Hi Boa,
Horns have been the mainstay of live musical events for ages, because they are so efficient, not because they are more realistic. Which means engineering costs and physical sizes of cones can be more manageable, and power amps can also be more manaegeble. Furthermore, the speakers are there for an artificial purpose, that is to increase the volume of the musicians to an ARTIFICIALLY hiher volume level to allow every one in the audience to be able to hear the music clearly.
The 'smacking of the lips'that you refer to is simply detail you are hearing as a function of the microdynamic capability of horn speakers. BUT that is not to say that cone speakers are not capable of such microdynamics. Detail is often described as transparency and this often comes at the expense of broad brush strokes which communicate more tonal warmth.
I donot think we are talking with the same understanding of the terms we are using, and it may well be difficuult to demonstrate what we each mean without being in the same room with the speakers. Nonetheless if you would kindly read steve rochlins review of the Galantes compared to his reference duos you will understand better what i am trying to describe to you.
Boa, I believe it would have been far more accurate and useful statement if you had proposed the following:-
Why is it that audiophiles who fill the pages of audiogon forums, audioasylum, reviewers etc etc. are all using horn speakers? which of course is the opposite of the truth. Afterall it is the audiophile that spends hours upon hours comparing his units with his audiophile mates, using repeated precise mental assessment of the pieces he hears. PA system designers and users have other more important practical issues to consider, and I know for sure sound quality is not at the top of their agenda's.
Luke.