the Anticables copper spades are very soft and yield a nice gas tight connection without excessive torque.
helomech have they arrived yet ???
|
the Anticables copper spades are very soft and yield a nice gas tight connection without excessive torque.
helomech have they arrived yet ??? Not yet. I was hoping I'd have them before my vacation, but had to postpone the ship date because they're coming by freight. They should arrive in a few days. I ordered both Vampire and Furutech spades, and will probably use whichever is a better fit for the barrier strips. I would have gone with AntiCables, but being as I occasionally re-route my cables for use with different amps, I'm afraid the insulation coating wouldn't hold up long. My gear is housed by a rather heavy entertainment credenza that necessitates the speaker cables being snaked behind it whenever I have the urge to switch amps. |
I finally received the speakers, unfortunately, the 26' of bulk cable I ordered with them had been cut into 5 random lengths (wtf?). So I'm using stranded cable in the mean time. I was surprised to discover my Audioquest Suregrip 300 spades were able to fit the barrier terminals.
I had my previous speakers hooked up to my Rogue CM-II prior to receiving the Vandys but decided to switch to my SS amp for initial break-in. They're certainly good overall but I need to play with positioning. I had positioned them according to the manual but not getting the decay I remember with the 1Cis - I suppose that would be a matter of tilt setting.
The bass is definitely improving with each listen. I plan to hook them up to my CM-II this weekend to see if that amp was responsible for the better imaging and soundstaging I was getting with my other speakers (Spendor SP2/3R2). |
great stuff and thanks for sharing. |
Well guys, unfortunately, the 2CE Sigs aren’t working for me. I’m really quite baffled (no pun intended), because they sound nothing like what I recall of the 1Cis. I played them quite a lot over the last week and regardless of placement tweaks, I just couldn’t duplicate the decay of the 1Cis. The midrange is also quite lacking in detail compared to nearly all my other speakers. On the plus side, I didn’t notice any sibilance in the high freqs as I did with the 1Cis. The bass extension is also very nice, though sometimes it sounds like it’s overwhelming the cabinet with resonance.
I realize speakers can take a long while to break-in, but these would have to undergo quite the transformation for me to keep them.
After boxing up the Vandys last night, just for kicks, I inserted my 43-year-old Advents into the system - same cables and all. I’ll be a monkey’s uncle - the Advents were producing more detail, greater midrange presence, better imaging and just overall greater musicality. I know that’s hard to believe but that’s what I was hearing. I’m sure at least 5 out of 10 would hear the opposite. Anyhow, my dealer was agreeable in making an exchange for a demo pair of Stirling SB-88s - a speaker I know I’ll enjoy.
I still appreciate everyone’s responses and advice here.
Happy Listening.
|
Sad to hear this.
I do know that speakers take a while to 'break in', but sometimes things don't work out.
I hope the Stirling's do the trick.
Bob |
Helomech-
Sorry to hear about your experience with these speakers. I know you have had bad luck now...twice! But hey that’s ok, just keep looking. Perhaps the Sterlings will work out to be the perfect match, they look to be very fine speakers. I often think, speaker choice is a very subjective journey. The key is to find what you like, not what others like. Good luck, happy listening.
|
Vandersteens are fussy about tilt. Not good for those with OCD.
I use a Huepar Box 1-R laser level for this.
But if you made some effort to follow the instructions, and it didn't work for you, I would move on. |
Helomech-
Sorry to hear about your experience with these speakers. I know you have had bad luck now...twice! But hey that’s ok, just keep looking. Perhaps the Sterlings will work out to be the perfect match, they look to be very fine speakers. I often think, speaker choice is a very subjective journey. The key is to find what you like, not what others like. Good luck, happy listening. Thanks @2psyop Yes, extremely subjective - something I realize more and more the longer I'm an audiophile. Johnny at Audio Connection graciously offered to guide the setup of the 2CEs but unfortunately, I didn't see his message until they were already on the freight truck. And as for luck, yeah, when it rains, it pours. Because I wanted to keep my business with that dealer, in exchange for the Vandys, I agreed to buy some "open-box" Stirling SB-88s. I've heard these speakers in the past so I knew they were a safe bet, sonically. But apparently it's just not my season for speaker purchases. I unboxed them only to find they have many nicks and scratches in the veneer, a dent in one corner and a dust cap that's disbonding from one of the drivers. I really wish they had disclosed the condition prior to the sale. They should've been listed as "scratch and dent," as are some items in their inventory. I would've rather paid almost full retail for a brand-new condition pair. Maybe this is just the universe telling me to be content with what I have. |
Why sweat it just fix it
The only mistake you are making now is to not having the truck turnaround. Re-route is easy
Likely not broken in yet. Bases filled? Ask Questions?
