Horns for SET: Low budget solutions

Thanks for your thoughtful post Rchau. To clarify my motives, long ago I heard a pair of horn loaded speakers from a maker called S.A.P. (Strumenti Acusti Pricizione) or something like that. They had the uncanny ability to throw a soundstage out into the room that I've never heard before. Most dynamic drivers project sound behind the plane of the speakers...some well to the side of the speakers and of varying degrees of depth. I've been told that horn loaded speakers combined with a SET is the only way to produce a 3 dimensional soundstage that projects out into the room (in front of the speakers as well as behind). I've never been able to forget (or afford) the SAPs...they cost about 20 grand. But I'm looking to recreate that feeling of incredible 3D presence while not also sacrificing tone. I won't part with my old system which hinges on Sequerra monitors and a Mac 225 tube amp. I have heard horn designs that I didn't care for...so I'm loath to invest huge sums of money (even if I had it!). So in order of importance for me its: tone and imaging first, then dynamics, then in last place, bass. I own an ACI subwoofer which is very quick (compares to the REL) and which can mate with horns I'm told. I listen primarily to jazz, folk, acoustic world music, a little electronic music, some classical but rarely to hard rock.

Abdou,

This changes things a bit. I've heard the S.A.P speakers many years ago and they do sound very good. Looks like you are looking for a presentation that is a bit forward and basically 'in your face'. The Welborne DRD will move you a bit in that direction. My last pair of amps were a pair of Welborne DRDs (2A3 version). The sound you are looking for is a matter of taste so you may have to search a bit. Even among very good horn speakers, not all of them will suit your needs or tastes.

I guess my best advice is to do a bit of looking around and learn what is possible with horn speakers. I'm a firm believer in horn speakers so I think it is worth the effort. However, horns don't work in all situations. If space is a real concern then a backloaded Fostex might also do the trick although those rarely have the big scale of a larger front loaded horn system.

Since you like the S.A.P. so much, I have this idea. The big S.A.P. speaker (the one that costs $20 K) basically uses a horn mid/high with a dynamic bass cabinet reinforced with a supertweeter. This is a common horn set-up. They use an Onken style bass cabinet with a wood mid horn and a bullet supertweeter. You might want to do a bit of research on Onken (Jensen) bass cabinets [http://www.studiomaudio.info/onken.html]. One can find DIY tons of plans for the Onken cabinets since they are very popular in Japan. With a little woodworking skill, you can make your own S.A.P. clone. Unfortunately, commercial designs like the S.A.P. are all going to be very expensive. There are actually a lot of commercial designs similar to the S.A.P. in Asia and Europe. There is someone on Audiogon selling a Onken based horn speaker right now.

Rchau,

Interesting that you mention the Onken, since the same guy who had the S.A.P. eventually moved to an Onken based set-up. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to hear that that system.

I like the Onken idea, though Onken tend to present the same space limitations as the La Scalas...namely they are huge. I'm in a tiny apt. in Chicago and they'd take up about half of my living room. Or am I wrong?

The Onken cabinets can get rather large especially if they are used with 15" or 18" bass drivers. They tend to be wide but shallow. However, the Jensen bass loading (i.e. Onken) can be made using much smaller drivers that are amenable for smaller rooms. Welborne used to sell plans for an Onken bass cabinet for use with the Oris horns that were not too big. I had them for a while while setting up a friends Lowther driven Oris horn. These used a 10" driver so the size was manageable.

That's why I suggested the Stonehenge cabinet and an Altec 604 driver. The cabinet ends up around 18.75" wide, 14.75" deep, and 44" tall. These are not tiny but workable in all but the smallest rooms. These can also be placed close to a wall so you save space. You can go to Iconic's website and see pics.

http://www.iconicspkrs.com/stonehenge.html

You might want to visit osaudio.com. He's a former distributor for Loth X and Zingali horns and usually has a few pairs of each available on closeout. FWIW, I listened to the SAP (Quattro if I recall) pretty extensively when I was auditioning horns and much preferred the Zingali. YMMV.

Marty