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Do you think horn loudspeakers are getting more popular?


russ69

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...with lower powered multi-channel receivers a horn speaker starts making a lot of sense. What do you guys think?

Actually, it has always made sense, but for reasons that most people just don't understand - it's called "accurate dynamic reproduction".

Is the marketplace more accepting of horn-loaded speakers? That's pretty tough. Klipsch corporation has been waging an almost singular battle for horn speakers in this country. Outside of the U.S., in Europe, horns have always had a loyal following, such as Tannoy, etc. and Lowther. But most of the low-end and middle-market audio companies still cling to "boxed direct radiators".

I also think that many people that once went with dipoles (MartinLogans, etc.) are now realizing that they can only listen to music at very low volumes, and it doesn't sound real like people expect from HT audio systems.

My $0.02

Chris [D]

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I can't comment on home theater, but I can tell you that I am a big horn fan. Way back in the 70s I bought a horn at Radio Shack to replace a cone mi- driver that I blew in a speaker. Once I heard the horn I was sold for life. Now I only buy Klipsch because they believe in the horns as much as I do. If someone show me a system without a horn, I just just yawn because I know its probably going to sound like crap - does Bose ring a bell?

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Yes.

Starting in the 60s and 70s, the availability of cheap high powered solid state amps made the efficiency of horns less important than when relatively lower powered tube amps ruled the audio scene. Now that tube amps, especially extremely low power SET and the like amps are enjoying new found popularity, the need for efficiency is again important. Therefore, horn speakers are being considered by some who dismissed them out of hand a few years ago.

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I agree. The popularity of tube amps and the rediscovery of vinyl, both, have played an important part in this trend.

While important to us, the REAL driver (pun intentional) with horns is home theatre. Klipsch is a major player in that arena. I don't keep up with the rankings, but I am sure they are in a significant position...and it is because of horns. If I ventured to guess, I'd say the transparency and crispness...as well as the efficiency, really appeals to the HT crowd.

We music heads are just beneificiaries.

Dave

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We music heads are just beneficiaries.

I think that we tend to forget that we, on the two-channel/upgrades and modifications/technical questions forums probably don't represent even a small customer segment of the total pie...I know that Roy D. (who has dealt a lot in the commercial products) has talked about what a "speck" we "audio crazies" actually are on the elephant-sized posterior of consumer audio.

Chris

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We music heads are just beneficiaries.

I think that we tend to forget that we, on the two-channel/upgrades and modifications/technical questions forums probably don't represent even a small customer segment of the total pie...I know that Roy D. (who has dealt a lot in the commercial products) has talked about what a "speck" we "audio crazies" actually are on the elephant-sized posterior of consumer audio.

Chris

Fully agree. OTOH, we are ignored at peril, as each of us advises dozens of friends, coworkers, etc and many of them pay attention to us. Not quite sure I'd say we wag the dog, but not far from it.

Dave

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