Horn based loudspeakers why the controversy?

@soundsrealaudio

I like horns, except for the fact that they sound shouty, forward, bright, beamy. The older style wood Klp type speakers sound boarning, slow, heavy and us resolving. I do like them however, I am no hater.

That’s classical "generalized BS," as stated by poster @dev , wrapped in candy paper. You might as well have written, or it essentially says: "I hate horns, but I do like them." And now a bunch of people are flying off their couches, pointing their fingers, and telling us we’re overly defensive of horn speakers? Come on, going by your description as quoted above I can only deduce you’ve never heard a good horn speaker, be it hybrid or all-horn, and just assembled the "best of horn-bashing terms" in a bundle and delivered it handily.

With "older style wood Klp type speakers," are you referring to Klipsch? And with "older style" (i.e.: Heritage series?) - do you mean the all-horns (they’re certainly included)? And you equate those speakers with " boarning (boring?), slow, heavy and us resolving"? I’m sorry to put this bluntly, but that’s simply a load of b*llocks. Compared to an all-horn Klipsch (i.e.: La Scala, Belle, K-horn), be they up to 50-70 years old, most anything contemporary non-horn will sound sluggish, slow, heavy and boring. The older Klipsch horns could ring like bells in the mids and highs, and if not paired with quality tube amps (and instead with SS amps of the time then) could be a trying and unpleasant listen, I’m sure, but the aforementioned traits stand the test of time no matter what, and still by a winning mile compared to most of the direct radiating speakers of today. And, when you combine those traits with the newer horn profiles of today, better (more sturdy) horn materials, better cross-overs, even better drivers for the midrange and tweeter and an overall better construction quality (not that the original Klipsch’s were bad as such) - such as seen with Simon Mears Audio, Volti Audio and others - you have yourself a blisteringly good sonic package. I can only assume though telling you this will be all in vain.

@johnk 
I've had some experiences like that. My mom thought I was nuts for buying the stuff I have until I parked her in front of it and played her favorite music. She got the chills and tears and no more explanation was needed. No matter how you cut the cake, we do this to have strong emotional experiences. It's no surprise people get fired up about how they do that. 

@phusis 
 The old Klipsch stuff is exactly why people have the opinions they do today about horns and I think denying that is simply intellectually dishonest. I'm sure I'll get crucified for pointing this out, but there isn't even consensus in the horn camp about what good horns and bad horns are. If you read over this thread you see some saying horn hybrids suck, but others love them. Some say the vintage ones are good. Others say good horns require advanced engineering and exceptional materials. And at some point somebody has said some horn is great so many times here practically every horn ever made has been named. I'll bet I could take this crowd and put them in a room and see debates about just horns become as heated as horns vs dynamic drivers. 

@kosst_amojan

The old Klipsch stuff is exactly why people have the opinions they do today about horns and I think denying that is simply intellectually dishonest.

I hope the intent with my reply above to poster @soundsrealaudio was absolutely clear. As you point out the older Klipsch horns are particularly "memorable" for their sonic behavior, so much indeed as to be used continuously as a case in a contemporary debate for the proposed failings of horn speakers. Surely there’s an anachronism at play here, right? My gripe with the aim at the older Klipsch stuff by named poster were the exact areas pointed out by him; not some others for which they’re so disliked - depending though on the context.

I’m sure I’ll get crucified for pointing this out, but there isn’t even consensus in the horn camp about what good horns and bad horns are. If you read over this thread you see some saying horn hybrids suck, but others love them. Some say the vintage ones are good. Others say good horns require advanced engineering and exceptional materials. And at some point somebody has said some horn is great so many times here practically every horn ever made has been named. I’ll bet I could take this crowd and put them in a room and see debates about just horns become as heated as horns vs dynamic drivers.

No arguing here, I believe you are right in pointing this out, but as you can see the diversity of opinion and actual representation (of horn speakers) in such a discussion hardly justifies calling all horn/-hybrids under the same banner as in "all horns suck," just as well as claiming that "all horns are great" would seem dubious. I don’t see a consensus in this thread where a differentiated approach to horn sound is argued, but rather that a one-sided bashing is severely, and rightfully opposed. I have also seen proponents (i.e.: makers) of horns go on to claim that only their specific approach to horns is what produces the right sound, but you have to wonder whether this isn’t truly and solely in the interest of their own business, rather than attempting an objective take on the potential of a variety of viable horn approaches (as a marketing ploy it’s certainly easier to claim the proficiency of a single approach rather than several). Navigating in all this dispute even, which is also a condition among other speakers principles, shouldn’t detract from the fact that there are people liking horn speakers for "sound" reasons, one way or the other, and using, say, appeal to the masses arguments won’t carve in stone tablets what’s inherently right or (typically accused) wrong with horn sound.

You have to ask yourself the difference of context for people to make their claims; what’s the true observation here going by the same premise or set of conditions, apart from what’s merely taste? Hardly a realistic outlook, and as such much of the source for the wild debate. It’s a complicated matter indeed, but one that with effort(!) is still manageable to (hopefully) be a little wiser about.

@mrdecibel ,

311 posts12-05-2017 12:40pmI find the Heresy to be a puzzle. A slow, air suspension, 12 in. woofer, mated to a midrange and tweeter horn.

I never understood this quandary regarding hybrid designs.

Why in theory should a dynamic cone woofer not work well with a horn midrange and tweeter. Klipsch is far from the only manufacturer that uses such designs. I realize PWK was staunch in his belief that all drivers should be horn loaded (hence the Heresy name), but other than lower bass response and ultimate sensitivity, the horn loaded woofer doesn't offer any advantages that I'm aware of.

Also, an air suspension helps to create fast bass, nothing slow about it.