Frequently Asked Questions Click link for archived FAQ's

Questions and answers covering a wide range of Vandersteen design principles and system set-up recommendations.

SUBMIT YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS TO RICHARD VANDERSTEEN.  RICHARD  WILL REVIEW AND POST THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS THAT WILL HAVE A WIDE INTEREST ON THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION SECTION OF OUR WEB SITE.  THE QUESTIONS WILL BE LISTED NEXT TO THE FIRST NAME OF THE PERSON WHO SUBMITTED THE QUESTION, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR FIRST NAME WITH YOUR QUESTION.  ANY QUESTIONS THAT ARE NOT ANSWERED SHOULD BE ASKED DIRECTLY TO YOUR VANDERSTEEN DEALER OR CALL THE FACTORY AT 559-582-0324.  PLEASE REMEMBER TO SEARCH THE FAQ'S ALREADY POSTED FOR AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.  THANK YOU.

Please remember to visit the FAQ section of the website for additional questions and answers.

Question:

Oliver (1/4/06): I am looking to buy a subwoofer which is suitable for HT/Stereo. I am currently using a Time Coherent speakers from Meadowlark and am looking for a Sub that would do them justice mainly in the HT.  I play mainly at about  5db below reference so in my 2600cubic feet room, I probably need about 105db or so of subwoofer action. Does the V2W with lfe input able to drive my room at about 105db from 20hz to 80hz?

Answer: THE V2W IN PAIRS SHOULD BE USED IN THIS ROOM. THE ADDED ADVANTAGE OF INJECTING THE LFE BASS INTO THE ROOM FROM TWO LOCATIONS WILL MAKE THE BASS RESPONSE MUCH MORE LINEAR. THE V2W IS PROPERLY Q' ED (NOT BOOMY) SO THEY SHOULD BE PLACED IN THE CORNERS WHERE RESPONSE WILL BE MOST UNIFORM THROUGHOUT. THIS WILL GIVE THE SPL YOUR ASKING FOR AT LOW DISTORTION.

Answer: HELLO STAN, PLEASE REFER TO THE  FAQ SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE YOUR ANSWER IS ALREADY THERE UNDER ONE OF THE SUBWOOFER Q&A. THIS SECTION WILL BE MODIFIED HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO REFERENCE EACH QUESTION BY A SPECIFIC CATEGORY, EXAMPLE: SUBWOOFER, WIRES, AMPLIFIERS, ETC.

Unknown (1/7/06): Which subwoofer should I use to connect to my integrated amp? 2w or  2wq It has an output connection for the subwoofers. I have a DK  Design mk II reference amp. Is there a difference in the sound quality?

Answer: HELLO UNKNOWN, THE 2W AND 2WQ BOTH WORK THE SAME WAY THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE 2W IS THE OLD DISCONTINUED VERSION AND THE 2WQ IS CURRENT. THEY ARE NOT COMPATIBLE BY THE WAY. THEY CAN ONLY BE USED WITH INTEGRATED AMPLIFIERS THAT HAVE "PRE OUT" "MAIN IN" JACKS ON THE REAR OF THE UNIT, THIS IS WERE YOU INSTALL THE WX-2 OR X-2 HIGH PASS X-OVER. DO NOT USE THE 2W OR 2WQ WITH OUT A HIGH PASS OR EXPENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE SUB WILL OCCUR.

Answer: HELLO MARTIN, THIS ONLY WORKS WHEN YOU HAVE STEREO SUBS. THE 2WQ HAS STEREO INPUTS (RIGHT AND LEFT) WHICH ARE SUMMED TOGETHER TO DRIVE THE SUB AMP. WHEN YOU DRIVE BOTH INPUTS WITH THE SAME SIGNAL THE WOOFER GAIN GOES UP 6DB, THIS IS ONLY REQUIRED WITH VERY HIGH SENSITIVITY LOUDSPEAKERS WERE THE WOOFER LEVEL WON'T GO HIGH ENOUGH. IF THE SUB LEVEL IS WITHIN THE RANGE OF YOUR SPEAKERS ONLY ONE INPUT SHOULD BE USED BECAUSE SIGNAL TO NOISE IS IMPROVED JUST LEAVE ONE INPUT UNUSED.

Answer: HELLO CURT, THE INPUT BARRIER STRIP ON THE 2CE SIG'S ARE THE BEST SOUNDING, GAS TIGHT CONNECTION WE COULD FIND. USING AN ADAPTER WOULD COMPROMISE THE SOUND SIGNIFICANTLY.  YOU COULD GO TO AN AUTO PARTS STORE AND BUY SOME O-LUGS MADE FOR A #10 SCREW AND 12GA WIRE, STRIP THE END OF YOUR WIRE AND CRIMP THE CONNECTOR ON. SOLDER THE CRIMPED CONNECTION TO MAKE IT GAS TIGHT. YOU NOW HAVE A STATE OF THE ART CONNECTION THAT WILL REMAIN THAT WAY FOR YEARS WITHOUT HAVING TO CLEAN THEM. BE SURE TO INSULATE THE LUGS SO THEY WILL NOT SHORT AGAINST THE ALUMINUM DRESS PLATE.

Unknown (1/11/06): Is it normal for the X-2 crossover to increase the bass level volume very dramatically from the factory wx-2? Both are set at 33k.

Answer: THE BASS LEVEL SHOULD BE ABOUT THE SAME BETWEEN THE TWO. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE WX-2 X-OVER IS NOT ADJUSTED PROPERLY BE SURE THE SWITCH IS ON NOT OFF. WE HAVE USED MANY SWITCHES OVER THE YEARS YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR THE WORD "OPEN" OR ON. THE SWITCH IS USUALLY MARKED ONE OR THE OTHER BUT NOT BOTH. THE CHART WILL TELL YOU WHICH SWITCH (S) NEED TO BE ON. I SUSPECT YOU HAVE THE SWITCHES ON THAT SHOULD BE OFF.

Dave (1/14/06): I've owned a pair of Vandersteen II (circa 1979)speakers for many many years now and still love them! I have used them with a B&K ST202 amp and Stereophon Revelation Preamp. I am planning to use them with a tube amp and preamp I never had the "specs" on these speakers.  Could you supply me with the specs of these speakers? The tube gear I am planning to use them with are in kit form from the Bottlehead website. The amps are mono-block 2 watts and they are- suggesting speakers with a minimum of  93db and preferably 96db. Wondering where the Vandersteen II fall  into?

Answer: HELLO DAVE, LITERATURE AND SPECIFICATIONS ON A SPEAKER THIS OLD IS NOT AVAILABLE. SENSITIVITY IS APX 86DB FOR 2.83 VOLTS. TWO WATTS IS NOT ENOUGH POWER FOR YOUR 2'S I WOULD RECOMMEND A PUSH PULL AMP OF ABOUT 60 WATTS. YOU MIGHT GOOGLE D.I.Y. 2ND HARMONIC DISTORTION GENERATOR FOR THAT SINGLE ENDED SOUND AT LEAST YOU COULD TURN IT OFF WHEN YOU DON'T NEED IT. WE HAVE ALL THE PARTS STILL IN STOCK TO REPAIR YOUR 79 VINTAGE SPEAKERS. HAPPY LISTENING.

Unknown (1/14/06): I have had my speakers for a long time. Have always worked so wonderfully. I recently tried to hook up a little Sony turntable my daughter have  me for Christmas, and now I have no sound from the speakers at all.  Could it be a fuse? Please advise.

Answer: HELLO, THERE ARE NO FUSES AND ALL CONNECTIONS ARE SOLDERED CHECK AND SEE IF THE CD PLAYER STILL WORKS.

1B Owner (1/14/06): I own a pair of Vandersteen 1B speakers from 1984! I returned them once becuase the tweeters were "fuzzing" out and you replaced the  tweeters.  The new tweeters continued to do the same.......frustrated and not wanting  to send them back again from Saratoga CA(near San Jose) I replaced the tweeters myself a few times with various results....bottom line is the fuzzing still comes back intermittently.  Good thing I did not throw out the replaced tweeters since an EE  friend of mine tested them and said they were fine. I also have eliminated the tweeter setting knob on the back of the speaker as the culprit and now the only item left is the cross over circuitry.  I have a NAD amp which is a very good quality amp with clipping protection etc...........bottom line is I also have a Pioneer and a Yamaha and the speakers behave the same on all.  It does seem that they fuzz out more when the volume is low. I love the imaging of these speakers but cannot stand listening  to them like this.  Any suggestions? Any upgrade kit? New crossover electronics????

Answer: HELLO 1B OWNER, WHEN YOU SEND THE COMPLETE SPEAKER TO VANDERSTEEN FOR REPAIR THEY GO THROUGH A COMPLETE CHECK OUT INCLUDING A TRIP THROUGH THE CHAMBER. I ASSURE YOU THEY WERE NOT "FUZZING" OUT WHEN YOU RECEIVED THEM, SO WHAT COULD IT BE IN YOUR INSTALLATION. MY BEST GUESS WOULD BE THAT YOU ARE USING AFTER MARKET BANANA PLUGS AND THEY ARE LONGER THAN THE ONES WE SUPPLY. THEY COULD SHORT INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING THE SOUND YOU DESCRIBE. PULL YOUR PLUGS OUT ABOUT 1/8TH OF AN INCH AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

Francisco (1/14/06): I have talked to you several times over the telephone to ask different question Re: the various Vandersteen speakers that I own and/or have owned in the past (I have been an active classical music lover for over 50 years now). This note is more of a comment than a question  however, I am very interested in your feedback and or insights.  At the present time I am using a pair of 5As. Until recently I used the 5As in conjunction with a pair of $20K mono-blocks. A few months ago I tried, at the suggestion of my son, a couple of Pathos Classic  One "INPOL" amps (each Pathos bi-amplifying each speaker). The Pathos  input impedance is specified at 100 KOhm. I set the 5As crossover at this value and there was not bass.  Next, I proceeded as recommended in the 5A manual to use an oscilloscope to determine the value of the crossover that would produce a 3dB at 100 Hz (relative to 1 KHz) reduction in output voltage from the amplifier. That point was at a crossover set of 10 KOhm (balanced  input/output). Then I connected the system and what an incredible glorious sound came from those speakers! Truly natural and transparent with extraordinary resolution.  Since last November I have used the system connected as described. I  never heard better sound, all my friends and family agree.  Comments on your part? The Pathos use a very interesting first stage-I have the schematics provided by the factory. Kind regards,

