Tobian Soundsystems release the new 18FH Horn Speaker

morricab

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Apr 25, 2014
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Tobian Sound Systems have been finalising our 18FH horn speaker​

Below are some words from Designer & CEO Günter Tobian:

View attachment 92221

From a time perspective, the development of the 18FH started in 1986 as my private project and something I was pursuing, to finalize to my liking since then. Sometimes great things need a sufficient time frame and effort to materialize in exceptional form and resulting performance.

When Tobian Soundsystems GmbH was founded 2002, I launched the first 18FH with a coaxial chassis for the mid-high horn and a 15" woofer for the bass horn - which formed a three-way horn system. However, it has always been my wish to develop a true two-way horn speaker, one that avoids the need for a crossover in the crucial mid-high range from 200Hz to 20KHz.

Taking into account the new developments in technologies, materials available, construction and production possibilities in the last few years, there were three construction and development phases for our 18FH project.


View attachment 92224

We managed to develop completely new and unique things for this particular speaker, here's a few crucial developments:​


• Compression driver that would work down to the magic limit of 200Hz.
• Completely new 20" inch (50cm) CD horn, which is able to reproduce lower cut-off frequencies, required for our measurements.
• 16" woofer, powerful and sensitive enough to support this exceptional horn in the lower octaves down to 20Hz.
• Our goal of a 100% analog crossover for the Woofer, with handmade extreme chokes of up to 13kg which are therefore very resilient and extremely stable and are able to convert any kind of power optimally into force.
• A newly developed back loaded horn chassis made from four different types of wood. The entire construction is made without using any screws and bolts, rather with the use of glues in order to avoid any resonances in the housing. With this technique an enclosure does not have to be overly heavy to control resonances.


View attachment 92229


View attachment 92223

Thus the 18FH speaker project became my passion​

A horn speaker capable of sensitively reproducing any style of music, regardless of volume. Listening to music that sweeps you away and touches you emotionally, while offering a live musical experience in your own home, making you addicted for more!

This has led Tobian Soundsystems to where we are today, a manufacturer that develops and designs everything in-house. Our suppliers are exclusively Swiss entrepreneurs with the exception of our audio connectors which we source from Germany.

View attachment 92231

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If you have any question about our exciting new speaker, please feel free to ask!
Interesting, but this horn looks too small to get comfortably down to 200Hz. Usually a horn that low is huge.
 

Günter Tobian

Industry Expert
Oct 31, 2019
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This has been documented in pages and pages on the Nordic forum over many years. Even with translate easy to read
hello
I don't have time to read what is being done, tried and built in the DY sector.

a few honest lines from you are enough for me and then I know for my understanding what it's all about ....that's enough for me completely
 

Audiophile Bill

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Mar 23, 2015
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Interesting, but this horn looks too small to get comfortably down to 200Hz. Usually a horn that low is huge.

depending on the geometry (for example Tractrix) @ 55cm, the fc of the horn would be circa 200hz but of course the horn will not load properly to the fc hence the “common” approach to cross 1.5 octaves above the fc.
That said one would need to simulate / measure the Axi driver to know for sure - Celestion has its own tool nowadays.
 

Günter Tobian

Industry Expert
Oct 31, 2019
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This speaker is clearly posisioned for the extreme high end luxury market. But USD 175.000,- for a pair? I do not doubt that they sound very good, but is it at all possible to explain why they are this expensive?
yes sure I will gladly explain,
Everything is made in Switzerland nothing in cheap wage countries that is an immense difference. This is a main difference and not if a compression driver costs $500 or $700 more or less.

From a costing point of view, we also have to take into account our extreme time and development expenses as well as distribution and dealers.

If you want to read up the production key features we describe the effort very well on our website.

And I am firmly convinced that the result also counts if it is not the most important!! and once you have heard the 18FH it is more understandable to you.
 
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Günter Tobian

Industry Expert
Oct 31, 2019
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So you do use a nice first order series crossover?
Thanks

Matt
we use only one handmade 13kg coil for bass plus capacitor for frequency response regulation for woofer
you are welcome
 

Günter Tobian

Industry Expert
Oct 31, 2019
28
31
80
www.tobian-soundsystems.com
Interesting, but this horn looks too small to get comfortably down to 200Hz. Usually a horn that low is huge.
t was my wish was to build a horn that reaches from 200Hz to 20k we have designed this horn that we have matched exactly to this driver that works very well. the horn from the 18Fh goes down to just below 300Hz

somehow this seems to have been mixed up or I made a mistake in describing it.
 

