In the big room, the nOrh SE-9's single EL34s per channel naturally didn't have enough control in the bass. They strained at higher volume levels and congested prematurely. These lone pentodist preachers of the thermionic gospel really prefer talking to 92dB+ efficient loads like my Triangles. And/or congregate in a smaller space like my reference room. In the big room, the parallel single-ended nOrh SE-18 ($799) with now a quartet of tubes would have delivered an inspiring sermon. Enter the ASL MG-15 in 15wpc tetrode mode and actually on hand. This was a greatly synergistic match -- with a gargantuan panorama and a goodly dose of vacuum tube thereness -- and never ran out of steam at what I consider normal listening levels.

The new Take Six album Beautiful World [Warner Bros., 9-48003-2] favors tonally darker, bass-heavy spaces compliments of Marcus Miller's production values. The Swift/ ASL combo, as before on the Unico but slightly more so, added a sprinkling of autumn warmth to the inner-city grit. This rendered some of the innate edge more pleasing. I'm not talking plump or overweight. Just a degree of easeful listenability that usually turns challenging tightrope act when far more expensive designs inject superior resolution, but always at the risk of abandoning this long-term comfort.


Our HipHop/Soul/Gospel fare admirably confirmed the Swift's solid reach into lower midbass territory where most the Pop action occurs. This little tower need not be fed a starchy mono diet of breathy solo vocals! And while I doubt that many folks with a truly sizable living room would opt for these diminutive fellows, I pulled out the 100w Les Amps just to see what would happen with a trigger-happy pump-up-the-volume charade.

Hello! The Swifts don't need power - but they certainly groove on it like birds blustering their feathers to look bigger. By ratcheting up headroom, damping factor and inter-channel separation, the slammatronic vibe and soundstage size of Beautiful World assumed Technicolor proportions. I could now play louder -- and without distortion -- than good for neighborly peace. I amusedly noted a few stray crumbs of packing Styrofoam dancing like mad in one of the Swifts' ports. This brought to mind that silly Bose "sub"woofer in-store demo. But it also underscored how the usual airflow congestion and chuffing of less endowed ports has here been successfully banished to reward with uncommon dynamic fortitude.


Expectedly, the solid-state monos diluted some of the tube-derived harmonic lushness of the Antique Sound Lab piece. Instead, I got a drier, harder-driving rendition with superior precision that removed some minor cobwebs in the spaces between performers.


If you wanted to combine some tube sheen with this tightfisted control, I'd recommend either the very linear yet robust and full-bodied Unico integrated (tubes in the driver stage, MOSFETs on the outputs for 80w RMS power), or preceding Les Amps with the tubed JoLida JD-100 ($900). That's built like a miniature tank and comes with a super-chunky all metal remote to kill with - ahem, to die for. More importantly, it sounds great - tubey without turning saccharine or syrupy. Also, it inserts tubes into a true low-level circuit, which makes for superior no fuss/no muss longevity. Another prospective amplifier match with great speed, pace, rhythm and drive? The Cairn 4808-A integrated that operates in Class A up to 10 watts.


Before we sign off for today, I wanted to briefly dig into Al Di Meola's World Sinfonia - The Grande Passion [Telarc 83481] that mixes the Toronto Symphony into its dense soundscapes dedicated to Astor Piazzolla.

Would the Swift successfully unravel the complex fabric of timbres, counterpoints and interweaving lines? They sure would, sonny. In ultimate terms, there's only so much separation a driver can offer that combines midrange/woofer duties. Yet this modest 2-way never faltered or tripped, as though its comfort zone of musical enjoyment --mated to just the right amount of resolution to avoid starkness or hyper-realism -- was greater than whatever I could throw at it. Granted, that didn't include large-scale orchestral. But anyone who expects miracles from a two-way in that regard -- any two-way -- really needs a cold shower for a reality check first.

... that's what the Meadowlark Swift is to an experienced audiophile groping for solid speaker recommendations on a reasonable budget. What's come through chez nous of late that joins the Swift in that regard? That would be the equally priced nOrh SM6.9. The nOrh requires a stand, the Swift does not. The SM6.9 is a love-it/hate-it visual proposition, the Meadowlark apt to encounter far less potential resistance from the hate-it contingent. The nOrh definitely wants power, the Swift can do with a lot less. Fed with sufficient go-juice, the nOrh is more resolved, with faster transients, very punchy bass and a feisty overall mien. The Swift is more relaxed, more an evening than day speaker - if that makes sense. Both are wonderfully accomplished and complete designs. They can stand on their own in the company of far more costly ancillaries. Neither requires a subwoofer to play across-the-board music. Which one you prefer is a matter of taste. Italian versus Thai dining. Both are premier examples of high-return-on-the dollar products.


On a final note, I must admit that now having heard BASSIC in action -- from a puny 5-incher no less -- I'm darn curious as to what McGinty has wrought with his new $3K Osprey. If he were a bigger player, BASSIC most likely would be patented by now. The trouble with patents? You still have to enforce them when breached. Law suits are won by the deeper pockets. So McGinty does what he's always done. Let the product speak for itself. Hope that such word-of-mouth weighs in as strongly as huge ad campaigns always promise but not always deliver. The existing, not-paid-for scuttlebutt on the Swift is right on the money. This new design duplicates the Kestrel's original showing in its class but delivers even stronger on looks.


Hey, life's good in affordable audio. Call it trickle-down, call it growing maturation, call it whatever you will. The fact remains that the huge gap between Ultra-Fi and so-so-Fi (purely based on expense, mind you) has shrunk drastically over the last 5 years. Instead of feeling like a financially challenged audiophile, call yourself financially liberated - liberated from the need to spend big bucks when so much less gets you so much farther than ever before.

Meadowlark Audio website