I received a vitamix when my husband and I moved into our house which seemed really awesome but the base is huge and heavy, and the cup is rather tall so it takes up a considerable amount of space. I always had trouble with my recipes "breaking" due to the tall cup. The lower half would be blended but the upper half had all the ingredients. Finally, several weeks ago, after considerable use (my stuff just kept separating), the Vitamix overheated. I flipped the switch and absolutely nothing happened. I checked the outlet and confirmed that the problem was indeed the Vitamix. It did cool down after about 10 minutes and went back to working but I had enough.I ordered this Calphalon blender and have loved it! The cup is shorter and fatter so the ingredients don't break or separate, I don't know how legitimate the active sense is but my stuff is blended to my desired consistency, and the size of everything is more reasonable. I like that it also comes with a small bullet blender that converts into a to go cup as I do often work out and it's so much nicer to use that than dirty the large cup for 8-10oz of liquid. The last thing I think is important to note is that unlike the Vitamix, the base of the cup with the blade and gasket all disassemble for washing and the Vitamix doesn't come apart at all. In fact, over the years of having it, I've noticed that the gear section in the middle has started rusting in the dishwasher and the rust is spreading. It's on the outside of the cup so the food isn't contaminated but still, having the ability to disassemble the blender cup fully is absolutely essential for hygienic reasons as well as durability reasons. Water isn't able to escape the crevices in the Vitamix so it sits and rusts. I would highly recommend this Calphalon blender to anyone.