Vandersteen 2wq with two way monitors


anyone know if we can use vandersteen 2wq subwoofer with a small 2 way speaker? Richard Harvesty from audio perfectionists mentioned in his journal that it is not possible to mate with mini monitor, but would like your comments on this subject. the speaker is JM lab micro utopia be
dizzyizzid
It depends. By design, the 2WQ subs cross over at about 80 hz, with a shallow slope, so your mini-moniter would need useful output about 1 octave below that.
I have tried it with a couple of speakers with limited bass like Spica TC50's and LS3/5a's. It never sounded right. The 2WQ works best with a more full range speaker.
In the Vandersteen website, it is suggested when the wall-mounted VSM(-3db @ 60Hz) is used for left and right main or surround speakers that it be mated with a 2WQ but with the crossover set 2 below the input impedance rather than the customary 1. So it can work with smaller speakers. However, the 2W was originally designed to be used with full range speakers with response -3db @ 40Hz.
Jimburger, where are you getting this info about using the "customary 1" setting below input impedance? I just wonder how this sort of folk lore gets started. I see now how it gets spread around and then is accepted as truth if it gets repeated enough times. Use the setting that sounds best. There is no "customary" setting. It is most likley that if your speakers are for the most part full range and roughly the same sensitivity of Vandersteen 2's or 3's the the setting that is the same as you input impedance will offer the least colored sound.