Focal Archer headphone amp in perfect conditions. Bought from AddictedToAudio about two years ago. Still has the original box.

The amplifier is pure class A (it can get warm after running a while). In addition, it got presets for many Focal headphones (e.g., Utopia, Clear, etc) to get the optimal tonal balance. I think the processing is done digitally, so the presets don’t work if you are using the analog inputs. However, you can still choose between Voltage and Hybrid mode. I found the Hybrid mode sounds amazing on my HD800s.

It has top quality dual AKM 4490 chips and supports PCM up to 384 kHz and DSD 256 via USB. The dac itself sounds precise and clear. I even prefer using it to play DSD than my $1700 Denafrips Ares 12th.

The analog outputs (XLR and RCA) are pre-out. And unfortunately, there is no line out mode, and you have to turn up the volume to 99 every time if you want to use it as a pure Dac.

There are two minor issues I found with the Arche, which were also mentioned by other Arche owners, so it’s not specific to my unit

1. sometimes the USB may fail to handshake with the PC (I don’t know if the same issue occurs on MacOS). After unplugging and replugging in the USB cable, it will work again (no need to restart). There is a firmware update available from Focal, but it doesn’t fix the handshake issue, and it will limit the digital format to 192 kHz and DSD64. This unit is kept at the ORIGINAL firmware.

2. When plugging in an unbalanced headphone via the 1/4” socket, the machine will make a buzzing noise for less than 1 sec (not audible via the headphone). If plugging in via the balanced XLR socket, it doesn’t make the noise.