I know this discussion is about cables, but Erik brought up some of my past so I am compelled to share. I have been a "fanboy" of Wilson Audio and B&W for many years because that is what my dealer had, and what I focused on when attending shows. Then my wife asked me one day, has there been a speaker you have heard many times and always liked. I thought of Vandersteen's rooms at shows. I found a dealer and did extended listening.
Eric, speaking of “bass management and room integration," that is what made me write a response as this also stood out in my initial listening. You are absolutely correct about these capabilities being “outstanding” but to my surprise, these qualities were not their most redeeming. The timbre of instruments, how the harmonics interplay with each other, a profound ability to convey an emotional connection to the music, and the ability to spatially place instruments in the sound field is palatable and was also noticed by my wife. This long-term experience with a first-order filter, time-coherent speaker has changed the perspective from listening to a very fine stereo system to being immersed in the music. I catch myself holding my breath, just like at the symphony. Vandersteen is rightly mentioned as under rated.