@sdl4 Sorry, forgot to respond to this, thanks for the notes. I remain intrigued by these speakers.

zlone

Stay with QLN.  The Vandy Treo is over-rated and undervalued. Vandersteen's best loudspeaker is the Kento.  Season's Greetings.

Happy Listening!

@jafant Thanks. Yeah, for now I am staying put. I have been working on the rest of the system with good results. 

I have the Vandy Treo CT and love them. Before that I had the 2CE Signature II. I am laughing at "Vandy Treo is over-rated and undervalued". They have been on Absolute Sound’s "Best of the best" list for years. Klaus from Odyssey Audio (I have his amp) says he loves the Treos, and he knows his stuff. I got mine used, like-new for $5K, which was a steal. Paying $11k retail, there is competition for sure, and I don’t know what I would choose. I have read great reviews of the QLN.

There is a member here who has had both the superbly-rated Vandersteen Sevens (with Vandy mono amps) and the Treo CTs for years, and he’s forgotten more about audio than I will ever know. His Sevens were great when I listened to them on a visit, but they didn’t make me feel inadequate about my Treos, which is saying something. There is a common voice to Vandys, consistent as you move up the line. BUT—he’s moved on and replaced the Treos with TAD monitors and loves them. $15k speakers though...50% more than Treos. 

One advantage which was a big selling point for me with the Treos is I have a small room, and they are designed to be placed near the front wall, with their down-firing woofer.. My room is a smallish 11x15’, and I have the speakers about 8 inches from the front wall, on the long wall. About a 9 foot throw to my ears, and they sound great. 

IF you do get Treos, you REALLY want to bi-wire them. Really. They are designed for it, and it makes a difference. Of course, it doubles the cost of cables, and that’s not insignificant with good wires. 

Absolute Sound on the Treo CT:
"A loudspeaker of uncommon musicality and precision. Built upon the R&D that gave birth to the flagship Model Seven, the four-driver, medium-scale Treo CT conveys a single-driver-like coherence that immerses the listener in the very moment the recording was captured. It combines uncanny image specificity, color, and texture with an enveloping sense of air and immersiveness. At least some credit must go to the Model Seven-derived CT (carbon tweeter), which is as transparent and open as it is extended. Basically, a passive version of the Quatro Wood CT, the Treo may not have quite the bass slam of that model, but you’d hardly miss it due to its unflappable resolution of pitch. A true classic. (262)"
https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/high-end-audio-buyers-guide-2024-vandersteen-treo-ct/

FWIW

The Greatest Bargains in Loudspeakers: $10,000 – $25,000

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-greatest-bargains-in-loudspeakers-10000-25000/