"It's been about 18 months since last I wrote you. During this time we have steadily grown and created considerable momentum for our company. We are up to four full-time employees not including myself. We have introduced many new models, have new facilities and tooling and have fulfilled a large number of orders. We have also received some impressive professional reviews and show coverage. After all we have done to show that issues of the past were just a bump in the road which many growing companies face, would you be willing to reconsider reviewing one of our models? As I mentioned then, I understand completely your need to protect your readers. I would have likely done the same in your position. But please do read a bit more about what we have accomplished and get back with me." - Ryan Scott, Vapor Sound


Ryan's own admission of earlier bumps related to very slow delivery times as documented by dissatisfied customers posting on forums; and the same for a review loaner we'd signed up for which never materialized. As he stated too, much water had passed under that bridge. Show comments and formal reviews had indeed been highly laudatory.


To that any impartial observer would have to add Vapor Sound's made-to-order model of direct sales with extensive à-la-carte options and documented willingness to consider off-the-carte requests as well. This operational scheme combines custom-shop appeal on finish and xovers parts with high value. The latter comes from cutting out the usual middle men. Your money buys better parts and more labour for more advanced builds.


Running Vapor Sound as a quasi custom shop implies no typical mass-production inventories. It's only after consulting with Ryan and settling on a specific model and trim that's best suited to your budget and needs that actual work on it can begin. Which, likely very unrealistically so, assumes zero back-log on orders which were placed before yours. Readers thus must remember that my review couldn't possible cover more than the usual commentary on sound, appearance and relative value. You must conduct your own due diligence on wait times and exactly what happens should you find yourself dissatisfied with anything about your delivery given that it was built especially for you.


That's the logical price to pay for working with not only a direct seller but one who essentially builds to order. One can't hear such products at dealers. Either a friend owns a pair or you hear one at a show. That's mostly it. It's precisely why folks like Ryan need reviews. In the absence of dealer demos, reviews help to legitimize a product and place it within competitive context.