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Audiophile's "One Man Campaign" for Horn Speakers


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Steve Guttenberg's recent YouTube video. Steve is an opinion leader for many in the "audiophile" community. In the video he promotes Klipsch speakers and actually says he's "starting a "one man campaign" to raise awareness of horn speakers".

 

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On ‎11‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 9:12 AM, CECAA850 said:

Nice!  I wonder what took him so long to become enlightened?

Yes, it's a great promotion for Klipsch and the efficacy of horn speakers. Why it took him so long to figure it out is a mystery, perhaps he got wiser with age?

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=== and I find it a bit of a stretch calling $250-500 speakers “horn loaded” having just a small direct radiated cone speaker set within a horn. Maybe “hybrid” horn loaded ? My idea of a horn loaded speaker must at the least include a horn loaded compression driver and optimally horn loading from top to bottom. 

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This is a good thing for Klipsch who has been the consistent horn-loaded loudspeaker proponent for 70 years (even if the lion's share of their models now are only hybrid direct-radiating LF/horn-loaded HF compression drivers).  Perhaps it's Dave Mancuso's legacy, i.e., The Loft's signature Khorns (now succeeded by Colleen "Cosmo" Murphy) that has people thinking a bit.  Perhaps Guttenberg finally got the chance to hear Klipsch loudspeakers.  Who knows?  But that's like looking a gift horse in the mouth to second guess this apparent new leaf he's turning over.  There are a lot of people that still look down on horns and they communicate their anti-horn memeplexes to others.  This is really a battle of ideas that people accept without actually learning it for themselves first hand.  It's these unfounded anti-horn ideas that Guttenberg is helping to change. 

 

I would guess that he'll waffle at some point--perhaps sooner rather than later--and start embracing direct radiating loudspeakers again like nothing has changed...but there is the fact that he is now a horn proponent and perhaps there is a chance that he will stay that way for some time.  Both Klipsch (which he showcased on the video) and JBL sell horn-loaded loudspeakers, and there aren't very many of those manufacturers presently, especially not for the lower end home hi-fi market which is the stepping stone to higher performance loudspeakers costing more.  Getting the audiophile community to stop doing a knee-jerk reaction to horn loading is a big goal...and Guttenberg just threw his hat into the ring. This is a time to support his new-found religion. 

 

Chris

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He gave a favorable review of the H3's a few years back.  I think if you send him gear and kiss his butt, he will write a good review of just about anything.  I haven't read his column regularly in a couple years because everything he comes across is just the greatest thing since the wheel, and any negative traits are hidden between the lines.  He's a master wordsmith.  If anybody finds a negative review, please share.  https://www.cnet.com/news/dont-back-down-klipsch-heresy-iii-speakers/

 

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On 11/8/2018 at 12:32 PM, Drewg said:


Especially since he reviewed the Forte III earlier this year. How did that listening experience not enlighten him then?

He has been writing about horns for over a decade, Klipsch, Magico, Western Electric vintage horns, Meyer Sound system at Lincoln Center, etc.

 

His main focus, to me, is that you don't have to spend a ton to have good sound, sort of bang for the buck. 

 

Travis

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On 11/9/2018 at 10:38 AM, richieb said:

 

=== and I find it a bit of a stretch calling $250-500 speakers “horn loaded” having just a small direct radiated cone speaker set within a horn. Maybe “hybrid” horn loaded ? My idea of a horn loaded speaker must at the least include a horn loaded compression driver and optimally horn loading from top to bottom. 

Your statement is correct, but far and few or the non horn experienced actually push for horn loaded bass or actually understand what "fully horn loaded" means.  IMO, its all about the mid horn that produces the magic.  The mighty mid is all revealing and its the lionshare for all the content we listen to.  30 years ago, I never would have thought I would be saying this, but the mid runs the whole show and the rest fills the gaps whether people accept it or not.

