I have been listening to a lot of speakers recently, and while I have not spent much time with these, I think my experience could be useful. The overall impression formed is that of a clear, dynamic, and accurate speaker that is not very warm and lacks much punch in low frequencies. Many people find the high frequency focus of components to their liking but I am not one of those people. While this was not as unpleasantly bright as an electrostatic speaker, I did not find it to be pleasing sonically, nor very musical.

not too terribly bright

doesn't try to do anything right

I do have to admit that my experience with the Kestrals is rather limited ... the other speakers on my list have played more in my presence than the Meadowlarks by far. However, I listened very accutely and attentively when the opportunity arose.

I found the sound to be rather "audiophile", unfortunately. Translation: muted highs and sucked-out mids. This is what so-called audiophiles seem to like. The Kestrals reproduce this type of sound quite well. Hence all of the wonderful and glowing reviews.

The remaining portion of the spectrum, the bass, is also inherently flawed. Unless, of course, all of the music you listen to has just a single musical note present in the bass frequency.

Needless to say, I would say that if you value transparency, imaging, and midrange ... well.... existence, and treble extension the Dynaudio Audience 60 (and even B&W 603) is a vastly superior speaker for your twelve hundred-plus bucks.

Similar Products Used:

Magnepan .5QR, B&W DM 603, Dynaudio Audiance 60

Sound great.

The review below is nothing but sour grapes. If these speakers really featured limited treble, "sucked out mids" and inaccurate one-note bass, nobody, audiophile or otherwise, would like the way they sound. Although you might prefer the sound of another speaker to the Kestral, you should at least make an attempt to describe their sound accurately. BTW, it's interesting to note that the reviewer identifies himself as an "audiophile," while criticizing the speakers for having an "audiophile" sound. By far most of the reviewers of this spekaer have charicterized themselves as "audio enthusiasts." I suspect most of them are just music lovers who are happy to have found affordable speakers that present the music they love straight up without imbelishment rather than pathetic audio-fetishists. Bottom line, listen and decide for yourself.

Vibrancy, clarity, naturalness, and more vibrancy

the cloth grill pullover doesn't work well enough

Geez. I searched long and far for speakers. Listened to just about everything. NOTHING sounds anything like the Kestrals. They have a lovely way of expressing the music - you have to hear it for yourself. The instruments have actual depth (bottom, top and sides) and sound amazingly vibrant. The tactile nature of the sound of instruments heard live is carried over - from violins to voices to bells - and that is something indeed.
Everything else I listened to had a "thing" about it. Either too cold and detailed, or too muddy - always too coloured. The Kestrals sound perfect to my ears. The music has a beautiful sound to it.