Answer: HELLO FRANCISCO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND REMARKS. THIS IS MORE COMMON THAN I WOULD LIKE BECAUSE SOME AMP MANUFACTURERS ARE VERY CASUAL ABOUT THEIR INPUT IMPEDANCE ESPECIALLY AT 100HZ. I BELIEVE THERE IS NOT A BETTER WAY TO IMPROVE THE SOUND THAN BY USING AN INTEGRAL SUBWOOFER WITH ITS OWN SPECIALLY DESIGNED AMP UNIQUE TO THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUBWOOFER AND ITS PLACEMENT.  THIS REQUIRES A HIGH PASS AT 80 OR 100HZ WHICH CAN NOT BE ACCOMPLISHED SATISFACTORILY IN THE SPEAKER. THE LARGE CAPS AND COILS NEEDED AND THE FACT THAT THE IMPEDANCE'S ARE FLYING ALL OVER THE PLACE MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DO STATE OF THE ART. THE MOST TRANSPARENT WAY TO DO THIS IS WITH A BIASED HIGH QUALITY CAPACITOR ACTING WITH THE INPUT RESISTOR OF THE AMPLIFIER TO FORM A SPECIFIC HIGH PASS. THIS REQUIRES VERY ACCURATE INPUT IMPEDANCE VALUES AND IS WHY THE OWNERS MANUAL SPECIFIES A WAY TO CHECK. I AM SORRY YOUR DEALER DID NOT VERIFY THIS BEFORE INSTALLATION AS VERY EXPENSIVE DAMAGE CAN OCCUR, MOST DO. HAPPY LISTENING.

Lori (1/14/06): Hi Richard, I would like to know if I need any upgrading for my system to handle the new LCD HDTV's, etc. I have the 2W, a pair of model  3's, a pair of model 1's and a VCC. I think we bought them somewhere between 1996 and 1999. I will look forward to hearing form you. Thank you.

Answer: HELLO LORI, HIGHER DEFINITION EQUIPMENT WILL IMPROVE YOUR PICTURE, NO CHANGES REQUIRED. SOON WE MAY HAVE HIGHER DEFINITION SOURCES FOR BETTER SOUND, STILL NO SPEAKER CHANGES REQUIRED EXCEPT YOUR EXISTING ONES WILL SOUND BETTER.

Ned (1/15/06): I own a pair of Vandersteen 2Ce's that are ten years old. Can I drive these with a 4 ohm Amp? And if I do, what are pro's & con's over driving them with  8 ohms?

Answer: HELLO NED, 8 OHM AND 4 OHM AMPLIFIERS DON'T REALLY EXIST. SOME AMPS ARE VERY LOW CURRENT DESIGNS AND MAY REQUIRE 8 OHM SPEAKERS BECAUSE THEY WOULD CURRENT LIMIT OR RUN VERY HOT INTO A 4 OHM SPEAKER. MY EXPERIENCE IS THAT THESE AMPLIFIERS ARE NOT SATISFACTORY FOR HIGH END SOUND AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED. AMPLIFIERS DESIGNED WITH ADEQUATE CURRENT CAPABILITY COULD CARE LESS WHETHER THEY ARE 4 OHM OR 8 OHMS AND GENERALLY SOUND MUCH BETTER. HIGH CURRENT BETTER SOUNDING AMPLIFIERS ARE NOT NECESSARILY VERY EXPENSIVE (NAD,ROTEL). THE ONLY EXCEPTION WOULD BE TUBE AMPLIFIERS AND THIS IS IMPEDANCE MATCHING FOR BETTER POWER TRANSFER, AGAIN MY EXPERIENCE IS THAT MOST TUBE AMPS WILL WORK ON 4 OR 8 OHMS BUT WILL SOUND DIFFERENT. LISTEN TO BOTH AND LEAVE IT HOOKED UP TO THE BEST SOUNDING ONE. SOME LOUDSPEAKER DESIGNERS ALLOW FOR VERY LOW IMPEDANCE, MY EXPERIENCE IS THERE IS NO REASON FOR THIS AND HAVING AN EASY LOAD WILL MAKE ANY AMP SOUND BETTER.

Jonas (1/16/06): Hi Richard. I am thinking of adding HT to my stereo setup. Two questions:  First, will having the surrounds on the ceiling work ok and if so  would you recommend the VSMs for this? Second, if a maximum of 4  people will be watching from 11' away will a center channel be necessary or can I just use my 5As?  Thanks very much in advance for your help.

Answer: HELLO JONAS, ADDING HT CAPABILITY TO YOUR SYSTEM IS A WONDERFUL THING AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T COMPROMISE YOUR 2 CHANNEL PERFORMANCE. BE SURE TO CONTINUE THE USE OF A 2 CHANNEL PRE-AMP AND IMPORT YOUR HT THROUGH A UNUSED INPUT, SOME HAVE THEATER BYPASS FOR THIS. I USE TUBE AMPS FOR STEREO AND CLASS D DIGITAL FOR THE REMAINING 5 CHANNELS. IF YOUR AMPS ARE DIFFERENT CHECK THAT THEY ARE THE SAME PHASE. THE BEST PLACE FOR REAR CHANNEL IMO IS THE REAR WALL ABOUT 18" ABOVE EAR HEIGHT. THIS WAY IF AN EFFECT GOES OVERHEAD AND TO THE REAR IT WILL DO SO. SIDE WALL PLACEMENT WORKS WELL IF THEY ARE PLACED BEHIND THE LISTENER FOR THE SAME REASON. REMEMBER THE CAUTION IN THE OWNERS MANUEL ABOUT POINTING THE SIDE OR CENTER DIRECTLY AT THE LISTENER, DON'T DO IT. POINT SOURCES LIKE OUR CENTER CHANNEL AND REAR CHANNEL SPEAKERS MEASURE AND SOUND GREAT AS LONG AS YOU ARE INDIRECT (ON AXIS MEASUREMENTS AND SOUND ARE NOT GOOD). PHANTOM CENTER IS BETTER FOR THE PERSON SITTING ON THE CRACK IN THE COUCH, IF A VIEWER IS EVEN SLIGHTLY OFF CENTER DIALOG WILL BE COMPROMISED. THERE IS ALWAYS THE CHANCE YOU GET THE CENTER BUT A MOVIE MAY BE ALL YOU GET FOR THE EVENING.

Unknown (1/17/06): HOW DO I KNOW I AM BUYING THE MODEL 2 CE . I FOUND ONE PAIR THAT HAS  CE AT THE END OF THE SERIAL NUMBER IS THAT MEAN IS A CE SERIES?

Answer: HELLO, THERE ARE MANY VERSIONS OF THE 2CE SPEAKERS OVER THE YEARS. ALL 2 SERIES SPEAKERS STILL SAY "MODEL II" ON THE REAR PANEL, YOU ARE CORRECT ABOUT THE LETTERS AFTER THE SERIAL NUMBER IDENTIFYING THEM AS 2CE'S. OVER THE 10 YEARS THEY WERE IN PRODUCTION THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE NOT UPGRADEABLE.  I SUGGEST YOU FIND A PAIR SN# 77000 AND ABOVE AS THEY ARE FACTORY UPGRADEABLE TO 2CE SIG'S. THE 1 AND 2 SERIES WERE NEVER DESIGNED TO BE UPGRADEABLE AND STILL ARE NOT, BUT THE LAST YEAR OF PRODUCTION HAD MANY CHANGES PART OF WHICH BECAME THE SIGNATURE SERIES MAKING IT POSSIBLE. WHEN BUYING USED MAKE SURE YOU ARE ABLE TO AUDITION THEM BEFORE PURCHASE AND ASSURE THEY ARE WORKING CORRECTLY. ONE WAY FOR A LAY PERSON TO ASSES THEY ARE WORKING IS TO PUT THEM SIDE BY SIDE AND PLAY A MONO SOURCE, THEY SHOULD SOUND PERFECTLY THE SAME ASSURING YOU THEY HAVE NOT HAD ANY UNAUTHORIZED REPAIRS.

Sheldon (1/17/06): First, my sincere thanks for producing the speakers that I have enjoyed since 1989.  I have the 2C's and am considering upgrading to the 2ce Signature. I have heard there are significant improvements. I believe the new ones are 2db less efficient than my 2C's. I am concerned that my Linn LK140 amplifier, 90 into 8 and 140 into 4, will not be enough to drive these at a pleasing level.  What are your thoughts?  Thanks in advance

Answer: HELLO SHELDON, THE SENSITIVITY OF THE 2CE SIG'S MEASURES ABOUT 2DB LESS HOWEVER THEY ARE EASIER TO DRIVE, SHOULD WORK OUT ABOUT THE SAME. THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW FOR SURE IS TO HOOK THE AMP UP, PUT THE VOLUME CONTROL AT APPROX 12 O'CLOCK (WHERE MOST AMPLIFIERS BEGIN TO CLIP WITH A CD PLAYER) PLAY SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC. IF YOUR COMMENT IS "THAT IS AS LOUD AS I WOULD EVER WANT" IT IS ENOUGH. IF YOUR COMMENT IS "I WOULD LIKE IT A LITTLE LOUDER SOMETIMES" YOU WILL NEED MORE POWER.

Randall (1/18/06): I own a pair of Vandersteen Model II. Is there any upgrades on the drivers and / or x-over?  Thank you for your attention and the best value in loudspeakers.

Answer: HELLO RANDALL, THE MODEL 1 AND 2 SERIES LOUDSPEAKER ARE NOT UPGRADEABLE. IF THIS IS AN ISSUE I SUGGEST YOU INVEST IN A PAIR OF MODEL THREES, QUATROS OR FIVES, AS THEY ARE GUARANTIED TO BE UPGRADEABLE.

