I have owned Meadowlark speakers and I agree that they need a smooth sounding amp to balance their slightly forward treble. I had good results with a Linn Majik integraded on a set of Kestrels (it might be a little low on power for Shearwaters, as I think they are a little less sensitive than the Kestrels) and much better though, a little more money than your price range, a Pass Aleph 3. It would be very hard to beat the sound of the Aleph 3 for the money.
