Receiver suggestion for Kresel 2


I am limited to a closet for audio equiptment in a new family room and I am starting to lean to purchasing a receiver rather than seperate Amp/Preamp/Tuner(I could be talked out of this).Haven't purchased speakers yet but am thinking about Meadowlark Krestel 2's. I need speakers that are not placement sensitive as the speakers are going in specific spots. Hopefully Meadowlarks are not position sensitive as I've been led to believe. Any reccomendations on Receivers? As a matter of fact I will take suggestions on receiver and speaker combos or compatabilities. Room 18 X 20 with 10'ceiling. Thanks, from a confused consumer. So much audio equiptment and so little time. Ugh!
murphyboy-22ab

For value and quality, Rotel is a good bet. I've got a Rotel 1050 receiver that sounds much, much better than I expected when I bought it to replace McCormack separates. I made the switch for, essentially, the same reasons you're considering a receiver, moving the system into a much smaller space than I'd had available before and using the receiver as a 'transition' until I figured out what I wanted next.

I don't have any experience with the Kestrel 2's but did buy a pair of the original Kestrels for a friend and helped him set them up with other gear. They were not at all sensitive to positioning, compared to other speakers I've owned. I kept moving them out into the room and his wife kept pushing them back against the walls and further apart. They sounded great no matter where they were.

I'm also fond of every speaker I've heard from Soliloquy and Proac but there are dozens of other options, as well. All the Meadowlark speakers are very well thought of and, unless you can audition other lines you think you might be interested in, they're a great place to start.
I agree with Sfar in that Rotel offers great value. I had a Rotel integrated powering a pair of Meadowlark Swifts in a bedroom system and I thought it was a good match for casual listening.

You didn't mention your budget, however another receiver that comes to my mind is the Magnum Dynalab (can't remember the model). I borrowed an MD-308 integrated amp, and I thought it performed quite well - I think that this is the same amplifier section that is used in the MD receiver. Of course, Magnum Dynalab equipment is a little more expensive than Rotel.

Good luck!