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Hey AC crowd. I have been very busy working behind the scenes as usual. I have some designs incoming very soon that some of you folks have been kind enough to assist in beta testing. One of these designs I am FINALLY ready to release. :dance:
I am very excited to announce a rather incredible new product. One that really changes the landscape for what Hapa Audio’s ‘entry level’ product looks like.
If you are interested in any of the Ember products, or ALL of them, this is the tour to be on! FORM (https://forms.clickup.com/8415154/f/80txj-460/9XJL0E0NXL23Z7MPW0)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=214570)
To start with, I'll tell you all a bit of a story. Ember RCA was a project I worked on last year. I really wanted to try to best my current designs in RCA cables. The goal was to create something that was priced similarly to Breathe C while outperforming Quiescence C. For those of you who have heard either of these cables you likely realize, that is a tall order. Breathe C offers an incredible performance for the price and Quiescence C takes the performance to the next level. You may already be familiar with Ember USB. And while Ember RCA and Ember USB share the same name, there’s way more in common than that. They are the exact same geometry and wiring configuration, it is an incredibly versatile design. The only difference with the USB and RCA styles is how I terminate them.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=238719)
What is Ember?
You would be forgiven to take a look at Ember and mistake it for Breathe C. With a quick look they are almost identical. However, Ember employs a substantially different geometry and more than triple the overall copper content. While the braid is similar to Breathe, the amount of copper in the exterior braid is doubled up in copper content and unlike Breathe C, the braid itself is only the shield. This allows for better noise rejection for both EMI and RFI.
The interior of Ember is where things really diverge from what we have done in the past. Ember uses a braided teflon copper packet. This braid helps to further reject RFI and EMI completely eliminating the need for heavier shielding material. Improving the sonic quality, reducing the amount of expensive materials needed and reducing labor involved.
All of this translates to a highly detailed, warmer, more inviting sound quality that is on par with Quiescence C. All for the same price as Breathe C. :o
I’ll post more info and photos very soon. I have a couple of folks here who are current owners of Breathe C/QC have bravely volunteered to try Ember out and they will be posting their impressions very soon.
And of course, tour incoming!
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I first would like to thank Jason (Pez) for the opportunity to have some fun testing cables this last month or so. If someone asked me a year or two ago how much of a difference cables made, I'd have laughed. My thought had always been get something above basic zip cord and call it good. BOY WAS I FREAKING WRONG! I won't go into debating cable fact vs fiction stuff, but I will add my rambling $0.02 on how a few sets of cables affected my system this last month.
First off, my system is not big money hifi, and most people here would shake their head at a few of the things going on. Things are slowly improving where finances allow. I've made some big gains in sound recently, but it's still not a fully complete, really nice system yet. I'll leave the diatribe of specs to my system page if you care to look.
Now as for Hapa cables, I do have experience with them in my system. First impression with any Hapa cable, you come to appreciate the top notch build quality and these cables are no different. The cables are light and nimble, super compliant for awkward routing if necessary, and the KLE Absolute connectors are just icing on the cake. I did notice that the braiding was slightly different than my Breathe C cables so I knew I would have fun trying to hear the differences. My normal cables setup are from my turntable to my phono stage is a Quiescence C w/ Absolute connectors, then a Breathe C w/ Absolute connectors to my receiver and from my dac to receiver is another Breathe C with the standard KLE connectors. These cables have been superb on detail and texture and I love that! Hearing all of the things hidden in the back corners of the recording is something I really geek out on.
The new Ember RCA and Breathe/Quiescence C cables have a very recognizable family sound signature to them of being smooth and detailed without harsh edginess or grit. The new Ember cables are absolutely unbelievable for even more detail retrieval and texture than the Breathe C or Quiescence C. The best way I can describe the change in detail is that the current Breathe C cables are like a small club performance where it is very intimate and you can see everything laid out right in front of you on the stage. The new Ember cables would be similar to a Live at Carnegie Hall concert where everything is extremely well mic'd up and phenomenal acoustics to bring every detail out into the light. Hearing every tap of the drums, ting of the cymbals, and pluck of the strings with superb separation has been amazing. The separation and soundstsging of instruments are spooky good which makes everything so much more lifelike to the recording. I can say without hesitation or doubt that these Ember cables exceed what the Quiescence and Breathe cables can do, and I haven't even talked about the best part and where they offer the most difference in sound. These new Ember cables have so much more oompf, drive and livelyness behind them it makes for a much more rich and robust sound to them. That's not to say they sound weighty, slow or bloated by any means. Far from it! They just have SO much more meat on the bone to the sound, but without losing any of that finesse and poise you've come to love and expect from a Hapa cable design. It is amazing the difference between the cables in this respect. They are like a boxer that is also classically trained ballet dancer. The funny part is no matter where I place them in the system, it improves the sound in such a rich and lifelike manner. ANYWHERE. Just for fun I even placed them as subwoofer cables where I normally have a set of Blue Jeans, and it just made me giggle how they made a noticeable difference even as just a subwoofer cable.
