Well, quick ... Ian Paice and Carl Palmer, back in the "old days", both played Speed King pedals ... and those guys got pretty quick ... for single kick players. I've modified my Speed King (even though I don't even play it, that much). I put a floor plate on mine. Kinda brings it into current pedal technology. It's the same basic thought that DW had, with the 5000. Early 5000 pedals were really "not much more" than a Camco pedal bolted down to a floor plate. And from there, DW kept tweaking it, 'til it got where it is today.
If you don't wanna drop large cash on a new Speed King, pick up a used one off eBay. See how you like it. If you hate it, you can sell it on eBay, and get most, if not all, of your money back. Same is probably true, of the Pearl. I bought both of my Yamaha Direct Drive pedals off eBay, and my Sleishman twin pedal, and my Speed King, and my Ghost, and my DW5000. No problem with any of them.