Vandersteen 5


Hi over the weekend I purchased a set up Vandertseen 5's and a McCormack DNA 225. I have a few questions about the 5's and was hoping someone here could help me. I can't seem to get the bass on either speaker on the 5's to work. The mids and the high's sound great.

1.) I've connected the M5-HP high pass filters between my preamp (a rotel RSX-1550) using RCA to XLR cable (the high-pass is XLR) and XLR to the McCormack amp (which was upgraded to platinum and has both XLR and RCA inputs). Is the lack of bass because I'm using a cable to convert RCA to XLR to connect to the M5-HP high pass filters ? I've looked on the vandersteen site and saw opposing answers from Richard. If not that what else could be wrong with the subs? 

2.) would anyone here want to trade a my XLR M5-HP high pass filters for an RCA one? I'm in the bay area

3.) The speakers were missing the spikes. Does anyone the size. I'd like to order a generic set as vandersteen wants 22 per spike. 

4.) Anything else I should know? My prior speskers were 2CE sigs so I jumped when I saw the 5's for sale. 
128x128mzwerner
I yield as always to John at AudioConnection. Also...mark which components come out of which speaker. One time I accidentally installed the wrong crossover in the wrong speaker, and I had to take it apart again. It sounded VERY wrong. The serial numbers are there, but just double check...( I would put a piece of tape saying left or right on the different pieces). Also, the screws are very soft...I would ask Vandersteen for a few in case the heads strip. The crosssover (the one higher up...amp on the bottom) may not be easily removed....when putting your fingers behind the plate to get it out, don’t bend any wires back there (I did that too). Keep pulling - it will come... get a coke and resume your work.  When you get it all done with the new batteries installed, the speakers will sound more open, relaxed and better.
 @gdnrbob Just as Stringreen says, except the reverse sonic impact as the battery degrades....
DBS keeps the caps formed, audio signal does this but takes awhile

one cool benefit of the new Vandersteen power amps is 128 V DBS for the speaker wires and IF you order them the interconnect built in reverse from Audioquest DBS for those also



Thanks everyone I'll report back once I remove and send back. I've ordered the batteries from amazon.