Can I cheat and not get caught?

Hi discnik,

That amp is a keeper. I had the Accuphase E450 integrated amp years ago and you can’t get rid of that, that thing sounded fantastic. The problem is the speaker connection on the Vandersteen’s. They use what’s called a barrier strip. Richard Vandersteen is convinced they sound better. In my opinion HCM dropped the ball, they should have asked you what amp you have and which speakers you have and they should have called you to say here’s what you need, got your approval and asked you can we proceed. That’s what a reputable dealer would have done. If those barrier strips sound better then many more speaker manufacturer’s would use them. If you like the Vandersteen speakers and you are owing to keep them, then I would ask your dealer much it would cost to install some good Cardas or WBT 5 way finding posts on the speakers. I know it sounds crazy but it’s worth looking into. The only other thing you could do is bring the speaker wires back to HCM and have them re-terminate them properly (like they should have done in the first place). Good luck.

Scot

Thanks for all the responses on this....the Dremel solution worked really well. Only took a few minutes and now the connection to the amp's binding posts are rock-solid. Now I'll do as the Doobies suggested and listen to the music.

Glad you got it fixed. I also found that there is no universal spec for speaker posts.  I had spades that worked fine on most speakers but wouldn't fit others (Paradigm runs big).  I am not talking by a lot though, maybe 1/32- 1/64 too small.   Just enough so the spade doesn't slide on.   

If you have to do this again next time try using an appropriately sized drill bit that is just slightly larger than the spade. Hold the uncut round end perpendicular to the spades "tongs" and gently tap the rod in with a small hammer till the tongs spread and the drill rod almost bottoms out. This method is a lot faster and neater than filing and it will not damage the plating (if plated).   I would not be concerned about cracking a quality spade.   If your spade is made from hard brittle brass it should be upgraded anyway.