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Are Lowthers a "full range listening" speaker?

To TWL: (or anyone else)- I am intrigued by the concept of back-loaded corner horns because when I used to own a pair of Quad 57's all I could think was that the sound was basically perfect if only they would go much louder, deeper, and a bit higher! My very broad tastes includes a lot of music which is delivered in concert through electric amplification, not merely just rock, but also Loreena McKennett, and even performers at folk festivals, world beat, etc. Live performance in this case is not the same as the symphony at all, from what my ears tell me in 8th row center, or the middle of the field!. I couldn't say which music I am more prepared to lean away from if I have to, but a former pair of Klipch Cornwalls, while fun at times, were way too forward and overbearing most of the time. It would be nice to be happy with both electric and acoustic presentations.

So I am wondering (after all the above) if from your own experiences you regard the Lowther type as the ticket for broad listening, since its unlikely anytime soon that I will hear them. (I know, I know---no one can answer except to their own tastes).

After following TWL's postings and others on the subject of full range reproduction, I am curious about a few things:

Have you heard the AER and the very expensive Reps and do you find huge sonic differences? Which AER? Are you thinking of parting with an extra grand (or more) for the upper end drivers anytime soon?

Also-TWL- have you heard the Oris horns and what do you think compared to your own rig? I note that Bert Doppenberg, in a discussion posting, said he no longer finds back horn set-ups the best, due to unacceptable frequency colourations and lack of low bass (though he once loved them) and even less so with Lowther drive units, which he says are inferior to his own version of AER. BD seems to be suggesting that Oris horns and full range drivers coupled to separate bass enclosures is the way to progress from back loaded horns, though at a significant cost, to be sure.

A more affordable project to me would be along the lines of the AER?/Hedlunds. Do Lowther/Voight Pipes sound similar?

Thanks!
eclectic
jimyork
49 posts
 
I recently converted to an AER rear-loaded horn speaker (102db). I believe I am getting very good bass down to 40Hz. I also use an Art of Sound Tycus subwoofer to reinforce the bottom end. It is a very quick subwoofer that blends in very well. I have heard a Lowther DX3 speaker that I sounded good but the AER is much smoother. I am using an AER MKII-SP which is especially made to improve the bass in the enclosure I am using. Go to http://www.fullrange-speakers.com/1version/eng/home-e.htm to view the Acoustique speaker which I am using. The AER MKII-SP is around $2500. The sound is very detailed, dynamic, and imaging very three dimensional. Full Range Speakers will provide the plans for the cabinets.
Good luck - lots of choices and lots of info on the web.
ultrakaz
187 posts
 
Best to listen for yourself. Since you have "broad" musical tastes, which include rock, a Lowther based speaker is not the best choice.

One of the best Lowther speakers I've heard were the Rythyms, which use a modified DX-4. I thought the speakers were hooked up to subwoofers. On the best recorded material it sounded fabulous, but on music with heavy electronic bass or music with many instruments playing simultaneously, things started to unravel. Thin and poorly recorded music were unlistenable.

The Voigt pipes that I've heard did not go down to 40Hz. Or if it did it must have been -9db. The sound was immediate and transparent, albeit with a tizzy treble. I would not build the Voigts without TWL's wings as it addresses the baffle step loss.

Check out the full range driver website and high efficiency speaker forum @ audioasylum.
herman
1,974 posts
 
The only experience I have are with my own Lamhorns with DX-3 Lowthers and a friend's Beauhorns with I believe, EX-4. Both systems have high quality subs. Based on this, I disagree with Ultrakaz' observation that they are not the best choice for rock. Both of these systems are capable of very high SPL and do not "unravel." Quite the opposite.

As for poorly recorded music being unlistenable, you can't have it both ways. If your system hides the flaws in poor recordings it will also hide some of the beauty in good ones. I would rather the best be better and the worst be worse than everything sounding mediocre

I guess if rock was all I wanted then I might go with a multi-driver, mega-watt setup, but Eclectic listens to a wide range of music and I think this is the way to go.

One thing to consider with AER drivers, and the reason I went with Lowthers, is that the AER driver was only available in 16 ohms. Perhaps this has changed since I bought mine, but a 16 ohm speaker limits your choice of amplifiers since many SET amps don't have 16 ohm taps. I had a Wavelength amp at that time with 4 and 8 ohm taps. Gordon Rankin was very adamant about using a matched speaker with his amp to obtain best performance.
eclectic OP
4 posts
 
Hey, you guys, this is more great information. Thanks, TWL for another detailed answer. Much of the technical stuff is over my head -maddeningly so, because I would like to understand it. But that is just inspiration to pursue an old facination with knowing what makes sound work and read more as I revive my dormant interest in audio. (My live music listening doesn't need reviving, but I don't by any means enjoy live world class music all the time)
I have been reading numerous other interesting posts on the web, regarding horns mostly, and note two Lowther clubs/shops in Canada that for some reason escaped me till now. Looks like a small but growing trend happening with this, including I think, Dgclark above.

Thanks Jimyork, Ultrakaz, Herman for your experiences and opposite speculations on suitability of Lowthers for Rock. All are helpful. I know from the past that different people will listen to Rock on really different systems and prefer it that way--ESL 63 to Klipsch. I will have to find out for myself, and if the back horn/pipe design didn't work, I could keep the drivers and go Oris perhaps. It doesn't seem like the outlay is beyond me for a set of drivers (probably not the top Lowthers or AER--too expensive for now, and a bit much to invest "sound unseen") My tastes are indeed eclectic-recently listened to Ravi Shankar(Inside the Kremlin) with singers, orchestra, and ensemble of traditional Indian instruments, Van Morrison, Oliver Mtukudzi(Zimbabwean music, favorite of Bonnie Raitt) in one evening! Carmina Burana, and Loreena McKennitt not far behind. It would be so much easier to like just one thing, but I could never do that. I would say that midrange quality matters the most to me, transparency and natural timber, but not at the expense of no dynamics, or really limited listening levels. Bass is great, but if you can't have everything.....

Herman, how did the Lamhorn and Beaumarks compare? Does anyone know if either of these designs, or the Carfrae for that matter, are available anywhere, or is that proprietary knowledge a closed door? The cabinetry doesn't throw me off as I have a reasonable wood shop in my basement. Hedlunds are a very esthetically attractive idea, but TWL's Voights perform very satisfyingly to him and seem a better starting point. And who knows, maybe a finishing point!
twl
3,251 posts
 
Some very good points have been brought up, and Herman has pointed out a very important thing about the 16 ohm load on the AER. You have to get a driver with a good match.

As for the Voigt Pipes, what you suggested is exactly what I did with mine. I thought that I should at least get the drivers and start out with an inexpensive enclosure. This would allow me to get my feet wet, and start the lengthy break-in of the drivers right away. I could then evaluate the performance, and if I decided to move to a better cabinet, I could just switch my drivers into them later. I think that this is a good path to take. As it turns out, I have not had the desire to upgrade cabinets yet, but I may do that in the future. But now my drivers are broken-in, and they are sounding good, even in my Pipes. So if and when I decide to make a move to an upscale cabinet, I can start out with the drivers already broken-in, and enjoy the improvement immediately.
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