Primer on horns

Since horns are so efficient, you have to have an amp that runs pure Class A or is at least biased pretty highly. Since horns take such low power to play at reasonable levels, you will hear the low level switching on many Class AB amps. Many low powered tube amps are run strictly in Class A, making them free from switching distortion. Hence, they compliment the characteristics of horns quite well. The switching noise is what tends to make horns sound "grating" or "harsh". That and the fact that many metal based horns ring like crazy. Plastic horns do the same thing, but at a different frequency range. Knowing that, one can easily damp or minimize the effect of the horn throat itself and cure much of the problem.

With all of that in mind, i would look for older gear and begin to tinker. You have the PERFECT opportunity to do that here. Spend a little bit and learn to "upgrade" components on your own. Not only will you see first hand what it takes to make things "tick", you'll be rewarded with a system that blows smoke for pennies on the dollar. You will also be able to say with as much pride as you can muster "i built this".

Don't let a prior lack of "hands on" scare you away. There are TONS of good DIY websites and kits out there with plenty of people willing to help. Try checking out the bottlehead and tube forums over on AA. As "Clueless" mentioned, there are also many other forums dedicated to tube / horn combo's, so you've got plenty of info and research ahead of you. If you do take the type of approach that i mention, you'll be in for some of the best music and most fun that you've ever had with hi-fi. Sean
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Ezmeralda, my comments were talking about AB amps that were "richly biased". I'm talking about amps that stay in Class A for at least several watts. You can typically tell these from other SS amps as they tend to run hot even at idle. Most amps that are labeled AB and don't get hot unless you're standing on the throttle are not biased very richly. As such, they operate more in Class B than they do in Class A mode.

Most efficient horn based systems under "dynamic" listening conditions will never leave the "first few watts" region of operation. As such, switching distortion is basically non-existent in a high bias AB or pure Class A design. Hopefully, the rest of the amplifier design is up to snuff also.

If one is trying to do a "wall of sound" approach, a higher level of bias ( an amp that stays in Class A longer before switching over to Class B ) or "pure" Class A operation would be more appropriate if worried about crossover distortion. All you have to worry about in that situation is how to dissipate all of the heat.

As to the general content of your post, i can't argue with most of it. One can find poorly constructed and designed products to use as examples regardless of how they are labeled and / or categorized and marketed. This includes, but is not limited to, amps that operate in ANY class of operation.

However, i would keep in mind that these comments come from ( or are at least attributed to ) someone trying to sell you something. Presenting "facts" that support one's own ideas, products or agenda is typically considered "marketing" and should be considered as such. Sean
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