New Meadowlark Swallow monitor

The Swifts and Swallows are as good as every review you have heard. I have Verios and took them over the Kestrels. I have lived with all them in my home for some period of time. The Verios are more accurate and musical and placement is not an issue thanks to front ports. The new Swifts are amazing and do outperfomr both the Verio and Kestrel. I am waiting for a pair of Swallows. The new technology opens the sound without fatique and bass that you would not expect from a small speaker. They are not amp sensitve. You did not make the wrong choice.

The Kestral HR is more forgiving and works with anything, tubes or SS, high power or low power, HT or stereo only setups. It actually has better deep bass than the Shearwater HRs. The Kestrals are one of the best high value speakers I've ever come across.

The Shearwater HRs on the other hand are significantly better than the Kestrals in just about any audiophile metric you wish to choose. Much better transparency and imaging, highs are smoother yet more extended, very low coloration. Not surprising really since the Shearwater HRs use the same Scan Speak mid-woofer used in the Merlins, Wilsons, Vienna Acoustics, Pro Acs, and many others--all also more expensive speakers I would note. How does Pat do it? LOL

Having said that, the Shearwater HRs ARE more demanding of one's system, as a high performance speaker should be. I would not recommend them for HT use, as they are very neutral speakers in terms of balance--and with most HT source material, that comes across as "bright" when in fact it is souce related. Nonetheless, the right tool for the right job....The Kestrals more forgiving nature and warmer tonal balance would work better in this application. In addition, the Kestrals also throw a wider soundstage than the Shearwaters, which again would make them the better choice for HT. And they are easier to place in the room--just set the damn things down most anywhere and they sound great.

I also believe that to really hear the Shearwater HRs at their best, you need (quality) tube amplification, whereas the Kestral HRs sound just fine with nice modest priced solid state like Pass, Belles, McCormack etc...

What was the question again? LOL.....I have owned all of the floorstanding Meadowlark speakers except the top of the line Nightingales, I love Pat's speakers. As a final rough comparison, I would say the Heron-i's sound like "better" Kestral HRs, and the Blue Herons sound like "better" Shearwater HRs. But Kestral/Heron do not sound the same as Shearwater/Blue Heron, and I think that was Pat's intent. The Blue Heron uses the same Scan Speak mid-woofers as the Shearwater HRs by the way, but two of them, and an expensive gas piezo tweeter and Audax I think it is mid driver.

I would like to hear his little monitors at some point...

Based on having had the Kestrel HR and the Shearwater HR, I would agree with a review I once read that there is not a Meadolark sound. The Kestrel and Shearwater are very different speakers. My personal opinion was that the Kestrel might be more suited for HT while the Shearwater is definately a two channel speaker with an excellent woofer delivering the kind of mids you describe.

Thanks. Pat McGinty was telling me they are built like tanks, he's very excited about them. Are you familiar with the Kestrals and how the Swift compares to them? I'm getting a sense that the Swifts outperform the Kestral, which I believe I have actually seen Pat quoted as saying so. He said to me the Swallow outperforms the Vireo. I've never heard a Meadowlark speaker before actually, but it's easy to get a clear picture of what they sound like based on impressions of others and relating it to my experiences. There's one area in which I can't seem to find a consensus about with Meadowlark speakers and that is in the mid bass. Did the Swift, or the Kestral for that matter, seem lean in the midbass at all, or is it more neutral, or is there a "warmer" trait here? Any commonality among Meadowlark speakers in the midbass? Reason I ask is I'm finding I like a fuller midbass (and midrange for that matter), and even though I will augment them with a sub I am hoping for kind of a fuller midbass.

I have heard the Swifts and they kick ass, especially at that price.

I saw the swallows but did not hear them...seriously well built.

I am sure you will not be dis-satisfied (especially once they are broken in.)