Vandersteen 2WQ vs 2W

2W you can even get for $300 used if you try harder.
there's no substantial audiable difference between these you've mentioned.

Go to the Vandersteen web sight and read up on the difference and there is a difference. The 2wq is designed for music rather than home theater. The 2w is for home theater. It has a greater output and a somewhat loose bass(relatively speaking) to be used for the LFE channel or whatever. The "Q" control on the 2wq lets you dial in the bass the way you want it from extremely tight to relatively loose.
The 2wq is an excellent sub for the money or even compared to much more expensive subs. Even the REL sub guy mentioned what a good design it was.
It is not for people who want the artificially elevated type of bass sound. It is very neutral and only rumbles when rumbles are actually present. You can use the 2wq for home theater by setting the "Q" control up to about 1. It will then rumble on those soundtracks.

I have a large room (23x22x10) I ended up needing two 2w's to enjoy movies.