Upon a close examination of Advar's chassis, people found one small detail that caught their attention and intrigued them: the serial number. Starting with the word UGLY, that tiny name engraved on the chassis is actually a meaningful metaphor to us.
When designing headphones, it’s hard to convince everyone of your vision right from the start. Back in 2018, when Antonio started working on this project, it looked like this:
Even our team didn’t believe in their potential and the people we showed it to at tradeshows loved the sound, but saw them as a weird looking. Someone even said it was ugly. Despite the feedback, Antonio wasn’t discouraged.
He was set on making a pair of in-ear monitors exactly the way he envisioned it, so he kept working on them. He named the project Ugly Duckling on purpose, and that's what it was referred as within our team for 4 years until the release. Antonio felt this was the perfect metaphor to describe its character – no one could visualize it turn into a beautiful swan the way he did, much like the plot in the children’s story, so no one believed in it. Now that we have a final version, we think Advar is one of the most beautiful and enchanting ear pieces we've ever made, and people who see it share the same thought.
The UGLY serial number on the earphone is kind of a reminder that good things take patience, commitment and perseverance. Sometimes, you have to believe in your own judgement and push against the stream, but once you see the final result, it's all worth it.
Ever since its launch in April, Advar has been applauded by the audiophile community not only for the way it sounds, but for its intricate design as well. Made of aluminum, combining black chrome and brass-colored textures, Advar resembles a piece of jewelry more than it does an earphone, but don’t be fooled – the sound is also quite amazing.
