Shahinian Obelisk vs VandersteenTreo

Hmm, I supposed it depends upon what you were listening to beforehand.
Vandie's aren't bright (as in, lots of treble or beaming uppers).
Also being phase and time aligned, they give a more natural (in my opinion) sound. The closest I can find to them are planars and electrostatic speakers.
Again, to my ears.
Bob

I think I found the reason for this darkish sound coloration: the Conrad-Johnson ET3 pre. It's either that it's still not burnt-in, or it's the Tesla tube coloration, or... that it's just not up to speed...

dark they aint....
etched super hifi pained in an hour no......

as for records it might be that tracking the countless hundreds of improvements and storing all that including drivers matched to within .1 db would kill the frugal dutchman and I suspect require a Raiders of the Lost Ark warehouse...
remember he sold a quarter million model 2....
also and i suspect some of his matching techniques require nulling drivers which IF ya think about it goes far beyond recording a few values....

i need to chat w him tommorow anyway as the amps are in breakin...wait till i tell him he can eliminate the midrange....wish me luck

Tom,
I agree. 
Otherwise LOL 😂😂😂

Fixed it locally. Looks like it was a manufacturing defect. Disassembled, cleaned, assembled back.
These drivers are made by hand. Amazing.
Enjoying the sound as I write.