EXPENSIVE SPEAKER, CHEAP ELECTRONICS SYSTEM
I recently finished an Audio Blast of the economical Musical Fidelity M1PWR Amplifier, a Class D design, and V90-DAC. These are eminently affordable components, costing $499 for the amp and $299 for the DAC. I could not resist trying them with the Nimbus White. I have spoken in the past of taking steps up a ladder in an effort to describe how the audiophile can figuratively move up in terms of system quality and enjoyment in listening. While some changes have brought perceptual 2-3 rung steps upward perhaps the most dramatic possibility would be to purchase the Nimbus White speakers and mate them with nearly any reasonable product in terms of introductory Hi-Fi components.
It would be misleading to suggest that such a system move would yield similar results to that obtained with finer electronics. Hold on to your seats, however, as I am about to make a nearly heretical statement; the Nimbus White speakers paired with even such modest equipment as the above, might handily outperform the system you currently own. The speakers are so good that even with cost-conscious components the performance is very likely to be significantly better than the average audiophile system. It may not make you happy to hear that a $10K speaker with about $3K in components would have a better than average chance of being preferred to your $20-30K rig. I am not here, however, simply to make you happy; I’m here to tell you what the best gear is, and these speakers are among the very best.
Of course such discussion is always in terms of hypotheticals and generalities. I do not always support the viewpoint that one should build a system by first acquiring the speakers, then the rest of the system. In this case I would suggest doing so, putting even the vast majority of money into the Nimbus White and parlaying the remainder into a functioning system. Why would I make such an outlandish recommendation? Because you are very unlikely to ever find such a gift in terms of cost to performance again. The Nimbus White literally would save you tens of thousands in speaker costs as you build your system. It is one speaker I can state unequivocally you could own for decades as you upgrade components around it to escalate performance.
STUNNING DEVELOPMENT
Because I develop systems continuously most assuredly within weeks any new component will sound far better than when it arrived. Speakers are no exception and the Nimbus White, as appealing as it was initially, has reached far beyond the initial sound quality. The component which has taken the speaker to its best performance is another Musical Fidelity offering, the M6500i Integrated, also currently under review.
This integrated is one of my most gleeful discoveries in the past four or five years. It reinforces my conclusion years ago that the mono integrated amp is the “lost amplification scheme,” a secret means of squeezing more performance from a system than most audiophiles know. After spending about five years with the Pathos Classic One MkIII hybrid integrated amps in Mono mode I despaired I would never find another solution to amplification so elegant and affordable. My fears were allayed when I hooked up the M6500i! I delighted to discover that I had unwittingly been following in Anthony Michaelson’s steps, as the M6500i is in reality a preamp with two pair of stereo amps bridged to Mono, one set for each channel! A whopping 500wpc drive more sensitive speakers with ease and less sensitive ones with aplomb.
I will spend much more time on the M6500i in my upcoming review, but for now allow me to enthuse about my principle being verified, that being if the integrated amp is good enough the loss of a preamp and set of cables dramatically improves the system sound, even over far more expensive and popular preamp and amp combinations. The Nimbus White soared with the M6500i to such a degree that I must consider it the greatest expression of speaker performance heard to date in my room.
The M6500i is a tidy affair that sonically bridges the divide between the Flat Earth sound of components such as Naim and the more meaty but less analytical brands such as McIntosh and Van Alstine. In comparison with the M1PWR class D mono amps the M6500i was far more robust and detailed while also surpassing the M1PWR in tonality and richness. There is a $6K difference between these mono amps and the M6500i, so a budget audiophile would likely have to settle for the class D amp, which is no slouch. However, if the finances do not prohibit the move to the M6500i is strongly warranted.
I have not included discussion of use of the Nimbus White with tube amplification. Frankly, I have not yet used the Nimbus White with a tube amp. That may sound odd, or even unforgivable, to some. When I consider the performance capacity of the Nimbus White the question of tube or SS amplification concerns me not in the least. This is not the kind of speaker which one needs to be worried over such things, whereas, the preponderance of speakers one should be concerned about it. I did have the concern that it would perform exceptionally with solid-state equipment. My reasoning was thus; if the speaker was etched, shrill, overbearing or lacked coherency with solid-state gear then it would never receive my highest praise. It would then need to be assessed as a speaker that might be suitable for softer, mellower listening and tube electronics in general. Since it has passed the solid-state test with ease I have no concerns that it can be used in a system with tube amplification with similarly exceptional results.
