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If a " system " cannot do this, I move on........

I have been advocating on here for some time, that horn speakers ( properly designed, tweeked, executed and set up ) are the only speakers that my brain and ears find acceptable, for the enjoyment of music listening. My listening standard has been live, unamplified music, for now over 50 years. I have also stated on many occasions, that as an audiophile ( as well as being a music listener ), that we are hindered by the recordings themselves, minimizing what we actually are hearing. There has been much talk lately about engineers using " auto tune " ( specifically with vocalists ). Adele ( I am a fan ), with her new hit " Easy On Me ", does not use auto tune, and I am thrilled. Besides being a great singer, she sounds " natural ", less processed. Most recordings in the past 20 years, have used this other electronic " equalization " if you will, that we find embedded in out prescious recordings. The strive for perfection, that " audio nirvana ", we all seek, with the purchase of a new speaker, amplifier, cables, etc., gets us only so far. So yes, dynamics and details are very important to me. Tone, coherence and spatiality are also very important. But the reality is, our recordings, by the time we receive / hear them ( whatever format ), have been severly altered from being close to the real thing. Yet, audiophiles continue to spend big bucks on their gear, their rooms ( their systems ), to get to that place of enjoyment. The title of this thread, " If a system cannot do this, I move on ", has a specific meaning. What I listen for, most of all, with every recording I listen to, is an engagenment between me, and the performers. Following the individual rhythms and musical lines, by the artists, is the number one factor I strive to hear. My system allows for this. My question is : how many of you actually listen for this, or even know what I am speaking of. My personal experience listening to so many high priced systems, has been very disappointing in using this criteria. I am not anticipating this thread to develop into a very large or popular one, but I have not participated in Agon for a while, and I just wanted to shine a light on a subject that is crucial to us and our time listening to music, which some of us spend much time doing. Enjoy, and be well. Always, MrD.

mrdecibel

Showing 1 response by oldschoolsound

oldschoolsound's avatar
oldschoolsound
28 posts
 

@mrdecibel,  Nice description of what many of us heard as teenagers when our listening preferences were being formed.  The sound of Altec and Klipsch horn speakers in the 1970s is what did it for me.  

As many have pointed out, Klipsch speakers in particular really benefit from upgrading their stock capacitors.  They have also made some improvements in their Heritage line over the years.  However, I can’t say I like the sound of their “modern” tower speakers vs. their old school designs.  Again, personal preference, but even they have proven not all horn speakers are created equal.

Recently, I finished a modified Altec Model 19 project giving the 416A woofer its own reinforced cabinet and tried new and old compression drivers and horns to find the most enjoyable combination.  So even if you’re in the horn camp, there are different flavors for your own preference. 

Trying different capacitors in Zilch’s Z-19 crossover actually surprised me as to how much it could change the sonics of the speakers, for good or bad vs. what I was looking for.  (But this is for any speaker, not just horns, though they tend to reveal the differences more.)

But it’s not just the electronic altering of the recording that engineers use to get a certain sound, it starts with how the room is setup acoustically with room treatments.  I would suggest that horn speakers are more in need of proper acoustic room treatments to sound their best, especially in reflections points between the speaker and listener.  

Engineers also affect the sound with the instrument or vocalist’s position in relationship to the microphone.  Given the horn’s by-design directed sound distribution, their placement in the room and to the listening position, especially toe-in, also seem to alter their sound more than all-cone speakers. 

That said, I’ve heard capable horn speakers sound bad when the room, placement, etc., is not set up correctly.  I’d even say they can be made to sound worse than a non-horn speaker in a poorly prepared listening environment.  This could be why some people are anti-horn.

So, while horns may need more attention to detail to sound their best, the rewards can be as you described.  Thanks for reminding us it’s about enjoying the music.

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