I have nothing against horns these days and in fact like many good ones I hear (especially run off tube amps which is another story) but my first exposure to a horn speaker was working at Radio Shack for several years. Remember the big Mach Ones in the front of most stores? They did not sound good at all with most of the SS receivers of the day. I preferred most any Radio Shack speaker over those. Radio Shack use to be everywhere and I'd bet many heard those and got a sour taste.
Horn based loudspeakers why the controversy?
As just another way to build a loudspeaker system why such disputes in forums when horns are mentioned? They can solve many issues that plague standard designs but with all things have there own. So why such hate? As a loudspeaker designer I work with and can appreciate all transducer and loudspeaker types and I understand that we all have different needs budgets experiences tastes biases. But if you dare suggest horns so many have a problem with that suggestion..why?
Showing 9 responses by mapman
Obviously horn loaded speakers are used commonly in larger public venues. Many of those sound really bad as well compared to a good home system, but in many cases it is due to poor or echo-prone acoustics commonly found in those places. Still tends to give horns a bad rap. My gym is a good example. High efficiency horn loaded pro speakers are used in the various exercise rooms that are all basically big echo boxes. Pretty hopeless to want better sound quality there. |
Having heard the newer Klipsch offerings, I’m going to go out on a limb and say horns need no longer be so controversial. Affordable good sounding ones are out there. Like anything else some will like them and some will not. Their clear advantage is the extra efficiency which may well matter quite a bit for many. No harder to drive than most others at a minimum as well it seems. Probably much easier to drive properly than most. |
Jimspov, Gramophone stores in Maryland recently added Klipsch Heritage and had a few models set up for demo. Nice add! As I mentioned above, I recently heard Klipsch Forte and Heresy 3 models there. Both passed with flying colors for me. Heresy 3 are perhaps the lowest cost horns I have heard that I could live with. |
Wolf, these? http://www.klipsch.com/products/capitol-heresy-iii Those are exactly the ones I would go for. Sounds like you got them for a nice discount. If they don't work out, I might take them off your hands. Seriously! Now you can try those fancy fuses again to go with the fancy speakers as well! What are they replacing again? Enjoy! |
Speakers like that are in essence showpiece works of art that also usually happen to sound pretty good. Not all that much to spend really for a showpiece if that is the kind that is up one’s alley. For those like me on a budget there is always something like this: http://www.saksoff5th.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442303149&site_refer=... |
There was a nice smattering of large horn speakers at CAF this year. After seeing and hearing the La Scala IIIs there I was left to wonder why anyone would need to invest in others from smaller companies costing a fair bit more. I would love a pair of those in my house. Of course as always, different strokes..... In the last few months Ive had the opportunity to audition current model Heresy, Forte, and La Scala as well as Cornwall II. All very very nice! |