Ryan’s independent confirmation is straightforward, “As long as it’s a nice sounding amp, it’ll work well with the Nimbus.” His use of the speaker with Arte Forma 805 Tube Monoblocks at 40wpc in a 28’x75’ room at RMAF confirms this thought. I will enjoy hearing these speakers in the days ahead powered by tube amplification, and I anticipate it will be some of the most glorious sound I have achieved via tubes.
Consider, however, that I would not reverse my test by using tube gear and assuming the speaker would perform to taste with solid state electronics. The fact that the Nimbus White performed so admirably with all solid-state systems reinforces in my mind its suitability for alternate systems. I have used many speakers that all but require the use of solid-state gear to wake them up, to elicit an acceptable level of definition and verve. Not so the Nimbus White, as it brings copious amounts of these to the system. While I would not dream of scaling back the high-definition-ness of the experience of the Nimbus White, I know audiophiles who have a knee-jerk reaction to an all SS rig. They should rest assured the Nimbus (likely the Black version) would offer them tremendous subtlety and abiding tonal richness, the kind of things tube lovers seek.
THE GENRE, THE ARTIST, THE PERFORMANCE – NONE OF IT MATTERS
This is a speaker made to play all music superbly. It is of extreme audiophile pedigree but it is not picky about what music is played. This is one of the most laudable aspects of its design, that it is unhindered by the genre, artist or performance. I heard Jazz from Lionel Hampton, synthesized works of Jan Hammer and Richard Souther, vocal groups like Take 6 and Rajaton, rock classics including Boston and Kansas, and heavy film scores like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Perfect Storm, and crooners like Connie Evingston and Mick Hucknall. Even quite refined speaker systems are challenged to reproduce every aspect of such a menagerie seemingly without limits. But what can be said when Hampton’s vibes ring truer than previously, Hammer’s synth pounds harder, Rajaton’s harmonies blend more purely, Kansas’s rock sounds fresher and Evingston’s voice is sultrier? What can be said is Ryan Scott has succeeded in knocking the big boys off their perch; the Nimbus White will simply rain hell upon feeble competitors!
THE ENDING YOU DO NOT EXPECT
After all this you expect me to say I love the Nimbus White so much that I feel like I will keep it forever. I will not. You expect me to say that I will enjoy years of use of this speaker. I will not. Why not? Because I am already moving up the Vapor Audio ladder. That is correct, I have placed my order for a set of the current top-of-the-line Joule White speakers and you can bet I will be writing an owner’s review when I get them nicely settled into my room! I do not look forward to the months long wait until they are built and finished (Note that the website says merely curing some finishes can take a month!), and I do not look forward to pauses of days, perhaps a week or more, in conversation with Ryan. Through the emotionally exhausting process of bringing these speakers to fruition I will keep one fact clearly in mind; If this is what Ryan can accomplish when hitting a hard price point and the current top model unhindered by value pricing is only $3K higher, then I am going after it! Having discussed the design and performance differences between the Joule White and Nimbus White extensively with Ryan I am confident that the move to the Joule will be worthwhile.
Why on earth would I do such a thing? Over time if an audiophile gets to enough shows and hears enough speakers he learns about the designers who have giftedness to design not just supreme but extreme speakers. Ryan Scott and his partners, Peter and Ed, have that giftedness, as is evidenced in the Nimbus White. When he said to me that he believes the Joule White is perceptually 30% better in terms of sound quality than the Nimbus White, and at a cost of only 30% more, I knew he was not exaggerating and I was sold. They won’t be here for several months, as they are backordered, but rest assured you will be given the full report. Are you ready to take a deep breath, calm your jittery soul and get in line?
Is this crazy? Is this stupid? No, it’s what a great number of audiophiles have to do – switch to a speaker that has not been auditioned. Thousands of us do so annually, often chasing the higher model in a manufacturer’s lineup. Even though my rule has been to audition speakers I buy, I’m jumping off into the Vaporous void for the reasons given. I simply have concluded that if the Joule White did not exist then I would be at the Vapor Audio premier level, a lovely place to stay. But the Joule White is beckoning and at a price – so, what’s new? – too reasonable to dismiss. I simply made a mistake by not going for the top of the line, and I’m going to correct it straightaway.
