I agree, concerning the Vandersteen 2WQ, when the circumstances allow for proper set up that the woofer calls NO attention to itself. I first heard a 2WQ set up quite optimally in a friend's system. His huge Kendalls integrate flawlessly with his single 2WQ (crossed over at 75 Hz., BTW) that is clearly visible to the eyes in the left front corner of his dedicated listening room yet is sonicly invisible in operation.
The 2WQ's crossover design *was* a hindrance to its performance *in my setup* *in my room* (while the 1C's which also use a first-order crossover are quite flexible in the same specific context: apples and oranges). Apparently, with an ACI or a Rel subwoofer, one may trade off some forms of distortion for others, but what's most important is what combination of components sounds better overall, given one's very specific circumstances.
The 2WQ's crossover design *was* a hindrance to its performance *in my setup* *in my room* (while the 1C's which also use a first-order crossover are quite flexible in the same specific context: apples and oranges). Apparently, with an ACI or a Rel subwoofer, one may trade off some forms of distortion for others, but what's most important is what combination of components sounds better overall, given one's very specific circumstances.