Meadowlark Kestrel: Model Number of Woofer?


Hello,

I am considering buying some used Meadowlark Kestrels (Hot Rod version), and changing the woofers. A speaker builder friend once told me that Vifa made (and hopefully still does) a paper version of the Vifa polypropylene woofer used in the Kestrels, with nearly identical specs. (In my limited experience, paper drivers tend to sound more natural to me than polypropylene). However, I do not know if this woofer is still made, and I want to make sure before I purchase the Kestrels.

For those of you who have a pair of Kestrels, I would be very grateful if someone would unscrew the woofer and give me the model number of the Vifa woofer used on the Kestrels. (The woofers are the same in the regular and Hot Rod versions). This way I could find out if the paper equivalent is still made.

Also, I do not have experience modifying speakers, but, again, I think the paper Vifa woofer has almost identical specs to the polypropylene version. If I recall correctly, the new woofer may be a tad less sensitive. If, for example, I need to change the resistors on the tweeter to make the tweeter quieter, what would be a good forum for tips on how to do the modification?

Many thanks.
ripple7
Vifa and ScanSpeak was the same company way back when, ScanSpeak today resides in the same buildings that Vifa occupied. They have all the tools etc to make the old standards by Vifa many of the folks that worked a Vifa back when it was a a Danish Company works for ScanSpeak today.

You can try to swap the drivers out, they will foot in the cutouts, sound will of course change maybe you will like it, maybe not, but what the heck its only $35 for a fun interesting experiment

Best of Luck

Peter
BTW, does anyone know how to set up preferences so that I am e-mailed when someone replies to a my thread?

Thanks,
Chris
Ripple7

Sorry, not happenin on this forum. I've been using this forum for more than 10 years and have to say it is the least user friendly forum I hang out on. Shame really as it used to be one of the best.
Pbnaudio:
Do you know if the woofer available on the eBay link is as close to the stock woofer as I’m going to get? $55 with shipping isn’t much, but I’m hesitant to buy when I’ve not even bought the Kestrels yet. I had planned to ask about paper equivalent woofers to the stock woofer on some speaker builder forum, but you seem to have experience building or at least heavily modifying speakers.

Timrhu:
Thanks for your reply. Sorry for the belated response, but I didn’t get an e-mail when you replied :) What other forums would you suggest I check out. Doesn’t seem like there’s much activity here.
This late in the game - yes its as close as your going to get, the woofer has been discontinued for 15 years or more :-), The stock one the P17 was very popular way back when which is why ScanSpeak still makes it. It was the woofer I used in my first commercial product, the Montana 2.

www.pbnaudio.com

Best of luck

Peter