Rock Jaw Arcana V2 Review

Rock Jaw have aimed high with the beautifully designed Arcana V2 earphones. With an eye for detail and precision engineering – these look to make waves in the marketplace. Find out how what we think and how they sound in our Rock Jaw Arcana V2 review.

UK based Rock Jaw are on a mission to produce earphones that combine high quality audio with an affordable price tag. Behind the scenes, they have had previous lives in the music industry and as a result know how music should sound. With an attention to detail that is often missed lower down the price scale – Rock Jaw are thinking big with their latest range of earphones. We’re having a look at the Arcana V2 which appears at the lower, more affordable end of their range.

British Engineered

The first thing you notice about the Arcana V2 is the packaging. The box looks and feels very high quality, bringing you a great expectation about the contents. Once the outer sleeve has been removed, you are greeted by the earphones themselves which are securely nestled in their precision cut, foam surround. The box makes a bold statement – ‘British Engineered’, looking at both the box and its contents, you can see why.

The Arcana V2 earphones have been designed and manufactured to a very high standard. The quality of finish is exceptional with quality materials being used throughout. The earpiece housing is made from a beautifully finished rosewood with precision machined aluminium surrounds. The cable has a twisted appearance which helps to keep it tangle free during use, it can get a little caught up in storage – but this is a minor issue. You will also find a microphone and control button unit on the cable that meets the left earpiece, positioned to hang near you mouth for conversations on the go.

In the box you also get several sets of silicon eartips – there are 4 sets included, 1x large, 2x medium & 1x small. These feel a little softer to the touch than most silicon eartips – and they certainly look a lot better quality than many we’ve seen. The biggest upside to this, is the comfort. In use they feel very light and comfortable with virtually no ear fatigue at all – they also offer great sound isolation as well, which for use in an office environment worked very well indeed.

To finish off the package, you also get a nicely made storage pouch – which for once doesn’t feel like an afterthought and is a perfect way to keep you earphones tucked safely away in a pocket or bag when not in use.

Music As It Should Be Heard

Given their music industry background, Rock Jaw have set high expectations when it comes to how the Arcana V2 earphones sound. The good news is that they sound very good – definitely a step or 2 up from earphones in the ~£30 bracket. Overall, the level of detail is very high – you will hear new subtle details in tracks that you have listened to countless times before. While the bass is big and deep (it is a little enhanced) – it is very well balanced and to us, it sounds just as it should. The mid range brings great definition and precise details with a good crisp snap. The treble is very open and clear, allowing music to breathe in a very natural way. For once, we haven’t added any EQ…at all – we like the way they sound just as they are (tested on Sony Xperia Z with Google Play music).

It is worth noting that the pull out instruction sheet that comes with the Rock Jaw Arcana V2 earphones states that “All Rock Jaw in-ear headphones will require upwards of 100 hours usage time before that are at their best sound.”. While we haven’t managed to use them for quite that amount of time (around 20-30 hours at the time of writing), we have noticed that they have improved over time. The difference isn’t huge, but they have become more balanced overall with use (mostly in the the mid range and treble).

During testing, we also tried plugging these into a Playstation 4 controller – the results are impressive here as well. The deep bass and incredible detail really makes the gaming experience more intense and immersive – they are now our go to gaming earphones.

Rock Jaw Arcana V2 Review Conclusion

We think that Rock Jaw have come up with a damn fine set of earphones in the shape of the Arcana V2. We love the way they look, the high quality finish, and above all else – the way that they sound. We also think that they are very well priced and are definitely worth the £39.99 RRP. These are a must buy for anyone serious about their music and want to hear it the way that it should be heard.

You can also find them on the Rock Jaw website here: Arcana V2.

UPDATE: After using these for many, many more hours since reviewing them, we have become very attached to the Arcana V2. These are still our current go to earphones & absolutely love them for gaming!