[seadogs1]

Hi Everyone, Don't know how to link so just let me tell you to go to Vapor Audio Facebook to see the latest Joule. IMO the best one yet
then decide for yourself.

[JerryM]

Hi Everyone, Don't know how to link so just let me tell you to go to Vapor Audio Facebook to see the latest Joule. IMO the best one yet
then decide for yourself.

Here ya' go. 

[Gopher]

'Perfect' Joule!  I look forward to hearing this one.

[Pete Schumacher]

'Perfect' Joule!  I look forward to hearing this one.

Same crossover, same drivers, different cabinets. 

As you can see, we copied the Perfect Storm layout by eliminating the plinth under the bass bin and incorporated it into a chamber along the back wall.  The larger footprint of the bass bin required a new upper cabinet to better compliment the sense of scale.  It's slightly wider and a few inches deeper than the Cirrus cabinet that was on the previous Joule 2.0.  In fact, they are very close in size to the original Joule pedestal mount speakers.

Overall, the pair of cabinets is close to 400 pounds total, an inch and a half wider about 6 inches deeper and 6-7 inches taller than the previous model.

[Berto]

Same crossover, same drivers, different cabinets. 

As you can see, we copied the Perfect Storm layout by eliminating the plinth under the bass bin and incorporated it into a chamber along the back wall.  The larger footprint of the bass bin required a new upper cabinet to better compliment the sense of scale.  It's slightly wider and a few inches deeper than the Cirrus cabinet that was on the previous Joule 2.0.  In fact, they are very close in size to the original Joule pedestal mount speakers.

Overall, the pair of cabinets is close to 400 pounds total, an inch and a half wider about 6 inches deeper and 6-7 inches taller than the previous model.

Thanx for breakdown Pete, appreciate it!

I did'nt even pick up on the new PS like bass bin design. Such a clean look, love it

[SearchOfSub]

Why update every few weeks? what about people that buy the speakers only to find out its been improved a week later but pay same price? All thoughts/improvements should be done for a product before releasing to public for retail or else consider a different line. I understand that Vapor Audio speakers are heavily customizable so it's not such a big deal with Vapor but still if the product is different from the base model, and when updated, pricing should be different and explained in detail for upgrade etc with different pricing. Or in this case the Joule, should be called version 2 etc..

[spreadspectrum]

Why update every few weeks? what about people that buy the speakers only to find out its been improved a week later but pay same price? All thoughts/improvements should be done for a product before releasing to public for retail or else consider a different line. I understand that Vapor Audio speakers are heavily customizable so it's not such a big deal with Vapor but still if the product is different from the base model, and when updated, pricing should be different and explained in detail for upgrade etc with different pricing. Or in this case the Joule, should be called version 2 etc..

I will let Vapor comment on their business practices, however, in my opinion it is their business to run the way they wish.  I like the fact that they are committed to continual improvement.  Despite that, and having gone through the process, I don't see major changes happening every few weeks - in the case of the Joule, major changes have evolved over years.

Product upgrades are a fact of life in any industry.  That twinge of longing for the "new model" is much less of a thing with Vapor, as their product is, indeed, custom.  The fact that I don't have one of hundreds of identical looking, and even sounding, speakers is appealing to me.  Whatever model a customer purchases will be unique.

The last thing I will comment on is price.  Vapor is very up front on the base price of their speakers.  The price of the Joule was raised to accommodate the version you see above.  It would be impossible to list upgrade options for everything, as there are almost limitless choices in some areas.  In my case, I suggested some of the modifications - and, in any case, I was charged what Ryan paid for these things.

Bottom line is that I understand the disappointment of watching what you bought get "changed", but I don't think this is as big of a thing as your post implies.

[Phil A]

Product upgrades are a fact of life in any industry.  That twinge of longing for the "new model" is much less of a thing with Vapor, as their product is, indeed, custom.  The fact that I don't have one of hundreds of identical looking, and even sounding, speakers is appealing to me.  Whatever model a customer purchases will be unique.

The last thing I will comment on is price.  Vapor is very up front on the base price of their speakers.  The price of the Joule was raised to accommodate the version you see above.  It would be impossible to list upgrade options for everything, as there are almost limitless choices in some areas.  In my case, I suggested some of the modifications - and, in any case, I was charged what Ryan paid for these things.

Bottom line is that I understand the disappointment of watching what you bought get "changed", but I don't think this is as big of a thing as your post implies.

I agree totally.  However, that being said, there are many who continually upgrade their speakers and systems.  Having a non-current vs. a current model impacts them (and that has nothing to do with Vapor's business practices which are their own business) on the resale market.  So for some people it may not be the ideal choice based on that.

