Can I use the BFA style plugs on Vandersteens?

If you can use a standard banana, then you can use a BFA type (Z-plug).

vandersteen speakers (not subs) only accept spades as far as i know. i own 3a sigs

aloha keith

Keith is correct -- the Vandy speakers have a barrier strip type of connection, which have screws that require spades.

Hifidreams,

BFA (British Federation of Audio) plugs are not the same as banana's.

They are almost completely opposite of a banana plug. They receive something like a banana, but slightlty smaller, which is inside a protected covering within the amp or component. They were designed, if you can beleive this, to stop people from connecting banana plugs into British power outlets!!!

Please don't put your speaker wire into any power outlets folks!!

Older style Vandersteen 1B and 2C, 2CE series used strictly banana plugs. I don't know about the 3 series.

Kennyt All the BFA style connectors I have work fine in banana plug slots. They are like a hollow banana. I use them in my parents Linn Classic. Maybe we are talking about soundthing different.

Just as a point of clarification the Model 1 and 2 (through Ce, but not Signature) use banana jacks rather than the barieir strips of the Model 3.

The 5's use spades, too.

There appears to be some confusion over "BFA style" plugs. The AQ BFA plug looks surprisingly like a Nordost Z-Plug. I have used the Z-plug often for terminating speaker cable and it works very well, possibly providing the tightest connection I've encountered. The beauty of this fit is that, unlike spades, you don't have to keep checking the screws for tightness. The Z-plug, by nature is "sprung" and puts constant tension on the inside of the terminal.

The BFA plugs sold by AQ and others appear to be the same concept as the Z-plug.

When I go to the BFA (the federation), the plug they show is not the same as the Nordost or AQ. The Nordost Z-plug will work in a BFA terminal (I previously used Z-plugs in an Arcam Alpha 10), however, they seem to defeat the purpose of the BFA, which was to insulate the outside of the plug to prevent electrocution.

Interesting stuff! It appears that Nordost (and others) have created a plug that works (extremely well) as a banana plug in a standard terminal, but also works in a BFA certified terminal.

Oh, sorry, I don't know anything about Vandersteens......

Enjoy,

TIC

Very interesting Reubent. Always wondered what the difference was.
I have used the Audioquest BFAs with great success on Vandersteen 1Cs. They provided solid contact.