New Meadowlark Ospreys

Hi Sherod, I have a pair of the original Kestrals. I did not know about the Kestral II. Where did you find this info? Thanks,

Meadowlark...The Rodney Dangerfield of the audio world. Awesome speakers!

I cannot give you a direct answer, but hope the following helps. The new technology surpasses the old. It has allowed Pat to use different drivers and build more efficient and simplier cross-overs. It has also allowed him to take transmission line technology to a new level. I have not heard the Osprey but have spoken with him about them. He wants the listener to decide, but he has his opinions. If he did not think they were better, then he would not be putting them into production. I have heard Swift and Swallows side by side to Vireo and Kestrel and Kestrel HR, they are more muscial, have a stronger presence and amazing soundstage. I still like the accuracy of the Vireo, but the Swift and Swallow are awesome, especially taking into consideration their price. It only makes sense that Osprey surpasses previous models. If you are in the Chicago area, Promusica is a great place to compare them. I will audition Osprey in November.

I haven't yet heard the Osprey, but I have listened to the model below it, the Swift. The location was the 2002 NYC Stereophile HiFi Show. They were a part of the Rogue Audio room.

My impressions are that the speaker is not as full as I would like. Unlike my previous experiences with Meadowlark, the sonics were very lightweight. I am not a fan of speakers that sound lean, and in the room I heard them in, with tube electronics, that was how they sounded to me. I also noted that the speakers did not seem to be seamless between the drivers. I was not trying to audition the speakers, but the preamp/power amp, but felt that the Swift detracted from the combination.

Conversely, it seemed that the speakers were very fast, and agile. And, at $999, many people thought them to be fantastic. Perhaps the cost should be factored into the equation, but I never judge a speaker with a less critical eye because it is not expensive. I have come across too many fine sounding inexpensive speakers. Traditionally, I have always been very impressed by Meadowlark speakers. I would like to listen to the Ospreys, as they are larger, and will hopefully sound fuller.