ROCK JAW ARCANA V2 Quick Review

ROCK JAW ARCANA V2 Quick Review

Thanks to ROCK JAW for the sample.

Brief:  Wow. 

Price:  £40 or about US$63 but I couldn’t actually find in the US yet.

Specification:  Drivers: 8mm dynamic, Impedance: 16Ω, Sensitivity: 108+/-3db, Frequency response: 20 – 20000Hz, Cord Length: 1.2M, Jack type: Gold plated 3.5mm, MIC

Accessories:  3 pairs of tips and a little baggy

Build Quality:  Lovely.  Seem well put together and the braided the cover cable I always like.

Isolation:  Rather good for a dynamic.  Not quite up to a daily Tube commute but would do fine for most people in most environments.  Naturally easily enough to get yourself run over if you aren’t paying attention.

Comfort/Fit:  Great.  Worn up or down, was a stick in ears and I was done.  Little bit of air pressure but nothing to be concerned about.

Aesthetics:  I really like them visually.  Personally I’d like a more grown up font used on them but its tiny anyway.  The wood and silver finish rather appeals to me. Much pretty.

Sound:  Wow.  Intensely exuberant and vigorously dynamic.  It’s got a really W shaped sound and it just wants to run perpetually wild.  It does a have a bit of a slant to the bass so expect abundance.  I’ll confess it got tiring for my ears but Christ, this thing is good.  The detail levels are fantastic everywhere and my god, it’s all just so explicitly forward everywhere.  It’s not something I’d ever find myself relaxing to, it’s all just so incredibly engaging and wild.  Even taking it side by side with the Telefunken TH-120 the ArcanaV2 still out energises it, then it goes on the actually out detail the GR06.  The 6 has been long standing as the “best” of this sort of price and while it’s still probably the more generalist, the Arcana V2 really gives it’s a thorough kicking.  Sure it won’t be loved by all as it’s just too dynamic and attention seeking.  It demands you pay it attention when they are playing so you will never sit back and relax with them.  Is that really a big flaw?  Their wild nature being too engaging for use every single day is as close am I getting to there being a problem with the Arcana V2.  Yes it’s pretty bloody awesome.

Just remember, this does not want to lend itself to mellow so it’s not the ideal generalist for eclectic musical tastes.  It’s not for “chillin’” it is there to engage you and captivate you whether you’re in the mood for that or not.

Value:  Just buy a pair and a I dare you think they’re not awesome.

Pro’s:   Wow!  Stunning, jaw dropping detail for the money.  Madly exuberant.

Con’s:  It really isn’t one to sit still and chill.