I was looking for reviews this morning & found this. As this amp is on my wishlist, can anyone confirm?
Note: Shortly after we finished writing this review, we were informed that Focal is discontinuing this product. We decided to publish anyway for those still able to purchase a unit before inventory runs out.
Well, once Focal started bundling the Amp with the Utopia, Stellia and Clear at significant savings, I thought sales must not be meeting expectations. I ended up buying the Clear package for $3,000; the non bundled price was (I think) $37-3800 so quite a savings. At $2400 list there were better alternatives that weren’t brand specific. I already owned a Utopia and Stellia so I planned on selling the Clear (never did though) and realizing a discount on the Amp. It doesn’t have a remote and the single dial operation is pretty kludgy to be honest, but overall I actually like it. The device didn’t play well with some DAP’s and occasionally wouldn’t connect to my devices. There was supposed to be a software update but I don’t believe that ever happened.
Well the Focal Arche was made by Micromega, another French company. The Naim Uniti is out of the UK, but is a sister company of Focal. They were both made with Focal Headphones being their first priority. The Focal Arche was excellent value when they were offering the discount and sounds amazing with the Focal Utopia. I also have the Naim Uniti Atom HE, it’s a bit more expensive but includes an excellent streamer and is the sleekest setup I’ve own as far as looks and ease of use. I just moved it to another room and only had to unplug it and plug it back in and ready to go. I still really like the Focal Arche and holding on to it as possible second setup.
Think you can still find open box Focal Arche at dealers or hopefully find one used.
Would anyone stump up £1499.99 for this? Big discount but is it worth the risk with known issues? I have Stellia and Utopia on the way. Also have Fiio R7 so I could use that as a streamer only if usb handshake issue arises.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
