Anyone here own Meadowlark Kestral speakers? Version 1

[oldsoundz]

I have recently acquired a pair of these little honey's but they came with no grills.

I am curious to see the inside/mounting side of one of the grills as I am not sure
how they mount.

If anyone has a pair and could show me I would be thankful

Cheers!

[Lee in Montreal]

Is that possible that they came with no grill? From the factory.

[oldsoundz]

Guess so but I have seen it pictured with grill on as well. I am pretty sure the one with the grill also showed grill off and looked just like the one you posted.

I feel like I am talking backward. Hope that made sense.

[svollmer]

Some of the newer speakers come with magnets hidden under the speaker's veneer/paint and corresponding ones on the grills. You might be able to check with another magnet or a compass to see if that's the case here.

[oldsoundz]

Some of the newer speakers come with magnets hidden under the speaker's veneer/paint and corresponding ones on the grills. You might be able to check with another magnet or a compass to see if that's the case here.

Good thought. I will try and see if it by chance works.

[10 Watt Street]

Is there a slot or groove around the edge of the black panel where it meets the cabinet? The grill mounts via elastic in the groove.

[doucanoe]

I had a pair of Kestral (Hot Rod version) about 10 years ago. They were very nice speakers and one's that still miss having around to this day.

They don't have grilles as such but a sized grille fabric that had a light "cord" almost like fishing line sewn into the perimeter. You stretched the grille fabric tight over the black baffle and worked the perimeter edge (with the cording) into the slight gap between baffle and main cabinet. I found that using something like a credit card worked very well for this.

I think Meadowlark provided these "grilles" with the thinking that some may want to use them but by in large, figured that most would not.


RC

[oldsoundz]

Well thanks fella's for chiming in. I think we have a winner. They do have the lip for such a "grill" to attach to. Must be it, and may be something I can recreate if I choose.

These do sound nice but I think they are missing something in the upper frequencies. Not HotRod version...

[doucanoe]

The original Kestral is a nice speaker but the "Hot Rod" version the followed addressed what you are noting and more. I heard and liked the original Kestral but was actually moved to buy a pair after I heard the Hot Rod version improvements.

The Kestral Hot Rod was/is one of the finest sounding small footprint 2-way floorstanders I have ever had the pleasure of owning.

RC

[oldsoundz]

Any clue what sorts of revisions were done?

I REALLY like them even though they are lacking. There is something special about them.

I'd love to make these run a quick 1/4 mile.

[doucanoe]

I don't remember exactly but seem to recall that there were x-over revisions along with higher quality components used. There may have been driver changes also but it was long enough ago that the particulars escape me now. I'm sure if you dig deep enough, you could find some old reviews that spoke to the changes.

The Kestral 2 was a nice looking speaker and was excited to hear those when they were introduced. I didn't think it was anywhere near the speaker that the Kestral Hot Rod was. Meadowlark disappeared from the scene not long after that.

Although I only had a chance to hear the Shearwater and Blue Heron in a showroom setting, I enjoyed those also. Overall though, I think the Hot Rod version of the Kestral was the best speaker they introduced particularly from a performance for the dollar standpoint.

RC

[80sKid]

I've heard the Kestrels on two occasions, because a fellow member of the Connecticut Audio Society has a pair in his living room.

He has another pair of Meadowlarks elsewhere in his home and they're even more impressive.

During one of our speaker shootout meetings, the Kestrels were the winners, IMO. (Pretty much all the speakers in the comparison were $200-1200.)

In all the pictures I've ever seen of Meadowlark's speakers, they've shown them naked and I thought they came without grilles. Certainly the ones I've mentioned above are naked in that owner's home.