What does one purchase after owning horns?

Renmeister, there is a "free lunch" available when combining low-damping-factor specialty tube amplifiers and speakers designed to work well with such. The low damping factor in effect changes the woofer's electrical damping in a way that increases bass output relative to what you'd get with a solid state amp. If the speaker designer anticipated this, he has tuned the box so that instead of the lower damping factor giving you a bass hump, it gives you more extended low bass.

Aside from dynamics, one of the things a good horn speaker does well is radiation pattern control, and as a result the reverberant energy in the room usually has a similar spectral balance to the first-arrival sound. This is one of the ways in which a good horn system emulates the behavior of live instruments, and is generally not a characteristic of more conventional speakers (though as one might anticipate from my post just upthread, there are exceptions!). I believe that minimizing the spectral discrepancy between the direct and reverberant sound reduces listening fatigue, and can explain why if anyone is interested.

Shadorne - What I got from Renmeister's opening post was this: He sold his horns because he was unable to integrate the horn he loved with his bass output. So he went looking for alternatives and found no non-horns that matched what he had given up. That led him to ask for suggestions as to how he might overcome this seeming contradiction.

I think your ATC speakers might well be the answer but I'm basing that on reputation, having never experienced them myself. Most of the other realistic suggestions focused on other horn options or wave guides (another name for horns?) or highly efficient conventional models. And a few have mentioned ways he could use the speakers he no longer has more advantageously.

For the most part the thread has been constructive. But, as you suggested, Weseixas the Troll could not resist disrupting a thread about horns with his unwanted praise of all things planar. Unsound tried to resist corrupting for as long as he could but ultimately had to enter as well being as he is only human.

However, if we ignore their nonsense, there is no reason why this thread cannot return to its original constructive path.

If any of you feel certain that you do not like horns then go quietly in whatever direction you prefer. Those of us who do like them would like to have an adult conversation without your petulant interruptions.
Thank you for your co-operation in this matter. I promise not to invade your planar threads.

The low damping factor in effect changes the woofer's electrical damping in a way that increases bass output relative to what you'd get with a solid state amp. If the speaker designer anticipated this, he has tuned the box so that instead of the lower damping factor giving you a bass hump, it gives you more extended low bass.

I hear that:)

BTW Duke - the High Z output (12 ohm) won out.

I believe that minimizing the spectral discrepancy between the direct and reverberant sound reduces listening fatigue, and can explain why if anyone is interested.

Please do explain.

Duke,

Could you point us to examples of manufacturers or models that are well suited to a low damping factor amp (as a proud Atma-sphere S-30 owner I am quite interseted in your suggestions).

Duke, I realize you are not saying that horns "beam" when you mention "radiation pattern control", but that and other comments here seem to imply that a very limited sweet spot is produced by horn systems.

Admitting my own experience with horn systems is limited, I question this condition. I own a pair of rear loaded horns (C&C BEN) which may not qualify but a good friend first had AG Unos and now AG Duos. I believe his room is 20' wide with the Duos spaced by 10-11' with moderate toe-in. I can sit directly in front of one speaker and still hear a defined stereo image spread. This is not to suggest there is not a more precise soundstage presentation when seated in the middle sweet spot but in his room/set up I find his horns to present at least as wide of a good listening area as any box system I've heard in that room. Perhaps this is aided by the 4-5' separation from the side walls (a point which seems contrary to some other comments on horn systems).

If you would comment further it would be appreciated.