Vandersteen 3A Sig vs. Meadowlark Osprey

Sdcampbell: I can tell you've talked to Richard Vandersteen. Actually, so have I (and 99 percent of audiophiles), and I've owned the 2Ci and 3A -- along with about a dozen other high-end speakers, so I'm not new to this game. I'm also a fan of phase- and time-aligned speakers. I prefer Dunlavys to Vandersteens, but both are obviously well-designed speakers. I just think the Dunlavys do a better job in the area of transparency and realism. And the Vandersteens do indeed add some warmth in the mid-bass and lower midrange. Still, they're very easy to listen to for long periods.

For this discussion, though, I wondered about the Meadowlark Osprey because it, too, is supposed to be phase and time coherent and is priced at $2,995 -- $500 less than the Vandy 3A Signature. It's also using high-end drivers, according to the manufacturer's hype. And Meadowlark speakers have drawn a lot of praise from the audio rags, too. Thanks.

Having listened to the entire Meadowlark line at some point, I bought the 3A Signatures. The Meadowlark's didn't seem to get the midrange right and the "Transparency" was a little off. If you listen to very familiar recordings on both speakers, you will hear this. I think the Meadowlark's are good speakers but to my ears, are not up to the level of refinement you hear with the Vandersteen's. For comparison purposes, I am using a 4-ch Theta Dreadnaught to biamp, an Audible Illusions L-1 and a Meridian 508-24 ( I also use a pair of 2WQ's) but for comparison, turned them off.. Make sure, if possible, you compare both speakers in the same enviroment with the same equipment. Room acoustics can make the best speaker stink. Be careful with transparency. As Sdcampbell says, speakers are tilted up in frequency. The Meadowlark's are not as flat as the Vandersteen's. Accurate speakers usually sound dull compared to inaccurate ones. It doesn't take much to give false impressions. However, over time, it will show itself.
I have had a lot of speakers over the years and I have found that over the long hall, Vandersteen's just sound right to me. It is a combination of a lot of things.
Another good comparison, although off the subject, was the Meadowlark Kestrel Hotrod. It got a lot of good press but having had access to it for 6 months, it is not as good a speaker as the Vandersteen 2CE Signature for the same money. I think this follows up both lines with the same ultimate result.

Bigtee: The Osprey is a brand new speaker. I'm thinking it might be better than the previous Meadowlark speakers, which didn't impress me all that much.

As for listening to speakers in the same environment, that's very rarely possible. Almost never, in fact, unless you're fortunate enough to live in one of the major markets.

As for accuracy, as noted already, I'm used to accurate speakers -- Quad 988, Dunlavy SC-IV/A, Dunlavy SC-II, etc. I'm not talking about JBLs and the like with tizzy highs meant to impress people new to the hobby . Thanks.

9rw, Who said anything about JBL's or the like. There are so called top notch speaker manufacturers that are guilty of this. Since you are not "New to the hobby", you of all people should know it is not just intended for the uninitiated. Manufactures do what it takes to sell in the show room. It doesn't have to be accuracy to create this effect. Off axis response, phase alignment and a myriad of other things can accomplish the samething. We ALL get seduced by certain sounds at times.
I just don't believe you can honestly compare speakers unless they are in the same acoustical enviroment with the same electronics. I have heard Dunlavy's stink at times as well as Vandersteen's and every other speaker out there. If I used one audition to choose a speaker, I would be confused. Also, I do my own listening and come to my on conclusions. Nobody can decide what I would like and other people's comparisons are really a moot point.
I have heard the Osprey. They sound basically like the rest of the Meadowlark line. They are good speakers but still have that something I don't care for. But then my comparison would be based on the premise that they were broken in, that the room acoustics were ok(which they weren't)and quality electronics were used and formed some sort of synergy. I'm saying based on what I heard and what I felt were the possibilities, I'm not rushing out to sell my Vandersteen's. By the way, I knew the speaker had just hit the market. A friend in Atlanta bought the speaker. I too am not new to this. I've been at it 35+ years.

Bigtee: The majority of us rely at least a little on other people's opinions -- some of those in the magazines and some of those we read here. You can tell a lot about someone's listening preferences by looking at their system and their points of reference.

Ultimately, I trust my own ears, but before I bother to drive 200 miles to hear a pair of Ospreys, I just wanted to hear what other people had to say about them. The fact you think they sound pretty much like previous Meadowlarks is valuable information to me. Thanks.