Why were they nowhere near as fun for classical?
Al,
I could walk just a few meters and hear two extremely different, albeit equally satisfying systems, with very different characteristics, with their own pros and cons, so for me it was easy to establish a comparison.
*IN COMPARISON*, that horn system didn't have the imaging capability of the other two (cone) systems. And because the speakers were just a few feet off the back wall, the depth just wasn't there either.
Part of the fun (for me) in classical music, is the layering of the orchestra, and that was not as clearly defined in that system.
Also, one of the big "pros" of a horn is the high efficiency, and dynamics were, of course, amazing there. But in music that's already pretty frickin' dynamic to begin with (DR20+) like most classical, the cones are just as amazing. So, for rock, usually less dynamic recordings, the horn extract every little bit of detail and nuance in the performances, no matter how compressed, and that's quite intoxicating.
In regards to the depth, you *can* get amazing depth with horns, but you need the space, which we didn't have in that back room. We did have a pair of Unos in our main room, and the soundstage was exquisite, and we have also set up a Duo Mezzo in a hotel room, and it too was amazing.