Associated Components:
- Source: Musical Fidelity M1CDT Transport; Sonos Digital Music System; Oppo DV-970HD
- NAS: Buffalo Linkstation 500G
- DAC: Eastern Electric Minimax DAC Plus with Burson and Dexa NewClassD Discrete Opamp Upgrade; Musical Fidelity V90-DAC
- Preamp: VAC Renaissance Signature Preamplifier MkII; Pass Labs XP-20; Cambridge Audio 840E
- Amps: VAC Phi 200; Pass Labs X600.5 Monos; Musical Fidelity M1PWR (two units bridged to Mono)
- Integrated: Pathos Classic One MkIII stereo tube hybrid (two units bridged to mono); Peachtree Audio Nova
- Speakers: Kings Audio Kingsound King III; Legacy Audio DSW Clarity Edition; Kings Audio King Tower omnidirectional; Daedalus Audio Ulysses used in Landscape orientation
- Subwoofers: Legacy Audio XTREME HD (2)
- IC’s: Clarity Cable Organic RCA/XLR; Tara Labs RSC Air1 series 2; Wireworld Equinox; Wireworld Silver Eclipse; Wireworld Platinum Eclipse; Snake River Audio Signature Series Interconnects; Silent Source “The Music Reference”
- Speaker Cables: Clarity Cable Organic Speaker; Tara Labs RSC Air1; Wireworld Equinox 5; Wireworld Silver Eclipse; Snake River Audio Signature Series Speaker Cables; Silent Source “The Music Reference”
- Digital Cables: Clarity Cable Organic Digital; Tara Labs RSC Air 75; Wire World Startlight 6; Wireworld Gold Starlight 5, Wireworld Gold Starlight 6; Snake River Audio Boomslang; Silent Source “The Music Reference”
- Power Cables: Clarity Cable Vortex; MIT Oracle ZIII; Tara Labs RSC Air; Xindak PF-Gold; Wireworld Stratus 5, Electra 5 and Silver Electra; Snake River Audio Signature Series; Silent Source “The Music Reference”
- Power Conditioning: Wireworld Matrix Power Cord Extender; Tara Labs ISM Power Screen; Tice Audio Solo
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Thanks for the heartfelt words, Doug! Nimbus is like more like a sculpture for me to build; it is NOT a box. When others enjoy what I build, that makes the time spent worthwhile. Thanks again!
I, like many of your other readers, I’m sure, have followed the travails of the many who have posted on the various fora regarding what can only be described as the minefield of the order/delivery process for these speakers.
You state in your review that you purchased a demo pair so that certainly implies that they were already built when you spoke up for them and even then, there were delays and periods of silence in finally taking possession.
So the clock is now ticking as regards your most recent order. In fairness to all, I hope you will be as forthcoming with updates and status reports for these as you were in this review.
I, for one, have never laid eyes or ears on the Vapor line but it seems a bloody shame that so many “shenanigans” seem to be part and parcel with the procurement process.
I sincerely hope they are worth the trouble.
Alan,
God’s Blessings to you,
I can neither absolutely verify, nor falsify claims made online. I considered the forum complaints – no, I do not have time to read every last one, nor the inclination – when I contemplated writing the article. It was the reason I specifically discussed the structure and methods of the company. It should be obvious to all by now that 1. Vapor doesn’t operate like a regular speaker company, and 2. it doesn’t build a speaker at a valuation point like a regular speaker company.
Perhaps if I share a bit more about the current project people can understand Ryan and Vapor Audio better. Here’s an update: I was initially looking to have the Joule White in Brazilian Rosewood, as per Ryan’s recommendation. About four weeks into the process Ryan said he would like to change it to Saeple. This was shocking to me initially, as I had my heart/mind set on the Rosewood. I imagined it in the room, prepared for it. Now, in a moment he was suggesting something quite different.
So, was that a problem? Did it mean he was running roughshod over my wishes or that he didn’t listen to me? Perhaps I should not give an inch, and take high offense that he “changed the plan” on me, then go online and complain. I decided to give Ryan an ear, and by the time we were done talking, even though I emotionally wasn’t there yet, decided to trust him on the color scheme. Now, two weeks later, I’m there emotionally and believe the change will be good.
I share this because Vapor Audio truly seems to be a custom speaker shop, not a “crank out the basic template” factory. My wife has a small high end costume jewelry business called Splendor by Connie Schroeder (Yes, that is a shameless plug because I am very proud of her!), and she would be driven nuts to produce myriads of cookie cutter products. She makes nearly every piece unique. I see Ryan similarly; he wants each speaker to be a creation, an expression of artistry and excellence. Engaging with a company like this is quite different than walking into a B&M audio shop and buying a speaker. If the audiophile doesn’t want to have any inconveniences involved in obtaining a custom speaker, then they should not buy a Vapor Audio speaker. They can go and spend two to four times as much to buy a speaker on a perfectly tracked timeline for delivery which will have a very good chance of sounding worse.