Jacques (1/19/06): I have ordered a pair of Quatros.  Can you please give me a few links by email through which I can directly access a number of reviews on this product?  Or kindly post the links on this website.  I find it difficult to find reviews on it; perhaps because it is such a new product.

Havish (1/19/06): My question is about setting up the 2Ce signatures for proper bass  response.  I have Vandersteen 2Ce signatures, VSM-1s, VCC-1 and a V2W. When  listening to music on my 2Ce signatures, I have noticed that the bass  is lower than expected. The room itself is shaped unevenly and is  probably causing a lot of problems. I used a test CD to measure the bass response and found that I get a steep drop of up to 10 dB below 50 Hz. The bass response in front of the right speaker seems to be much better than in front of the left one. The right speaker has a plain wall about 3 feet behind it whereas the left one has an unevenly shaped wall part of which is much closer to the speaker while the other part has a bookshelf behind it (shown in the top-view figure below). Since, the 2Ce has a rear-firing active acoustic coupler, does this make the composition of the wall behind the speakers more important?  Particularly, I was wondering if the uneven wall shape behind the left speaker could be muting the bass response out of this speaker? Also, since I don't have much flexibility with positioning my speakers in this room as they are part of a home theater set up, will any kind of  room treatment behind the left speaker help? Regardless of these room  issues, the speakers perform wonderfully and have transformed the way  I listen to music. Many thanks for designing such great speakers.

Dave (1/22/06): I have a small hole in the top wood section of black cloth of 1C, not the sides. How can I replace this small black cloth without sending speaker in to you? Thanks.

Bill (1/23/06): I bought a pair of used Model 3A's that I loved listening to back in 2001. I had planned to upgrade them eventually. But two bits of misfortune "plagued" these speakers, and none of them had to do with the speaker quality. One, my wife nearly put them on the front door step of our house when I got home. She was pretty furious that I bought them. I told her they were a steal. She didn't care. So there was some bad "kharma" there.  (My wife and I get along very well, despite the speaker mishap!) Two, eventually I had to sell them because of some financial issues. This was a very difficult decision, as you can probably imagine.  I'm looking at saving some money to buy Vandersteen again. I want to stay within a budget and make sure my wife doesn't put these on the porch! My dilemma is  choosing between the 1Cs and the 2Ce Signatures.  The 3As are little much for my budget. Will I get similar, if not better sound, from the 2Ce Signatures, to the 3As? Or are 1Cs a good compromise in a high-end speaker in the Vandersteen line? My reluctance in getting the 1Cs is due to them not having a midrange driver. I want to also add two subwoofers in the future.  I'd be running the speakers from a Yamaha A/V receiver and a Sony ED SACD player through the analog bypass.  Thanks for your time.

Unknown (1/25/06): what period was the Model 2CE in production? Is the grill removable?

Ken (1/25/06): After years of jealousy of a freind with model 2's, I am going to put together my home theater using Vandersteen all the way around. What are your thoughts on 7.1 channels for the upcoming hi-res formats (Dolby TrueHD, etc.)? Would using 4 VSM's work well, with 2 mounted on back wall and 2 mounted on sides? I may start my Vandersteen addiction on the used market. Can you determine the vintage based on serial numbers? I have come across a pair of 2ce's that are serial # in the 58000 range and a VCC-1 that is in the 28000 range. Owner is not the original owner so they don't know the age of the speakers and it would help if I could find that out. Thanks.

Bob (1/25/06): I saw your Quatro with wood finish at the 2006 CES and they looked great! Are they available yet? Also, I am considering moving up to the Quatro and want to add a new 2 channel amp when I do. Will 150 watt per channel be enough or should I be looking at 200-300 watt range?  Thanks.

Mike (1/26/06): I have owned the 2CE Signature model for a couple of years and absolutely love the speakers. The addition of the 2CE's have led me to upgrade my source and modify my amplifier. I am now testing speaker cables and have noticed considerable differences between stranded and solid core, difference wire layout, etc. My problem is that on particular music I may prefer one wire and on another piece of music another wire. I am looking at a number of DIY receipts. Any suggestions? Are their any definite technologies like solid core and or litz construction that are superior?  Thank you for using barrier strips, I agree they are superior - plus dealing with spades when making DIY cables is much easier.

Curtis (1/27/06): Hi: I recently purchased a pair of Quatros. Is there any literature available, or, if not, could you explain how to "dial in" the proper bass response by using the dials on the back of the speaker? Thank you.

Anthony (1/27/06): Richard, I just recently purchased your Main Center Channel the VCC-Ref  (VCC-5) and was wondering if the best position of the speaker is above the listening position, or below? Also Is the tweeter itself covered in a metal mesh? I looked in side with a flash light. I just want to  make sure the one I purchased, is and original and not repaired with another driver.  Thanks in advance - Anthony

Anthony (1/27/06): Richard, I have a pair of Vandersteen 2Ce Sigs. How can I tell if they are originals or upgraded?

Anthony (1/29/06): Thanks for the replys, to my last 2 questions. One last one for now...  Does an upgraded speaker from you differ in anyway way then an ORIGINAL made? AKA upgraded 2Ce Sig, to an ORIGINAL 2ce Sig... Sound?  Appearance?  Also, I want you to know that I have been an audiophile for couple years, and Vandersteen are a steal in the audio industry. I have my speakers very well setup, and they blow away all speakers I have heard so far regardless of price. I recently did a shootout with The Martin Logan  Summits vs. my 2Ce Sigs, and was blown away that the 2Ce Sigs matched (I would say surpassed) the Summits Highs, but when we got to midrange and lower it was the 2Ces that took home the trophy. I have converted at least 4 friends into buying at least the 1C's - and some VCC-1's. I also know you are mostly a separates man, but I wonder what the last time you used your Vandys (maybe not the 5A's) with a good reviewer? I am currently using a Denon 3805 HT Receiver with an External DAC (Benchmark Media DAC 1)from really good transport.  (Denon 3910.) The receiver is used only for amp, pre amp only. I have it in "pure" Direct mode so there is no adverse or added processing to the sound. And I will say it was just as good as some of the tube AMP/Pre amp combos I have used in the past (Audio research, Cary Audio, Mcintosh) With some Combos I was able to get tad bit crisper highs, but they were significantly more expensive then the receiver.  I would love for you to stop by and audition your own speakers, and tell  me what you think. (I'm close to Ultra Fidelis - the only authorized Vandersteen dealer in WI.)Here is a couple of links to my setup, let let me know what you think? http://img515.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hometheaterfull0rk.jpg  Home Theater FULL SETUP! http://img371.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hometheatervandersteenvcc5top9.jpg  Vandersteen VCC-5 Top http://img488.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hometheatersource7fl.jpg   Home Theater Source Devices http://img488.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hometheatersourceclose8bi.jpg  Home Theater Source Devices Close Up.  I hope you like the custom decal made of fabric that I have on the  VCC-REF.  Took 4 hours to make.  (Also... the right speaker in the full picture is measured to be identical to the left in terms of placement, but doesn't look that way in the pic. I took 3 pics and Photoshoped them together.)

Craig (1/29/06): Why are your speakers only rated at 86 to 90 db when there are some speakers at over 94 db spl?

Answer: HELLO CRAIG, I LIKE MOST SPEAKERS DESIGNERS TRY TO GET THE SENSITIVITY AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE. WHEN BEING TIME AND PHASE CORRECT IS THE MAIN DESIGN TARGET (I BELIEVE THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PARAMETER IN LOUDSPEAKER DESIGN) THERE ARE SOME RULES. 1) FROM 150 HZ AND ABOVE ONLY ONE DRIVER CAN BE USED PER FREQUENCY RANGE. USING MORE THAN ONE MID-RANGE FOR INSTANCE NO MATER HOW PERFECT WOULD SMEAR EACH OTHER. TIME SMEAR LOWERS REAL TRANSPARENCY. 2) EACH DRIVER MUST BE SMALL ENOUGH TO MINIMIZE BEAMING. BEAMING WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH ROOM REFLECTIONS NOT BEING A FACSIMILE OF THE DIRECT SOUND. BEAMING DEGRADES IMAGE STABILITY. 3) DRIVER DIAPHRAGMS MUST BE RIDGED ENOUGH TO ACT PISTONIC AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. NON PISTONIC CONES CAUSE TIME SMEAR. 4) FIRST ORDER TRANSFER FUNCTION BETWEEN THE DRIVERS INCLUDING THEIR X-OVERS. THIS ALLOWS FOR WAVEFORM PRESERVATION, THE KEY TO REPRODUCING MUSIC IN A UNBELIEVABLY REALISTIC WAY. ALL THIS ADDS UP TO ABOUT 86DB SENSITIVITY EVEN WITH TODAY'S SOPHISTICATED MAGNET SYSTEMS AND CONE/DOME TECHNOLOGIES. TO GET HIGHER SENSITIVITY YOU WOULD NEED HORN (VERY COLORED), MULTIPLE DRIVERS (TIME SMEAR), OR CONES/DOMES SO LIGHTWEIGHT THEY ARE IN CONTROLLED CHAOS (DISTORTED WAVEFORM). ALL OF THESE ARE UNACCEPTABLE TO ME. TODAY WE HAVE REASONABLY AFFORDABLE HIGH QUALITY POWER AVAILABLE LOWERING THE NEED FOR HIGH SENSITIVITY. IF I COULD DO ALL OF THE ABOVE INCLUDING HIGH SENSITIVITY I WOULD NOT BE ANSWERING THIS QUESTION. I WOULD BE A RETIRED MULTI- MILLIONAIRE IN THE CARIBBEAN.

Ashok (1/30/06): I am trying a BAT VK-75 SE amplifier which has balanced inputs with a pair of your fabulous Vandersteen 5A's. According to Victor Khomenko from BAT, "each channel has two phases on balanced interface, each one of them being 215k. How is that fact treated by the crossover - you need to ask the Vandersteen people, they should know."  So do I set each of the high pass filters connected between the outputs of the preamp and amplifier, at a setting of 200k (or 300K which is the next higher level for 215k) or 400K (or 500K)? Thanks for your time.

