IK Multimedia ARC ON-EAR

The world's first standalone headphone correction system

Correcting both tonal imbalance and spatial separation when listening to headphones is a challenge in itself. Combining these functions in a portable, standalone hardware device is a speciality. ARC ON-EAR is a studio-quality transducer and headphone amplifier that integrates both headphone calibration and studio simulation. It enables consistently accurate, speaker-like reproduction without the need for plugins, a software host or a DAW.

The device can store up to five presets in its internal memory, which can be recalled instantly. This makes ARC ON-EAR a stand-alone headphone correction system that can be used with almost any headphone model. Using a state-of-the-art measurement system from GRAS Acoustics, ARC ON-EAR captures the fine frequency response of each supported headphone model - taking into account the interaction of the drivers with the ear canal and the structures of the middle ear. These manually created profiles (over 250 to start with) form the basis of ARC ON-EAR's high-resolution calibration engine. It corrects tonal colourations for precise perception. This means that headphones can be used with the same reliability as tried and tested studio monitors.

One of the biggest challenges when mixing with headphones is spatial in nature: the drivers are positioned at a 180 degree angle to the ears, resulting in an unnaturally wide stereo image and a lack of spatial information. This makes decisions about reverberation, panorama and stereo width particularly difficult. ARC ON-EAR solves this problem with a specially developed crossfeed algorithm and a model for early reflections. The basis is psychoacoustic research, not convolution reverb. The result is a credible stereo image - comparable to listening through loudspeakers in a well-tuned room - without artificial colouration or listening fatigue.

Despite its compact design, ARC ON-EAR offers uncompromising audio quality, made possible by carefully selected high-end components. At its core is the ES9290 DAC, which ensures first-class digital-to-analogue conversion with a dynamic range of 116 dB and -110 dB THD+N. To maintain resolution even at low volumes, ARC ON-EAR uses digitally controlled analogue volume control. This ensures that the full bit depth is maintained at any volume level. In combination with a powerful headphone amplifier with 200 mW output power, even demanding studio headphones can be driven effortlessly and precisely.

Operation of ARC ON-EAR is simple and intuitive thanks to the ARC ON-EAR Control software. Each of the five integrated presets saves the headphone model used, the calibration profile, the studio simulation settings and the assignment of the FN button. The FN button can be individually assigned for common functions such as muting, dimming or quick A/B comparison, making everyday use particularly convenient. With support for both digital (USB-C) and analogue (3.5 mm) inputs, a rechargeable battery (up to 4 hours runtime) and a compact, travel-friendly design, ARC ON-EAR integrates seamlessly into any workflow - whether in the studio, on the move or in remote operation.