The long and the short of it, I'm still not sure if I can give these cables back (sorry, not sorry). They are way too good. Holy crap, even as I'm typing this, I'm hearing new things on Metallica ...And Justice For All album, which I've listened to countless number of times. In the intro to Harvester Of Sorrow, there are the creepy ominous ghostly voices in the background that are so much more pronounced with these cables, yet that has been in the recording this entire time. I have listened to this album with my new speakers, but I never heard that part so clear and creepy. With everything that I have listened to, from pop to classical to metal, jazz, and Red Hot Chili Peppers these Ember cables have allowed me to hear all the details that have been there hiding the whole time. Not only did it shed light on all the detail in the back corners of the mix, but it brought it forth on a beautifully balanced soundstage. If I could upload an audio recording of my system, I'm sure you'd be able to hear my giggling in there as well.
I'll stop rambling now, but just know that right now, I am having WAY more fun listening to music than you are. :thumb: Well done, Jason. Seriously.
-Lloyd
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Wow, Lloyd, you took the words right out of my mouth!
Actually, I did have a similar experience using the Ember RCAs in my system.
As background, for a few months now I've been using Hapa Quiescence Copper RCAs between my streamer/DAC and my Tortuga Passive, and Quiescence Silver RCAs from the passive to my STM King Cherry amp. Both sets have the Absolute Harmony upgrade.
I found the Embers to be very well constructed, light, flexible, with a tight grip on the plug-in. The pair Jason sent me apparently had little if any break-in, so I was surprised how great they sounded right out of the box, if a touch less dynamic than the Hapa QC RCAs that they replaced for the test. After a day or two in my system they opened up and, in my opinion, produced a quality of sound that equaled the QCs. After about 50 hours they delivered even more body, weight and depth to the soundstage as well as greater bass articulation. I appreciate Lloyd's reference to Carnegie Hall - there wasn't a bad seat in my listening room, there was that "you are there" 3D sound filling every corner of the space. The Ember RCAs definitely excel in the lower end of the sound spectrum. With the QS feeding the amp, it really was the best of both worlds: the weight and warmth of solid bass with the airiness and crystal clarity of the silver cables.
I played the Embers in my system for about 150 hours and had no desire to pull them out to put my QCs back in. When I finally did, it was more difficult than I thought it would be to hear much difference, but I did note a bit less bass slam in the QCs. Both cables sets are superb and have their strengths, it’s just so impressive that the Ember cable can match - and in some ways exceed - the sound quality of the QC.
Having listened to many cables over many years I would put Hapa's products in the top tier of what I've heard. Jason knows what he's doing and never seems to rest. I told him he reminds me of a mad scientist down in his lab mixing up all of these different ingredients and geometries, always trying coax his creations to an even higher level - and succeeding.
I really appreciated the opportunity to be one of the first to hear the wonderful new Ember RCAs.
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Mttbsh and nlitworld,
I was a bit nervous sending Ember out to the two of you. I knew how much you were enjoying QC and Breathe C and I knew that Ember had bested them both, but I hadn't had a chance to hear what anyone who already owned Hapa cables would think. That said, I really appreciate your feedback on the sound quality and overall build quality. Your feedback is much appreciated.
I couldn't have said it better myself. Both of you heard exactly what I heard. Warmer, more robust midrange and overall a really nice improvement across the spectrum.
I have been striving hard to design a product that could perform at a level that could exceed where Breathe and QC were at, without increasing the cost. While the amount of materials price on Ember is far in excess of what Breathe is, the one area that Ember is champion is the process I have painstakingly designed to make Ember. Whereas a single set of Breathe C cables took me just short of 6-7 hours to complete, Ember is takes less than half of that time. 8) Better product, easier to make and pass the savings on. 8)
I'll update with a bit more info later this week, and then it's tour time!