Roberto (1/30/06): I write from Mexico City. my question is where can buy the service manual of subwoofer Model 2Wq ?

Jacques (1/30/06): CAN I USE BANANA PLUGS ON MY NEW QUATROS WHEN THEY ARRIVE - OR IS THERE SOME SPECIAL TYPE OF PLUG I SHOULD USE?

Dave (2/2/06): I'm finally upgrading from stereo to 5.1 Home Theater. I currently own a pair of Model 2C's (S/N: 50xxxC). After listening to the VSM-1surrounds and the VCC-1 center, the decision to purchase was easy, for they sounded great. Selection of a subwoofer was not so easy. First, the dealer didn't have the 2Wq on display. I own an Adcom component system, so I believe this would be the preferred subwoofer. Second, from reading the Vandersteen literature, it appears a stereo subwoofer configuration is preferred. If this is true, why is it not an option to purchase a stereo subwoofer configuration where each subwoofer would only have inputs for one channel and the crossover for the pre-amp output would also be designed for a single channel. My thought was that a savings could be passed on to the consumer and perhaps subwoofer sales might increase.

Steve (2/2/06): Hi Richard.. More a comment than a question. I've heard the Quatros and I think they sound wonderful. Why have they been given short shrift here on your website?? The other products have long, elaborate descriptions detailing the design principals guiding their development, yet the Quatro has what looks like a hastily created one-page spec. sheet. that aside, your products are awesome. I hope you have a succession plan in place for your business for the day when you hang up the tuning fork and oscilloscope. ..I'd like to think Vandersteen speakers will continue to be made for decades to come.

Craig (2/2/06): Hello Mr. Vandersteen my wife and I have 2Ce Signatures and two 2Wq's driven by Quicksilver V4's that we are very impressed with.  I'm curious about active Bi-Amping, which in our setup I think would be in effect Tri-Amping. My question is why don't I see a second set of terminals on your, or any other speaker that bypasses the crossover for the purpose of  Bi-Amping? I suspect going to 3A Signatures would be our best bet, but  haven't heard them yet.  Thanks for all you do, Craig

James (2/2/06): I own a pair of 2CE signatures and am concerned about the dimensions of my new listening room. The dimensions of my new  listening room are 8.5' x 14' with 10' ceiling. Can the 2CE signatures perform well in a room of such dimensions. If not, would any of your other speakers be a more suitable match for my room size? I hate the thought of giving up my 2CE Sig's but if I must I would want to replace them with another Vandersteen speaker.

Answer: HELLO JAMES, HOW SPEAKERS WORK IN A ROOM IS A COMPLICATED COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT PARAMETERS NOT DESCRIBED BY THE DIMENSIONS. WITH ENOUGH EXPERIMENTATION VERY GOOD SOUND CAN BE FOUND IN ALMOST ANY ROOM. SOMETIMES AUDIOPHILES THINK THERE IS NO CHANCE AND SETTLE FOR SOME CHEAP SPEAKERS AT THE SWAP MEET, THIS GUARANTIES BAD SOUND. ANOTHER OPTION IS TO GET A SMALL LITTLE TWO WAY ALSO GUARANTEEING NO MUSIC BECAUSE THE FOUNDATION OF MUSIC IS BASS. ONLY AN AUDIOPHILE CAN LISTEN TO A LITTLE TWO WAY LOUDSPEAKER WITH THE SCREAMING MEANIES AND CALL IT MUSIC NO MATTER HOW EXPENSIVE. THIS IS SOMETIMES CALLED TRANSPARENCY.  I CALL IT NO BASS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON MIDS AND HIGHS. YOUR 2CE SIGNATURES MAY LOAD UP THE ROOM IN THE BASS IF THAT OCCURS TRY HIGH PASSING THE AMPLIFIER. CHECK WITH YOUR DEALER AND BORROW THE WX-2 ADJUSTABLE HIGH PASS IF YOU CAN. START AT HALF THE IMPEDANCE OF YOUR AMPLIFIER AND WORK YOUR WAY DOWN. AT SOME POINT YOU WILL ROLL OFF YOUR 2CE SIGS AT THE SAME FREQUENCY THE ROOM IS LIFTING RESULTING IN FLAT RESPONSE. IT TURNS OUT THAT BASS IS LIFTED AT 6DB PER OCTAVE WHICH IS THE INVERSE OF THE HIGH PASS. IT WILL TAKE A LITTLE EXPERIMENTING BUT THE END RESULT IS MUSICAL. GOOD LUCK.

Patrick (2/3/06): Why are the prices for your speakers in Canada so much higher than in the USA even though the CAD is at a sixteen year high?  Love your 5As, but the prices up here is daunting.

Bill (2/3/06): I have had a pair of Vandersteen 5s for approximately six years and recently acquired a pair of Pass Labs Aleph 2 mono-blocks.  I'm running them in balanced form and the owners manual tells me the Input Impedance for balanced operation is 25 kohm. What are the appropriate settings for the crossovers?

Mike (2/4/06): If I understand the 2CE serial numbers correctly from your reply to Unknown (1/17/06) - SN#56032 and SN#77000 were used for the 2CE, but "THE 2CE SIGNATURES ARE CURRENTLY STILL IN PRODUCTION BUT HAVE HAD YEARLY UPGRADES, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IN FEB 2005 (SN#57374 AND ABOVE)". The serial numbers don't seem to be sequential - my 2CE Signatures are 55020 and were purchased in Jan 2003. What upgrades have been done since then? Drivers, crossover, etc? I am upgrading my amplifier and would like to use the same barrier strips as the 2CE Sig - where can I source them?  Thank you.

Answer: HELLO MIKE, THE FIRST 2CE SIGNATURE WAS SN#50000 THEY ARE NOT SEQUENTIAL WITH THE 2CE. YOUR LOOKING A THREE YEARS MANY UPGRADES HAVE HAPPENED. IT WOULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE TO CHANGE OUT ALL THE CHANGES, EACH ONE ONLY A SMALL IMPROVEMENT. TOGETHER THEY ADD UP OVER THE YEARS. IF UP-GRADES ARE AN ISSUE I SUGGEST THE THREE SERIES OR HIGHER THEY A GUARANTEED UPGRADEABLE. YOUR DEALER CAN ORDER THE BARRIER STRIP FOR YOU. $15.00 EACH FOR THE SINGLES $25.00 FOR DOUBLES PLUS FREIGHT.

Bill (2/5/06): I would like to start by thanking you for designing great sounding speakers. I currently own a set of 1Cs which I love. I am contemplating  upgrading to a set of 2CEs or 2CE Sigs. Here's my question.. I have this odd room which is essentially 14'x14'. With the back wall (behind me) that has 1/3 of it open to a kitchen. Using your EXCELLENT manual and much experimentation, I was able to dial in my 1Cs. But given the room size and furniture I cannot place speakers far out into the room. Every time I have heard the 2CEs, they were in a much bigger room and were placed farther apart and much farther out into the room from the wall(behind speaker). I am concerned that the 2CEs or Sigs might be too much speaker for my room.  My seating arrangement puts me  ~8 feet from my 1Cs.  I wanted to upgrade to the 2CEs for the midrange and lower bass improvements. What do you think??

Lonny (2/6/06): Hey there.  At what time in the future do you suppose your going to turn off the CAPPS????????  I am going blind reading this stuff......... Its a good thing you know how to make speakers.

John (2/7/06): I have a receiver that has adjustable crossover (in frequency and in slope) and I was wondering, with my 3a Sigs, vcc-5, and vsm-1's, do I maintain a x-over at 80hz with the 6db slope or should I individually apply the crossover at different frequencies for each speaker, and if so, what would that x-over point be (3a's-40hz?, cc-5-60 hz?). Thanks

Jonas (2/7/06): A couple more questions as I am working on designing the room that will house my 2 ch and HT system. My first question is whether with 5A's used as the Left and Right channels in a HT environment will do the job for HT or whether I will also need a pair of V2Ws (I live in a Manhattan apartment so I'll never go to too crazy with e dbls.)  Second, I am looking at installing a balanced power system (such as equi=tech). Do you think this would have a meaningful performance impact?  Thanks so much for making the best speakers I've ever owned (or heard!)

Jacques (2/7/06):  The calibrated disk necessary for the adjustment of the 11 bass bands on the Quatro - is it the same as needed for the Model 5. My distributor has the latter and is very helpful and will gladly lend this to my dealer in another city to set up my Quatros.

Answer: HELLO JACQUES, YOUR DEALER SHOULD HAVE ANSWERED THIS QUESTION FOR YOU. THE SET UP FOR THE QUATRO'S IS THE SAME AS THE 5A. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR DEALER.

Anthony (2/8/06): I know you don't like giving out recommendations for speaker cords, but what are your top picks?  I so far like Kimber Cable, what is your opinion of them?  I am Double Bi-Wiring 4PR, and going to Double Bi-Wire 4TC. I hope I hear a great increase in Audio Perfection.  P.S. You never actually answered my question form the last question I asked on 1-29-06, also what did you think of the pictures?

Jeff (2/8/06): I have a pair of 2Ce's with a 2WQ subwoofer that I have been using with a power amplifier that has a 100k input impedance. I have been using your X2 inline crossovers with good results but have just bought a new amplifier with a 50k input impedance. Until I can get a new set of crossovers from my dealer, if I use the 100K ones, will this raise or lower the crossover point going to the 2Ce's? I noticed that you mention an 80hz crossover. Thanks!

Hovhannes (2/8/06): I recently bought a pair of your wonderful Vandersteen model speakers that were manufactured approximately 5-6 years ago. While enjoying the perfect sound of the speakers, I noticed that left speaker produces slightly less highs then the right one. My attempts to compensate that effect by position adjustment and manipulation on controls on the back of speakers were not successful which draws me to suspicion that speakers may need get out of calibration / adjustment during years of use. Could you, please, tell if speakers can be serviced at Vandersteen? Is there adjustment / calibration program offered?