Günter Tobian

Industry Expert
Oct 31, 2019
28
31
80
www.tobian-soundsystems.com
depending on the geometry (for example Tractrix) @ 55cm, the fc of the horn would be circa 200hz but of course the horn will not load properly to the fc hence the “common” approach to cross 1.5 octaves above the fc.
That said one would need to simulate / measure the Axi driver to know for sure - Celestion has its own tool nowadays.
Hi Bill
that's absolutely correct we also have our own measuring systems and have a super equipped laboratory 30km away from us that we used for time to time
 
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Golum

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Jun 7, 2018
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Funny how entire discussion is circling around price tag. It is what it is and every producer sets it based on xyz parameters known to him. I find it interesting that we are talking on this forum about electronics and other speakers costing easy like this speaker, DACs selling for 50k to 150k being sold like hot cookies and all this is kind of normal...
But maybe the issue is that majority of members did not see/hear this gear in person and hence this price tag is "not allowed" for someone who is not globally acclaimed or known which I can understand and is a valid point. Anyhow whoever is around south part of Switzerland I advise him to contact Gunter and without any strings attached just goes and listens to the gear on his own.
 

Audiophile Bill

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Mar 23, 2015
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we use only one handmade 13kg coil for bass plus capacitor for frequency response regulation for woofer
you are welcome
Presumably you use something steeper (2nd order or more) to protect the Axi low end though, Gunter, right?
 

morricab

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Apr 25, 2014
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depending on the geometry (for example Tractrix) @ 55cm, the fc of the horn would be circa 200hz but of course the horn will not load properly to the fc hence the “common” approach to cross 1.5 octaves above the fc.
That said one would need to simulate / measure the Axi driver to know for sure - Celestion has its own tool nowadays.
I see a 60 cm Tractrix with 200Hz cutoff (about 24 inches, which is already quite a bit larger than this one). However, as you said, properly loading you need a cutoff really of about half that frequency to get a clean 200hz. A 110Hz Tractrix is around 1 meter wide (39.4 inches)...so about twice the diameter of the horn on this speaker...
 
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morricab

Well-Known Member
Apr 25, 2014
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Switzerland
I see a 60 cm Tractrix with 200Hz cutoff (about 24 inches, which is already quite a bit larger than this one). However, as you said, properly loading you need a cutoff really of about half that frequency to get a clean 200hz. A 110Hz Tractrix is around 1 meter wide (39.4 inches)...so about twice the diameter of the horn on this speaker...
A spherical horn could be around 800 mm but that is still huge....
 

morricab

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Apr 25, 2014
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t was my wish was to build a horn that reaches from 200Hz to 20k we have designed this horn that we have matched exactly to this driver that works very well. the horn from the 18Fh goes down to just below 300Hz

somehow this seems to have been mixed up or I made a mistake in describing it.
Ah, ok that seems more likely. As you know, the size goes up very rapidly as you descend down the frequency range. Is it a spherical design or Tractrix or some other geometry? It doesn't look like a constant directivity design...
 

Audiophile Bill

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Mar 23, 2015
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Ah, ok that seems more likely. As you know, the size goes up very rapidly as you descend down the frequency range. Is it a spherical design or Tractrix or some other geometry? It doesn't look like a constant directivity design...

Celestion FYI made their own CD horn called the big red horn for the Axi driver - fc is 400hz on it.


I can’t see it for sale so wonder what happened to it
 

Audiophile Bill

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morricab

Well-Known Member
Apr 25, 2014
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Switzerland
Celestion FYI made their own CD horn called the big red horn for the Axi driver - fc is 400hz on it.


I can’t see it for sale so wonder what happened to it
How big is that red horn?
 

Audiophile Bill

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Mar 23, 2015
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Audiophile Bill

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Mar 23, 2015
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C73CC4C0-0F21-4A91-8096-17DD8F565D41.jpeg
 
Jan 18, 2012
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about the same as a friend of mine has designed for the TAD TD 4003
will be tested within next couple of months.......target to not need 2002 from 6K and up and simpler filter + closer to point source presentation
starts as conical and last third is tractrix perfectly even distribution of same frequency curve up to 18K in 90 degree width
4003 is only driver capable of this due to high sensitivity all the way up
 
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Tango

VIP/Donor
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Unfortunately horn people here are difficult to get by because they have been there done that too, not just buying finished product like me. It is difficult to get these people to promote anything.
 

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