You'll find plenty of threads about VAH on this site. I've got a 600 cfm, 24" deep VAH that works, but doesn't thrill me. Contrary to what others will tell you, I find it incredibly loud on low (much too loud to have a normal conversation around it) but I have never overwelmed it no matter how hard I try. It does get very greasy. I admit I have a sensitive nose, but for instance, I have to break it down and clean it after each and every stir-fry because the kitchen just smells like grease. I find it pretty interesting when I do this: the dark, dark grease that collects in the blower box smells very strongly of garlic and onions. It's nice to know it's going somewhere other than my walls. I know nothing about Independent but I can assure you, whenever this thing dies I won't be replacing it with a VAH.

My VAH is loud but captures everything I've cooked. I haven't had to clean it yet so I guess I'm not that aggressive a cook. Or I have a weak nose. :)

WHILE TO ME YOU MUST DECIDE DO YOU WANT IT TO WORK WELL OR DO YOU JUST WANT IT TO KINDA WORK BUT BE QUITE.. VAH WORKS GOOD BECUASE PERFORMANCE IS WHAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT..QUITE IS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DONT CARE IF IT WORKS GOOD .WE JUST DONT WANT TO HEAR IT RUN. AND THEY LIVE WITH THE SMELLS

What?! Wat? One can have quiet with high performance, as numerous threads here either attest or describe methods of achieving.

I have the largest Wolf Pro Island hood with Fantech silencer and roof-top blower. Blower is rated (zero static pressure) at 1500 CFM, and is likely pulling 1000 CFM in the hood system. If you search out the noise thread, you will see that as far as I can measure, the noise level is one of the lowest.

Further, going back as far as comments by @clinresga more than a decade ago, there were many here who wanted both performance and acceptable noise levels.

VaH has as much performance as its actual CFM and capture area can achieve in a given kitchen architecture. This means for the squirrel cage blowers the "Magic Lung" design uses, minimal pressure loss from ducting and make-up air. If these are not minimal, then a different type of blower will be needed such as the radial fans used by many hood manufacturers, or axial in-line blowers such as made by Fantech. VaH noise reportedly has improved over the last decade if comments here are to be believed, but we don't have recent confirming measurements.