Answer: HELLO HOVHANNES, TRY MOVING THE RIGHT SPEAKER TO THE LEFT AND THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT. IF THE ROOM IS NOT SYMMETRICAL THERE CAN BE QUITE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHANNELS.  IF REVERSING THEM DOES NOT GIVE A CLUE SET THEM SIDE BY SIDE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM. PLAY A MONO SOURCE, THEY SHOULD SOUND THE SAME. THERE IS NOTHING TO ADJUST IN THE SPEAKER SO A TRIP TO THE FACTORY MAY BE CALLED FOR.  READ CUSTOMER SERVICE ON THIS SITE AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. THIS IS QUITE COMMON WITH SPEAKERS PURCHASED USED BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY BEEN THROUGH.

Alfred (2/10/06):  I recently bought a used pair of C1s. Unfortunately, it did not come with the manual. I have hard how extensive it is with regards to speaker placement. Thanks! Alfred

Ron (2/10/06): I purchased a pair of 2ci's may of 1990. #'s 45158 & 45159. As I type this, both speakers on are the way to you for repair. You should have the speakers in your shop on Tues Feb 14. I noticed when using a pressure meter the sound from the speakers was very different from each other. Being the speakers are so old I figured it would make since to send both in for a check & whatever repair is necessary. My other equipment is - Classe ssp25 processor, Rotel 1095 power amp, NHT VT-1C center channel & NHT HDP-1 surrounds. My two questions are - Can these speakers be upgraded? If yes, at about what cost? I am considering purchasing your center speaker VCC1 to replace the NHT. Any suggestion you have would be appreciated. Incidentally, John at Audio Connection in Verona NJ is the best. Last but not least your product is outstanding.

Mike (2/10/06): In follow up to my questions about speaker wire: Mike (1/26/06) - One style of wire that interests me and is easy to build for the DIY crowd is the DNM/REASON style (small 24gauge solid core spaced wires) which creates low capacitance but high inductance and high resistance. Some claim this high resistance improves the amplifier loudspeaker interface but can be an issue with some speakers due to the low damping factor. Do you have any recommendations about  maximum wire resistance and minimum inductance, ie. some speaker manufactures recommend .1 ohms as the max wire resistance. I assume this is to set a minimum damping factor?

Ted (2/11/06): Hi. I see in the FAQ that the 2ce's should be positioned "at least a foot away from the wall." Is a foot really sufficient? I ask because that is probably as far away from the wall as I will be able to place them. If that placement will give me the results the 2ce was intended to achieve, they are an option for me. But if this placement is a serious compromise, they aren't. Thanks.

John (2/12/06): I am the happy owner of a pair of Vandersteen 2Cs that I purchased in 1986. Recently, however, I've noticed serious distortion in bass heavy content that appears to be coming from the acoustic couplers.  At first I chalked this up to the age of the speakers but after reading some of your answers in this FAQ list I now suspect that playing movies without a subwoofer may be the culprit. Do you repair speakers this old? If so, any estimate of likely cost would be helpful. I was planning to simply replace them with the new 2Ce Signature or 3A Signature. Now however, I may add the 2Wq subwoofer and hold on to them for a while if repair is a feasible option. Rest assured I will eventually upgrade but I'd like to have these on hand for a graduation present for my son. Keeping these old friends in the family really appeals to me.  Thanks in advance for your reply.

Jagdeep (2/12/06): Hello Richard, I'm using a Naim pre/power system with Living Voice OBX R2 speakers.  Naim specify that the sub must be fed from the speaker end of the speaker cable. Have you any opinions on this? Also, my speakers are very clean and fast. I want the sub to compliment & integrate with the speakers and not draw attention to themselves. Can i tune the @Wq's to do that?  My room size is approx 3000 cu ft. Should I use 1 or 2 subs..considering that I will cut in at about 35 to 40Hz (speakers have a claimed in room response of 35Hz)  I will not be able to place the sub(s) in corners and the sub(s) will be solely for 2 channel audio.

Answer: HELLO JAGDEEP (SINGAPORE), STEREO SUBS ARE RECOMMENDED AND OUR 2WQ DOES GET ITS SIGNAL FROM THE SPEAKER LEADS. A HIGH-PASS FILTER MUST BE PLACED BETWEEN YOUR PRE AMP AND AMPLIFIER OR A LINEAR TRANSITION WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE. I SUGGEST YOU READ THE REVIEWS AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION ON THIS WEB SITE. CONTACT YOUR VANDERSTEEN DEALER FOR A DEMO I THINK YOU WILL LIKE IT.

Craig (2/12/06): I have a pair of 5A's (fantastic speaker!), and was thinking of trying an interconnect cable between my amp and preamp that has an adjustable impedance setting for the input of the amp (like the 5A crossover has). My question is, should I set the cable for the input impedance of the amp, or the input impedance of the crossover (to which it would directly connect)? If the latter, what  is that impedance value? Thanks.

Answer: HELLO GRAIG, YOU WOULD SET THE CABLE TO THE SETTING OF THE AMPLIFIER INPUT IMPEDANCE. THE MODEL 5HP'S INPUT IMPEDANCE IS WHAT IS REFLECTED THROUGH IT FROM THE AMPLIFIER.

Ken (2/12/06): What is your opinion on acoustically treating a room? I am building a dedicated home theater room with Vandersteen all the way around.  There are many, many online discussions going on indicating the benefits of putting up some sort of wall treatments. These are typically some some sort of sound absorptive material built into frames and hung on the walls. Usually the advice is to fully treat the front wall, from floor to ceiling to eliminate reflections coming off the back of the main speakers. It also includes treatment of the side walls up from floor to ear level.  Is this kind of treatment a worthwhile endeavor with your speakers, or does your speaker design need and use those types of typical wall reflections to create the magic?  P.S. - Please don't end this internet question and answer experiment  too soon - it is a real treat for Vandersteen owners.

Answer: HELLO KEN, MOST H.T. PEOPLE OVER TREAT THE ROOM IN MY OPINION. THE BEST WAY TO GET BETTER RESULTS IS TO INSTALL THE SYSTEM, FIRE IT UP AND SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THAT ACTUALLY EXIST. THE PROBLEM WITH OVER TREATING THE ROOM IS THAT IT COMPRESS'S DYNAMICS, INCREASES DISTORTION, AND EATS UP AMPLIFIER POWER. THE ONE TREATMENT I WOULD DO AUTOMATICALLY IS THE CEILING IF THE FLOOR IS NOT COVERED WITH A NATURAL FIBER CARPET. REAR REFLECTIONS ARE NOT USUALLY A PROBLEM. SIDE WALL MAY NEED TREATMENT FOR THE FIRST REFLECTION (USE A MIRROR ON THE SIDE WALL AND MARK THE LOCATION WHERE YOU SEE THE SPEAKER REFLECTED FROM THE LISTENING POSITION). THE REAR WALL WILL NEED SOME TREATMENT BEHIND THE LISTENING POSITION. ABSORPTION OR DIFFUSION CAN BE EXPERIMENTED WITH UNTIL YOU GET THE RESULTS YOU ARE LOOKING FOR. THIS ALL TAKES TIME BUT WILL REWARD WITH VIVID AND DYNAMIC SOUND.

Bob(2/14/06):  Hi Richard, Is it true that even though you use a first order crossover 6db per octave that lets say the model 1Cs the tweeter and woofer are still 90 degrees out of phase...

Stan (2/14/06): Hi - I have just been notified by my dealer that my new 5A's are going to be delivered in a few days.  Regarding power, is a 15 amp socket acceptable?  Also, the right speaker will need an extension cord the included power cord I was told is 6 feet, and too short to reach the wall plug. I will make the extension myself using Hospital Grade components. Should I make 2 cords so that each speaker will see the exact same power? Thanks Stan

Bob (2/14/06): I just purchased a pr of 10 year old 2c's from ebay....Are all drivers available and can you post a price list for these parts. Also can I put the series 3 tweeter in this speaker again how much. Thanks

Gary (2/14/06):  My listening/HT room floor is carpet over plywood (a raised floor). Vibrations can be felt thru out the room which is great for movie entertainment. Currently, I use the spikes provided for the speaker to anchor them to the floor. Certain audio forums recommend the use of such products as Auralex Subdudes to control the vibrations and tighten up the bass. What is your recommendation?

Ken (2/15/06): I have a 2W with a Serial Number above 4060. I have an opportunity purchase a second one but its S.N. is below 4060. Would they integrate well with each other? I know there is a difference in the upgrade prices with the cutoff at S.N. 4060 so I assume there are some differences.

Steve (2/16/06): Hi Richard, Just recently bought a pair of 2Ce Signatures and a Rogue Cronus integrated amplifier and was wondering if you can make a general recommendation as to whether the 8 Ohm taps or 4 Ohm taps are preferred for my 2Ces. I took the liberty of changing over the taps to 4 Ohms based on your specs but am thinking maybe I should have at least tired them with the 8 Ohm taps first. Do what sounds best?  Your thoughts? My feeling is that I am not sure yet and I tend to want to rationalize why I would choose one vs. the other. Your thoughts? Wonderful speakers by the way.

Bob (2/16/06):  I just picked up a 1990 pr of 2ci's and they sound great. all drivers appear to be working...My question is about the wiring. Temporarily I hooked my speaker wires to the bottom end with jumpers from the dual banana plug to the high end. Is this ok? am I really loosing anything?  If I run a second set of wires to the same output terminals on my amp (I only have one set BK 442 200 watt (8ohms) 350 at 4) 70amp amp) will that drop the impedance?

Answer:  HELLO BOB, READ ABOUT BI-WIRING IN THE FAQ SECTION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT AND WHY. THE PERFORMANCE IS SIGNIFICANTLY COMPROMISED WITH JUMPERS IF YOUR SYSTEM IS HIGH RESOLUTION ENOUGH. BOTH SETS OF WIRES SHOULD BE CONNECTED TO THE SAME TERMINALS ON THE AMPLIFIER. THE IMPEDANCE OF THE SPEAKER IS THE SAME, 6 OHMS.