How far out into the room? Bi-wired w solid core
Tilt back? Wider spacing
I’ll bet we can make em work amazingly well. Best JohnnyR
|
Why sweat it just fix it
The only mistake you are making now is to not having the truck turnaround. Re-route is easy
Likely not broken in yet. Bases filled? Ask Questions?
How far out into the room? Bi-wired w solid core
Tilt back? Wider spacing
I’ll bet we can make em work amazingly well. Best JohnnyR Bases were filled with a mixture of lead shot and kitty litter. They were placed approximately 45" into the room (at acoustic center) based on the manual’s recommendations, but I tried a few inches fore and aft of that as well. I also tried many rake configurations in addition to the graph’s recommendation of 1/2." They were equidistant to the forward wall within 1mm of each other. Distance to the side walls was over 3’ for each speaker, though not equal distances as was advised by the manual. They were bi-wired with AQ Type 4 cable. I could possibly have the truck turn around, but based on what I’ve already tried, I’m not confident enough that I could achieve what I’m seeking to risk another $280 hit in shipping charges if I can’t make em work. What really makes me question their compatibility is that I couldn’t get the midrange to come forward regardless of what I tried. Even when I boosted the mids by a couple decibels, the midrange remained very recessed in the mix. The midrange of my 2-way Advents was so much more clear and delineable that I was shaking my head in confoundment. It’s ok though, this whole venture has at least quenched my curiosity. If anything, it’s helped me realize how content I should be with my old setup. At least I know the 1Cis work well in my system so maybe I’ll pick up a pair of those again someday. |
Vandersteen 2CE Sigs are just not for everybody. End of story.....Just like what I own......just not for everybody...... |
Sorry to hear as you want everyone to be happy with their systems. Wish Johnny had a shot at seeing what was up. I know the magic he's done in my room with both teh Treo's and then Quatro's.....good luck going forward. |
I would say that each speaker 3 feet in from the side wall were too close together and too far out from the front wall for proper power response.Like I said have the truck re-route and I'll pay half if we don't succeed. simple, compliance and call me asap
Best JohnnyR
|
@helomech I think you're doing the right thing. Trust your ears. I liked the 1ci's but decided to "upgrade" to the 2ce. For a year, I did everything but stand on my head to get them to work for me. In the end I let them go and now have Kef R11's and haven't looked back. The 2ce's do some things remarkably well but I found my listening was limited to the best 25 audiophile recordings. Now I can put on just about anything, and my speaks sound great. Switching from SS (Belles Aria) to Tubes (Rogue Cronus Magnum III) added another layer of sweetness to my setup. Best of luck to you,
joe |
JohnnyR at Audio Connection will provide clarity about anything Vandersteen. He hooked me up with AQ GO-4 with my 1Ci's... a great match - sounds really nice and spades fit perfect.
|
Yes, I should mention that JohnnyR went to great lengths to help me get my Vandies dialed in. At the end of the day, they just weren’t for me. But I greatly appreciated his help. |
I would say that each speaker 3 feet in from the side wall were too close together and too far out from the front wall for proper power response.Like I said have the truck re-route and I'll pay half if we don't succeed. simple, compliance and call me asap
Best JohnnyR Thanks Johnny, a very generous offer but the speakers are already back to the dealer and I doubt they'd let me try them again anyhow. >3' from the side walls still had the speakers over 8' apart. The distance from the forward wall resulted in good bass, that wasn't so much the problem. It was the midrange that was too recessed for my tastes. I didn't have any such issues with the 1Cis which makes me think maybe the 2Ces are just not to my taste. I'm not heartbroken over it and content with my current setup for now. |
