Revel F-30 vs Meadowlark Shearwater "Hot Rod"

I have not heard any of the speakers mentioned. However, I own the hot rod version of the Meadowlark Heron. I bought mine used but in good working order for well under $3,000. By far the best speaker I have ever heard--though admittedly I haven't auditioned speakers at audio stores. The Heron's have great bass, are easy to drive, and are good with all kinds of music. I doubt the rest of my system, despite upgrades, has yet allowed them to realized their full potential. Might be worth considering for the money.

I've just spent the last several weeks listening to speakers in this range. Far and away, the best two speakers in the $3000 range are the Audio Physic Tempos and the Meadowlark Shearwater (Hot Rod). These are the only two pairs of speakers that I couldn't tell where they were when closed my eyes. The clarity and staging of both are astounding. They definitely sound slightly different, though, especially in the bass. You have to listen to them back to back to find what you like. Unfortunately, I went and listened to the next level up as well and now I have to have the Herons. Such is life.

I have owned the shearwater hotrods which are nice but have found real happiness in a used pair of AP Virgos. The Revels are big and ugly with a reasonably tranparent midrange but a real lack of cohesiveness in the bass.

I have to agree with Bartucz regarding the Shearwater hot rods and the AP Tempo speakers, both are tops in the 3-3.5K price range. But, where he really hits the nail on the head is his reference to the Meadowlark herron i speakers. These speakers produce bass that most other speakers only dream about. They also have great imaging and detail even at low levels. They easily justify their $5500 price. Keep an eye out on the net because I have seen them go for $3500-$4200 used, in good condition (you have to make sure they are the i version). I got a great deal on my pair from a dealer in CT. I read to many horror stories about buying used speakers to risk it.