Speaker Cable for Meadowlark Kestrel 2

i used a 60 wpc jolida tube amp, upgraded, and i never found them lacking using homemade monster cable. the builder recommended tubes as i recall. i thought they were a bit analytical with ss gear. just my opinion tho

Timrhu, just so !
I hooked them up to my back-up amp, an Odyssey Stratos, when I brought them home. I knew it was not all that but it sounded so thin and threadbare it was literally unlistenable!
My Val Alstine Synergy 450 is a great amp and soon made everything kosher.

Do you agree that the Kestrel 2's leave you in no doubt of whats going on upstream?
Schubert

I never really thought about the Kestrel 2s in that vein, but now that you mention it. I took a look at the pic I linked above and noted it was shortly after purchasing the Kestrel 2s that I became dissatisfied with the Classe amp. I went searching for a more full bodied amp as the Classe seemed lifeless through the Meadowlarks.

They are a perfect example of the quality sound you can get on the used market for not a lot of money. If you found a pair in good cosmetic condition you were very fortunate.

Like Coolhand's experience, I still have a pair of the original Meadowlark Kestrels. They were the first speakers I used that presented music in a totally relaxed and natural way. Sure I could sell them for a few hundred bucks, but I could never find the joy they bring for that money.

Map, I tried Mapleshade a few times but didn't think they were much. But you never know, I might be able to borrow some and try on the Meadowlarks.

Those are very easy on the eyes!

I have not used the DNM speaker wires but coherency is what the DNM ICs deliver in spades.

Have you looked into Mapleshade? I recall their wires to follow a similar minimalist approach like DNM which seems to play well in terms of coherency. I've always thought them a reasonable alternative to try but have not myself to-date.

Coolhand, thanks ever so much. Your info and comments made my day !
In over 40 years in audio I never heard a speaker under 15-20 K that is so detailed with great harmonics as well,
In a word, coherent .

I too have a pair of the last Kestrel 2's.... a truly superb speaker by any measure, and although I now have several other pairs of speakers significantly higher in cost, I've found it difficult to let the Kestrels go as they were the first pair of speakers which really gave me deep 3D insight into reproduced musical magic !!!

Indeed they are very revealing of the slightest changes upstream to them, I too tried numerous makes of cables and at the time I last ran them I used DH Labs Q10 in shotgun configuration, which were most favoured over others, and most obviously an improvement over a single Q10 run with jumpers.
The shotgun run of Q10 added greater 'mass' and density to the presentation without slowing things down, and they are rather low cost in the crazy scheme of cables... excellent value which I can highly recommend with the wonderful Kestrel 2's.

Btw, I used this combo with numerous amps, from solid state Bryston mono blocks to push pull KT-88's, single ended 845's and many more... they never failed to deliver some of the most natural, out of box sound I've heard to date !

Thanks so much Timrhu, great info. I'll have to look into
those outriggers. My Pr were in the last 10 made, in perfect shape. Do you agree that the Kestrel 2's leave you in no doubt of whats going on upstream?

Those Kestrel 2s are definitely lookers.

Hard to imagine cables more different than the DNM Reson and the Analysis Plus Oval 12. I preferred solid core cables with my Kestrel 2s. It won't help much as they are no longer in production but Music Metre Signature Series standout in my memory.

What I believe made a real difference with my Kestrels was ditching the original plinths and setting the speakers on a set of Sound O City outriggers. Made them look better too.

I just checked Sound O City's web page and found a picture of mine in their gallery. It was in my system page here when I owned them. This picture really takes me back,hah!