[SearchOfSub]

I will let Vapor comment on their business practices, however, in my opinion it is their business to run the way they wish.  I like the fact that they are committed to continual improvement.  Despite that, and having gone through the process, I don't see major changes happening every few weeks - in the case of the Joule, major changes have evolved over years.

Product upgrades are a fact of life in any industry.  That twinge of longing for the "new model" is much less of a thing with Vapor, as their product is, indeed, custom.  The fact that I don't have one of hundreds of identical looking, and even sounding, speakers is appealing to me.  Whatever model a customer purchases will be unique.

The last thing I will comment on is price.  Vapor is very up front on the base price of their speakers.  The price of the Joule was raised to accommodate the version you see above.  It would be impossible to list upgrade options for everything, as there are almost limitless choices in some areas.  In my case, I suggested some of the modifications - and, in any case, I was charged what Ryan paid for these things.

Bottom line is that I understand the disappointment of watching what you bought get "changed", but I don't think this is as big of a thing as your post implies.

I don't own any Vapor speakers, just a potential buyer and have been for awhile. I actually do like Vapors business ethics and how they continue to improve, just thought someone should hint at this very fact. It does effect the buyers remorse and potential buyers from buying products. I know Ryan is an engineer and has many builds going so they might overlook this simple thing but this can potentially bite both the seller and buyer later down the line. (In which it was NOT overlooked as I have come to find out - Topic of thread is questionable rather.) Especially to those who are looking to resale the speakers later down the line for change,  i.e from bookshelves to towers and vice versa.

I didn't check the website, if price have been updated then that's complete fine, as it should be. Just sayin' -  customer service/satisfaction should take priority as well IMO.

[seadogs1]

I love the sound of my Joule whites but I would really no REALLY love to hear these.

[spreadspectrum]

I agree totally.  However, that being said, there are many who continually upgrade their speakers and systems.  Having a non-current vs. a current model impacts them (and that has nothing to do with Vapor's business practices which are their own business) on the resale market.  So for some people it may not be the ideal choice based on that.

Hi, Phil.  That is certainly a fair point, and one I admittedly overlook, given that I tend to keep things for long periods. Still, I have to imagine that given the relative value of Vapor's product compared to the wider market, that resale would be good regardless of improvements. Nonetheless, I have no data to support this.

Ryan

[Phil A]

I don't upgrade as often as I used to.  I'll generally just rotate things to a second or third system (or fourth or fifth ).  When I upgrade a Blu-Ray player for example something better will end up in the bedroom system and guest room.  Many who have itch to upgrade just want the latest.  That's just the nature of the beast.

[douglas_schroeder]

God's Joy to all,
I don't post much here, mostly observing. This likely will be my only post for now; I have a lot going on, and I plan on an Owner's Review of the Joule speakers under discussion here. However, for the benefit of those interested, as a reviewer I was drawn to the powerful performance of the Vapor speakers. Ryan and I discussed and agreed upon every aspect of the build out of this speaker. This was more than a year long project in which every aspect of the Joule has been revisited. Ryan and I agreed upon the Verastarr internal cabling after I heard the Perfect Storm at AXPONA, which utilized Verastarr cabling. I pushed for more massive gauge internal cabling, and I believe the team at Vapor agrees it was a good move.

I will look forward to fleshing out the nuances of the "Perfect Joule" in the months ahead. Don't look for the article to appear at Dagogo.com immediately, as I have sizable number of things on my "to do" list, but it will be done eventually. Regarding the constant development of Vapor speakers, I believe that this perfectly dovetails with the custom build philosophy of Vapor, and I do not believe it will unduly hurt resale of the speakers Vapor makes, as their performance and appearance should command a premium.

[Eugene2]

Then never buy an Apple product...

[bajaed]

Amazing!  Are these going to be at RMAF?

Really want to hear some of the Vapor floorstanders soon. Is that a painted finish or veneer?

[pconley2]

Same crossover, same drivers, different cabinets. 

As you can see, we copied the Perfect Storm layout by eliminating the plinth under the bass bin and incorporated it into a chamber along the back wall.  The larger footprint of the bass bin required a new upper cabinet to better compliment the sense of scale.  It's slightly wider and a few inches deeper than the Cirrus cabinet that was on the previous Joule 2.0.  In fact, they are very close in size to the original Joule pedestal mount speakers.

Overall, the pair of cabinets is close to 400 pounds total, an inch and a half wider about 6 inches deeper and 6-7 inches taller than the previous model.