I do feel for people who engaged with Vapor early thinking there would be hard timelines, no potential disappointments, etc. They likely have a very different view of Vapor. OTOH, there are some truly callow, demanding, quite unreasonable people who will tell only half the story online, and who when they get it stuck in their craw will become quite vengeful in an attempt to hurt the manufacturer. I sometimes hear the horror stories from manufacturers who must tolerate customers from Hell, even when the manufacturer has gone far beyond reason to satisfy the customer. The manufacturers swallow their anger and frustration rather than damn the customer publicly, for they fear it will hurt their business more than just letting it go.
So, Alan, I am going to cut this right down the middle; Vapor operates in a fashion which disgruntles certain audiophiles, and conversely there are certain PITA audiophiles who should never buy a speaker from any company which they cannot receive reassurance, nearly down to the minute.
I chose to largely ignore any controversies in forums for that reason, for the same reason I prefer not to walk into quicksand. I shared my experience candidly so that others can weigh it for themselves. I have never been a fan of the politics involved in my hobbies, so don’t hold your breath waiting for me to resolve such issues. 🙂
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Hi Doug,
Reading your review almost made me blush. You put into words exactly how I felt when Ryan and I first powered up Nimbus White. It was without a doubt the most amazing audio experience I’d had to that time. Then, Joule White happened . . .
I just want to point out that while I do handle Arte Forma in the US, I’m only designing a single amplifier for Arte Forma. Norman Yang’s team in Formosa is responsible for their excellent lineup. I’ve only consulted with them on a few things related to electrical engineering questions.
I heard both the Nimbus and the Joule at the last Rockey mountain show. The Nimbus was being driven by a single ended tube amp while the Joule was driven by a solid state amp. The Nimbus with tubes was much better sounding than the Joule. The Nimbus with the tube amp had a very livefeel to it while the Joule simply sounded on the dull side. If I was in the market for a speaker I would definitely consider the Nimbus but not the Joule. I think it is a mistake to by a speaker that you have not listened to. By the way I have Maggie 3.6 driven by a Shindo preamp and two Berning ZH-270 power amps. This combo is still the best I have ever heard but the Nimbus with tubes is close
Alan Hendler
Peter and Alan,
God’s Joy to you Gentlemen,
Peter, thank you for your clarification; sometimes the seemingly small assumptions or terms are misused, leading to great confusion. I have attempted an editorial fix for the article since this has been brought to my attention.
Alan H, I do not doubt your experience; the sound caliber of the Vapor speakers are such that they dramatically show the nature of the gear ahead of them. In addition, the delights of show goers varies incredibly. I might have concluded the same as you had I heard the two speakers set up as they were. In fact I had heard similar comments from others, so your helpful comment has already been factored into my decision.
Knowing what a Vapor speaker can do in terms of varying sound with different electronics, and having walked through in careful discussion every aspect of the differences in design, construction and performance between the Nimbus and Joule with Ryan, I am pretty confident that I am making the right move, especially since upper end drivers from the RAAL and Accuton lines are employed in the Joule White. You notice also that Peter alludes in his post above to the Joule being superior holistically. Who knows? You may be right, but I don’t think so. 🙂
You have lovely pre/amplification; I am imagining what it would sound like with the King Sound King III ESL. You might wish to read my thought provoking reviews of the King and then the King III, both of which are found on this website. Brace yourself for my assessment of other panels as compared to the KingIII.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
As a current owner of the Joule Whites I believe you will be MORE than satisfied with your decision.
The best thing that I can say about them is that when people hear them they don’t want to leave. It’s always oh, just play one more song which leads to just one more song and one more song. Enjoy!
Chuck,
God’s Joy to you,
Thanks! I don’t think I’m making a mistake, either! It would be awfully difficult to improve upon the driver set across the board and with the same designer end up with a poorer speaker. That’s just not going to happen. Even mass marketed speaker manufacturers can easily improve upon their models as the line goes higher. So, when Ryan indicates the Joule White is perceptually about 30% better, I do not find that difficult to believe.
