Same here. I leave mine on all the time and it never gets too hot to touch.
When I had mine, I kept it in my enclosed 1.5U rack shelf, so maybe the heat was due to it not being out in the open.
It’s not just your review. I read @torq’s review before purchasing and he mentions it as well.
“The pure-class A amplifier stage (and you can tell it really is class-A just from the warmth emanating from the box)…”
Warmth and hot to touch are different.
Ok. How about objective measurement? Same review just after the text I quoted:
My results after 10 mins of warmup followed by 10 mins of playback on high gain at about 75% of max volume:
Schiit Magni: 95 deg F
Focal Arche: 86 deg F
A Class A unit, like the Arche, doesn’t change its thermal output based on gain or output level … the output devices are operating at a constant level/power dissipation all the time. Hence, such a unit will reach the same temperature, in the same time, in the same conditions whether you’re listening loudly with demanding headphones, or just letting it sit there switched on and otherwise doing nothing (with possible minor variations based on the DAC portion’s workload … which in a chassis the size of the Arche probably contributes 1℉ or 2℉ between the extremes).
From memory, I’d had the unit running for a couple of hours when I took that FLIR shot, which is about what I’d expect it to take for a unit of that size to reach full thermal equilibrium. Unit was on a desk top, with free airflow all around (at least 6 inches on either side), no devices under it, and a clear 6 feet above it, in a 72℉ room.
Note: The indicated temperature region boxes on the Arche show the average temperature of the enclosed area. If you took a point-reading at the front or rear of the case (using a normal IR thermometer) it’d be 10-12℉ cooler.
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And 86-106 degrees isn’t that hot, not to the touch.
Ok I let mine run for 4 hours in a 72℉ room and using an IR thermometer I measured a peak spot of 101.1℉ which was the same spot I got the 86℉ peak reading before. So letting it warm up longer definitely makes a big difference.
I still think a 7.3℉ difference is a bit odd but what do I know? 
To be clear I was never looking at this as an issue with anyone’s review or with the Focal Arche itself. I just thought it was strange to read two different people mention the heat and yet I wouldn’t consider it to be out of the ordinary or worth mentioning. So being the curious person I am I started to wonder why this might be.
Don’t do it on my account.
I really don’t care.
I just wanted to put the proper context around the FLIR image you were using, since it was mine.
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No worries I’m doing this because I’m interested. I just replied to your post to keep this as a clear thread in this topic.
Your input was very helpful for me in looking into this and your review was a major reason I made this purchase, which I have no regrets in doing. This was my first amp/DAC purchase of this tier and my first pure class A amp so I’m just trying to learn as much as I can.
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Has anyone got any other feedback from Focal on the USB handshake issue? I’ve sent multiple emails (going back to April) even tried connecting with the CEO on LinkedIn, I know this all sounds very Karen like, but when you drop $2500 on a device that is so clearly flawed you expect even a smidge of customer service. I’m going to give it one month, then I’ll give up, sell the Arche and get Chord amp/dac.
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I agree, very frustrating, you expect it to do the fundamental basics like when you turn it on and connect to your source. Mine seems to be getting worse and harder to connect, sometimes turning it on and off several times to work. Come on Focal pull your finger out and get it sorted.
Mario, when the Arche “stops working”, I find that a restart of my mac seems to work the best, I then leave the Arche in standby mode, these electronics don’t like being turned on and off. I’ll try and contact my dealer where I got the Sopra speakers, maybe they can put me in touch with someone at Focal 
Exactly. No turn off, no problem.
This is challenge with Focal. They are an audio manufacturer and not a software company.
It’s sad to read about the issues some people are experiencing. I don’t know if I represent a majority or minority but I’ve had no issues with my Arche/Stellia combination so far running off Windows PC (driver version4.47.0). Hopefully Focal improves their support by providing a clear guide to updates and an easy way to roll back drivers.
Regarding heat, I measured 113°F at the central heatsinks and 93°F at the surrounding top surface after running all day which is warm but I can place my hand on it without burning myself. I leave the Arche on all the time and let it go into standby automatically and it wakes up perfectly every morning.
On the topic of volume, I rarely go over 30 with my Stellias on low gain. I tried high gain at 30 and it’s uncomfortably loud!! 35 is about as loud as I go. My chain is Spotify>PC>Toslink>Arche>Stellia original cables (balanced and SE are pretty close in volume).
A bit off-topic but the Stellias sound better and better over time with bass that goes very low (as low as my Anandas) with little to no flab. Detail retrieval is amazing.
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I don’t like to leave my equipment on all the time and it’s a poor excuse just because a company can’t get their basic software right that i have to leave it on. We’re talking about turning on a piece of equipment to make it work on how it should. My TV has had Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and a ton of other upgrades through firmware updates in the 3 years since i have had it. Surely Focal can sort a switching on problem ? Maybe they should employ or get help from someone in who is a software expert.
Nick, i’ve mentioned this on other forums, i’ve tried all ways you could think off to get it going on first switch on. Once it’s on and connected it is absolutely fine for the rest of the session. I have also left it in standby mode, but the next day i still have to go through the on/off sequence again.
I have the option to purchase a brand new Arche for £1300 to use with my Focal Utopia.
Anyone tried using the Arche as an external soundcard with a Windows PC?
My use case would be PC (Roon)–>Arche–>Utopia
Many thanks in advance!
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That’s how I use my Arche with my Stellia. Works very well. Some people have usb issues and best way to avoid that is to leave it on most of the time. The combination works great and Arche really enhances the Stellia.
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Fantastic, thank you.
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