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7 hours ago, Chris A said:

This is a good thing for Klipsch who has been the consistent horn-loaded loudspeaker proponent for 70 years (even if the lion's share of their models now are only hybrid direct-radiating LF/horn-loaded HF compression drivers).  Perhaps it's Dave Mancuso's legacy, i.e., The Loft's signature Khorns (now succeeded by Colleen "Cosmo" Murphy) that has people thinking a bit.  Perhaps Guttenberg finally got the chance to hear Klipsch loudspeakers.  Who knows?  But that's like looking a gift horse in the mouth to second guess this apparent new leaf he's turning over.  There are a lot of people that still look down on horns and they communicate their anti-horn memeplexes to others.  This is really a battle of ideas that people accept without actually learning it for themselves first hand.  It's these unfounded anti-horn ideas that Guttenberg is helping to change. 

 

I would guess that he'll waffle at some point--perhaps sooner rather than later--and start embracing direct radiating loudspeakers again like nothing has changed...but there is the fact that he is now a horn proponent and perhaps there is a chance that he will stay that way for some time.  Both Klipsch (which he showcased on the video) and JBL sell horn-loaded loudspeakers, and there aren't very many of those manufacturers presently, especially not for the lower end home hi-fi market which is the stepping stone to higher performance loudspeakers costing more.  Getting the audiophile community to stop doing a knee-jerk reaction to horn loading is a big goal...and Guttenberg just threw his hat into the ring. This is a time to support his new-found religion. 

 

Chris

 

You're right on the money Chris! Memeplexes is good way to put it.:lol:

 

I couldn't help but take notice of the many critical comments of Steve. You might get your kicks making fun of the guy and that's okay. Nothing wrong with that, except why cut down someone who's on your team? You might want to consider what a positive asset he's become for "horn speakers" and the Klipsch company. I think any audio opinion leader that breaks the long standing audiophile propaganda line or dares to broach the foolish fixed ideas on horn speakers (senselessly repeated by mindless robots for way too many decades) is okay. :emotion-21:

 

How about leveling some nasty remarks on another "audio opinion leader" that cuts down horn speakers?  In the following video, this guy actually labels horns as sounding "colored"! My opinion is that he should know better! He doesn't sell horn speakers, so maybe he finds it beneficial to pan Klipsch as a marketing strategy? It didn't work with me... I'm definitely not going to purchase a PS audio product after viewing this video.

 

 

 

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“I'm definitely not going to purchase a PS audio product after viewing this video.”

 

He bores me too.

 

So many of the so called audio experts say many words that mean little to make their long boring videos mostly stating basic obvious audio facts and buzz words and some have their own agendas. They do have very nice high end expensive audio components, but mostly in bad set up audio rooms and with sometimes not so good of sounding music for their demonstrations. I wish I owned their audio components, but a lot of their advice is not actually educational or factual.

 

I have much more respect for forum members here and other audio forums and learn more from them!

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==== well if you want to read someone that doesn’t bore with his writing yet spins analogies with gilded words, try 6moons and Srajan Ebaen. Usually reviewing the high/ultra high end and more obscure names in audio he can spin a description like no other. He ain’t for everyone and at times not even for me but like his style or not he is “unique” with his reviews. 

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You're right on the money Chris! Memeplexes is good way to put it.[emoji38]
 
I couldn't help but take notice of the many critical comments of Steve. You might get your kicks making fun of the guy and that's okay. Nothing wrong with that, except why cut down someone who's on your team? You might want to consider what a positive asset he's become for "horn speakers" and the Klipsch company. I think any audio opinion leader that breaks the long standing audiophile propaganda line or dares to broach the foolish fixed ideas on horn speakers (senselessly repeated by mindless robots for way too many decades) is okay. :emotion-21:
 
How about leveling some nasty remarks on another "audio opinion leader" that cuts down horn speakers?  In the following video, this guy actually labels horns as sounding "colored"! My opinion is that he should know better! He doesn't sell horn speakers, so maybe he finds it beneficial to pan Klipsch as a marketing strategy? It didn't work with me... I'm definitely not going to purchase a PS audio product after viewing this video.
 
 
 
I have watched his videos, and disagree with a lot of what he says.

Sent from my SM-T550 using Tapatalk

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