[Pez]

Folks,
I want to start out this PSA with this, I am unbelievably grateful to be part of this community. The feedback I have gotten from folks on all my products has been tremendous and drives me forward on all my designs. Creating a better music experience for you all is Hapa Audio’s mission.

Which brings me around to my second point. Your feedback, positive and negative is literally what guides my decision making. First the GREAT news, the feedback on Aero has been overwhelmingly positive and Aero USB has become the hottest product I have in my arsenal.  Aero has been stable for ALL of my clients save for a client who had issues with the way I was putting the Viborg barrels on making it impossible for them to connect their equipment. That was an easy fix that is already implemented.

Now the negative. Folks are expressing to me that they would prefer to not have any sort of anti-noise devices in their setups. Most of my clients have used Aero without syncing issues whatsoever even without these devices. The reason why I have been including them is that in some of my test systems I was having issues retaining sync. These devices universally solved this problem. However, with your feedback it became obvious that this solution was not going to cut it.

I have been working nonstop to improve the syncing capability of Aero and am very happy to announce that I have finalized a version of it that does not require the use of any ANC devices. Best of all there is no loss of fidelity whatsoever. In 100% of my test gear this new version syncs without fail. From this point forward Aero will be sold free of ANC devices which lowers the cost by $190, however if clients choose to do so I will be offering the iFi iPurifier as an option if folks are plugging directly into a somewhat noisy PC.

Early Adopters
For folks who currently own Aero please reach out to me. I am offering to rebuild anyone’s cable to update it to the current spec on a volunteer basis. While I don’t detect any difference in sound quality, I want to make sure folks are able to use it in any configuration without the use of ANC devices. I will schedule to take back any early adopters cable and reconfigure it free of charge to the improved syncing version no questions asked. Please reach out to me here via PM, via my website, or email to make arrangements. I will be contacting folks individually as well.

Once again, I want to thank all of you for your interest and continued support of Hapa Audio. We will be doing a tour of Aero coming up next week so for folks still on the fence, now is your chance to give this first of a kind product a try!

[Tyson]

I've had a few days to try out the new cable and I recommend anyone that has the original version to update it for the following reasons:

1.  The new iterations sounds better.  Way more dynamic and engaging, while retaining all the great attributes of the original version
2.  More stable.  I have the older version in my downstairs system and the newer version in my upstairs system.  When I run the systems grouped via Roon, the downstairs sometimes loses synch, while the upstairs system never loses synch.  Nice.

[Pez]

Tyson - Thanks for the update on performance.

Folks,
I am very happy with the results I am getting with the updated version. Syncing is spot on and I have tested the design out to greater than 3ish meters with no aide whatsoever. The design is rock solid stable.

In regards to the sound quality, I have been listening to the newer cable quite a bit and have done subjective listening evaluation vs the 1.0 version. Here’s my synopsis; The newer build trumps the 1.0 build in every category. It is fuller bodied, better bass quality, improved clarity, and dynamically it is quite impressive.

If you purchased Aero prior to September this applies to you (everyone who purchased in or after September, your build is current and this does not apply to you), it is well worth your time to send it in. There is no cost to you to do so and I will cover all shipping expenses. I will be in contact with you soon if I haven't contacted you already for your rebuild. 

[poseidonsvoice]

Pez,

Did I get the previous or current version? Mine has the ANC dongles with it.



Sent you a pm.

Best,
Anand.

[Pez]

Folks,
I am nearing the end of the rebuilds for the early adopters. I wanted to spell a few things out.

First the rebuild is an entirely new data core that will require you to break the cable in as new. That means about 150+ hours depending. This design sounds great out of the box and is very listenable through the break in cycle so it is relatively pain free.

Second, I am now setting the Viborg barrels further back to ensure proper connectivity for clients who’s equipment has a recessed port. You’ll see a bit of gold on the plug now when plugged in, but don’t worry if it’s pushed all the way in it’s normal to see.

Third, I would love to hear everyone’s experience with the cable! I wanted to make this as pain free as possible and I appreciate everyone’s patience during this process. Thank you to those of you who have supported Hapa during this monumental release!

[mgalusha]

My rebuilt cable arrived last week and after a quick listen to make sure everything was happy, I put a disc on repeat and let it sit for perhaps 6 days. I finally had a chance to listen today and while I can't compare it directly to the earlier version, it certainly seems a bit nicer, gobs of resolution but not even remotely bright.

Thanks again Jason!