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Alright folks,
Here it is!
Follow the FORM (https://forms.clickup.com/8415154/f/80txj-460/9XJL0E0NXL23Z7MPW0) to register please fill it out. I will determine if we'll do an east coast / west coast setup like usual or if we'll fill tours and send out once we hit a certain number.
Oh, and one MINOR update on details for Ember.
As you have already seen, Ember is an incredibly versatile geometry. With Ember USB already out for several months now and now with the release of Ember RCA it's very exciting to announce Hapa Audio's first, Ember XLR!
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=239007)
Ember XLR utilizes AECO hollow pin Gold plated copper/beryllium XLR connectors or optional Rhodium plated connectors. Like all the other Ember products, Ember XLR is warm, detailed and dynamic, an ideal match for the Ember family.
If you are interested in any of the Ember products, or ALL of them, this is the tour to be on! FORM (https://forms.clickup.com/8415154/f/80txj-460/9XJL0E0NXL23Z7MPW0)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=239008)
All the Ember products posing for a family photo.
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Holy smokes! We managed to fill up one tour bus already!
:dance: :bounce: :rock: :guitar: :drums: :violin: :hyper:
I’ll be starting the tour very soon, if you are interested in trying Ember out, fill out the FORM (https://forms.clickup.com/8415154/f/80txj-460/9XJL0E0NXL23Z7MPW0)
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Just a few more spots left for our second leg tour. Get in on the fun while there are still seats. :popcorn:
For those of you on the tour, once I get the remaining seats filled, I’ll send out a mass email with instructions and so info. If you have questions please feel free to email me or send a PM here on AC. :thumb:
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I would be interested in the tour but only for 1pr 1.5m XLR Ember.
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I would be interested in the tour but only for 1pr 1.5m XLR Ember.
I’ll be sending out the XLRs in 1.5 meters. Fill out the form and you’re in.
Only two spots left. :thumb:
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Alrighty, that's ten people! We are full on another. We'll split east coast / west coast.
For those of you who are still interested, let me know, if we get enough folks on board I might be able to do a smaller tour with a set of RCAs and USB. Either way, I'm really excited to get Ember into everyone's hands! :thumb:
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very well-done :D
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very well-done :D
Thank you Annie! Welcome to Audiocircle. :green:
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Pez do the members in the tour get a confirmation email when the form is filled out and submitted? Thanks
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Pez do the members in the tour get a confirmation email when the form is filled out and submitted? Thanks
No automatic email, but don’t worry, you’re in! I’ll be sending out an email to everyone either this weekend or Monday. I’ve been building cables for the tour for the last few days. :thumb:
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I’ve been building cables for the tour for the last few days. :thumb:
Something tells me you're going to be busy building cables after the tour as well...
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Thanks. Can I request the XLR list please?
No automatic email, but don’t worry, you’re in! I’ll be sending out an email to everyone either this weekend or Monday. I’ve been building cables for the tour for the last few days. :thumb:
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Thanks. Can I request the XLR list please?
Both tours are going to include the Ember XLR 1.5 meter. :thumb:
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Thank you Annie! Welcome to Audiocircle. :green:
Thanks pez:)
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We had one cancellation. First to sign up gets it. :thumb:
https://forms.clickup.com/8415154/f/80txj-460/9XJL0E0NXL23Z7MPW0
If you do please post here so I can shut the form down.
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Would love to hear your new creation. Am very impressed with the Breathe C.
Touring the Embert to Denmark is probably a bit over the top (not to mention that I might be taxed a lot, just for receiving a loaner).
/The Priest
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Would love to hear your new creation. Am very impressed with the Breathe C.
Touring the Embert to Denmark is probably a bit over the top (not to mention that I might be taxed a lot, just for receiving a loaner).
/The Priest
The Priest,
Really happy to hear that you're enjoying Breathe C! Unfortunately I don't see how we can ship the Ember package to Denmark. Is there a particular piece you were curious about? Perhaps we can work something out outside of the tour. :thumb:
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I am totally hooked on QS!
That being said, I am wondering if Ember can handle 75ohm?
Do you plan on a digital with rca connectors?
Would love to finish loop (player to dac) since I've got QS running dac to pre
and pre to amp.
Don
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Don,
Check your PMs.
Everyone else, I just emerged from my workstation in the basement I have been working nonstop for quite a while. All I have been doing is making wire and soldering for the last week and a half. Check out the fruits of my labor!
