Horn Speaker Recommendations

I have had many speakers over my lifetime and have spent a lot of money on stuff.  The best long term speaker system I have encountered (and own for the past 8 years) are the Avantgarde Trios.  On the used market a pair with subs in 19 ohm configuration are about $20K, hopefully within your budget. 

In my experience there are four factors that contribute the most to long term satisfaction with a given sound system.  These are: a large wave launch, high efficiency (100 db or thereabout), good micro-dynamics and lastly no upper mid-range odd-order harmonic distortion (granted electronics are key here but some speakers can be brutal in this crucial region).

A large wave launch means the speakers never sound "loud", allowing you to see into the music better.  High efficiency puts you in a category of being able to select relatively inexpensive electronics.  Micro-dynamics give the music that subtle realism that takes you there.  Once you experience this there is no going back.  Lastly to my ears upper mid-range distortion which in many cases is from under-amplification is a pet peave and may not bother some as much as it bothers me...perhaps due to my aging ears.

Of note, the Trios are a very different animal from the Duos or other horns in the AG line-up.  While they are big and take up space, they work fine in a relatively small room.  I will concede that their imaging is not as pin point as small monitors or planar drivers, but is quite satisfactory to these ears.  Live music does not have finely delineated images. 

Good luck with your search. 

My room is 23' X 20' which I assume is smaller than most dedicated sound rooms.  That is what I am referring to as a small room.  In that space they work fine. Most venues where Trios are being displayed are much larger than that.  I should have specified that.  

I do not think it is necessary to use tubes on horns.  At Axpona this year the Avantgarde room was using an Esoteric integrated amp, 30 watts per channel with AG Duos and it sounded terrific.  Perhaps others on this forum heard that room and can comment on the sound.

AG amplifier designs have all been solid state.  However, in my experience a moderately priced tube amp (~$5000) will sound better than a moderately priced solid state amplifier.  I drive my Trios with a Sophia integrated tube amplifier that costs under the $5000, which uses a 206 Sophia Princess output tube (a 300B hybrid) and puts out about 5 watts and sounds wonderful with a large dense sound field similar in sonic character to the Shindo tube gear.  I highly recommend Sophia Electric tube amplifiers.

There is one horn system that I have heard over the last three years at Axpona which is most impressive at a price point, and that is the Sadurni horns, a three way system similar to the AG Trios.  The problem is one never knows how long some of these boutique audiophile companies will stay in business.