Steve (2/16/06): I own the Vandersteen 2CE signatures and find that they are fantastic. I have changed every piece of my system over the years, but the one constant is always the speakers! Do you think separates are better for the Vandies or is an integrated amp sufficient? Also are tubes better or solid state? And lastly, what do you think of the combo of a tube preamp with a solid state amp?

Stephen (2/19/06): What can be wrong with one of my Series 2 speakers ? The tweeter is not working, also the bass unit is very muffled with no real response to music. I understand that there are no Vandersteen dealers in the UK and hope that you may be able to assist me in finding the fault and helping me to repair the speaker. Also I need a cover, do you sell them ? Many thanks,

Answer:  HELLO STEPHEN, THIS QUESTION IS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THIS FORUM. PLEASE READ THE REPAIR SECTION UNDER CUSTOMER SERVICE OF THIS WEB SITE. IF THE INFORMATION THERE IS NOT FAMILIAR SOUNDING AND OF NO ASSISTANCE TO YOU, IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO TRAIN YOU BY E-MAIL TO EFFECT A PROPER REPAIR. YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS AS I SEE IT 1) FIND A GOOD LOCAL REPAIR SHOP THAT KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING BY FRIENDS REFERRAL. 2) DOWN LOAD THE RMA FORM AND SEND THEM TO VANDERSTEEN AUDIO. THIS MAY SEEM LIKE A EXTREME OPTION BUT WE HAVE THE PARTS, REPAIRS ARE USUALLY LESS THAN $150.00 U.S. FOR ANY NORMAL PROBLEM. ON SPEAKERS THIS OLD WE DO NOT HAVE PARTS BUT WE ARE ABLE TO REBUILD ALL SPEAKERS WE HAVE EVER MADE (30 YEARS). A GOOD REPAIR SHOP CAN DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM REMOVE THE DAMAGED DRIVERS AND SEND THEM FOR REBUILD AND ALL IS WELL. IF HOWEVER THE X-OVER IS DAMAGED BUY EXCESSIVE POWER OR LIGHTNING STRIKE IT IS NOT REMOVABLE PLUS MANY OF THE PART VALUES ARE COMMON TO THAT SPEAKER AND ITS MATE ONLY. IT WOULD BE AND IS TO EXPENSIVE TO RECORD ALL THAT INFORMATION. THE SPEAKER WITH ITS REBUILT DRIVERS AND X-OVER ARE THEN PUT IN THE ANECHOIC CHAMBER AND THE VALUES ARE DIALED IN. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET LIKE NEW PERFORMANCE IF THE X-OVER IS BURNED BY PLAYING TOO LOUD FOR TOO LONG, POWER AMP FAILURE, OR LIGHTING STRIKE.

Mark (2/19/06):  I just returned from your very excellent dealer in South Minneapolis. The 2ce Sigs were far and away the most involving speakers of the many pairs I auditioned. (The planars had a similar depth, but didn't integrate all the instruments nearly as well.) I  love the 2ce Sigs but, until my infant and toddler mature a bit, these speakers will end up in very small (7' x 12') room. My question: How will the 2's do in such a small room, with a near field (about 5 feet away) listening position?  Thanks very much. This is fun. 

Answer:  HELLO MARK, THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS ON OUR DEALERS POSITIVE DEMO AND HIS CARE FOR YOU. THE SPEAKERS WILL WORK FINE WITH SOME QUALIFICATIONS. PLEASE READ SOME OF THE QUESTIONS IN THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS THAT ARE SIMILAR I THINK YOU WILL FIND THE ANSWERS ABOUT NON OPTIMUM SITUATIONS INTERESTING. FIVE FEET IS A MINIMUM DISTANCE BUT STILL WITHIN DESIGN LIMITS.

Stan (2/19/06):  Question regarding the fixed passive filters for 2WQ subs. I have 2 x > 2WQ subs but am using Vandersteen 5k fixed high pass filters into my > 10k ohm input impedance Spectral (DMA-80) amp; the reason is that is all the dealer had and I never bothered to order the 10k ones as he said it would take a while to get from you. My question is, how critical is it to precisely match these with the input impedance of my amp? What effect is the 5k filter having? I also have a 20k filter -  would I be better off using it?

Answer:  HELLO STAN H, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS I SHOULD DUMP BUT AGAIN I WILL TRY TO REITERATE THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. THE SUB-WOOFERS ARE SHIPPED WITH AN ADJUSTABLE WX-2 X-OVER SO ANY VALUE IS AVAILABLE BY SWITCHING A SWITCH!!!!! DOING THE EXPERIMENT SINGLE ENDED IS VALID FOR BALANCED ALSO, THE RESULT WILL BE THE SAME . HOW THE PERFORMANCE WILL BE EFFECTED IS A VARIABLE THING BUT PEOPLE DO NOT INVEST IN THIS KIND OF STUFF IF MEDIOCRE PERFORMANCE WAS THE GOAL. IF YOUR HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING THIS RIGHT PAY YOUR KNOWLEDGEABLE DEALER OR A FRIEND TO HELP YOU. SET UP CAN IMPROVE THE SOUND OF A SYSTEM MORE THAN A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN "IMPROVED" GEAR. ITS WORTH DOING OR HAVING IT DONE.

John (2/20/06): Richard, Thank you for 16 years of outstanding audio enjoyment from my current set of speakers. The downside is that I have no idea what they are. The back label says Model 2. Serial #s are 53150Ci and 53151. I'd guess they are Model 2Ci's, but the serial # is a little hard to read and I can't tell if the "i" is a blemish or real. Is there anyway you can tell me what I own? Thanks! John

Answer: HELLO JOHN, YOU ARE CORRECT THEY ARE 2Ci'S.

Joe (2/20/06): I recently acquired a used pair of 5's through my son, Sam, who works at Optimal Enchantment in Santa Monica. He suggested I ask you the following question. The serial numbers on my speakers are 2006 and 2007. I noticed that your web site indicates that these speakers require $1500 more to upgrade to 5A's then some other serial numbers. I suspect that means that changes were made to the 5 that makes the upgrade less expensive. Did these changes result in any sonic improvements? If so, can I make those changes to my 5s, and would it be worth it?  Also, I'd like to ask a somewhat more specialized question. My left ear is more highly sensitive to high frequencies than normal, and most speakers tend to sound a bit bright to me. Also, my listening room is a bit on the bright side, though I have treated it a fair amount. On my previous speakers, Spendor SP 100s and before that Kef 105.2s, I installed an L-pad on the tweeter by putting resistors in parallel and in series with it to provide the same resistance to the crossover network, but drop the output a bit. I found 3 dB was just about right.  In the case of the Kefs, I did it the same time as I re-built the crossovers, replacing all the old electrolytic caps with polypropylene ones. I know that some of your speakers do have tweeter level adjusters. Has anyone ever asked to have one installed on the 5? It looks like just the opposite was requested; the rear-firing tweeter for adding treble. I have toed in the speakers a bit, and that helped a lot. Of course a lot of the problem is with CDs that are simply too bright in themselves and the (to me) silly notion that  tone controls, very useful for correcting poorly balanced recordings, are forbidden. Actually, for most vinyl and many CDs and SACDs, the problem is minimal, but I was curious.  I'm sorry to take up so much of your time, but I'm quite excited to have these speakers and want to get the best out of them.  Santa Cruz, California.

Answer: HELLO JOE, I VISITED OPTIMAL ENCHANTMENT JUST YESTERDAY, HAD A GOOD TIME WITH RANDY AND SAM. YOUR OBSERVATION IS CORRECT ABOUT CHANGES OCCURRING DURING THE SEVEN YEARS THE FIVES WERE IN PRODUCTION AND THEY WERE DEFINITELY AUDIBLE OR I WOULD NOT HAVE SPENT THE CUSTOMERS MONEY. UNFORTUNATELY IT WOULD BE FAR TOO EXPENSIVE TO DO A PARTIAL UP-GRADE FOR THE GAIN RECEIVED. WHEN THE TIME COMES TO UP-GRADE THE SPEAKERS TO 5A'S ALL WILL BE BROUGHT CURRENT. IN THE MEAN TIME ENJOY THE MODEL 5'S ALTHOUGH NOT A 5A, IT IS ONE INCREDIBLE SPEAKER. IN MY OPINION YOU SHOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES IN YOUR EARS. ALL OF US, IF WE MEASURED HAVE ABOUT 3 TO 6 DB LESS HIGH FREQUENCY ABILITY IN OUR LEFT EAR AND IN THE UK IT IS THE RIGHT EAR. DRIVING THE CAR WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN A LIFE TIME CONTRIBUTES TO THIS. FOR SOME REASON YOURS ARE THE OPPOSITE BUT OUR REFERENCE IS STILL EVERY DAY SONIC EXPERIENCES HEARD WITH THOSE SAME EARS. WHEN IT COMES TO BRINGING THE TONE CONTROLS BACK I AGREE 100% AND BELIEVE THE MORE MUSIC ORIENTATED HIGH END MANUFACTURES (NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME) WILL DO SO SOONER THAN LATER (PSE HL-1 ALREADY DOES BUT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE) FOR THE REASONS YOU MENTION IN YOUR QUESTION. I WOULD NOT INSTALL THIS INTO A SPEAKER BECAUSE IT WOULD BE TOO DIFFICULT TO DEFEAT ON THOSE RECORDINGS NOT NEEDING IT. YOU MIGHT CONSIDER BUILDING A TONE CONTROL CIRCUIT THAT WOULD GO INTO THE TAPE MONITOR LOOP. AS TO THE COMMENT ABOUT MOST SPEAKERS SOUNDING TOO BRIGHT, MOST ARE. CHECK OUT THE MEASUREMENTS IN STEREOPHILE MAGAZINE.

