Meadowlark speakers
December 31, 2008
Greetings! Came across your site today and have been
enjoying it for hours. Thank you! I would like to know how to differentiate between
Meadowlark Kestrels and the Hot Rod version.
Todd
As you most likely know, Meadowlark is no longer in
business. I don’t think there is any service or support for their speakers, though I
do know that Madisound often carries replacement drivers for many models. In terms of
differentiating between a set of Hot Rod Kestrels and the originals, I was able to find
reference to how a pair of the larger Shearwaters in Hot Rod form differed from the
standard versions. In the 1999 SoundStage! review, the HR details seem to revolve
around better crossover parts, wiring, and binding posts. I’m not sure if there is a
“Hot Rod” or “HR” anywhere on the actual speaker, but my guess would
be that if your set doesn’t have some indication of the upgrades, it is probably not
an HR; most companies would put some type of obvious designation on the speaker for any
model upgrade.
Sub for his birthday
December 23, 2008
I've been delighted to find your insightful (and very
thorough) reviews. As a little birthday present for myself (since today is my birthday!),
I've decided to start collecting parts for a decent entry-level 5.1 system for my
medium-sized living room. My first purchases will be a receiver, fronts, and a sub. I'm
fairly decided on the Onkyo TX-SR606 receiver and have chosen the Paradigm Atom Monitor
v.5 monitors based on your review (and their price) over the entry-level monitor
equivalents by Axiom and B&W. The only thing standing in between me and some good
sound now is choosing a sub.
After reading reviews of entry-level subs such as the
Paradigm PDR-8 and the Axiom EP125 I'm worried I'll be wasting my money unless I spend a
good deal more. In fact, the only good entry-level sub review I've come across is the RBH
MS-8.1, and it wasn't really even compared to any other subs and it's at the very top of
my price range. Is it just not possible to get a good sub for less than $400? Are 8”
subs even worth buying?
Could you recommend a sub (possibly the RBH MS-8.1), or
maybe a few subs, in the entry-level price range that can keep up with the Atoms and still
rock my world?
The only things I really look for in a sub are good sound
and a standby mode with automatic standby -- a nice bonus.
Trey
Well first, happy birthday! Second, great decision on
the Atoms -- I’m sure you’ll be impressed with them. As for which subwoofer to
choose, there are several factors to take into consideration: the music you listen to, the
size of the room, and the main speakers it will be used with. Music makes a difference for
myriad reasons: if you listen to hip-hop at 110dB you’ll likely be disappointed with
anything other than a large (12” or more) subwoofer that can flex your living-room
walls; on the other hand, if you listen to jazz and some pop and just want to extend the
response of your main speakers to a modest degree, a smaller sub will be fine. The room
size makes a difference because a larger space will require more subwoofer; a
small-to-medium-sized room requires less output capability to fill it with bass. The
speakers matter because you’ll be integrating them with the subwoofer -- the toughest
challenge to being happy with a sub/satellite system. Looking at what works best with the
Paradigm Atoms is a must.
As for particular models, I would not discount the
Paradigm and the Axiom you mention. They may be smaller, but my guess is that they would
be easy to integrate with the Atoms -- which, as I said, is a key to good sound. But there
are also other alternatives. SV Sound and Hsu Research come to mind as good
Internet-direct brands that offer a lot of sub for the money. As well, this time of year
there are good deals to be had from just shopping around. I noticed some good deals on
subwoofers in the latest Audio Advisor catalog -- 30%-40% can only help, right? In fact,
that would be the way I’d go: It seems like lots of companies are looking to move
their inventory right here at the end of the year, and that means you could score a great
deal. Good luck in your search.
“...indistinct imaging”
December 19, 2008
Thanks for the informative website. I have a problem I hope
you can help me with. My audio system, which consists of a Bryston integrated amplifier,
Arcam CD player, and KEF Q-series loudspeakers, produces indistinct imaging. What I mean
by that is that sometimes when the singer should be in the middle he or she is off to the
left side. What could be the problem?
Jimbo
There are two likely explanations. First, if you’re
hearing this with just select recordings, it could be the music itself. Vocalists could be
placed anywhere within the soundstage, either as a result of their actual placement on
stage or as a result of the recording engineer’s mixing. Play a mono recording and
see if the problem persists. Second, it could be that your speakers are not quite
symmetrical in your room. If that’s the case, get out a tape measure and make sure
that they are both equal distance to your listening position, that your listening position
is exactly centered between them, and that their angle of toe-in is exactly the same from
one to the other. Those are the two most likely causes of indistinct imaging. Let us know
how it works out.
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