“From functionality through to physical design, IK Multimedia has completely nailed it”: IK Multimedia ARC On-Ear review

What is it?

With more and more audio users relying on headphones for critical tasks, having a reliable and predictable headphone setup is a must. ARC On-Ear from IK Multimedia takes its established correction technology and bundles it into a palm-sized headphone monitoring device designed specifically for this task.

Operating either as a USB output-only interface (stereo, 24-bit, up to 192kHz) or via its own stereo analogue input (3.5mm stereo jack), ARC On-Ear provides both headphone correction and virtual mix room features. It works in conjunction with its own ARC On-Ear desktop app, and once set up, can also operate as a standalone device, processing any input source.

The layout is pretty straightforward with 3.5mm analogue input, USB-C socket and power switch on the back, and ¼” headphone output on the front. Power is via USB-C or from the onboard rechargeable battery. On the top panel, you’ll find the output level knob and three backlit soft buttons (calibrate, studio and function). Finally, a five-part LED indicates which of the five onboard presets is currently selected.

The box includes two IK Multimedia branded leads – USB-C to USB-C and 3.5mm mini jack to mini jack with screw fit ¼” jack converter, and you also get a rather nice zip-up case, which easily accommodates all the components. The enclosed registration card gets you access to downloads, including the ARC On-Ear app, manual and Windows ASIO driver.

Performance

At under 80mm square, ARC On-Ear is very compact. The metal case construction feels reassuringly solid, meanwhile, the partially rubberised base helps with desktop stability. The understated black and dark grey casework is accented with orange labelling and button backlighting, and the same colour scheme is used for the included USB-C and jack cables. The whole package looks great alongside a laptop and the short 0.6m cables perfectly suit that task. That said, if you’re using it with a desktop setup, you might want to budget for some longer cables.

ARC On-Ear works in tandem with its own dedicated desktop app and it’s here that you select your specific headphones so they can be corrected to match IK’s more neutral target curve. ARC On-Ear currently has over 200 headphone profiles. There’s support for many classics (Beyerdynamic DT 100) as well as budget options such as Superlux, and premium brands such as Audeze, Ollo and Steven Slate Audio. Importantly, IK Multimedia is committed to expanding the list, with future support to include Apple’s AirPods Max and a number of wired in-ear models.

In use, the Calibration option is quite transformative for very coloured headphones (DT 100, for example), but more subtle for flatter monitor styles. Although there’s no overall depth setting for the calibration, you can tweak it using the tilt style tone dial (warm to bright). Further options include phase alignment and a 3-band user EQ, which you access via the Frequency Response display.

ARC On-Ear’s other key feature is the virtual mix room (Studio Simulation), and this can be used either on its own or in conjunction with the Virtual Speaker emulation – there’s a choice of 25 monitors. It uses physical modelling and an optional Ambience setting to emulate a mixing room environment. You can adjust the overall width and solo left/right speakers. In use, the studio aspect is quite subtle, with a general narrowing of the stereo image, and we found this assisted when setting both levels and panning. The speakers, meanwhile, can have a greater impact, particularly if you choose the ’80s classic option (NS-10M).

The Calibration and Studio Simulation options can be easily activated on the hardware, meanwhile the function button (FN) is user-assignable from within the app and includes handy options such as dim, mute and mono. Finally, the app automatically stores its settings to the currently selected preset. The five presets are particularly handy for standalone use, and you can cycle through them using the Cal + Function buttons.

Verdict

All told, ARC On-Ear is a fabulous device that provides multiple features to assist with headphone use. What’s more, it can be used alongside or instead of your existing audio interface and is compact enough to carry around in your pocket.

Hands-on demos

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ARC ON•EAR - Overview - YouTube

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Specifications

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