Jacques (2/21/06): Jacques (2/22/06) I was told in South Africa that my Quatros will be delivered within 5 weeks, so I expected them to arrive by about 22  February 2006. Now, suddenly, yesterday (21 February) I was told that I will have to wait another 4 weeks (!!??). I don't know all the facts behind the scenes, except that the Distributor in South Africa suddenly decided that he also wants a pair of Quatros for his showroom. He indicated  that it was VANDERSTEEN AUDIO who decided to hold back my Quatros and combine the two orders. My full deposit was paid at the beginning of the whole period involved. Please keep in mind that some people have waited for 40 years to own speakers of this stature - so it is traumatic to overcome the time-lag, prolonged by such rather cynical action. I suppose there can be a cost saving in combining the orders - would that saving be passed on to the buyer? I put these points to you in the interests of making VANDERSTEEN the finest brand in the world, if it is not precisely that already.

Answer: HELLO JACQUES, THE REASON FOR THE DELAY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR DEALER DECIDING TO HAVE A PAIR FOR HIMSELF. THE DELAY IS BECAUSE THE 220 VOLT VERSION OF THE AMPLIFIER WAS NOT FINISHED. YOUR DEALER WAS NOT INTERESTED IN THE 120 VOLT VERSION WITH STEP-DOWN TRANSFORMER SHIPPED TOO OTHER FOREIGN MARKETS WHERE THE CUSTOMER WAS IN A BIGGER HURRY. SHIPMENTS OF THIS SIZE ARE PRICED BY THE POUND OR KILO SO WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SAME. SORRY FOR THE DELAY.

Kenn (2/21/06): I have Model 1s, am getting 2Cs, and 3As soon so that I can create a home theater system in my basement. I'm not sure if I need more than a  VCC-1 center speaker. I thought the VCC sig might be overkill. What do you think? Also, I thought I'd get the V2W for the sub. Thanks, for your help, Kenn

Answer: HELLO KENN, THE VCC-1 SIGNATURE HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED AND IS NOT RECOMMENDED WITH MODEL 3'S. THE NEW VCC-2 OR THE VCC-5 ARE THE ONLY CENTERS DYNAMIC ENOUGH FOR YOUR PROPOSED SYSTEM. THE VCC-2 WILL BE AVAILABLE JUNE 06.

Kenn (2/22/06): Richard, I submitted a question yesterday (re:VCC sig. v. VCC-1 and my models 1, 2c, & 3A s) and since have had time to explore your FAQ  site. I'm beginning to think that piece mealing together a HT system, > from even good used sources, isn't the best idea given the advances you've made over the years.  After seeing your site I also am questioning my Onkyo TX-SR 803  receiver for your speakers. I'm overwhelmed by the amount of AV info "out there" and the various forums reveal a variety of informed opinion. I'm not an audiophile nor will I ever be one (I think!) but I do appreciate good sound - music and movie. I know I'm going with Vandersteen speakers to make a HT system. This will probably be my one and only system for evermore. I know you have a HT system but I have the sense that putting together something along the lines of new 3As,  VCC sig., 2VW would be better for my 17 x 35 room. What are your thoughts? P.S. I know this is a loaded question and that there are many considerations. I don't have big bucks but I value "value" that's why I'm going with Vandersteen. Thanks, Kenn (if you wanted to comment on receivers and such for your speakers, it wouldn't hurt my feelings any!)

Answer: HELLO KENN, GOOD TO HEAR YOU ARE DOING YOUR RESEARCH. I UNDERSTAND WANTING TO SAVE MONEY BUT HALF PRICE ON THE WRONG PIECE IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN FULL PRICE ON THE RIGHT COMPONENT WITH EXPERT SET-UP. YOU COULD GET THE BASIC SYSTEM WITH YOUR VANDERSTEEN DEALER AND FILL-IN WITH GOOD PERSONALLY AUDITIONED AND SEEN USED COMPONENTS. GOOD LUCK.

Dave (2/22/06): Hi,  I have a pair of Model 1's(?)...Serial #'s:3166, 3167. The "Operating Instruction" that came with the pair, refer to them as "Model 1B".  My questions: 1) - What model are they?  2) - Can I use the Model 1C bases with these speakers?  Thank you...

Answer: HELLO DAVE R, YOU HAVE EARLY 1B, THERE NEVER WAS A MODEL ONE SOLD THROUGH DEALERS. THE 1C BASE WILL WORK IF YOU ARE HANDY ENOUGH TO INSTALL YOUR OWN T-NUTS INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE 1B SPEAKER.

(2/22/06): I have an HT setup using a pair of VSMs as fronts with stereo subs  (2Ws), a VCC-1 center, and a pair of VSMs for the surround (the surround VSMs are mated to a third 2W). Since I'm running stereo subs upfront, I have a pair of inputs available on the subs. Can I use those available inputs to connect the VCC-1 as well?... thereby giving me deep base for all 5 channels? If so, should I connect the VCC-1 to both subs (which I believe will exaggerate the bass) or just one sub? Will I loose some bass clarity because the center channel bass is superimposed with the left and/or right front channel bass? I  would love a VCC-5, but I need save a bit more before I can afford one.

Answer: HELLO FERNANDO, WHAT YOU WANT I BELIEVE IS A MORE DYNAMIC, LOWER DISTORTION CENTER CHANNEL. ADDING MORE BASS USUALLY DECREASES INTELLIGIBILITY BUT YOU CAN TRY IT SEE WHAT "YOU" THINK. THE NEW VCC-2 OR THE VCC-5 ARE WHAT YOU WANT.

Garry (2/23/06): What are your thoughts on class D amps and their use with Vandersteen speakers?

Answer: HELLO GARRY, MY THOUGHTS ARE IF YOU LIKE'M BUY'M. MY SYSTEM USES HIGH RESOLUTION SOURCES (VINYL LP'S) SO I AM NOT PREPARED TO HAVE ANY DIGITAL PROCESSING YET IN MY ANALOG CHAIN.

Russ (2/23/06): Richard- I'm having two sets of speaker cables made up (to biwire) a pair of 3A Signatures. The 3As will be coming in a week or two.  Would you please tell me the optimum size spades for the speaker connections. Thanks.

Answer: HELLO RUSS, WE HAVE BEEN USING THE BARRIER STRIP ON YOUR SPEAKERS FOR 15 YEARS. ASK THE WIRE COMPANY WHAT THEY RECOMMEND AND IF THEY DON'T KNOW TRY A NEW WIRE COMPANY. USE THE FAQ SECTION FOR OTHER WIRE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

Max (2/23/06): Hi Richard,  I'm a very happy owner of 1C's, and would love to audition the 2Ce Signature. But since I'm in New Orleans, the closest dealer is nearly 400 miles away in Houston! Are there plans to have anyone in Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama become a Vandersteen dealer? Many Thanks,

Answer: HELLO MAX, NO PLANS. ALL VANDERSTEEN SPEAKERS ARE HAND MADE WITH THEIR WORKING COMPONENTS DIALED IN AN ANECHOIC CHAMBER, EACH AND EVERY ONE. WE CAN ONLY MAKE SO MANY. MAY BE ON VACATION OR TRAVEL FOR WORK YOU CAN VISIT A DEALER FOR A DEMO. PLEASE ALWAYS CALL IN ADVANCE TO MAKE SURE THE PRODUCT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN IS ON DEMO.

Paul (2/24/06): I recently purchased a pair of Vandersteen 2Ce Signature loudspeakers which under ideal conditions are very flat in their response. Imagine  my surprise when I found very lumpy frequency response in the bass! Actually I was not shocked as my Snells also sounded thin in the room since we moved in August of 2004. The main problem is a big hole in the bass from about 45 to 70Hz – it’s down about 10dB at 50Hz. Response throughout this range is 70dB or less whereas the reference level for my tests was more like 78dB.  I am trained in physics and electrical engineering and I understand the nature of standing waves. I have moved the speakers around a bit but to little avail. I wonder whether sound absorbers could actually boost bass response significantly. Of course if these are standing waves then anything which disturbs the resonant cavity geometry could be effective. What do you suggest? FYI the room is approximately 13x17 feet.

Answer: HELLO PAUL, ASSUMING YOU ARE MEASURING WITH WARBLE TONES ANY PROPERLY DESIGNED LOUDSPEAKER WILL MEASURE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME IN THAT LOCATION IN THE ROOM.  PLACEMENT CHANGES MAY HELP BUT CAN ONLY BE FOUND BY EXPERIMENTING. CHECK OUT THE MEASUREMENTS IN STEREOPHILE AND YOU WILL SEE VERY FEW THAT ARE +-5BD AT ANY FREQUENCY ANECHOIC. WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY IS THAT IS NOT THAT BAD AND USUALLY IS CAUSED BY A HEMHOLZ RESONANCE DOWN A DUCT OR HALL, MAY BE EVEN OUTSIDE THE ROOM BUT CONNECTED. I HAVE HAD NO SUCCESS WITH ABSORBERS BECAUSE YOU WOULD NEED TO ABSORB EVERY THING AROUND THE HOLE, KILLING THE DYNAMICS WHICH IS A BIG PROBLEM. ABSORBERS CAN WORK WHEN THE ROOM DIMENSIONS CAUSE A LARGE PEAK. TRY PLACEMENT CHANGES AND IF THAT DOESN'T WORK YOU COULD GET A 2WQ AND PLACE IT IN THE CORNER GIVING YOU MORE FLEXIBILITY. LAST OPTION LOOK INTO THE QUATRO IT HAS ADJUSTABLE BASS, TALK TO YOUR DEALER AND ASK FOR A DEMO.

Andrew (2/25/06): I own a pair of 2Cs and both of the 8' drivers have dry rot and the 4's are starting to wear out also.  Do you recommend sending in just the drivers or is it time to send the speakers themselves and have them checked out?

Answer: HELLO ANDREW, IF THE SPEAKERS HAVE NEVER BEEN OVER POWERED AND THE X-OVER'S DAMAGED I WOULD SEND IN THE DRIVERS ONLY. THIS SAVES A LOT OF FREIGHT COSTS. REBUILD COST WOULD BE APX $250.00 FOR ALL FOUR DRIVERS.

