Are You Able to Detect Horn Colorations in Today's High End Horn Speakers?

[caesar]

Are you guys able to detect horn colorations in today's top horn offerings?

I am able to detect an "immediacy". However, I cannot detect the "cupped hand" coloration.

 

[Atmasphere]

The 'cupped hand' thing is caused by poor horn taper design and drivers operating out of band for the horn due to poor crossover design. That sort of thing is rare these days.

 

[sbnx]

The Avantgarde Generation 3 does not suffer from this. If it exists it is due to poor peaker setup.

 

[Audiohertz2]

The 'cupped hand' thing is caused by poor horn taper design and drivers operating out of band for the horn due to poor crossover design. That sort of thing is rare these days.

While better its not rare ....

 

[Atmasphere]

A lot depends on how well the horn is built. Its a lot easier these days to get the horn taper and throat design right due to CAD.

 

[KeithR]

it's one of those things that once you hear it, you can't "unhear" it. I've heard horn coloration on numerous horns in my speaker exploration. Not Avantgarde nor the latest Cessaro though.

 

[Robh3606]

Not in the moderns horns or waveguides I have used. There may be exceptions but none I have personally experienced.

Rob

 

[caesar]

I agree that "shoutiness" has been banished from most top horn brands.

But I am wondering if people think of the directional presentation of horn speakers as a "coloration", as guys have just gotten acclimated to the box speaker sound. Anyone else feel the same way?

 

[Atmasphere]

I agree that "shoutiness" has been banished from most top horn brands.

But I am wondering if people think of the directional presentation of horn speakers as a "coloration", as guys have just gotten acclimated to the box speaker sound. Anyone else feel the same way?

I don't. The directionality allows me to keep side wall reflections to a minimum, if anything that makes for less coloration not more.

 

[Bjorn]

I still find most horns demoed at hifi shows sounding colored and generally very poor.

 

[cfgardei1]

Horns do best at what has killed most of my hearing: they play LOUD! Until quite recently, I had LaScalas (Klipsch) and then (briefly) the Jubilee. The Jubilee was MUCH "smoother" for lack of a better word, so I guess it's less "colored". 60 years of technological improvements SHOULD result in a more accurate (or, at least more pleasing) sound - and they DO.

I bought Magnepans because planar speakers provide the "detail" I crave, but without the overwhelming temptation to turn them up to 11... I've found that you can "train yourself" to enjoy Metallica at less than 135dB!!!

 

[lordcloud]

Even the best horn speakers sound like horn speakers to me, in that I still hear the cupped hands effect. Just not on all material or at all times.

And some of the best horn speakers can sometimes still sound shouty to my ears. Again, not on all material or at all times.

 

[Atmasphere]

Even the best horn speakers sound like horn speakers to me, in that I still hear the cupped hands effect. Just not on all material or at all times.

And some of the best horn speakers can sometimes still sound shouty to my ears. Again, not on all material or at all times.

That really depends on the horn and whether what is driving it has breakups. Sounds to me as if you've not heard 'the best'...

 

[bonzo75]

Sounds to me as if you've not heard 'the best'...

Nor the good

 

[Audiohertz2]

I don't. The directionality allows me to keep side wall reflections to a minimum, if anything that makes for less coloration not more.

With all the imaging ( or lack there of) cluttered between the speakers , Bringing many horn lovers to praise the great “mono” revival …!

 

[lordcloud]

That really depends on the horn and whether what is driving it has breakups. Sounds to me as if you've not heard 'the best'...

I think we all just hear differently. I don't think there is a consensus as to what the best actually are. But I've heard the best Avantegarde, Aries Cerat, Cessaaro, and others, driven by the some of the best equipment, and they all sound great ...but still have horn characteristics on occasion.

Some may not agree or may not hear it. That's great.

 

[Bjorn]

Even the best horn speakers sound like horn speakers to me, in that I still hear the cupped hands effect. Just not on all material or at all times.

And some of the best horn speakers can sometimes still sound shouty to my ears. Again, not on all material or at all times.

What are the best horns to you?

 

[Argonaut]

Bringing many horn lovers to praise the great “mono” revival …!

For my part I never experienced this “great ‘mono revival” of which you speak … As I never left

 

[bonzo75]

What are the best horns to you?

Horns he has heard cupping are the best to him

 

[Bjorn]

Cupped hands effect is simply non existing with a quality horn speaker. We need to understand that price, purchased reviews (yes, that's often what they are), and rumours say very little about the quality for a speaker.

Some of the long existing and known brands have very poor tehcnicial implementations. Typical charactersticis like strong beaming, non uniform directivity, non optimal crossover-overs with serious vertical phase and lobing issues, coloration from material/lack of rigiditiy, passive crossover with no time alignment between drivers and uneven response, diffraction issues with horns placed in front of the other, and low driver quality are often the norm.

One has to look for quality technical implementations and good measurements.