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=239261)
This is the most cable I’ve ever made for a single purpose. I’m going to test each cable and get them cooking! My goal is to get them out to the first folks on Thursday. :thumb: that said, for now, I need a break! 8)
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Btw, we still have one more spot to fill!
https://forms.clickup.com/8415154/f/80txj-460/9XJL0E0NXL23Z7MPW0
Take care of the form and post here if you’re on board.
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The Priest,
Really happy to hear that you're enjoying Breathe C! Unfortunately I don't see how we can ship the Ember package to Denmark. Is there a particular piece you were curious about? Perhaps we can work something out outside of the tour. :thumb:
I understand completely. I would think it a bit much to ship to Denmark just for a tryout.
The Breathe C is the best cable I have heard in my setup. Very natural, very relaxed sound.
I am running a three way active setup, and am using it between pre and power amp for the ribbon tweeters.
I would be interested in the Ember for my midranges. A one meter cable would do.
Of course, I would like to run the same cable everywhere, but I don't think my funds permit.
/The Priest
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I understand completely. I would think it a bit much to ship to Denmark just for a tryout.
The Breathe C is the best cable I have heard in my setup. Very natural, very relaxed sound.
I am running a three way active setup, and am using it between pre and power amp for the ribbon tweeters.
I would be interested in the Ember for my midranges. A one meter cable would do.
Of course, I would like to run the same cable everywhere, but I don't think my funds permit.
/The Priest
I've heard the Ember, it's a perfect cable for a midrange driver in an active setup - better tone and better detail than the Breathe C.
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Tour folks! Check your email, we are shipping tomorrow. The cables will have greater than 50 hour on the audiodharma 3.5 cable cooker. That said, I'm hoping the first folks on the tour can give an extra 2-3 days worth of break in on the pieces. Note that I don't expect all pieces to be broken in by the first folks, so don't sweat it!
Any way, really excited to get these into your hands. :thumb:
I had one cancellation and I didn't realize, but I also had one redundant entry so we actually have 2 spots available. If you're interested fill the form out and I'll get you up to speed:
https://forms.clickup.com/8415154/f/80txj-460/9XJL0E0NXL23Z7MPW0
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:dance: :dance:
Tour has officially launched! First two folks, expect delivery Tuesday/Wednesday FedEx will send you shipping details via email.
For all tour members, I want to let you know, the boxes are packed TIGHT. I wanted to try to reduce shipping cost as much as possible so I used my standard boxes. If you can’t get things packed back in don’t sweat it, If you can find another box that will work better for you just let me know and we’ll make it work. 8)
Please note the inventory:
Ember RCA 2 pairs (yellow KLE label = Copper Harmony, green KLE label = Absolute Harmony)
Ember USB 1 cable
Ember XLR one pair (one box has gold plated, the other is Rhodium, I don’t recall which one went where sorry!)
iFi iPurifier USB B connector
IFi iSilencer USB A connector
PM, email or shout out here if you have any questions! :thumb:
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I gotta question!
Are you nuts?
This is one hell of a tour.
Kudos to you and I wish you the best.
I'd go crazy with all those options.
Don
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I gotta question!
Are you nuts?
This is one hell of a tour.
Kudos to you and I wish you the best.
I'd go crazy with all those options.
Don
Don,
You know I am. :green: Ember such a crazy design. Versatile beyond anything I’ve ever seen. And very much excellent in all applications. Definitely one of my more clever designs. Normally I would never combine all these products into one tour, but this is no normal cable!
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Folks,
I wanted to give a quick update. The cables should be on the way to the next two people on the list. If there's any mix up on that, please feel free to send me a PM. :thumb:
A few things I want to clarify that I received great feedback on.
There are 2 pairs of Ember RCA on each tour. The photo below shows the color scheme of the pairs:
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=240125)
Note that the pair constitutes one purple/copper for left and one black/dark grey on copper for right.
Also, note that the two pairs ARE different. One pair has the KLE-I Absolute connectors (with green KLE logo) and the pair has the KLE-I Copper connectors (with yellow KLE logo)
Please do not mix these up as they might create a causality loop and destroy reality. :wink: Don't worry, the only thing that mixing them up might effect is your nerd credentials. :P
Last, the logos on Ember are mostly there for show. Unlike Quiescence, Ember is synonymous on both ends and it does not matter for the common/ground which way you plug them in.