Part of the problem is that the Nimbus is so fantastically visually appealing that people begin to think it must sound better. I find myself so enamored not just of the sound, but also the appearance that it is hard to contemplate selling it. But one does not achieve greater things by sitting with the status quo, however, lovely it may be.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
First off, thank you so much Doug for the thoughtful and thorough review! Also thanks to Dagogo for making it all possible. Being an outsider in the audio World, it’s a bit stressful trusting people you don’t know to convey to the World what your creations are all about. But those worries proved unfounded, the experience with Doug and Dagogo could not have been better.
About the Joule at RMAF, when that side of the room was working properly they sounded quite nice if a bit thin. But we had many equipment failures, and ended up chasing our tails for the better part of the weekend. However, the pair of Joule that went to the show had 30 seconds, literally, of time on them before arrival. And no voicing had been done at all. When we got them back home we found the midrange was around 2-3db too hot, so the final product sounds much different than what was at the show. We’ll leave it to Doug to after he receives his pair to let people know just how they compare.
Hi
Great looking speaker, no questioning that. Bet they sound as good also. Can these compare with brands like Magico, WilsonSasha, Tad or other known brands? Will try and get me one pair of these…Do you consider these to be ” first generation” Nimbus, since they are quite new, and will they improve even more within the next year? I miss a stand where it would be able to adjust the tilting/angle of the speaker, since not all floors a 100% horizontal. Is that something you have considered?
I was at the audio show in Denver and can attest to Ryan’s frustration with the equipment problems powering the Joules so evaluating that speaker at that show is not a fair depiction of the speakers potential. I am sure Doug the reviewer will play with a lot of stuff to get the best sound possible in his room which will be nothing short of spectacular . I have my Cirrus back at Vapor to have a base unit designed for them so I can get to (I hope) 85 – 90% of what the joule will sound like… I was quite enamored with the look and sound of the Nimbus at the show and if the Joule is better whew… As with most boutique companies be patient and be rewarded…
So Doug, did you like the speaker? Just kidding. I too thought the Nimbus performance/price ratio was off the charts as evidenced in my Newport Beach show report. Constantine gave you the long straw for the review, so I live vicariously from your review.
Cheers,
Paul
Runi, Michael,
God’s Peace to you both,
Regarding whether the Nimbus White can compare with brands like Magico, Wilson, etc. – all speakers can be compared, as we well know. I assume you mean “compared favorably,” and though I have not done so directly I would answer yes. I have heard Magico, Wilson, TAD, etc. and the Nimbus White while not perhaps made from an in-house design process is made from an extreme performance perspective. As such it performs way past it’s price point, and I believe into the territory of these other speaker brands. Whether one would consider it superior is a subjective judgment, but it would not be a foolish thought to consider the Nimbus White when thinking of these other speakers.
Like many other manufacturers the design is subject to running changes, and I assume Ryan will incorporate them. This question is best directed to Vapor Audio, as I do not wish to speak for the company regarding design particulars which may or may not come about. I know one thing; an audiophile can pine for the “next version,” forever and never acquire the fantastic products of a manufacturer. To do so with the Nimbus White at such prices would, imo, be very short-sighted.
Finally, the speaker has adjustable spikes, as with nearly every quality floor standing speaker.
Michael, that sounds like a thrilling update to get an accompanying bass module! Yes, the Nimbus is a stunner, but sonically I fully expect it to be fairly easily surpassed by the Joule. I have learned not to place limits on what I expect can happen in terms of performance; there have been too many times that the doubt, “It can’t get much better than this,” has been shattered by a new product/model.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Pete/Ryan: congratulations – have been out of audio for quite a while but wanted to say “GREAT!” on Vapor and becoming successful in the hobby.
Cheers / Robert (old PE Board/inDIYana/Iowa guy)
Hi Doug,
So how do you compare this speaker to the Giya G1, in terms of dynamics, imaging, and naturality among other attributes?
Thanks,
Faisal
Faisal,
God’s Peace to you,
In brief, I would not compare many speakers to the Vivid speakers, as they are exquisite. I would, however, compare the Vapor speakers to the Vivid. I cannot speak definitively about it, as I have not had both in my room. From hearing the Vivid line at various shows I would suggest that many of the characteristics of superior sound found in the Vivid brand are also present in the Vapor brand.
Generally, I would rate them both as superb in terms of micro dynamics, but the Nimbus White superior in terms of macrodynamics. As regards imaging, the Giya G1 model is better only because the Nimbus White incorporates dual Mids; in this regard the G1 would be more closely matched with the Joule White. “Natural” is a fairly nebulous term when it comes to audiophile, however, I have heard them both sound convincing in terms of fooling the ear into thinking it is hearing a live event.
