[GentleBender]

I only started in this slippery slope of a hobby in February 2015 and boy is it a blast! Building a system piece by piece is fun since you can see the improvements that each step makes. So far I have worked with Klaus of Odyssey Audio and both Ryan and Pete of Vapor Audio, which both experiences have been fantastic. My setup is a simple 2.1 setup for vinyl and an occasional use of a 2011 Mac Mini with SSDs for playing back ALAC files (read almost never). I plan on rounding it out with a VPI HW-19 with upgraded TNT platter and DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core to dial in the bass response in my small 12' x 13' room. The cables may be replaced down the road, but I can't complain about the price point of my current cables (at least not until somebody rains on my parade and corrects me). 

At first I didn't know if I should start with the speakers, but decided on the amp and phono stage first. Being new to the hobby, I was blown away by the difference adding the Cyclops and Suspiro phono stage made to the Polk Audio Monitor 60s I had. Last week came the Vapor Audio Auroras and the difference is stunning! The sound is so different, like hearing music I've listened to all my life, sound new. Like it was intended to sound. Clean and effortless is how I will describe them.

I listen to a bit of everything and other than a bad recording or an abused record they all sound so good now. My wife came back to the room to see the speakers and I asked her to pick out a record and give them a try. She chose Jimi Hendrix Electric Ladyland and sat down. I put it on track one "...And The Gods Made Love", I watched her melt into the couch as she was overcome with the incredible sound enveloping the entire room. She just laid there as I put on a few more of her favorite tracks and then I asked if she was alright, she lifted her head just long enough to say "It sounds so real now." We spent another two hours trying different genres of music (Ben Harper, Guns N' Roses, LCD Soundsystem, Chuck Berry, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, etc.). Now I am excited whenever I have a window of opportunity to go and listen to music. Now I need to take a vacation just to spend at home listening to everything I have again.  Had a friend come over and put on Muddy Waters and Rolling Stones Live at the Checkerboard Lounge Chicago 1981 and heard so many things we'd never heard. Muddy Waters uses his voice as an instrument and neither of us could believe what we were hearing for the first time.

                       


Not saying this stuff is cheap, but I'm sure there are many out there that have spent so much more and not achieved this level of sound. Everyone has their own opinion of what sounds great and this is mine and so far everyone I've had over. In fact they want to bring their favorite records over and enjoy them on my system, I should start charging a cover charge at the door. 





System
Source: Audio Technica AT-LP120-USB turntable
Phono Stage: Odyssey Audio Suspiro
Amp: Odyssey Audio Cyclops SE++
Speakers: Vapor Audio Auroras
Subwoofer: Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer
Interconnects: Blue Jean Cables LC-1 Stereo Audio Cables
Speaker Cables: Silverback Speaker Wire by Sewell, 12 AWG, OFC, 259 Strand Count

[Vapor Audio]

Great read, and thanks for taking the time to post.  I know reading this made Ed's day (Aurora/Nimbus builder cabinet builder). 

Make sure and post back after you try the changes in placement that we spoke about today, I have a feeling it'll be another large step forward!

[dpatters]

That's awesome!! Really glad you are enjoying your system! Welcome to the club.

Don P.

[harley52]

GB, you must have talked to an amp builder before you bought the speakers since you bought the amp and phono stage first. What finish did you decide on for the speaks?

Those Aurora's are a tough build for ED but he seems to really enjoy building them even though they are a PIA to build. Did you ever think before your purchase that a two way could do bass like the Aurora's do. Btw, what stands did you get with the Aurora's? Don't the speakers just scream of quality and the Vapor speakers are the kind you can will to your children. I found the drivers to be incredible. Actually the whole speaker is pretty incredible.

The Aurora's were to be my last speaker but, stuff happens. Enjoy, enjoy. And that sub will likely gather dust. I don't think the Auroras need any low end help. Well, if you do a movie here and there it may come in handy.

[2gumby2]

The Vapor Audio Aurora is my favorite speaker. I received mine last month and have thoroughly enjoyed the listening experience. I first heard the Aurora a few years ago when Ryan exhibited them at the Rocky Mountain Audio Festival. That sweet sound never left my mind and now I can enjoy them on a regular basis.

[GentleBender]

Make sure and post back after you try the changes in placement that we spoke about today, I have a feeling it'll be another large step forward!

I need to update the photo to show the changes I made.