I appreciate the extra effort everyone is putting into this tour, especially the first two folks for breaking things in. There is a LOT of stuff on this tour and I appreciate that means folks likely will need to take more time to post their thoughts and reviews. :thumb: All that said, be on the look out for our second set of Ember reviews soon. 8)
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They are here.. #2 stop on the tour..
Jason delivered on the quality, and quantity.
I’m currently running the Ember USB (mine) from streamer/server to the DAC, and the XLRs from DAC to Amp.
It’s been plugged in for 3 days now.
Trying to get some critical listening in this weekend..
I have had a couple of “Wow” moments so far.
Only real problem is, it’s a new DAC only two weeks old and most of my impressions are going to be from the change in the DAC ..
BUT , if this XLR wasn’t up to snuff it wouldn’t let the DAC show off it’s magic..
So if I’m impressed with the DAC it should mean the the XLR is pretty transparent..
Not sure if I’m going to keep the XLRs plugged in and running for the full week or try out the RCAs in a day or so..
Current setup for testing the XLRs is
InnuOS- Zen > Ember USB > Holo- Spring3 > Ember XLR > Decware- Mystery Amp
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=240143)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=240144)
..
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From the 1st stop on the West Coast leg of this incredible tour:
It’s always a struggle to type or even verbally express my thoughts when it comes to audio. Luckily most of the guys in the area are fine with fragmented phrases. We all listen for different things and in general for me its’s all about tone. Recently, I added an Audio Note dac and it feeds a 6922 tube based linestage. I go back and forth between Aronov tube monoblocks and a Musical Design amp. A friend brought over the Hapa Ember usb some months back and there was no going back. The Ember USB cable offered a clearer picture of the music and startled me with such a natural sense of timing. It replaced a lower cost Shunyata Venom so I guess it wasn’t a fair fight.
Slowly I’ve been addressing cabling: Acoustic Zen Hologram II speaker wire, Lessloss power cords and, up till now, more of a DIY interconnect approach. Duelund copper with KLE rca’s, tinned copper cables and a few weeks ago the Duelund silver foil silk/oil with the KLE’s.
Jason mentioned putting approx. 3-1/2 hours on the new batch of cables for this tour. Right out of the gate the experience was quite interesting. Listening to “Georgia on my Mind “from Two Men with the Blues (Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis) I was taken aback how much deeper Willie’s voice was than I recalled hearing before. Bass was punchy and quick!
From the album Trio Jeepy, the song “Gutbucket Steepy” is a slower groove that I rarely end up listening to all the way through. Via the Ember’s, I marveled at the upright bass in lockstep with Branford’s sax. A relaxed groove that really held my interest. Moving on to Metals by Feist, the starts and stops on a dime brought a renewed interest to this album. On the track “Alou Soromani” from Trio Chemirani’s album invite. the percussive speed, wood blocks and taut drum heads just made me smile. Lightning fast. (Returning to my fragmented phrasing mentioned above.)
The cloud or halo effect that I have always associated with my setup was removed when the Ember’s were in place. Without this halo, the noise floor was exceptional. Dynamics improved, a welcome bass floor appeared and that wonderful sense of timing. All the subtle low-level percussion really added up to a more nuanced sound. During louder music swells, those details were not lost.
The Embers IC’s were used from dac to preamp and then from preamp to amp. Introducing another IC in either position really lost some of the magic. A big thank you Jason for offering a chance to hear these wonderful cables!
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Delta,
Thanks for the photos and initial thoughts. I LOVE that amp. Really classy and robust sound. Wish I could hear the whole setup.
MerRev,
Big thanks to you for sharing your thoughts. It sounds like Ember checks off a lot of major boxes in your setup. Like I said in email, I would love to see photos of your rig if you have the chance to snap a few shots. :thumb:
We have a few more folks out there who have or currently have Ember in their setup, keep an eye out for their thoughts! :green:
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Jason,
I want to thank you for the opportunity to review your cables. I try to curb my enthusiasm when evaluating new products, especially from a reputable company as Hapa. I tend to have have a heightened expectation instead of maintaining a neutral position. I get over excited or disappointed when I first listen. So to be fair to my ears I just plugged the cables in (XLR, RCA, etc.) and let them run for almost a week. Initially they were too “soft” for my ears but I was not in my normal listening position. As they broke in I was busy working and doing other stuff without the focus being on the music.
