[Ultralight]

As who dealt with Brazilian rosewood for custom acoustic guitars, I can attest that they are not always easy to deal with.  Good job - any photos?  Love those Brazilian rosewood for tonewood. And Koa too.

UL

I also learned just what a bitch Rosewood veneer can be.  Yours is a true 30+ year old Brazilian Black Rosewood.  It was incredibly oily and brittle, in addition glue doesn't push through the pores when it's vacuum bagged.  The oily-ness meant it had to be sanded and wiped with acetone immediately before bagging, being brittle meant you had to be VERY careful with it or it would shatter.  But it was the glue not bleeding through that really caused fits, glue would tend to collect in pockets under the veneer and form bubbles.  Very frustrating, but things like that are both the frustration and gratification of doing custom builds. 

[dpatters]

Add me to the list of happy Vapor customers.  My Joule Blacks that were shown at RMAF arrived in Happy Valley (State College, PA) on Friday afternoon and I couldn't be more thrilled.  For those of you that saw the photos from RMAF believe me they do the build quality no justice.  They are absolutely beautiful and the sonics are incredible.  Once I take some photos I will get them posted.

While it is true that Ryan may tend to over promise on build time I think that it's just his enthusiasm about his product. If a person chooses to reap the benefits of boutique designers and builders they must accept the drawbacks also.  Life happens and when we are talking a one or two man operation build times can get delayed.  I have experienced this with other small dealers in this business. However in the end where else could I get this custom build and sound quality at anywhere near the price I paid. I would recommend Vapor to anyone looking for new speakers on the price ranges that are offered by Ryan and Pete with the reminder that they must have some patience.  If you are the instant gratification type then maybe this business model is not the best for you.  Pay more for less but you can have them right away.

Thanks again Ryan and Pete for the speakers of a lifetime.

Don Patterson

[seadogs1]

Congrats Don I think you will be VERY Happy with your new Joules. I know I am. I have the Joule Whites from last year's RMAF. After the show Ryan informed me that the finish and voicing was not up to his standards and asked if he could bring them back to his shop and work on them. I agreed as I wanted them perfect. Well, Ryan and Pete did their thing and then Ryan went above and beyond. He personally drove them from his shop in St. Louis up to Eagan Minnesota and set them up for me and did not leave until we were pleased with the results. As the grandkids would say both Ryan and Pete are AWESOME!!! Okay, do I still like them after a year? Fair question, I Love them better than any speaker I have owned  and I have had box speakers Electrostats and horn speakers. In my room and with my set up the Joules sound MAGNIFICENT. So if you are interested in some really good speakers give Ryan a call and I don't think you will be disappointed, I know I wasn't.

Good Luck and GREAT Listening!

Chuck

[TF1216]

Glad to see you posting on  here Chuck.  I have been to Chuck's and have heard Ryan's speakers a few times.  They are chameleons every time I have heard them.  They sound sweet with everything you play through them.

[sharpsuxx]

Count me as a very happy customer!  I agree with the tone of thread though, impatient people may not want to enter the process, or must get over their impatience to really win out.  I bought a Cirrus and the build took about 5 months but with the sonics, the engineering, the veneering, cosmetics and care for excruciating details Vapor put into their speakers, I saw it more as commissioning a piece of art work than ordering a pair of speakers, they'll be done when they're done.  To be fair, Ryan told me it would take 3 months, and I think it took 4 and a half and I was itching the whole time.  But I have a speaker now I will likely never sell or replace, at some point I may make the investment into a Joule or a Perfect Storm but otherwise I don't feel I ever again need to replace these speakers.

You may have to be patient, but I would bet that few have heard any better speakers at any price point.

[dmwoods]

Please count me among those extremely pleased with my both my Vapor Cirrus speakers and Ryan's customer service.  I previously have owned Focal and KEF speakers.  The Focal's cost much more than the Cirrus and the KEF's a little less.  Neither speaker compares very favorably to the Cirrus in terms of performance.  I placed my order in November, 2011 and received them in March, 2012.  I believe this makes me something of an early adopter.  While I did not enjoy the wait I have done enough cabinet work over the years to understand the time it takes to build and finish a project like this.  Ryan's build quality is way off the charts superior relative to other manufacturers that I have seen.

