IK Multimedia’s ARC X is software that measures the sound of a room with a measurement microphone and corrects the distortion of the sound caused by the room’s ring. You can choose a simple measurement with 1, 3 or 7 points or a detailed one with 21 points, and the correction works in both frequency and time (phase). It can also reproduce how more than 20 famous monitors and playback devices sound.
Monitor correction software corrects the quirks of speakers and headphones and the ring of the room so that you can hear sound accurately.
In this article we compare ARC X with 8 monitor correction programs and rate how well it serves its purpose on three criteria. The basis is official manufacturer information.
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Score 3.7 / 5 (average of the 8 products compared: 3.2)
- Specs last checked
- 2026/09/25
- What it can correct
- Speakers
- Supported headphones
- — (for speakers)
- Correction controls
- Phase method, 9 target curves
- Price (store, date)
- $149.99 [PB, checked Oct 26]
Image: from the IK Multimedia official website (product image for the press)
Summary
Among the 8 monitor correction programs, ARC X is rank A. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and A is second from the top. Averaging the scores for the three criteria (out of 5) gives 3.7.
Strengths
- Correction controls (4 points): you can adjust the correction method and strength in detail.
- Checking how it sounds elsewhere (4 points): you can reproduce how a mix sounds on many devices and check it.
Who it suits: people who work on speakers and feel that the room makes the bass and other sounds hard to hear correctly.
Main features of ARC X
Measure the room and correct the speakers
ARC X is software that corrects the sound of your speakers: you connect a measurement microphone, measure as guided, and IK’s VRM technology captures the room’s ring three-dimensionally. It corrects in both time and frequency, and you can choose the phase method from Natural and Linear.
Nine target curves
You can choose the target of the correction from nine curves, from a flat one to ones tilted toward a preferred sound. You can also fine-tune it yourself.
How it sounds on 20+ devices
It can reproduce how more than 20 famous monitor speakers and playback devices sound. Without moving from your usual position, you can check how a mix sounds in other environments.
Set the range to correct
You can adjust the low-end and high-end range that the correction is applied to, so you can correct while keeping the character of your monitor speakers. The correction is used as a plug-in on the master track of your DAW, and no extra equipment is needed. There is also a software-only edition that comes without the measurement microphone.
Where it is useful
- Correcting the skew from the room to make bass decisions easier
- Changing the target curve to work with a sound that is less tiring
- Checking how a mix sounds on other speakers
Rating by criterion
What it can correct: 3 / 5
We look at whether it can correct speakers, headphones or both.
It measures the room with a measurement microphone and corrects the speakers.
Correction controls: 4 / 5
We look at whether you can choose or adjust the correction method and its strength.
You can choose from the phase correction method (Natural or Linear) and nine target curves.
Checking how it sounds elsewhere: 4 / 5
We look at whether it can reproduce how a mix sounds on other speakers, phones and other devices.
It can reproduce how more than 20 famous monitors and playback devices sound.
How we score (Monitor correction software)
| Criterion | Basis | 5 pt | 4 pt | 3 pt | 2 pt | 1 pt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it can correct | Whether it can correct speakers, headphones or both | Both speakers and headphones | — | Either one | — | — |
| Correction controls | Which of the correction method (phase and so on), the target curve and the amount of correction you can choose or adjust | All three | Two of the three | One of the three | None | — |
| Checking how it sounds elsewhere | Whether it can reproduce how the mix sounds on other speakers and everyday devices | 40 or more devices and environments | 20 or more devices and environments | Can reproduce them, but the number is not stated | — | Cannot reproduce them |
Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: hearing a correctly balanced sound in a home-studio room or on headphones. Scores follow the conditions in the table above. So that speaker products and headphone products can be compared by the same standard, there are three criteria: "What it can correct", "Correction controls" and "Checking how it sounds elsewhere". The number of supported headphones is shown in the table for reference. The basis is official manufacturer information. How well the correction works has not been measured, so it is not scored, and neither are the price or any supplied measurement microphone. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent.
ARC X screens and images
Image: from the IK Multimedia official website (product image for the press)
Image: from the IK Multimedia official website (product image for the press)
ARC X system requirements and getting started
| Operating system | Windows / Mac |
|---|---|
| Plug-in formats | Windows: VST3, AAX / Mac: AU, VST3, AAX |
| Other | Measuring needs an audio interface with an XLR microphone input with phantom power, and a measurement microphone |
Checked on the manufacturer’s official pages on September 27, 2026.
Compared with other monitor correction programs
Click a heading to sort. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.
| Product | RankAvg. score | What it can correct | Supported headphones | Correction controls | Checking how it sounds elsewhere | Price (store, date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SonarworksSoundID Reference | A 4.0 | Speakers and headphones | 500+ models | Method, target curve | Cars, phones and more | $249 [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| IK MultimediaARC X | A 3.7 | Speakers | — (for speakers) | Phase method, 9 target curves | 20+ | $149.99 [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| dSONIQRealphones 2 | A 3.7 | Headphones | 200+ models | Amount of correction | 40+ | $54 (sale; regular $99) [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| ToneboostersMorphit | B 3.3 | Headphones | 666+ models | Amount, target curve | Other headphones, speakers | ≈$43.72 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| WavesNx Virtual Mix Room | B 2.7 | Headphones | 270 models | Room settings only | Virtual mix room | Not listed |
| WavesAbbey Road Studio 3 | B 2.7 | Headphones | 270 models | Monitor distance only | 3 kinds of monitors | Not listed |
| EmbodyImmerse Virtual Studio | B 3.0 | Headphones | Not stated on the official page | Headphone correction amount | Several studios | Not listed |
| SonarworksSoundID Reference Virtual Monitoring | B 2.7 | Headphones | 500+ models | Not confirmed on the official page | 13 kinds of environments | $129 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
Features checked on each manufacturer's official website on September 25, 2026. Check the store page behind the buy button for the price.
Read next
- SoundID Reference: features and rating (rank A)
- Realphones 2: features and rating (rank A)
- Morphit: features and rating (rank B)
- Nx Virtual Mix Room: features and rating (rank B)
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