Additionally, the Nimbus White is the best dynamic speaker I have used to date in terms of imitating the speed, coherence and scale of a panel speaker like the King Sound King III.
Perhaps you would also like to reach out to Ed Momkus of Dagogo, as he has the Giya G1, I believe.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
What a GREAT review!
I loved every line of it.
I now see that I’m no different then others, still waiting for Ryans reply to my e-mail.
I was just about to give up and move to the two or three other candidates when I read this review that I decided to wait a bit longer…
However, I am using a pair of VTL MB-125 monoblocks.
These puppies run at 55W in triod and 100W in tetrode.
(The triod is greatly better and my end choice).
So my concern is would my VTL’s be enough??
After all, a 15″ driver is not child’s play and the specs list a much higher recommended amp supply than a 55W push pull.
What do you think? Have you tried the Nimbus White with anything similar?
Guy,
The Joy of God to you,
No, you are not being discriminated against by Ryan for having to wait. Vapor Audio is “under the gun” with success exceeding current capability to make speakers – what a horrible problem, eh? I have been in conversation with Ryan several times and know the maddening delays he’s experienced with third party parts suppliers. Things are moving forward, just not as smoothly as a company with an in house CNC machine, etc.
I have also had delays on my planned Joule White upgrade, some of them due to upgrades Ryan and I have been discussing, and others due the aforementioned issues. I’m not foolish, however, such that I would get pissed off and cancel my order. That would be a dumb move, given the performance level to cost of a Vapor speaker – even after the price increase.
Vapor is not a churn-it-out, cookie cutter speaker manufacturer, but instead a custom speaker builder. The eyes and ears pretty easily see and hear what the result is if an individual can endure some wait time, even if it is extended.
Regarding the 55wpc VTL’s, no, this is not ideal. However, Ryan has run lower powered amps with his speakers at times at shows and they have sounded satisfactory to him. I certainly would not dismiss the speaker for that reason. I would much prefer hearing a superior speaker with a bit underpowered amp, than an inferior speaker with plenty of power. One simply cannot make an inferior speaker take the performance leap to compete well.
Would a higher powered amp result in a different experience? Of course, but I suggest it would be a mistake to turn away from the Vapor speaker simply because it might be underpowered. Would it be “enough”? That’s your determination, but if it wasn’t enough, I would strongly suggest you get a different amp, perhaps upgrade the VTL to another model, rather than dump the Vapor speaker. This is a case where if it doesn’t sound right, you change anything else, not the speaker.
Finally, you might just conclude that with the right cables you prefer the VTL in tetrode with the Vapor. I have had similar changes in preference in regard to an amp’s operational mode when switching speakers. I would certainly not discount that possibility, but would try it!
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Hey Douglas,
Thank you for the informative and kind reply.
I fully acknowledge what you are saying regarding the long lead time duration’s in contrast of the the Vapor product level which by all means seem to be exquisite.
I have no problem with a long wait for a new speaker of this grade, after all, bringing together a proper hi-end system takes a tremendous amount of time & energy and obviously patience.
After reading your review I just made a switch in the state of mind regarding Vapor. 😉
Regarding my current amps,
Well, upgrading was not in the initial plan. I’m very very happy with them.
But as stated, I assumed from first glance at the Nimbus that 55wpc push pull won’t do the job.
So I started investigating, and I regretfully have to say that the Nimbus is becoming ever far from making it to my home.
I’ll explain,
I live in Israel. So I am buying blind.
I spoke to Ryan last year, Vapor does not participate at the annual Munich hi-end show.
They are (at this point) only within US shows.
So for me, listening to them has pretty much become impossible.
Now, we’re looking at ~$15,000 / $20,000 for a pair of Nimbus Whites or Joule (bearing in mind a few upgrades).
Shipping, local tax, import fees, paperwork etc. all come to around $5000-$7000.
I am OK with that.
But, if I end up spending another ~$5000 upgrading the VTL’s it’s just way off budget.
And I must say, there is no scene in this adventure.
All this said with conceptual comprehension that I like the sound.
If not, I’m pretty much screwed (pardon my french).
I’ll wait for Ryan’s reply and see what are he’s thoughts.
I do hope for the best, like I said, I’m keeping an open mind.
All the best!
p.s.
Looking forward to you’r next ‘Vapor’ review!!!