While I agree that the location for best imaging and the location for best bass are in geneneral not the same, in my room they are not very far apart and the controls on the 5A easily corrected for the difference. (Only the bottom two bands were adjusted slightly for flat performance.)
The additional controls on the 5A sub seem to overcome the advantage of physical separation as in the 2Wq. There may be problematic rooms where this is not the case and separating the subs might help, but I would imagine additional solutions would be needed as well.
Since Vandersteen has designed both separate subs and integrated subs I suspect he fully appreciates the pros and cons. I find the 5A subs to be the best integrated and best sounding subs I have ever heard. They disappear along with the speakers leaving a naturally distributed sound stage. So for me they work very well indeed.
The additional controls on the 5A sub seem to overcome the advantage of physical separation as in the 2Wq. There may be problematic rooms where this is not the case and separating the subs might help, but I would imagine additional solutions would be needed as well.
Since Vandersteen has designed both separate subs and integrated subs I suspect he fully appreciates the pros and cons. I find the 5A subs to be the best integrated and best sounding subs I have ever heard. They disappear along with the speakers leaving a naturally distributed sound stage. So for me they work very well indeed.