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.

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.

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.