http://www.aperionaudio.com/catalog/categoryinfo.aspx?cid=84

So...that just happened.  lol

BOO YA!  Yeah I've been kinda busy and hadn't got a chance to post it here, so way to be on the ball as usual PJ!

The HAL is a great product for sending audio wirelessly from your computer or ipod to your receiver.  Not only that but you can also use it on your sub out to create a wireless connection to your sub.  

We've got some other tricks up our sleeves for 2010 so stay tuned!  

First review is up!

http://gearpatrol.com/blog/2010/01/15/aperion-home-audio-link-system/

Jason Hicks:

The HAL is a great product...

I see it connects via USB. I would like to know more on how it connects to the sub-out on the receiver and the sub. If you can use this device to move the sub around the room then that's a homerun of options!

As a side note, I would like to see more A/V receivers put USB on the back panel of the receivers as standard (or as a 2nd placement). Probably in the same area as the Ethernet connection. I know many new receivers have them on the front drop down panel but if someone wants to continuously have something connected to the USB (like this product), then the front panel will always be down, detracting from the appearance. 

deuce1973:

I see it connects via USB. I would like to know more on how it connects to the sub-out on the receiver and the sub. If you can use this device to move the sub around the room then that's a homerun of options!

 

As a side note, I would like to see more A/V receivers put USB on the back panel of the receivers as standard (or as a 2nd placement). Probably in the same area as the Ethernet connection. I know many new receivers have them on the front drop down panel but if someone wants to continuously have something connected to the USB (like this product), then the front panel will always be down, detracting from the appearance. 

In addition to the USB connection, the HAL units each have an 1/8" jack that you can use to connect to the RCA sub out from the receiver and the RCA input on the sub.  There are also two 1/8" to RCA cords included so you don't have to purchase anything extra. 

Jason, thanks for that clarification! That is very cool! I am sure I missed it, but did not see those options mentioned in the product page writeup. From a consumers point of view I think you should include photos of those optional connections. I think it would be very beneficial! ;-)

 Did I also read that these HAL units could also be used via Surround speakers? How would those connections work?

deuce1973:

Jason, thanks for that clarification! That is very cool! I am sure I missed it, but did not see those options mentioned in the product page writeup. From a consumers point of view I think you should include photos of those optional connections. I think it would be very beneficial! ;-)

 Did I also read that these HAL units could also be used via Surround speakers? How would those connections work?

Good idea deuce, we should have a picture that shows the headphone jacks, I'll mention that to marketing.  It does mention the sub application on the product page.  

Yes, you could use HAL to connect to surrounds, but you'll need an additional amp or AVR to power them and you would also have to have surround pre-outs on your main AVR in order to send the signal to the second amp/AVR.  If you have an extra amp/AVR laying around then this would be a great solution.  

Oh My!   I am very excited about this.

I was just getting ready to purchase a Squeezebox to get the music from the computer in my office to the downstairs stereo receiver.  But the Squeezebox isn't cheap and I have no interest in using the Squeezecenter software. 

The price is definitely better on the HAL than the Squeezebox, as is the setup and use.  But, I'm wondering how the sound quality of the HAL compares to that of the Squeezebox? 

Thanks for your input.  I'm so excited......

Here are the specs for the Squeezebox Duet:

Audio outputs (general)

    * Digital and analog outputs
    * All RCA connectors are gold-plated
    * Volume control is provided for all outputs
    * Multiple outputs may be used at the same time

Analog RCA outputs

    * High fidelity Wolfson® 24-bit DAC
    * Two dedicated linear power regulators for DAC and line-out stages
    * 4.8Vpp line-level outputs
    * Signal-to-noise ratio: over 90dB
    * Total harmonic distortion (THD+N): less than -88dB (0.004%)

Digital S/PDIF outputs

    * Optical and coax digital connections
    * Dedicated high-precision crystal oscillators (no PLL, no resampling)
    * Standard IEC-958 (S/PDIF) encoding
    * Optical connector: TOSLINK 660nm
    * Coax connector: RCA, 500mVpp into 75 ohms
    * Sample rates: 44.1Khz, 48Khz
    * Audio format: linear PCM, 16 or 24 bits per sample
    * Intrinsic jitter: less than 50ps (standard deviation)
 

gpzbc:

Oh My!   I am very excited about this.