The usb implementation of the Lumin U1 Mini & the Denafrips Pontus II sounded better than the IFI usb products. It actually degraded the sound and I removed them. They would probably greatly improve a usb signal coming straight from a computer but I do not stream from a computer.
My system is slightly warm (Cary Audio Characteristic) and all of the interconnects sounded rolled off on both highs and lows but I did not focus on it. As the music was playing in the background I was able to discern the differences between my existing Mogami XLR cables.
Ember USB cable
This is a very good usb cable but it was hard for me to tell a difference from my existing cable. However, the Haba Aero is more revealing in my system, and it should be as it is 3 times the cost.
Ember (Yellow) Copper Harmony
Warm and full bodied. They would work well with a system that is a bit forward. They sounded really good and really took the edge off of brighter recordings. They have a nice relaxed sound.
Ember (Green) Absolute Harmony
Same as above but more detail and air and decay around instruments. These actually sounded the best in my system as they exhibited the best of the Copper Harmony and the XLR Gold cables.
XLR (Gold)
These sounded better in my system than the Copper Harmony but not as good as the Absolute Harmony RCA. I will have to try the rhodium XLR's to see if is the best of the 3 for me.
I tested some $700 interconnects and usb cables from The Cable Company and these were much better by a wide margin. I also love that Hapa cables are very light and easy to maneuver. I want to buy the Ember Absolute Harmony but I will see how the Rhodium XLR version sounds first. All 3 sets of cables sound amazing to me and I highly recommend them.
Music used
Herbie Hancock - The Imagine Project - "The Times, They Are A Changing"
Yuko Mabuchi - Revelation - "My Life
Blue Coast Collection All-Stars - "Rolling In The Deep" (Better recording than Adele)
Blue Coast Collection 3 - Jenna Mammina "Wicked Game"
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=240422)
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Art,
Rock on man! 8) I really appreciate your review and taking the time to share your findings.
I might have forgotten to mention to folks, I sent a rhodium set with one tour and the Gold set to the other. This was mainly because I didn't have one or the other at the time of making the tour sets. Regarding their sound quality difference, the Gold are a nice round sound which is what most would expect. The Rhodium set definitely have a bit more 'bite' to the treble region. Personally I prefer the rhodium variety just a bit, but honestly either set is very close overall.
The tour rocks on! I can't believe it, but we're already toward the end. :I
Thanks again to everyone involved, Hapa Audio is 100% word of mouth at this point and we live or die by these reviews and folks spreading the word on these products.
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Folks,
I wanted to give a quick update. The cables should be on the way to the next two people on the list. If there's any mix up on that, please feel free to send me a PM. :thumb:
A few things I want to clarify that I received great feedback on.
There are 2 pairs of Ember RCA on each tour. The photo below shows the color scheme of the pairs:
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=240125)
Note that the pair constitutes one purple/copper for left and one black/dark grey on copper for right.
Also, note that the two pairs ARE different. One pair has the KLE-I Absolute connectors (with green KLE logo) and the pair has the KLE-I Copper connectors (with yellow KLE logo)
Please do not mix these up as they might create a causality loop and destroy reality. :wink: Don't worry, the only thing that mixing them up might effect is your nerd credentials. :P
Last, the logos on Ember are mostly there for show. Unlike Quiescence, Ember is synonymous on both ends and it does not matter for the common/ground which way you plug them in.
I appreciate the extra effort everyone is putting into this tour, especially the first two folks for breaking things in. There is a LOT of stuff on this tour and I appreciate that means folks likely will need to take more time to post their thoughts and reviews. :thumb: All that said, be on the look out for our second set of Ember reviews soon. 8)
Good thing I went back and read this. I knew something sounded off
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Good thing I went back and read this. I knew something sounded off
Yes indeed! Let me know if you have any issues. :thumb:
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Hey all,
A quick update. I wanted to let you all know that I ordered a few sets of the new KLE Perfect Harmony RCA connectors. They’re quite different in construction from the standard KLE setup. The barrel is a different design with a wider opening Inc. To accommodate larger cables, not a huge deal there. The headline of these new connectors is the sound quality improvement is not subtle. It is definitely bests the Absolutes in clarity.
I have two sets from this order and can invoice anyone interested in getting a set made with these connectors. It is an additional $40 over the price of the absolute connectors. 8)
Here’s a photo I snapped under the magnifying glass. Note that the connector ring colors are white and red rather than blue/red of the other KLE stuff.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=240939)
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Hey all, we are rounding the corner on this tour. Thanks to all who have participated!
