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Primaluna PL2 which speakers would you choose...

Sorry for the boring question. Just wondering if the upgrade would be worth the money.

Meadowlark Kestrel 2 vs Coincident Triumph Sig. w/PrimaLuna Prologue II.

Gold Lion re-issue KT88s or EH 6550 and preamp tubes recommended to me by Jim McShane.

I currently have the Coincidents. Pretty happy with the sound. The Kestrels are going to cost me an extra grand (3X the price of what I already have).

However, aesthetically I like the Meadowlarks and will likely be my final upgrade budget/size wise. Spec wise/reviews seem to suggest it is what I am looking for.

1st order crossovers, ample efficiency. Non-fatiquing, forgiving, not picking with positioning and Phase/timing coherent design sounds intriguing. Not that I know what that means really, but they're a lot more attractive than the Europas.

I live in an apartment and low-level late night listening is important to me. Looking for tuneful base, effortless musicality, plenty of PRAT, glorious midrange, sweet highs etc....

Is it worth the extra money? The Coincidents are pretty decent.

All opinions appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Incidently, anyone know what a used pair of Kestrel IIs go for used?
elf73
rar1's avatar
rar1
1,769 posts
 
The question is less about the speaker choice and more about the listening situation.

How late in the night are your late night listening sessions ... 10PM, 12 midnight, or 2AM? The appropriate listening level goes lower as it gets later. It is 4AM right now and I am listening to my PL2 (with Spendor SA1 speakers, Rega Apollo CD player). The volume is barely above a whisper level and so most of the nuances and dynamics of any of the music that I play get lost. I live in a prewar apartment house in NYC.

See where am I heading with this ... will you be able to listen loud enough, late enough at night that any of this makes a difference? I appreciate my Spendors most when I can grab an afternoon or Saturday morning listening session. For my early AM listening, the Spendors are overkill.

Best regars,

Rich
eslaudio
118 posts
 
I owned the PL2 and like you was also intrigued by the potential synergy with the Kestrel 2 based on reviews and user feedback. I ended up buying a pair of Kestrels and living with the pair for about six months. While OK, I was never amazed by the combo, ended up selling the speakers and going back to Totems, which I've always liked. I would recommend the Arro with the PL2 as a solid combination for the money. To my ears they're superior to the K2s in pretty much every area except the midrange where they're certainly their equal.
magnumpi205
504 posts
 
Would go with a speaker company that is currently in business.
Spendor,Harbeth, Reference 3a are all tube friendly.
Totem and ATC are also great speakers but a more difficult load to drive.
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