Pete/Ryan, always glad to see you guys continue the (not really needed) improvement to an already great speaker but I have one question, given that you have moved the plinth (and the crossover) into the main sub cabinet, how to get to the crossover to work on it after everything is completed?  I only ask this because due to stupidity on my part (or a friends part actually) I had to open up the crossover to replace a broken speaker connector which I was able to do easily by putting the speaker on its side and un-screwing the plinth.  Curious about how that would be done on the new Vapors and Perfect Storms for that matter.
In any case keep up the good work and if either of you ever end up in the beautiful West, come by and see/listen to a previous version of one of your great speakers.
Phil

[Tomy2Tone]

Love the custom vinyl diffuser panel on the back wall. 

How long did it take to make that? 

Looks great man, what a great room to hear music. Hopefully I'll get to hear some Joules at RMAF.

[Pete Schumacher]

Why update every few weeks? what about people that buy the speakers only to find out its been improved a week later but pay same price? All thoughts/improvements should be done for a product before releasing to public for retail or else consider a different line. I understand that Vapor Audio speakers are heavily customizable so it's not such a big deal with Vapor but still if the product is different from the base model, and when updated, pricing should be different and explained in detail for upgrade etc with different pricing. Or in this case the Joule, should be called version 2 etc..

I'll try to answer that.  Joule was first introduced as a pedestal mounted 3-way using an 8" woofer using a large version of the Cirrus cabinet.  We sold a few pair in that configuration and will still build that version of Joule if anyone wants it.  It used the 70-20XR RAAL and the same midrange in the current Joule.  That is Joule 1.0.

After we built Nimbus we wanted to carry some of that higher sensitivity performance into the Joule and the only way to do that was to change the build.  We introduced the 2 cabinet version of Joule a couple years ago, adding a transmission line behind the 10" woofer.  That is Joule 2.0.  That version will not be offered going forward.

After building a number of sets in that configuration, we took what we learned and applied it to the Perfect Storm.  As you can see with PS, there is no plinth.  We created a void in the back wall into which we place the crossover which was in the plinth of the Joule.  Access to the crossover is via a large metal plate mounted to the back of the bass bin.  Doing it that way offered some real benefits.  We liked it enough that we wanted Joule to incorporate it in future builds.  That is Joule 3.0.

As Ryan stated in his post, this configuration is highly unlikely to change for the next few years.  The approach to the system in its construction has matured.  Each build up to this point could be considered prototypes, the research of each funded by those brave souls who decided to journey with us into the realm of ultra high end audio.  For those people, we are truly grateful for their patience and steadfastness.  The previous version uses the exact same drivers as the current version, as well as the same crossover with the exception of a single cap value changed to accommodate the slight amount of extra tilt applied to the upper cabinet.  The main difference between the two is purely aesthetic.  Performance differences, if there are any, are very minor.

Every Joule, Cirrus, Nimbus, etc. that we build is a unique build.  Veneer, color scheme, crossover parts, all change based on customer preferences chosen during the consultation phase of the project.

[pconley2]

Love the custom vinyl diffuser panel on the back wall. 

How long did it take to make that? 

Looks great man, what a great room to hear music. Hopefully I'll get to hear some Joules at RMAF.

Tommy, the vinyl took 35 years, the cabinets were a trip to Scandinavian Designs, who are out of business now, but similar to IKEA--glad you like it, the records really help tame a live room. I just ordered the first of a batch of sound insulation that will go around room to tame it some more.  Of the 4 different speaker systems that i have had in this room, the Joules are the only ones that really excite the room to the point where I need more baffling.

Back to Pete and Ryan, please tell the owner of the new Joules that Seadogs, Speadspectrum, DPatters, me and all the other Joule owners that we welcome him to the fold, and hope that s/he has a much fun with them as we have had with ours.

phil

[Gopher]

Why update every few weeks? what about people that buy the speakers only to find out its been improved a week later but pay same price? All thoughts/improvements should be done for a product before releasing to public for retail or else consider a different line. I understand that Vapor Audio speakers are heavily customizable so it's not such a big deal with Vapor but still if the product is different from the base model, and when updated, pricing should be different and explained in detail for upgrade etc with different pricing. Or in this case the Joule, should be called version 2 etc..

I don't see what Vapor does as a negative in anyway.  Rather than worrying about what may be implemented next year, I cherish the fact that I am getting the best speaker they know how to build TODAY.  The build doesn't happen over night and if an epiphany hits, they can implement it right in.  This is a good thing not a negative.

I have not one, but two pairs of Vapor speakers in the pipe line for different systems in my home now and I LOVE that they will both be custom builds unlike anything they've done before.  Will my resale price be maximized?  Probably not, but its a custom item at a very reasonable cost with class leading SQ and looks.  Moreover, most owners will hopefully keep them for the long term rather than juggling like so much other gear...   

You should also look at the fact that Vapor does cool stuff like upgrading existing platforms, like creating Joules out of peoples entry level Breezes or middle of their line Cirrus.  That's pretty friggin' cool IMO.