Differences Between Folded Horn Speakers and Transmission Line Speakers

I would have to build from a kit. I don't have the tools to build from scratch. I wish I did. Still, I think it has the potential to be a rewarding project. I'm looking forward to it. 

Transmission lines have the reputation of excellent deep bass, but they are also very, very inefficient.  They need a big amp.  

Iʻm not fond of those transmission line designs that have only an 8" bass driver, or even two of them.  You need surface area to move a lot of air.  Thereʻs no replacement for displacement. 

Just because you donʻt have the tools to build from scratch doesnʻt mean you canʻt do a project.  Go to any local cabinet shop with a diagram of what you want and they can cut the parts for you.  They could also assemble the enclosure for you if you need it.  It wonʻt cost as much as you might think.

As for horns, the enclosure stops acting like a horn based upon the size of the horn mouth.  The lowest frequency that it acts like a horn is based upon the quarter wave length. If your horn mouth is 3 feet across, then that quarter wave length is:

The speed of sound
===============
full wave length

The speed of sound is 1100 ft/second.  If the horn mouth is 3 feet, then the wave length is 12 feet.   1100/12 = 91 hz.   The reason that Klipsch made corner horns is that they use the room corner as part of the horn.  Thatʻs how you get a horn mouth that is 8 feet across, which is the quarter wave length at about 34 hz.

@russbutton That is interesting information. The people in these forums are a wealth of information. Thx.

Actually while the Klipsch is called a corner horn that only means it was designed to fit in a corner because the walls reinforce the bass but just like putting any speaker in a corner. The corner doesn't really act as an extension of the horn. A good example of a speaker designed for a corner that isn't a horn are the Audio Note speakers that are voiced in the bass so they need corner reinforcement and yet they look like classic 2 way box speakers.

@svjerry

Our RV is a very heavy 5th wheel, last time on scales 24,500lb. It was 39.5 ft long, now 41 but has a bit more than 2 ft added to the floor space length. With the 3 slides is is 432sq ft. I will edit the floor plan in the program I design with and post a pic on a thread on this site if interested. I was into  ultra high end car audio sound quality competition and learned from masters and did quite well in it. I am used to a mobile environment and will do what it takes to make this pretty darn good, just not guarantee it will be as good as I could do in a home or even the right car or truck. I actually did my first car audio install when I was 16, just turned 73 this month.

I have a great 10 watt P/P tube amp that is not to power hungry and am building a high grade D class amp as well as a Nelson Pass class A amp, just to try everything out but in the end D class is what I will run, at least most of the time.

---------------------

There are a number of speaker kits that would do you very well so take your time and learn as much as you can about them. I went with the Frugel-Horn due to limited space to place them and what I think I can get them to do in it. The Joan is the largest and not available in kit form but the XL is and still quite a fine way to go, I might end up building a set of them as well.

Single driver, no crossover, even paying for a kit you end  up with a dang fine speaker that does not need a lot of power and many use them without a sub so very moderate cost, heck of a bargain really.

BUT, another type of horn loaded, TL, etc might be best for your particular space, style  and end result you are after.

Rick