Meadowlark Audio Heron Floorstanding Speakers

Meadowlark Audio Heron Floorstanding Speakers 

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-7 of 7  
[Jul 19, 2000]
Rafael Vidaillet
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Increadibly tight bass

Weakness:

Room positioning

I have been looking for speakers to replace my old Linn system for about 2 years. One of my local dealers asked me to listen to the Heron. I had listened to the smaller models and loved them, but they were short on the low freqs. I wanted a speaker capable of fine music as well as movies and pop-rock. The dealer setup the speakers in the home theater and played a couple of movies. When we stopped I told him that they were great and that the Sub woofer had increadible control, he then shows me that there were no subs connected anywhere in the room! I was blown away. Then I went to my car and brought a couple of my CD's. Within 1 hr. I was in love (and so was my wife who never likes anything). They have now 1 week at home (took the demo set did not want to wait for break in). All my CD's sound so different I'm going through the whole collection again!

Similar Products Used:

Mirage/Linn

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Oct 18, 1998]
Paul
an Audiophile

Used in context of Naim NAC72-Hi-Cap, NAP180, Pink triangle Ordinal DAC with Theta TLC.
Great sounding speakers, particularly in the midrange (this is what sold me). Maybe something to do with a dedicated mid range driver characteristic of 3-way design. bass is obviously deep with two large drivers and 1/4 wave transmission line loading. Sounds a little boingy in the bass, typical in my experience of transmission line designs. This may be due to the dirrenential time delay associated with the TL path and the direct sound. A lot less so that my last TL speakers though and really nothing to complain about. However I don't think my DAC7 converter does justice to the bass response. Nice treble also. Not quite as open and dynamic as some I have heard but very listenable. Overall a good 4 (on a different day maybe a 5)

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
[Nov 16, 1998]
Mack
an Audiophile

I heard these speakers during a meet-the-designer seminar at Innovative Audio in Manhattan. I was there to audition the Shearwater Hot Rod [see my 11/16 posted review], but got a chance to listen to these as well. The associated equipment included the top-o'-the line Wadia transport/DAC connected directly to BAT VK-60 monoblocks (all Stereophile Class A components). In other words, we're talking roughly $30k worth of gear attached to these $5k speakers.
To be brief, I was not at all impressed. The bass was way too warm (read: boomy!). No, it's not the BAT blocks, because they didn't sound overly warm attached to the Wilson Audio MAXX's. As for the rest of the presentation...see my review of the Shearwater! Bottom line: save yourself a few thousand bucks and buy the Shearwater. The cheaper speaker is clearly the better value.

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
[Dec 22, 2000]
Chris Bansley
Audiophile

Strength:

Everything! Tight bass, room tunable.

Weakness:

None

This is for the Heroni not the Heron.

I sat in the dealers demo room for 3 hours listening to these wonderful speakers being powered by a Simaudio I-5 70 watt integrated amp. I was blown away by the sound. Tight bass, wonderful mids and enjoyable highs, just a pleasure to listen to. Easily adjustable crossover makes tuning the bass response for different rooms a snap. I heard these speakers in two very differnt sized rooms and was impressed by both. Have not been this impressed with a speaker for a long time. Highly recommended for an audition!

Similar Products Used:

Proac 2.5, PSB Stratus Goldi, Ambience 1800, Cliffhanger

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jun 19, 1997]
Dominick J. DAngelo
an Audiophile

I have been researching High-End Audio-Video for about the last year!! And I have not auditioned in any sound room a system as STUNNING as this front THREE Hometheatre system by Meadowlark Audio! For starters the design, is a first order line transmission-Three way speaker-which includes,tweeter, rectangular Mid-range, and last but certainly not least (BECAUSE this is the key for HOMETHEATRE)TWO woofer cone design for DOUBLE the PUNCH POWER (TWO WOOFER MOTORS) and more refined articulation! I would like to state that all speakers including THX rated are not necessarily delivering the GOODS=STUNNING & DYNAMIC Hometheatre!!! This system DELIVERS,it has the punch, the accuracy, and TRANSPARENCY! But equal to and MORE IMPORTANT it has a center channel that currently cannot be EQUALED!!!!! I urge any Hometheatre Enthusiast to go listen to them before you consider any other system! Surrounds will be out this summer!

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
[Dec 20, 2000]
gerry
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Bass and fullness of sound top to bottom, room tunable

First, this is not the old Heron that people here are talking about, it is the newer Heron i . (There is no place to put the Heron i here.) The Heron i is, in reality, the "Hot Rod" version of the Heron. It has much tighter bass and is overally just better. The Heron i is interresting in that it has several connection posts for using a small, medium, or large room. This will helped balance the sound in my room. It also has "sound pucks" that, when placed in a port in the back of the speaker reduce the bass, while leaving it just as tight. I first thought this was just garbage to make up for a bad design, but in reality, it works and works very well, at adjusting the speaker to an exact room and taste with no downside.
We can talk image an on and on and are they as transparent as another, but the first priority for a very good speaker to me is to produce the music. I see raves all the time about speaker a or b, then read how it only goes down to 50, 40, or even 32 Hz. OK, I said, that is just on paper, let me listen. Then I heard that the bass was loose or very quiet. Try to hear a stand up jazz bass on a speaker like that. It is missing. The Heron i is much more true in covering the sound range. The slap on the stand up bass is there, tight, and holding the beat. This occurs without loosing anything else. Be it jazz, Calssical, or rock, these speakers sound great with no edginess at the high end, and tight bass at the bottom. With the adjustability they have, they have to be given a try if you are in this price market. (about $5000)
I use them with tube amp, preamp, and a CAL Alpha tube DAC.
(And yes, I know that takes the edge off the highs too, but I listened to them in the store with solid state equipment with just as good results.)

Similar Products Used:

Audio Physic Virgo

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 21, 1997]
Dominick J. DAngelo
an Audio Enthusiast

I would like to EMPHASIZE, to anyone interested in the ultimate Hometheatre System, to go and audition the Meadowlark Heron's and Kestrals plus the Petral center channel! The reasoning being that I have reviewed many Audio and Hometheatre products over the last two years, to include the highly recommendedMerlin's ( which are excellent), the VR-4's and Hometheatre line (also excellent)the Aerial 8's and 10's (also excellent) and still believe after tremendous listening research that the Meadowlark Heron's especially for Hometheatre cannot be beat!! They have incredible dynamic range, as well as
riveting and accurate bass to a true 28Hz. They are one of the few, if not the only design philosophy out there using Double woofer cones /motors for superbly accurate bass re-production, and they are a First Line transmission Order design
which creates a more accurate re-production of the original waveform! If this doesn't raise a Hometheatre enthusiast's curiosity, how about the FACT that the Petral center channel is Audibly Flawless and in a class of it's own!! They can be auditioned at Freehold Stereo-Video, Freehold,N.J. Good Luck to all Enthusiasts!

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
Showing 1-7 of 7  

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