[supermj]

Does anyone know how to make the Arche connect to a device, whether it's a DAP or a computer without having to switch it on and off a couple of times to make it work ?

 

[supermj]

Double post.

 

[Gadget67]

Does anyone know how to make the Arche connect to a device, whether it's a DAP or a computer without having to switch it on and off a couple of times to make it work ?

For some reason, the sequence seems to be important. When I connect my Sony WM1Z, I have to turn the Arche on and wait until it gets to the display showing the number 20. Then I connect the device and that seems to work consistently.

 

[supermj]

For some reason, the sequence seems to be important. When I connect my Sony WM1Z, I have to turn the Arche on and wait until it gets to the display showing the number 20. Then I connect the device and that seems to work consistently.

Yeah, I’ve done that and just about every other way I can think of, but I have switch it off or put it into standby then switch on to recognize the device.

 

[Gadget67]

Yeah, I’ve done that and just about every other way I can think of, but I have switch it off or put it into standby then switch on to recognize the device.

I use the Sony charging base when connecting to the Arche. I actually haven’t tried connecting my PC so if I have time later, I’ll play with that. It works consistently as described in my post above. It works erratically if I turn on the Arche when the WM1Z is in the base. I certainly agree it’s strange and doesn’t make sense.

 

[hmss007]

Does the Arche automatically mute the preamp outputs if headphones are inserted?

I'm sure this has already been answered for you, but NO it does not mute the mains when headphones are inserted. It's the main reason I ended up trading mine for something different.

 

[hmss007]

Just in case there is interest in my experience with the Focal Arche, the short answer is that I ended up trading it for a different DAC less than a week after owning it.

The Arche is an amazing piece of hardware and for someone that will use it exclusively with headphones - it’s main purpose - then it’s probably perfect for you. For me, my desktop DAC also serves as a preamp that I connect to my Focal CMS speakers and sub and that is what I listen to for most of the day from various digital sources. I listen with headphones on occasion, so it’s important that it can drive that as well.

There are two things about the Focal Arche that became negative for me - enough that I had to find something else.

The main negative is that the mains output (XLR/RCA outputs are always active), I had expected them to be muted when I connected my headphones (this is how all my previous DAC/preamp units worked), so it didn’t even occur to me that this was not “just the way it was”. Having to manually turn off my speakers and sub when I wanted to listen with headphones, just was not practical.

The other negative was that the unit gets very, very hot. So hot that I could not keep my hand on the top for more than 30 seconds before it would get uncomfortable. My desk has a pair of 2U shelves and I keep all my equipment in these areas, so with the Arche getting so hot, it heated up the nearby electronics and just wasn’t right for the long-term. IF I kept it on the desktop, out in the open, perhaps even used the supplied headphone stand, it might not have mattered all that much. But for my use, this became a deal-breaker as well.

Finally, there are a few little items that I was fully aware of before and considered they were not all that big of a deal, but Focal really should think about them as they consider their next iteration of the Arche.

The pointy metal feet really don’t make sense. My desk is made out of wood, so the pointy feet would scratch it up to death. The included pads don’t stick so it’s a bit of a puzzle game trying to line them up and they don’t stay put when you move the unit (like inserting headphones and you need some leverage). They should use rubber or soft feet that are friendly to all surfaces and don’t scratch.

Where is the remote? For this price class of a unit, there should be a remote included. I had the Arche within an arms length most of the time, so it was not a big deal. But most remotes have a “mute” button which is very useful when you are trying to have meetings throughout the day and you want to mute the audio. If the unit doesn’t have a dedicated mute button on it, the remote usually fills this need.

Finally, the other user improvement should be how the inputs are changed. If I want to go from USB to COAX, I have to click the knob, go to “input” (click again), and then rotate to select my input. It’s buried 2 levels into the menu - why not just have buttons for the inputs on the front and I can just pick it and quickly switch. Or have a dedicated input knob that rotates through them? Like volume, switching inputs is probably the 2nd most frequent thing you do with a DAC and it should be right on the front.

If you’ve read this far, thank you! I think the Focal Arche is a great piece of equipment and for the right person, it’s probably the perfect equipment for them. It just was not for me.

I also wanted others to be aware of the shortcomings that I had not thought to seek out or learn about as I had, wrongly, made assumptions that all DACs had basic similarities for base functions.

Thanks

[I posted this same commentary on another forum as well]

 

[KPzypher]

Just in case there is interest in my experience with the Focal Arche, the short answer is that I ended up trading it for a different DAC less than a week after owning it.

The Arche is an amazing piece of hardware and for someone that will use it exclusively with headphones - it’s main purpose - then it’s probably perfect for you. For me, my desktop DAC also serves as a preamp that I connect to my Focal CMS speakers and sub and that is what I listen to for most of the day from various digital sources. I listen with headphones on occasion, so it’s important that it can drive that as well.

There are two things about the Focal Arche that became negative for me - enough that I had to find something else.

The main negative is that the mains output (XLR/RCA outputs are always active), I had expected them to be muted when I connected my headphones (this is how all my previous DAC/preamp units worked), so it didn’t even occur to me that this was not “just the way it was”. Having to manually turn off my speakers and sub when I wanted to listen with headphones, just was not practical.

The other negative was that the unit gets very, very hot. So hot that I could not keep my hand on the top for more than 30 seconds before it would get uncomfortable. My desk has a pair of 2U shelves and I keep all my equipment in these areas, so with the Arche getting so hot, it heated up the nearby electronics and just wasn’t right for the long-term. IF I kept it on the desktop, out in the open, perhaps even used the supplied headphone stand, it might not have mattered all that much. But for my use, this became a deal-breaker as well.