Never at any point in the build process did I ever have the slightest question whether Ryan would deliver exactly what we agreed upon.  I have enjoyed every minute of time spent with my Cirrus and I can't even imagine another speaker outperforming it for anywhere near the coin.  My only regret is that my house has a rather small listening room.  If I had a larger room I could buy another speaker from Ryan. 

I don't know how this dust-up got started with Srajan, whom I don't know.  I do know Ryan and would love an occasion to do business with him again.  Owning a pair of Cirrus ranks as the single best audio purchase decision I have ever made.

Regards to all,
Dennis

[dex67]

yes, you can add me to the list of happy customers...even though Ryan and I had some issues regarding the insurance claim from the shipping company, i can honestly say that the Vapor Nimbus Black are THE best speakers i've ever had!!! I think to best them, one would probably have to look at $100k pair of speakers....

did i start some shit about me being unhappy with the delivery of my pair? yes...and i apologize to Ryan and to Vapor Audio for creating more headache for them than necessary...i had enough time to think for the past few days, and i realize that being mad for some moron at a shipping company and blame it on Ryan, was a mistake...looking at the big picture i know that there are more important things to worry in life...

so, if anyone in the ti-state area wants to listen to a pair of Nimbus black, my listening room is open...just send me a message and we'll go from there...

adrian

[TF1216]

I am not a customer of Ryan's but I have inquired about a custom design I had in mind.  On a few occasions, he has given me more than enough time to discuss my wants all the while answering the mundane questions people like me ask. 

I imagine business operations would be easier if his designs were more square, and less curved, giving the small team more time for communications at inopportune times and less headaches in the finishing booth. I'm telling you though, the craftsmanship and the sound of his speakers are extraordinary.  If I lived closer to St. Louis I would have dropped my speakers off to have them overhauled Vapor Audio style. 

[Large-Photo-Guy]

I'm another extremely happy Vapor Audio customer, in fact I purchased one of the very first Cirrus speakers from Ryan (now called "Cirrus Black.")

Ryan incorporated many upgrades to the crossover components, wiring etc. The musicality of my speakers is astonishing, as well as the resolution of the finest details to give an organic, "real life" presentation.

In working with Ryan, you get custom-custom speakers, tweaked to your audio preferences and giving you extremely high value for your dollars. Yes, it takes time (months) to build and deliver these one-of-a-kind speakers but well worth the wait.  You're not ordering a can of baked beans off the shelf. 

I've had many visitors listen to my Cirrus speakers in my acoustically engineered listening room (some of which have been professional employed in the recording industry) and they have all been stunned by the incredible quality of the music.  As one recording engineer told me, "I never knew music could sound like that."

I have complete confidence in the uniquely beautiful quality (and value) of Ryan's custom built speakers and in Ryan's integrity as a businessman and as an honest person. 

[Geardaddy]

He personally drove them from his shop in St. Louis up to Eagan Minnesota and set them up for me and did not leave until we were pleased with the results.
Chuck

Talk about concierge service.  What more is their to say?  Artisanal, boutique audio business goes against the core of modernity and is hard to maintain.  A lot of philes do not understand the energy that goes into making it work.  Be patient.  Go with the flow, and enjoy your deliverance from the merry-go-round....

[mcmanus]

I totally love my Vapor Cirrus Black - they are so far past any speaker that I've had before socially and in fit and finish. The only speakers that I've owned that came close were a pair of modified Magnepan 3.6's. The control of the lower end on the Cirrus puts them well ahead of the maggies.

After some discussion with Ryan about building my speakers, I found an opportunity to pick up pair of used Cirrus Blacks. I let Ryan know about my purchase and he has acted as if I bought them from him. He has been available to answer questions and made several recommendations for an upgrade path when I am ready.

When we were discussing building speakers, he offered, insisted, that he deliver them and help me get them setup in my room. Who does that? Reading some of the comments that other customers have made, I am surprised. They do not describe the experience I have had with Ryan or his products. Anyone who buys Vapor speakers is getting a huge value. I respect that Ryan has chosen not to increase prices as demand for his speakers goes up. This one of the true bargains in an over-hyped marketplace - we're getting unsurpassed quality and personalized attention from the builder. I'm sold on the speakers and the company. Could not recommend more highly.

[simoon]

Well, at this time I'm not an owner. Hopefully will be at some time in the not too distant future.

My only input is, that at every audio show I've attended, the Vapor room has always been one of the best sounding.

I would have no problem ordering from them.