I played around with the changes you suggested and have come away even more impressed. Now the sound is great no matter where you are in the room (not that it is big 12' x 13'). So now if I begin melting into the couch like my wife does, it still sounds good, not perfectly focused, but good. Once you are facing the speakers the imaging is spectacular. Took me a bit to get them dialed in and my audiophile friends only moved the right speaker about 1.5mm total over two days of coming over to listen. Now both speakers have disappeared and you can only tell that the sound is coming from the front wall as if there are no speakers. 

As a side geeky note, I attempted to cup my hands and put them behind my tiny ears to see if it would make a difference, and there was no perceivable difference that I could tell. I would do this when nobody was home to see me with my old Polk speakers and it made a huge difference. (You can tell no one!)

[GentleBender]

That's awesome!! Really glad you are enjoying your system! Welcome to the club.

Don P.

Thanks Don! 

The Vapor Audio Aurora is my favorite speaker. I received mine last month and have thoroughly enjoyed the listening experience. I first heard the Aurora a few years ago when Ryan exhibited them at the Rocky Mountain Audio Festival. That sweet sound never left my mind and now I can enjoy them on a regular basis.

I was unable to audition them first and rolling the dice was exciting and the payoff huge. Glad you love yours too! 

GB, you must have talked to an amp builder before you bought the speakers since you bought the amp and phono stage first. What finish did you decide on for the speaks?

Those Aurora's are a tough build for ED but he seems to really enjoy building them even though they are a PIA to build. Did you ever think before your purchase that a two way could do bass like the Aurora's do. Btw, what stands did you get with the Aurora's? Don't the speakers just scream of quality and the Vapor speakers are the kind you can will to your children. I found the drivers to be incredible. Actually the whole speaker is pretty incredible.

The Aurora's were to be my last speaker but, stuff happens. Enjoy, enjoy. And that sub will likely gather dust. I don't think the Auroras need any low end help. Well, if you do a movie here and there it may come in handy.

Harley,

I didn't actually plan on falling so hard into this hobby so soon. I figured the amp and phono stage would be it for awhile, but the demo model Auroras came up here at a price I could not refuse. I made Vapor take my money so I could have the only pair of Tuxedo Auroras (metallic black cabinets with metallic white fronts).  They are so damned sexy especially in the light!  The Odyssey Cyclops powers these Auroras like a champ, not to say they wouldn't easily take more than the 130 watts per channel. But in my small room you could really do some harm to your hearing as it is now. The Auroras came with awesome stands that were built specifically for this model with the port on the bottom of the speaker, the stands have perfect cutouts where the port lines up. I was told that this is the only model with recesses on both the speaker and the stand to use four 1" steel ball bearing to support each corner of the speaker onto the stands, which function beautifully. No need to bolt them onto the stands or pray nobody knock them off. I heard that Ed wanted to do this to all Auroras, but it was a royal PIA. I will add more photos when I get a chance.

The Auroras are incredible, head to toe! The drivers, crossovers, build and most of all the sound. Did you upgrade or did something happen to yours?

[harley52]

GB,

Are the black with white baffles at the Vapor sight yours? The white one's were mine. I used several amps with them, such as a pr. of Quicksilver silver 70's, a Mac ma6900, a Modwright amp and couple others. They seemed to me to get along very well with the Auroras.  The only one that I thought stunk was a Cary 120 tube but, it sounded like cheap solid state with  all my speakers. For me the Mac and the Modwright were heavenly. I still haven't heard anything that can nmatch the performance of the Auroras other than my Apogees and Clements speaks, but the room isn't big enough for either of those.

[GentleBender]

GB,

Are the black with white baffles at the Vapor sight yours? The white one's were mine.

Yes, those are the ones. Did you sell yours?

I haven't tried any other amps with mine and am perfectly happy with the Odyssey Cyclops, it has power for days and runs cool even under load.

[EdRo]

Hey GB! Are you still happy with your Auroras?

[GentleBender]

Hey Ed,

I love these Auroras! Don't plan to ever get rid of them either. In fact I almost never come and visit this site anymore now that my life has sped up plus the fact that I am very satisfied with the system I have. I've spent way too much on vinyl lately, but it is something I can enjoy with my wife. So I pop in from time to time to see how everyone is doing. I need to update my pics on here to show off the VPI HW-19 I acquired that replaced the Audio Technica.