Finally, there are a few little items that I was fully aware of before and considered they were not all that big of a deal, but Focal really should think about them as they consider their next iteration of the Arche.

The pointy metal feet really don’t make sense. My desk is made out of wood, so the pointy feet would scratch it up to death. The included pads don’t stick so it’s a bit of a puzzle game trying to line them up and they don’t stay put when you move the unit (like inserting headphones and you need some leverage). They should use rubber or soft feet that are friendly to all surfaces and don’t scratch.

Where is the remote? For this price class of a unit, there should be a remote included. I had the Arche within an arms length most of the time, so it was not a big deal. But most remotes have a “mute” button which is very useful when you are trying to have meetings throughout the day and you want to mute the audio. If the unit doesn’t have a dedicated mute button on it, the remote usually fills this need.

Finally, the other user improvement should be how the inputs are changed. If I want to go from USB to COAX, I have to click the knob, go to “input” (click again), and then rotate to select my input. It’s buried 2 levels into the menu - why not just have buttons for the inputs on the front and I can just pick it and quickly switch. Or have a dedicated input knob that rotates through them? Like volume, switching inputs is probably the 2nd most frequent thing you do with a DAC and it should be right on the front.

If you’ve read this far, thank you! I think the Focal Arche is a great piece of equipment and for the right person, it’s probably the perfect equipment for them. It just was not for me.

I also wanted others to be aware of the shortcomings that I had not thought to seek out or learn about as I had, wrongly, made assumptions that all DACs had basic similarities for base functions.

Thanks

[I posted this same commentary on another forum as well]

Great post! I couldn't agree more with your overall assessment. The things you've pointed out as cons are my biggest gripes as well. Lack of a remote didn't really bother me until I used it as a preamp for my monitors. One other thing to add is the auto volume reset can be a PITA if you use it as a preamp or use it in a pure DAC mode. Wish it had a fixed volume mode for that.

It's a great HP amp but mediocre at best for other usage.

 

[NCUS]

I agree with some of these points. The lack of memory for the volume control is particularly annoying. However, since I use the Arche only as a headphone amp/DAC, most of the other cons don't bother me. As a headphone amp, it offers great sound.

The heat is because the Arche is a Class A device. I have a Krell 300wpc amp and Krell preamp, both of which run exceptionally hot but both are built like tanks and have had zero operating issues over time. The Arche, being significantly lower power, is not nearly as hot.

 

[hmss007]

I agree with you @NCUS, if I was going to use it exclusively as a headphone amp on my desktop or shelf, it is amazing.

 

[supermj]

I asked SCV (Focal distributor for the UK) if they were aware of the problem on the starting up of the Arche and this is what they said… "I see, thank you for confirming. We (and Focal) are aware of the power-cycling issue, often the device and Arche have to turned off to establish audio output, this also seems to be the case if the device goes into a sleep mode.
We’ve been talking to them about it so it is definitely being investigated. As to when a firmware fix might become available I do not have any ETA at this time. I’m sure as soon as there is news of one there will be an announcement on the forums." Good, so eventually something might be done.

 

[diggygun]

I have the Focal Elears and love the look of the Focal Headphone Stand. I know that they are a premium brand, but £250 for a stand is a tad dear and I’m still considering getting one. Unfortunately none appear to come up for sale on Ebay, so still waiting.

 

[szore]

Hello,

Have you heard the Focal Arche and compared to other similarly priced headphone amps?

Any good? What are your thoughts or impressions?

I would be using it to driving either/both:
- Focal Clear
- Sennheiser HD650

Does it have enough juice for the HD650?

Thanks!

I never heard it but it seems a bit expensive.

 

[szore]

The Arche gets hot yeah, but it's not an issue for me. I do not think it is going to roast the headphones. I wouldn't worry about it.

As for complains, I agree with Gadget67:

- I would prefer a dedicated input control instead of pushing in the volume knob
- A remote would be a nice-to-have, but I can reach the control from where I sit at my desk so not a big issue
- I've had 2 random shutdowns when using it, both while rotating the volume control. I've since updated the firmware and haven't seen it again, so hope it was a glitch that's been worked out.

Other than that (a bit nitpicking but hey, it's $2,500 unit) I think it's freaking great.

Huge wins:
- Amazing sound, mega dynamics and authority with the Clears. Detailed without being bright
- Balanced input (not easy to find!)
- built-in stand
- DAC
- Volume control feels great
- Very solid build quality

I wonder how it compares to my $700 Questyle 400i. I mean, I'm sure it's 'better', but I wonder by how much.

 

[szore]

I love it! I bought it with the Clear so I got the $1000 discount. I can't speak to comparisons with other $2,500 headphone amps, but for $1500 I think it's a really good value as it's a robust headphone amp and a flexible DAC, and the built in headphone stand is nice.

I haven't A/Bed it with another amp, but I can tell you that I'm pretty hard to please, and the Clear/Arche setup is absolutely next level. The bass on this kicks in and it's like WOW. I thought my Sennheiser HD650 had pretty good bass, but these are like a whole nother level. Also the detail in general is really good.

So yeah, I'm a happy customer and I strongly recommend the Clear/Arche combo.

I would like to A/B it with my RNHP amp that I use with my HD650, I'll let you know when I do that and what the results are. Built quality is much better on the Arche.

I found the Clear to be too harsh and clinical.