Giant Custom Horn Systems - How they sound and issues with sonics

I definitely dream of one day building the ultimate system and room. I see what some of these crazy guys do with truly giant custom horn installations and they make me drool, but (like most of us) I've never had an opportunity to hear one of these crazy systems (see pics).

But I'm guessing at least a few of you have and others probably possess some theoretical engineering knowledge around the issues these giant horn systems might create, but I've never seen a thread that discusses the sonic pro's and con's of these systems.

Would love to hear some thoughts (even if it is just some pontificating on theory) regarding these types of installations. Let's discuss.

 

Jeffrey wrapped up his partnership with his investor and is no longer producing anything as Wheel Fi, but he can still make you any of those products (or anything else for that matter).*His own company is still called Experience Music.*My electronics were built by Jeffrey under Experience Musiic. You can find him at JeffreyWJackson.com.**

 

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This guy is serious about horns!

note the size of the man standing to the right of the excavator holding the horn.

 

My speakers are made by Classic Audio Loudspeakers, the model T-3. The woofers are bass reflex, so the speaker is limited to 98 db 1 watt/1 meter, but they go down to 20Hz (dual TAD 15" drivers). The midrange is field coil powered and the tweeter is a TAD compression tweeter.

They image as well as anything I've heard, and all the imaging detail is coming from the horns. I don't mind the efficiency sacrifice, as any of our amps can easily drive the speaker and so I've got plenty of power (60 watts can literally shake the building) although my preamp can do pretty well without a power amp on them too.

Detail, nuance, speed, imaging, bandwidth- what's not to like??

I would try to a Hatrsfield reproduction from them

 

The apertures on the Tannoys aren’t horns Bob, more like decorative frames than anything I can think of.

david

 

If if you want true low bass that’s the way to get it!

david

.
This guy is serious about horns!

note the size of the man standing to the right of the excavator holding the horn.

View attachment 39361

 

.
This guy is serious about horns!

note the size of the man standing to the right of the excavator holding the horn.

View attachment 39361

Nice! THIS is what I was hoping we could discuss. Know anything about the design, build or builder?

 

The apertures on the Tannoys aren’t horns Bob, more like decorative frames than anything I can think of.

david

isn't the Westminster a back loaded horn cabinet?

 

Nice! THIS is what I was hoping we could discuss. Know anything about the design, build or builder?

All I know is that just when you think you are a fanatic on something you realize how much further fanaticism can be taken! Amazing horn! Can it be that these guys even have wives??

 

Nice! THIS is what I was hoping we could discuss. Know anything about the design, build or builder?

That was designed and built by Jeffrey W. Jackson, Experience Music, for a private client in NY.

 

The apertures on the Tannoys aren’t horns Bob, more like decorative frames than anything I can think of.

david

Beautiful decoration. They would fit British houses wonderfully in terms of looks.

 

Beautiful decoration. They would fit British houses wonderfully in terms of looks.

I have to say i'm not a fan of their looks I think they sound fantastic - probably one of the best speakers I have ever heard. But the looks? Meh. If I was a British country gentleman who drove an old Bentley, smoked pipes, played polo, was a member of The Athanaeum, and had a tweed hunting jacket ... then maybe. But sadly i'm a little common and these are too bourgeois for me.

 

I don't like the sound at all.

 

The apertures on the Tannoys aren’t horns Bob, more like decorative frames than anything I can think of.

david

But they do have a 13" back loaded horn for the bass correct?

 

The apertures on the Tannoys aren’t horns Bob, more like decorative frames than anything I can think of.

david

Those aren't horn speakers David?

 

Those aren't horn speakers David?

I guess they are not 100% horn. The tweeter is horn loaded using the 15" cone as the "horn." There is also a rear horn for the bass. So I guess the midrange is not a horn.

 

I would try to a Hatrsfield reproduction from them

The Hartsfield does very well! John Wolff has field coil drivers for them and is getting much lower bass than you might expect them able to do. They too image quite well!

 

I guess they are not 100% horn. The tweeter is horn loaded using the 15" cone as the "horn." There is also a rear horn for the bass. So I guess the midrange is not a horn.

I thought they were fitting the horn-loaded speakers category.
• https://positive-feedback.com/Issue49/tannoy.htm

 

I guess they are not 100% horn. The tweeter is horn loaded using the 15" cone as the "horn." There is also a rear horn for the bass. So I guess the midrange is not a horn.

The "horn" will improve directivity of the speaker and provide a small amount of acoustic gain in the lower midrange. For a speaker like this it's mostly for directivity, and imo is likely to make the speaker more room friendly and improve soundstaging.

 

Nice! THIS is what I was hoping we could discuss. Know anything about the design, build or builder?

Isn't there a method of searching google for the original or other postings of an image?

I heard there was but I don't know how to do it.

If we could find an old or original post of the image we could find out more information.

 

Isn't there a method of searching google for the original or other postings of an image?

I heard there was but I don't know how to do it.

If we could find an old or original post of the image we could find out more information.

I actually tried that a few times with the pic of the dude’s system that is basically a wall with two huge horns with the curved front space. Google showed me “ceiling tiles” as the match. Hahhahahahah