[jackman]

I couldn't make it to the Axpo show but the new Derecho is one of the best looking speakers I have ever seen.  It's amazing how Vapor continues to produce amazing looking speakers at extremely reasonable prices.  When I first saw the pictures, I assumed they were well over $10K.  All of Vapor speakers are very attractive but these might be my favorites.  Looking forward to hearing them sometime.  Best of luck, guys!

Jack

[wisnon]

Yes, its very attractive.

[standub]

http://www.stereophile.com/content/vapor-audio-purity-lampizator

Great now that stereophile knows knows about Ryan's speakers i'm going to have to order a pair before he jacks up the price.

[Vapor Audio]

Hence the reason why one would use fixtures.   

And how many stacked ply cabinets have you built? 

I've gone through about 20 units of Birch Ply and 5+ years developing how best to assemble cabinets like this, despite what many think, there's absolutely nothing easy about it.  All the things like fixtures and alignment rods that may make sense logically simply don't produce the desired result.  The only way I've found the consistency I want is using finger-tip alignment, and any other methods we've developed are going to stay ours.  A similar shape could be made using thin panels laminated over a form inside a vacuum bagger, and in fact I had a Cirrus made that way long ago to compare.  Yes the stacked ply cabinet required many more hours of labor, but it is a better cabinet in every way. 

So why do it?  With us performance is the tail that's wagging the dog.  There's no other way to get an inside shape developed by Finite Element Analysis into production, or a 4" roundover on front, or a void filled way where we put our inversion layer material, or being able to precisely control and vary wall thickness.  All those things produce tangible positive results, so they're worth doing. 

[jtwrace]

There's no other way to get an inside shape developed by Finite Element Analysis

What software did you use?

[Vapor Audio]

What software did you use?

I didn't do the simulation, I had a graduate student at Okla St do it as part of his Masters thesis 

So I don't know the software used. 

[simoon]

Please tell me you are going to have these at THE Show in Newport coming up in a couple of months!

These are at the upper end of my price range, but I could make an exception.

A few more pictures:

[Vapor Audio]

Please tell me you are going to have these at THE Show in Newport coming up in a couple of months!

These are at the upper end of my price range, but I could make an exception.

We will be coming to Newport, looks like we'll be in 2 rooms.  But the plan as of right now is one pair of Joule White and one pair of Joule Black.  But like I tell people all the time, all our speakers sound very similar.  They're all extensively voiced by my ears, not computers simulations, so the tonality and balance is consistent across our line.  They have different intrinsic capabilities based on drivers used and cabinet, so it's a matter of picking the capabilities you want and matching that with your budget.

BTW, one of the Joule's will look like this

[jimdgoulding]

That is a terrific exterior design to my way of thinking.  Plus that, it's very handsome. 

[mr_bill]

Ryan,
Those Joules are gorgeous. Could you describe the baffle color and veneer please?
Also, is the Joule a better speaker than the Derecho and the Nimbus?
Thanks Bill

[Pete Schumacher]

Ryan,
Those Joules are gorgeous. Could you describe the baffle color and veneer please?
Also, is the Joule a better speaker than the Derecho and the Nimbus?
Thanks Bill

The baffle color will be a bronze metal flake.  The veneer is a walnut variety.

Joule is not only the best speaker we make, it's the best speaker that either of us has ever heard.  The combination of the AudioTech 10" sandwich cone in a tapered and damped transmission line, the Accuton Neo mid, and the RAAL 140-15D is quite simply a trio of the finest transducers on the planet.  The resolution you expect from the mids and highs is equally present in the frequencies covered by the woofer.  Resolution isn't something normally associated with woofers, but it is obvious when listening to the AudioTech in the TL.  And that's where it separates itself from the rest of our lineup.  When you put those transducers together, flagship units from 3 of the finest names in audio, the potential is to have the best speaker on earth.

Derecho and Nimbus can pull a lot from a low powered SET, and fill a large room with as little as 10W behind them.  Joule needs a bit more power to reach the same levels, but what it does with the low level details is unmatched by either of the other models.

Derecho is a beauty, that's for sure. 

For those who love the looks and ability to please low powered SET amps, better order Derecho before the price inevitably starts climbing.  These are dealer prices basically and who knows how long they'll last?!

[Vapor Audio]

Ryan,
Those Joules are gorgeous. Could you describe the baffle color and veneer please?
Also, is the Joule a better speaker than the Derecho and the Nimbus?
Thanks Bill

Thanks Bill, being engrossed in the auto world for years like I was, custom paint work is something I really enjoy.  That paint is a Mercedes color only available on their higher end AMG cars called Sepang Brown, it's a 3-stage color.  And the veneer is a very unique bundle of Walnut Burl. 

As far as which is better, we firmly believe the Joule is the better speaker.  It has the better RAAL tweeter which is significantly better than the 70-20XR, the best Accuton made that even though is just a single driver still delivers more dynamic punch and significantly more low-level detail, and the AT Sandwich Cone combined with the CNC cut tapering transmission line gives resolution in the bass like you're used to hearing at 5000hz ... not 50hz. 

In short, the Joule can take you so deep into a recording that it's just plain spooky how real it sounds.  I have honestly never heard anything like it before.  Some Raidho's have been close but not as smooth and refined, and Zellaton's have been close as well but without the dynamics and foundation on bottom.  The Joule is a speaker that puts it all together, it's the one that we're building for ourselves. 

The one area where the Nimbus wins is in sensitivity, a 9 watt 300B SET will really get the Nimbus moving.  Heck, we played it at RMAF with a 3.5wpc 2A3 SET.  The Joule needs more like 40wpc to really come to life.  To combine the sensitivity and the spooky realism, that's what the Perfect Storm will be. 

[dpatters]

Ryan and Pete,

Wow!! The finish on the Joule Black looks totally awesome. I can't wait to see them in my room after the show.

Don P.

[RDavidson]

That's a sweet 3D render of those speakers.
I wouldn't have known it was a render if there wasn't any visible aliasing along the edges and the black around the driver surrounds wasn't so flat.
The finish combination IS awesome, though.

[stlrman]

Don, those are insanely beautiful!
Congrats!!

[mr_bill]

Ryan and Pete,

Wow!! The finish on the Joule Black looks totally awesome. I can't wait to see them in my room after the show.

Don P.

Should I assume that this pair is sold? 

[dpatters]

Yes.  They will be shipped to me after the show. I'm eagerly awaiting.

[dpatters]

Don, those are insanely beautiful!
Congrats!!

Thanks. Working with Ryan has been great.  We spent a lot of time looking at veneers.  When Ryan showed us the Walnut burl and paint combo we were sold.  I think the finish is killer.

[mr_bill]

Killer is right - I love it too.

[LateApex]

Thanks. Working with Ryan has been great.  We spent a lot of time looking at veneers.  When Ryan showed us the Walnut burl and paint combo we were sold.  I think the finish is killer.

Congrats on scoring those.  They look (and I am sure sound) fantastic.