I have heard the 5A Carbons many times at the Audio Connection before they were discontinued. They are great speakers with an amazing midrange. The high frequencies with the Carbon tweeter make music so natural sounding that you will listen late into the night. The bass is fully adjustable to your room using the 11 band equalizer.
Overall , a great speaker. You might want to go over to the Forum on the Vandersteen website where you will find owners of the 5A Carbon that will be able to give you a more thorough description of the 5A Carbon sound.
I own Vandersteen Treo CT's. Good Luck!