Vandersteen 1 in the nearfield, for rock music?

Well... My 1Cs (each with its own 2Wq sub) are about 7 feet in front of me and about 5 feet apart. I listen to about 65% electronic rock, the balance being jazz and classical. Of any speaker I have heard in its price range, the 1Cs are as smooth as any, save perhaps the DCM TFE200. That being said, my system (posted in my profile) is not at the level where I look forward to listening to 2-channel music, especially rock. Although it may be the fault of source components, cabling or amplification, I find that most rock sounds too bright and etched for my tastes. And even when I play a better recording, my rig is listenable, but less than involving, emotionally. Once you've heard music reproduced in a way that allows emotional involvement, nothing less will do, IMHO.

Bondmap Did you ever do the experiment yet of moving the Big Deep TV outta there?
You may even find you can go one notch down on the high pass crossover box which will even out the whole system balance
could be just what you looking for.
Best John

With the exception of their HT stuff, I find Vandy's to be pretty sensitive to room placement and listening position. I think 6-7 feet is cutting it pretty close, and I would guess less than ideal.

Thanks, John - Nope. That #$%^&*! RPTV is on wheels, but there is no place to role it to in my basement. Besides, I do use it (guilty, as charged). The high pass I use are the Vandy in-line filters, which are fixed @80Hz anyway. And, I gotta think that, for a price, there are better speakers out there than the 1Cs, however good at their price point they may be.

Unsound - I can sit as far back as 9 ft., but I have found the soundstage and imaging to be better at 7 feet. In my case, remember, the 1Cs are barely 5 feet apart. Of course, YMMV.

5' isn't much. Your room might be small for the Vandersteens.