I wanted to announce a special giveaway. :popcorn:
I wanted to announce that we will be doing a giveaway to one east coast reviewer and one west coast reviewer chosen at random. The giveaway will be for one set of the Absolute Harmony Ember RCA tour sets. So if you have yet to post your thoughts, get on it! You can’t win if you don’t have a review posted.
Folks who are just getting the set, don’t worry, you will be in the contest as well, but for everyone else get your reviews up and you’ll be entered. :thumb:
:drums: :guitar: :violin: :rock: :bounce: :hyper: :dance: :jester: :guitar: :violin: :banana piano: :beer:
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Is it too late to get in?????
Don
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Is it too late to get in?????
Don
Don,
I’m more than happy to add you and a few others if they’re interested. I didn’t set a date for the drawing just in case. :thumb: I’ll get in touch with you soon.
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I just wanted to thank Jason again for having these tours and allowing people to listen to his outstanding products. I've been on all three of his tours. Needless to say- I bought a product from each of his tours.
First was the Breathe tour. I purchased the Breathe C RCA interconnects with the upgraded Absolute connectors. It had the tone I wanted with some added detail. Next I purchased his Aero USB cable.
Didn't think a USB cable could make that much difference. It can. Then he came out with the Ember interconnects. It bettered his earlier Breathe C interconnect that I own. Just a tremendous VALUE.
This time I had Jason use the top-of the line Klei PERFECT Harmony connectors on mine. Again these offered even more detail to an already great cable. Everything matters. If you can upgrade connectors
with his great designs you will pleasantly pleased. Jason is a great guy to deal with and he doesn't put out products until he knows he has a winner. I'm hoping he figures out a great design for speaker cables
and power cords. I'll be on those tours too.
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I forgot about the drawing!
:duh: :duh: :duh:
Does anyone else want to post up? I’ll be drawing for the pair of Ember this week Friday out of the reviews posted. I apologize for the delay.
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I'm a sucker for a good raffle. :thumb:
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I've really been putting this off for a while now and finally put my notes together to attempt and describe Ember's influence on my system.
Interconnect to interconnect showed a slight difference to the better with the Absolute connectors. I got no difference between Absolute and XLR and same degree of improvement as Absolute for XLR vs. Copper. Next was to compare to other comparably priced interconnects. I found Ember to be a little on the warm side of the group but what struck me was it seemed like someone was holding down the sustain pedal. Notes just trailed off naturally giving the sound more air and fullness. I tried Ember between the cable box and pre and was delighted to get a more distinct and pronounced sound than with any of the other cables. Through all the equipment it was a pleasant sound sans blurriness. I would recommend trying these out if you are in the market.
I tried to keep things in perspective so didn't compare with my Quiescence Silver interconnects cause while Ember does have a pleasant sound just can't get to QS ability.
I use a USB connection from my laptop to dac / HP amp. Ember proved to be a pleasant surprise once plugged in. I have an IFI ISilence+ and plugged Ember into it. Added the IPurifier3 after listening for a while and didn't hear any difference so removed it for the rest of the listening. Ember again gave me natural decay that was quite enjoyable. Through the headphones there seemed to be a fuller and laid back sound. It reduced the digititus by a nice amount that told me I can do better than what I presently have and sent me on another journey (AerØ USB).
Overall Ember is a competent contender in its price range and over. I had both fun and conformation that my present QS are quite good. I have to think about putting a three hundred fifty dollar interconnect on a cable box but it will more than likely happen in the near future.
Don
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Alrighty, the list is:
1. Nlitworld
2. Mttbsh
3. Delta77
4. MerRev
5. Artofaudio
6. Jackmonster
7. Dflee
Drawing is going to happen next post using random.org
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And the winner is....
3. DELTA77!!!!!
Congrats!!! RCA cable set will be sent later this week!
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=244157)
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Wooo Hooo..!
Wow, I’m all smiles right now..
Thank you..
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Wooo Hooo..!
Wow, I’m all smiles right now..
Thank you..
:green: :green: :green: :green:
What a way to start the weekend eh? :wink: Congrats
And to all who participated in this tour, I appreciate your honest and open feedback. Hapa Audio is a word of mouth business through and through. Your testimonials are what power the business. :thumb: