Seeking horn array loudspeakers with a maximum price of $17,500.00 per pair.


My system consists of the following:

  1. Focal 938 loudspeaker
  2. Bryston $B3 cubed power amplifier
  3. Rogue Audio RP-1 preamp
  4. Weiss DAC 204 DAC with Modwright Power supply
  5. Lumin U2-mini with S Booster power supply
  6. Seeking horn loud speaker that sounds rich, full bodied and dynamic at 50-55 decibel levels. 
  7. Thanks.

 

kjl1065

Showing 4 responses by larryi

I like the suggestions of Volti speakers.  I also like some open baffle speakers that utilize horn midrange/tweeter arrays, like the PureAudioProject speakers, although I think the full range driver and coaxial and AMT midrange/tweeter modules that are options for their speakers are also very good alternatives to their horn option.  The recommendation for Charney Audio is also good, although they do not utilize a compression driver/horn array, and instead, employ a single full range driver in a quarter wave backloaded horn configuration.  Perhaps not a horn system, but, very much in the same family in terms of sound and shockingly good.  The full range driver/powered woofer speakers from Rethm are also in the same sonic camp.

If you can get to the Washington DC area, check out Deja Vu Audio.  They are a retail business, but, they also make a lot of their own speakers, amplifiers, linestages, phono stages and DACs.  They make extremely good horn-based systems for around $12k that utilize modern drivers, and even better systems utilizing vintage compression drivers and horns (but more expensive).  Whether you buy anything there or not, it will be a blast hearing their custom gear.  It is their belief that the amplifier is at least as important as the speaker, and I don't think they will sell someone a custom speaker unless it will be used with appropriate tube amplification (not all tube amplifiers fit that description).

If you end up choosing something that is high in efficiency, I think you should explore low-powered tube amplification as an alternative to your Bryston amplifiers.  Most solid state amps sound boring and lifeless compared to good low-powered tube amps, and the Bryston amps I've heard are not an exception.

You are looking for something that sounds good at most volume levels.  That is one of the major strengths of horn systems.  But, it is also the strength of other types of speakers like the backloaded horn full range driver system like those from Charney Audio.  I like their Companion models.  I heard, and liked this model with a Voxativ and an AER driver (I liked the AER a little more).

AsI mentioned above, find a high efficiency speaker, horn or otherwise, that you like, and then consider getting a low-powered tube amp.  The amp is also very important to great sound at low listening levels.  Most solid state amps need to be played at a higher volume levels to sound lively.

The Edgarhorns I heard were very good sounding; they lacked the peaky midrange sound of some horn systems.