Ross B. Posted September 27, 2021 Share Posted September 27, 2021 I love the secure screw-tight connections and the split guard making it hard to accidentally short the leads. I wanted to use the same sort of terminals on an amp I'm building, but I couldn't find anything wide enough to accept the 1/2" spades on my Audioquest cables. Are these made custom for Vandersteen? Is there a supplier I could get some from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctsooner Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 Good question. He uses a top of the line terminal for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GdnrBob Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 I thought the Vandy's accepted 7/16's spades. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Vandersteen Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 On 9/26/2021 at 7:44 PM, Ross B. said: I love the secure screw-tight connections and the split guard making it hard to accidentally short the leads. I wanted to use the same sort of terminals on an amp I'm building, but I couldn't find anything wide enough to accept the 1/2" spades on my Audioquest cables. Are these made custom for Vandersteen? Is there a supplier I could get some from? Custom made PC mount only that are not for sale. Check electronics supplier for terminal blocks but they will be 7/16 " wide max like the ones on our speakers. Most will come with steel screws which need to be thrown away and replaced with brass Binder Head screws. Not aware of any that will accept 1/2 " spades. RV 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross B. Posted September 29, 2021 Author Share Posted September 29, 2021 Thank you Richard! I will look for 7/16" blocks as you suggest. My measurement of 1/2" was approximate, they are probably 7/16". And yes, I will certainly replace the steel screws with brass. I have made it a point to source all brass hardware for the amp I am building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomicTime Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 Ross - Please do share your amp project. I love the Vandy terminal strip also. An alternative is the Cardas block that Ayre and others use, has a massive wheel and can really get a super gas tight grip on spades… i had a VXR… loved them. I am guessing what RV uses whisker better than those, but as he said….unattainable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomicTime Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 a warning, the Cardas block ain’t gonna pass the Frugal / sonically superior RV acid test….. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross B. Posted September 30, 2021 Author Share Posted September 30, 2021 I will absolutely share my project once it's complete! I'm waiting for the parts to arrive right now, hopefully I'll start working on it next week. I did select the Cardas block! I look forward to seeing how it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Vandersteen Posted September 30, 2021 Share Posted September 30, 2021 19 hours ago, TomicTime said: a warning, the Cardas block ain’t gonna pass the Frugal / sonically superior RV acid test….. Ha! Ha! We use the Cardas bloc but we get it custom (heavy silver plate) as I don't like the sound of rhodium. RV 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GdnrBob Posted September 30, 2021 Share Posted September 30, 2021 20 hours ago, TomicTime said: the Cardas block that Ayre and others use Arghh, that g**da** thing is a PITA when you are doubling spades😠. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross B. Posted September 30, 2021 Author Share Posted September 30, 2021 2 hours ago, Richard Vandersteen said: Ha! Ha! We use the Cardas bloc but we get it custom (heavy silver plate) as I don't like the sound of rhodium. RV Oh, very cool! I see it now on the M5-HPA! I went with the un-plated copper model. I had a pair of Cary Audio amps that used raw copper binding posts, and I liked them very much. I almost got the Cardas raw copper binding posts, but thought I'd try these, as they seemed like they would be easier to secure and provide better short protection. 49 minutes ago, GdnrBob said: Arghh, that g**da** thing is a PITA when you are doubling spades😠. Bob Hmm, I'll keep that in mind. I use bi-wire cables that terminate to a single spade right now, so I should be safe. Since I'm building my own amp, I could always double up the output terminals if I need more connection points! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctsooner Posted October 1, 2021 Share Posted October 1, 2021 If using a single spade, they are awesome as long as you can get your cable to go in that direction. I'm using the William Tell Silvers and they are not always easy to install on anything, but man do they sound great, lol. Oh, not surprised that Richard uses them, but in a different configuration. They are my favorite since it's a one handed operation and easy to get a gas tight fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross B. Posted October 1, 2021 Author Share Posted October 1, 2021 8 hours ago, ctsooner said: Oh, not surprised that Richard uses them, but in a different configuration. I assume the silver plating is better for a retail product. Customers who don't understand how unplaced copper can tarnish might complain. I just got them today, they are sitting in a box in the other room right now. I look forward to checking them out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctsooner Posted October 1, 2021 Share Posted October 1, 2021 There are a lot of reasons to use a heavy silver trace on them. SQ is number one I'd think as it's Richard. He wouldn't bother spending the money for that unless it made a noticeable difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross B. Posted October 2, 2021 Author Share Posted October 2, 2021 10 hours ago, ctsooner said: There are a lot of reasons to use a heavy silver trace on them. SQ is number one I'd think as it's Richard. He wouldn't bother spending the money for that unless it made a noticeable difference. Improvement over the bare copper? I figured the only reason to add any coating would be to prevent oxidation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stringreen Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 I guess I've tried too many speaker wires on my 5A's. Does anyone know what what screws connect to the speaker....the Phillips heads are pretty worn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctsooner Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 If you need new screws for the terminals, you can purchase them from Vandersteen/your dealer. they are not that expensive and well worth it if the heads are worn. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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