Horn Speaker Recommendations

Has anyone from around the world heard the Horn Universum 3 way that are made in Poland?  There are none in North America.  
Second question, audio stores are telling me you need to use tube amps with Horns.  Do you agree?  I recently purchased Mola Mola Kaluga amps with the Makua Pre amp.  I was going to use them with a totally different speaker, but the Horns have really caught my interest.  What would I be sacrificing if I didn't use tube amps?  My current system is a Raven Audio Reflection MK2 tube amp with Sonus Faber Amati Tradition Homage speakers.  I sold that system with my house sale.  

It might be helpful to know what you are pairing the speakers with.  Would you need new amp?  Be able to use higher demanding speakers? etc.  


I would take a listen to the Rethm Saadhana.  They are a beautiful speaker in both sound and looks. 

 Loudspeaker sensitivity: 100 db/w/m. 
Impedance: 8 ohms. 
Frequency response: 22 Hz to 20 Khz. (60 Hz to 20kHz from wideband driver) Below that from the powered bass (x 3 in each enclosure) that blends in seamlessly
Minimum amplification power: 2 wpc  (A low watt tube amp sounds wonderful - no need to spend the extra $ on high watt amplification)
They have a powered bass built in so no need for a subwoofer
Sound - great detail, tone, no fatigue.  My last speaker.  And < 20K.
Gestalt HiFi (no affiliation, I just have had great service from Mike there) in Santa Fe has if close enough to drop in there.

I do not think it is necessary to use tubes on horns.  At Axpona this year the Avantgarde room was using an Esoteric integrated amp, 30 watts per channel with AG Duos and it sounded terrific.  Perhaps others on this forum heard that room and can comment on the sound.

AG amplifier designs have all been solid state.  However, in my experience a moderately priced tube amp (~$5000) will sound better than a moderately priced solid state amplifier.  I drive my Trios with a Sophia integrated tube amplifier that costs under the $5000, which uses a 206 Sophia Princess output tube (a 300B hybrid) and puts out about 5 watts and sounds wonderful with a large dense sound field similar in sonic character to the Shindo tube gear.  I highly recommend Sophia Electric tube amplifiers.

There is one horn system that I have heard over the last three years at Axpona which is most impressive at a price point, and that is the Sadurni horns, a three way system similar to the AG Trios.  The problem is one never knows how long some of these boutique audiophile companies will stay in business.  

@willgolf --

Has anyone from around the world heard the Horn Universum 3 way that are made in Poland?  There are none in North America.  

I've heard a previous iteration of the hORNS Universum (and once owned the smaller sibling model, the Mummy), and the midrange in particular was wonderful. The large JMLC mids horn presented this frequency range quite unlike anything I'd really heard before - in a positive way. 

Second question, audio stores are telling me you need to use tube amps with Horns.  Do you agree?

I disagree, but I'd urge you to audition a variety of both SS- and tube-based amps with the Universum's, and then make your assessments in the wake of this. You may end up agreeing with the audio stores you have conversed with in regards to their advice on the pairing with tube amps (or you may not), but most importantly you'd have formed your own opinion to either agree or disagree with them. I know Lukasz Lewandowski of hORNS prefers tube amps in general, but regardless seek your own experience here. 

I heard  Avantgarde Duo and Uno on Montreal Audio show:
The sound was a huge, fast and detailed. But I didn't like bass quality and tone wasn't natural:
https://youtu.be/-cjmSP574Y4
https://youtu.be/3tbErIPQiXQ
https://youtu.be/4s8AeLSdk2M

I liked Tune Audio Marvel speakers.
they have excelent, natural tone. But the sound is not as big as  Avantgarde speakers:
 https://youtu.be/JCLuH_NeVgI

Regards,
Alex