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What’s the best speaker for less than $1000 a pair? Although this highly competitive price point has inspired a host of stellar products, I’ll cast my vote for a small, floorstanding two-way from this California newcomer. Review the Kestrel’s resume, and you’ll assume the quoted price must be a mistake. A pair of Danish drivers (including a 1-inch fabric-dome tweeter and cast-basket woofer with a 6.5 inch polypropylene cone), Kimber Kable internal wiring, and a .75-inch-thick MDF cabinet veneered in genuine hand -rubbed rosewood, ash, or ebony forced me to re-evaluate my expectations of a budget loudspeaker. A round port and nifty, all-metal binding posts can be found at the bottom of the black-painted rear panel.
As impressed as I was with its parts and build quality, Meadowlark’s design features are even more remarkable. Measuring a full 1.5 inches thick, the lacquered front baffle
is precisely angled to time align the drivers so their outputs are delivered to your ears at the same moment. In conjunction with first-order crossovers (6dB/octave), this approach optimizes soundstage and image re-creation by providing near-perfect phase response. An extravagantly expensive transmission-line enclosure-which uses an internal labyrinth to help a small woofer sound like a much bigger one--extends linear bass well below 40 Hz.
Meadowlark bills the Kestrel as a “disappearing floorstanding two-way speaker.” And while that might not be the catchiest tag line ever to grace a sales brochure, it certainly is accurate. With minimal tweaking, this bargain-basement benchmark cast a spacious soundstage populated by spookily holographic images. Bass is quite good--and not just for a budget system. The myriad braces needed to construct the transmission line yield as solid and nonresonant a cabinet as I’ve heard and contribute to exceptional mid- and low- frequency clarity. Trebles are sweet and accurate, although a soft top octave censors hall ambience.
On the downside, a slight midrange projection tends to spotlight solo vocalists. Also, heavy-metal headbangers may wish for greater crankability, and serious home theater buffs might miss that last bit of high-level dynamic range. Big deal: I’d rather dwell on all the things these dynamos do well. In fact, their combination of superior sonics, upscale cosmetics, world-class construction quality, and outstanding value make the Kestrels and AVS No-Brainer. Penny-pinchers who are intimately familiar with the sound of live, unamplified music won’t find a better way to spend a thousand bucks.
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