Seems pretty steap (now €1080 before taxes), happy to own one already…
But even so, it’s worth it though!
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Prices of most pro audio gear is rising right now, loads of synth companies have increased prices recently, even Behringer.
But also goes to show you, you should always panic-buy something as soon as it’s announced, just to be safe.
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Makes sense to raise prices. Assuming the Hapax was reasonably priced at $940 when it came out, then arguably, due to inflation, it should be about $1020 now. I had to raise prices last year for my professional services for the first time in 10 years, and now might have to do it again this year to keep up with inflation (my own costs). I just bought an MRCC and was surprised that the price was the same as when I looked at it 6 months ago.
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This is inevitable and is happening with all the prices.
You can however still find old stock gear with prices from the past 
Hapax is just not one of those, as it is high demand product.
I totally understand if there needed to be a price bump, but it would’ve been nice to have even the smallest message about it from Squarp somewhere?
If you look at Synthstrom for instance, they’re maybe a similar sized company and they’re having to bump up the price of their Deluge, but they’ve been very open about it and have even posted a timetable on their site showing when which price bumps will happen. A commendable way of doing something like this imho.
So you want Squarp to state the obvious? I really don’t get this criticism.
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You don’t have to get it, I also don’t get your ‘criticism’ to my reply
Talking to manufactures at Superbooth earlier this year, it was clear there’s a lot of instability/volatility in the supply chain - add to that the Ukraine war, the general cost of living crisis… prices were going to rise, and will still rise quite a bit more (in all areas, including music tech, probably 2 more years! )
… and things are hard to predict - eg perhaps you know theres going to be a price increase, but unclear exactly when, and how much. (*)
Those that I spoke to were trying to hold prices as long as they could e.g. whilst they had stock, or old components to build products… so thats another reason we are getting variations in when prices rise, and also why its hard to predict.
as for Hapax, thats complex, Squarp have talked about component supply issues, and that the Hapax has been pre-order only, and in limited supplies… so the price rise was inevitable.
and then there is ‘the rub’, pre-announcing price increases for a product you cannot get now, may have felt to the community like a ‘marketing trick’ … buy now (and wait for delivery!) before the price goes up.
so damned if you do, damned if you dont.
(*) aka, planning is difficult with such volatility, and events are changing sometimes on a weekly/daily basis.
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This is the first time in the history of this company we’ve had to increase the price of a product, and it was a very difficult decision to make.
As much as we’ve tried to thin our margins to keep the price constant, it was no longer viable. All our production costs have skyrocketed over the past few years, between inflation, the components shortage, etc. Unfortunately, we came to accept this harsh truth much too late, really we should have had risen the prices well beforehand, and possibly gradually, but by then it was too late not to take action immediately, hence the lack of timetable.
Finally, in terms of communication, not only did we realize communicating was an exception and not the norm, but it seemed there was no good way to approach this. @thetechnobear hit the nail on the head:
We debated on whether to make a ‘press release’, and ended up deciding not to.
But overall we’re really grateful to our users and clients, as they’ve been incredibly sympathetic and understanding.
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts process and for being transparent, Thibault. I appreciate it.
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Seems like such a Catch 22 and I’m just grateful Squarp and other manufacturers are pushing forward.
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I already have my Hapax, so a price increase doesn’t affect me directly.
That said, I really understand the frustration. Between when I ordered my unit and when it shipped, the exchange rate between USD and Euro changed substantially. One could say that I “lost” a fair amount of money, as I prepaid. Needless to say, this is not Squarp’s fault, nor that of any other manufacturer. We live in a tumultuous world.
My way of looking at this is simple. What does a product I’m interested in cost today, and when can I have it? Are those parameters worth it for me?
I do want to say that Squarp has demonstrated extraordinary professionalism. My decision to purchase a Hapax (as opposed to the Pyramid I initially looked into) has been validated in every possible way. I want to support Squarp and other companies who play at this elevated level. I understand that I may have to spend more to receive this kind of quality hardware and support, especially today.
Hats off to Squarp! I truly hope you experience continued and increasing success!
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