Ron (2/26/06):  I have 2ci's that will be returned to me this week after refurbish at you  shop. My question is - My processor, Class ssp25 has a DB25 output & my power amp, Rotel 1095 has a DB25 input. What are the +'s & -'s of using this interconnect? What will I gain & or loose? Both units are THX certified. Again, thank you for returning my speakers to like new condition.

Answer: HELLO RON, I WOULD CALL YOUR DEALER AND ASK HIM WHAT WOULD SOUND THE BEST, OR CALL THE ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURE FOR THEIR OPINION OR LISTEN FOR YOUR SELF. THE RESULT OF YOUR OWN EVALUATION OF COURSE WOULD MEAN THE MOST.

Stan (2/27/06): I took delivery of my new Kawazinga finish 5A's last week. First, let me say that the finish is absolutely jaw dropping beautiful...much  more so than the sample on your web site. I am a musician and have  been interested in good sound for many years. The 5A's have replaced "very good" top of the range British speakers driven by all Ayre top of the line electronics - but what I hear in the 5A's is reality.  Sure the lows go lower, the highs, higher, but I'm hearing Paul Simon  sing right there between the speakers - a holographic image with his words so clearly sung that I can hear the poetry with ease. What makes  that spookily "real" quality.  It's not the frequency response, the power handling, etc... the stuff that specs are made of?

Answer: HELLO STAN, I AM PLEASED YOU ARE HAPPY WITH YOUR NEW 5A'S, THEY WILL GIVE YOU MANY YEARS OF ENJOYMENT AND ARE A TRUE LIFELONG INVESTMENT. WHO KNOWS WHAT TECHNOLOGY WILL COME DOWN THE PIKE. IMAGINE THE MANY PEOPLE WHO INVESTED IN MODEL 5'S NOW 10 YEARS AGO, SENDING THEM IN FOR AN UP-GRADE TOO 5A'S AND EXPERIENCING WHAT YOU ARE. AS A BONUS HAVING THEIR INVESTMENT PROTECTED BY NOT HAVING TO SELL THEM AT HALF COST AND STARTING ALL OVER. I BELIEVE THAT WAVEFORM PRESERVATION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PARAMETER IN LOUDSPEAKER DESIGN. MANY PARAMETERS ARE IMPORTANT AND A GOOD DESIGN WILL DO WELL AT ALL OF THEM. THAT "SPOOKILY REAL" EFFECT IS THE OUTCOME OF REPLICATING WHAT THE AMPLIFIER PASSED ON TO THE SPEAKER AS PERFECTLY AS POSSIBLE.

Tom (2/27/06): What center channel speaker will work best with Vandersteen 2Cs?

Answer: HELLO TOM, THE VCC-2 OR THE VCC-5. READ THROUGH SOME OF THE POSTS ON THIS SITE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Ray (2/27/06): Hi Richard, I have the vaunted model 5 and would like to set the room compensation. I purchased the Stereophile cd and the Radio Shack  Spl meter. What is the proper procedure for setting the room compensation using the warble tones and the Radio Shack meter?, or could  I purchase this information because my manual only refers to RTA  procedure. Thank you.....

Answer: HELLO RAY, THE SHORT SECTION AFTER THE RTA SECTION IN THE MANUAL IS WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR. GETTING THIS RIGHT IS SO IMPORTANT I WOULD HIRE A VANDERSTEEN DEALER WITH FACTORY TRAINING TO DO IT THE FIRST TIME. IF THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE YOU WILL GET BETTER PERFORMANCE LEAVING THE 11 BANDS SET FLAT JUST LIKE ANY REGULAR SPEAKER WOULD BE. THE PROCEDURE OUTLINED IN THE MANUAL WITH AN RTA IS NOT RECOMMENDED BECAUSE THE RESULT IS NOT GOOD. CALL ME AND I CAN GIVE YOU THE NAMES OF DEALERS WHO HAVE FACTORY TRAINING IN YOUR AREA.

Daniel (2/27/06): Hi Mr. Vandersteen,  If I have wood floors but can't afford to spend $80 or so on these  "soft shoe" things for the floor spikes on your speaker stands, are  there any alternatives?? Perhaps hex bolts?? Any suggestions would be  really appreciated.

Answer: HELLO DANIEL, I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON HOW IMPORTANT THE FLOOR FINISH IS. CARRIAGE BOLTS ARE NOT POINTED BUT WILL SCUFF THE FLOOR. PICK YOUR POISON.

Chi (2/27/06): I have a pair of 1Cs (3 years old) and have tried using the treble control behind to adjust for some room differences. However, moving the dial does not result in much audible change to the sound and I can  hear a scratchy sound emanating from the speakers when I adjust the dial. Are the controls damaged?

Answer: HELLO CHI, THE CONTROL ON THE REAR OF YOUR IC'S ADJUST ONLY +-2DB, THIS IS VERY SUBTLE. IT IS NORMAL FOR THE CONTROL TO MAKE A STATIC NOISE BUT ONLY WHILE TURNING IT. ONCE A SETTING IS SETTLED ON AND THE CONTROL IS SET THE STATIC SHOULD CEASE.

(2/28/06): I bought a used pair of Vandersteen model 1 speakers, sound is superb, but I cant seem to find much info on this model, is it the same as the model 1C...your feedback is much appreciated

Answer: HELLO ????, THE ONLY THING COMMON BETWEEN THE 1B AND 1C ARE THEIR EXTERNAL APPEARANCE AND BASIC DESIGN. THE WOOFER, TWEETER, X-OVER, AND INTERNAL STRUCTURE ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT. THE MODEL 1B WENT OUT OF PRODUCTION MANY YEARS AGO BEFORE WE WERE ON COMPUTER THAT'S WHY THERE IS NO INFORMATION. SET-UP AND HOOKUP ARE BASICALLY THE SAME AS THE 1C'S SO YOU COULD GET A COPY OF THE 1C MANUAL. ALL THE PARTS NECESSARY TO REPAIR ANY ASPECT OF YOUR 1B'S OR ANY SPEAKER WE HAVE EVER MADE IS STILL AVAILABLE.

Peter (2/28/06): I recently bought an old pair of model 2Ci speakers.  Bi-wired them and they sound fabulous. I also obtained in the same deal a VCC1 center speaker. I have been going back and forth in hooking that speaker up to my system ( I have gotten too many conflicting opinions by the "experts", too many and diverse to list.  Can you suggest what outlet I hook this speaker up to and what wire is best to use (am now using 16 gauge Monster with gold plated spade on the speaker end and banana plugs on the other) I have a Sony FM/AM  home theater receiver with two front speaker outlets- the IICi are  bi-wired into one of these, a center outlet and 1 rear speaker outlet)

Answer: HELLO PETER, I AM NOT CLEAR WHAT YOU ARE ASKING BUT I THINK YOUR ANSWER SHOULD BE IN THE OPERATION MANUAL OF YOUR RECEIVER. CONSULTING THE EXPERTS INCLUDING THIS ONE IS A WASTE OF TIME COMPARED TO ONE DIAGRAM IN THE MANUAL. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PAY SOMEONE TO HOOK THIS SYSTEM UP FOR YOU BEFORE YOU DO NON WARRANTY DAMAGE TO YOUR RECEIVER.

Daryl (3/02/06): Hi. I am interested in replacing the top and bottom plate of my 2C's.  Currently, I have oak veneer and will replace them with a cherry or  mahogany. Can you tell me if the center grill cloth in the top plate  is removable so I can use it in the new plate that I build? Failing  that, can I buy the cloth? I am a good woodworker. Also, are the plates for the 2C available for purchase from Vandersteen in other veneers? Thanks. -- Daryl

Answer: HELLO DARYL, THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE THE TOP AND BOTTOM IS AT THE FACTORY. WE CAN INSTALL ANY OF OUR STANDARD AND OPTIONAL FINISHES FOR APPROXIMATELY $240.00. THIS WOULD MAKE THEM LOOK LIKE A BRAND NEW PAIR, NOT TO MANY SPEAKERS CAN BE REFURBISHED PERFECTLY FOR THAT KIND OF MONEY. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND YOU INVEST THAT AMOUNT INTO A PAIR OF SPEAKERS THAT ARE 20 YEARS OLD. PUT THAT MONEY TOWARDS A NEWER PAIR OF 2CE'S. EVEN THE 2CI'S ARE NOW 15 YEARS OLD AND BEHIND TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY.

Bob (3/03/06): I have two pair of speakers, which I am very happy with. I have 41422Ci and 41423Ci in the front, and 40650 and 40651 in the rear.  There is also a Snell Center Channel and Paradigm Subs. I purchased  the entire system used, from a friend. I don't really know how old  they are, but am under the impression they were all purchased about the same time. Can you tell me which Center Channel of yours, I could  match to these speakers? I am trying to build a matched set. Power is provided by B&K Amps and Tuner. The sound now is awsome, but I believe  the "matching" center would make it better. You can be proud of your fine product. Thanks, for the help, Bob K.

Answer: HELLO BOB K, YOU ARE CORRECT, HAVING ALL 5 CHANNELS MATCHED WILL BE MUCH BETTER. IN A SYSTEM BASED ON MODEL TWO'S THE VCC-5 OR THE NOT YET AVAILABLE VCC-2 WILL BE THE BEST MATCH. IT IS RECOMMENDED TO SKEW YOUR INVESTMENT TOWARDS THE CENTER AND SUBS BECAUSE MUCH IS EXPECTED OF THEM IN H.T. PERUSE THE FAQ SECTION AND OTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THIS WEB SITE FOR FURTHER HELP. YOUR B&K EQUIPMENT WILL WORK WELL.

David (3/03/06): David (3/3/06) One of my 2WQs is dead. The repair instructions tell me to remove the amplifier and return it to you for examination and  repair. Before shipping it, is there any troubleshooting I should try?  I have verified by checking outlets, amplifiers and wires that the amp of the sub is the source of the problem. Is the quality of speaker&nb