food chain, and apparently - owing to the Arche being discontinued - Focal are very unlikely to go through with an update for this product to resolve the bug.
It would be worth checking you’re 100% up to date though; updates are available here:
https://www.focal.com/en/technical-...es/headphones-electronics/amplifier-dac/arche
But to be honest if you want to have the best bet for a resolution, I would contact Focal directly, as of course the folks over in Saint-Étienne have much closer ties to the Focal software department than we do.
Focal support is contactable at: support.tech@focal.com
Really sorry I couldn’t throw you a better bone on this one.
Kind regards,
Henry

 

[supermj]

I have e-mailed support.tech@focal.com and am awaiting their reply, but to be honest i don't expect much hope.

 

[ASIN]

Thank you for letting us know. Even if it is discontinued, the fact so many of us made them aware of the fault and were told they were working on it, I hope they were telling the truth.

 

[supermj]

I am now the owner of the new Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition and delighted to say there are no connecting issues here and it sounds good too.

 

[iamoneagain]

I am now the owner of the new Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition and delighted to say there are no connecting issues here and it sounds good too.

How’s it compare to the Focal Arche?

And how could it have connection issues when it’s really a one box solution? I believe you can’t even hook a pc directly to it thru usb. Has a standard USB port for a drive only. I guess could use other digital connections but misses the point.

I have one arriving on Tuesday, so I’ll be able to compare the sound quality myself. I stopped using HQPlayer with my Focal Arche because of issues and delays but found I still love the Focal Arche sound all on its own. I’m just hoping the Naim is as fun and has a full, punchy sound. Based on what I’ve read, seems like it.

Kind of sad if they don’t follow thru and fix the software issue. I’ve had no real issues using the latest software. I tried installing the original one and couldn’t get it to play at all with my streamer.

One thing that may help people is to shut off the sleep mode. It doesn’t get to warm at all and it’s ready to go. I have screen set to turn off after 30 seconds.