I was just getting ready to purchase a Squeezebox to get the music from computer in my office to the downstairs stereo receiver.  But the Squeezebox isn't cheap and I have no interest in using the Squeezecenter software. 

The price is definitely better on the HAL than the Squeezebox, as is the setup and use.  But, I'm wondering how the sound quality of the HAL compares to that of the squeezebox? 

Thanks for your input.  I'm so excited......

The HAL offers near CD quality at a 14 bit depth.   So if you are streaming mp3s or other compressed files there shouldn't be any drop off in fidelity.  If the source is lossless you may notice that the dynamic range isn't quite as broad.  But I've heard it and I was pretty impressed with the sound quality myself. 

Thank you for the explanation. 

I may take the plunge on the HAL.  I like the superior sound quality of the Squeezebox, but I don't like having to use the Squeezecenter software nor the price tag.

The review I read of the HAL was a good one.  I'll be anxious to read more as they come out.

Thanks again.

As both a current owner of a Squeezebox and an owner of Aperion products, I'm definitely curious about the Home Audio Link.  How does it support all sound formats besides MP3 (like FLAC, WMA, etc.)?  I guess it's just picking up whatever the PC itself is transcoding and taking that as the signal to output?

Also, gpzbc, I'm sure this is a great product, but don't sell the Squeezebox short.  One thing it has that the Home Audio Link does not is an optical connection.  That alone I'm certain is probably a major factor in keeping the cost of the Home Audio Link down, as is the fact that that even the RCA connections on the Squeezebox are of higher quality than what is offered here.  There's also a lot more being offered by the Squeezebox in terms of a streaming product - like being able to connect to internet radio stations without requiring that you have a pc turned on and connected. 

It really depends on what you want out of a streaming device.  I think for anyone looking for a simple, low-cost solution to streaming music from a PC to an entertainment system, this is a great choice and will probably work just fine.  For me, however, optimum sound quality was the main goal.

aschauer:

One thing it has that the Home Audio Link does not is an optical connection. 

Same reason why I use my Apple Airport Express to play my iTunes through my system.  From a sound quality perspective, I'm not sure this is a fit for me, but I'm VERY intrigued by the ability to run my sub (or more than one) wirelessly.  It adds to the location possibilities exponentially.

aschauer:

As both a current owner of a Squeezebox and an owner of Aperion products, I'm definitely curious about the Home Audio Link.  How does it support all sound formats besides MP3 (like FLAC, WMA, etc.)?  I guess it's just picking up whatever the PC itself is transcoding and taking that as the signal to output?

That is correct, it's basically like using the headphone out of your computer.

As for comparisons to the Squeezebox, yes you will get better resolution from the Squeezebox, but that's only if you are using it to stream lossless files, and lots of people out there are using mp3, AAC or other compressed formats.  But our product is half the cost of the Squeezebox and for multizone applications the Squeezebox solution gets really expensive quickly, while our system lets you add up to two additional zones at only $70 a pop.  Plus as PJ mentioned the HAL has some other applications such as the wireless connection to a sub or powered surrounds from an AVR that are exclusive to the HAL. 

Also forgot to mention that along with the Squeezebox, you get a nice remote with an LCD display.  May not mean much to some people but I think it's a cool feature that some will appreciate, especially anyone evaluating a competing system from Sonos.  And I'm not sure you'll get equivalent sound even with MP3s, as you're still dealing with standard RCA jacks instead of optical, although I'm sure the difference would be hard to detect.

Anyway, I agree, Jason.  Like I said, it really depends on what you want out of a system, and in my case (nice remotes aside), getting the best sound out of lossless files was key.  But I definitely see this as a smart move by Aperion, and the fact that they/you are appealing more to the typical consumer (using MP3s, etc.) is probably the best choice.