Focal Arche
Pure Class A DAC and headphone amplifier made in France, with dedicated presets for high-end Focal headphones.
Description
Arche is an electronic solution combining a digital-to-analogue converter and a headphone amplifier operating in pure Class A. Made in France, this unit acts as a bridge between modern digital sources and an audiophile headphone, while also being able to feed a living-room hi-fi system thanks to the performance of its converter.
The heart of the system relies on two symmetrical AK4490 digital-to-analogue converters, capable of processing PCM formats up to 384 kHz as well as DSD 256 via the USB input. The analogue signal is then handed over to two pure Class A amplification channels dedicated to the headphones, in a dual-mono construction applied from signal processing through to amplification. This architecture aims to preserve the original signal and reproduce the finest details of the recording. Arche can drive headphones with an impedance between 16 and 600 ohms, with a maximum power of 2 x 1 W at 1 kHz into 32 ohms, a frequency response of 10 Hz to 100 kHz, total harmonic distortion below 0.001% and a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 116 dB at 32 ohms.
The unit includes specific presets for high-fidelity Focal headphones (Utopia, Stellia, Clear, Elegia and Elear), updated via a USB stick to allow the electronic-acoustic pairing to evolve over time.
This type of unit is aimed at owners of audiophile headphones, particularly high-end Focal headphones, wishing to make the most of their potential thanks to calibrated amplification and a quality digital-to-analogue converter, whether for headphone listening or to feed a living-room hi-fi system.
Technical specifications
| Power | 2 x 1 W @ 1 kHz into 32 ohms |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz to 100 kHz |
| Total harmonic distortion (THD) | < 0.001% |
| Signal to noise ratio | > 116 dB @ 32 ohms (Class A) |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 321 x 200 x 297 mm |
| Weight | 4.65 kg |
| Connections | 1x unbalanced stereo analogue input RCA, 1x coaxial digital input S/PDIF (RCA), 1x optical digital input (TosLink), 1x USB digital input (USB-B), 1x balanced stereo analogue output XLR, 1x unbalanced stereo analogue output RCA |
What to check before buying used
On this type of headphone amplifier with a pure Class A design, the constant heat dissipation during operation accelerates the ageing of the internal capacitors: checking their condition after several years of use remains worthwhile. The volume potentiometer deserves a test across its full range, listening out for crackling or channel imbalance. It is also worth checking that the multiple connectors (USB-B, XLR, RCA, headphone jack) make good contact and show no mechanical play after repeated plugging cycles.
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