Introducing: Ember RCA, XLR and TOUR.

Pez · « **Reply #20 on:** 5 Apr 2022, 03:14 pm »

Quote from: ThePriest on 5 Apr 2022, 12:10 pm

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.

dflee · « **Reply #21 on:** 5 Apr 2022, 05:31 pm »

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

Pez · « **Reply #22 on:** 5 Apr 2022, 07:02 pm »

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!

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.

that said, for now, I need a break!

Pez · « **Reply #23 on:** 5 Apr 2022, 07:49 pm »

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.

ThePriest · « **Reply #24 on:** 6 Apr 2022, 11:14 am »

Quote from: Pez on 5 Apr 2022, 03:14 pm

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.

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

Tyson · « **Reply #25 on:** 6 Apr 2022, 02:11 pm »

Quote from: ThePriest on 6 Apr 2022, 11:14 am

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.

Pez · « **Reply #26 on:** 7 Apr 2022, 02:57 pm »

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.

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

Pez · « **Reply #27 on:** 8 Apr 2022, 05:22 pm »

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.

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!

dflee · « **Reply #28 on:** 9 Apr 2022, 01:54 am »

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

Pez · « **Reply #29 on:** 9 Apr 2022, 11:25 pm »

Quote from: dflee on 9 Apr 2022, 01:54 am

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.

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!

Pez · « **Reply #30 on:** 29 Apr 2022, 06:15 pm »

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.

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:

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.

Don't worry, the only thing that mixing them up might effect is your nerd credentials.

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.

All that said, be on the look out for our second set of Ember reviews soon.

Delta77 · « **Reply #31 on:** 30 Apr 2022, 03:12 pm »

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

..

MerRev · « **Reply #32 on:** 1 May 2022, 03:29 pm »

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!

Pez · « **Reply #33 on:** 3 May 2022, 03:50 pm »

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.

We have a few more folks out there who have or currently have Ember in their setup, keep an eye out for their thoughts!

artofaudio · « **Reply #34 on:** 10 May 2022, 03:25 am »

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"

Pez · « **Reply #35 on:** 10 May 2022, 05:38 pm »

Art,
Rock on man!

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.

Charles Xavier · « **Reply #36 on:** 15 May 2022, 04:05 pm »

Quote from: Pez on 29 Apr 2022, 06:15 pm

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.

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:

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. Don't worry, the only thing that mixing them up might effect is your nerd credentials.

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. All that said, be on the look out for our second set of Ember reviews soon.

Good thing I went back and read this. I knew something sounded off

Pez · « **Reply #37 on:** 16 May 2022, 06:40 pm »

Quote from: Charles Xavier on 15 May 2022, 04:05 pm

Good thing I went back and read this. I knew something sounded off

Yes indeed! Let me know if you have any issues.

Pez · « **Reply #38 on:** 24 May 2022, 07:15 pm »

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.

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.

Pez · « **Reply #39 on:** 10 Jun 2022, 06:15 pm »

Hey all, we are rounding the corner on this tour. Thanks to all who have participated!

I wanted to announce a special giveaway.

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.