IK Multimedia has released version 1.3 of ARC ON•EAR, bringing a larger headphone database, a more refined virtual monitoring engine and a range of usability improvements to one of the most capable headphone correction systems on the market.
Mixing on headphones has always come with caveats. From translation issues and spatial distortion to the nagging feeling that what you’re hearing isn’t quite what everyone else will. ARC ON•EAR was built to address all of that, and version 1.3 keeps pushing the platform forward.
The headline addition is 12 new headphone calibration profiles, including the Apple AirPods Max, Audeze S20 and HEDDphone D1, among others. Each profile is measured using IK’s precision reference process and calibrated with the same amplifier circuit found in the ARC ON•EAR hardware, so the correction is consistent and reliable rather than just approximate. Combined with the hundreds of models already supported, the database is now one of the most comprehensive available for any headphone correction system.
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The virtual monitoring engine also gets attention in this update, with an improved ambience algorithm that delivers more natural depth and spatial realism. Importantly, it does so without adding artificial reverb or tonal colouration. The goal is still accurate translation, not flattery.
When it comes to usability, IK has made several small but meaningful changes that add up quickly in day-to-day use. Navigation arrows now let you move between headphone or virtual speaker models without digging through menus. Smart search has been added to the Headphone Browser, double-clicking a selection closes the browser automatically, and Device Presets can now be copied, pasted, moved and restored to default. The frequency response graph also gains optional curve visibility, while User Trim parameters can be reset with a double-click or adjusted via the mouse wheel, the kind of detail that saves real time when you’re deep in a session.
Whether you’re working late at night, tracking in an untreated room or producing on the road, ARC ON•EAR 1.3 continues to make a compelling case for headphone-based monitoring done properly.
The version 1.3 firmware and software update is available for free to all registered ARC ON•EAR users via IK Product Manager.
Head to IK Multimedia for more information. For local enquiries, head here.
