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How much of High End Audio is Horn Speakers?

An audio friend of mine had been discussing my future speaker purchase. We discussed, Harbeth, Devore, Spendor, Audio Note and other more traditional speaker brands. A week or two later he called an asked me what speakers I had purchased. When I told him Klipsch, there was a little silence on the other end of the line. Our call probably ended a little sooner then usual. I could tell he was disappointed in my purchase. Is it the Klipsch name that illicits this type of response or is it Horn speakers in general? After thinking about some of the other Audiophiles in town, a good deal of them are on the low power high efficiency speaker route and more than a few I know are using Horns. Does anyone know how the high end market share is divided? Is there a stigma associated with certain lower cost Horn speakers? Or is this just Klipsch? I now own a pair of Klipsch Cornwalls and am enjoying the journey associated with tweaking the sound to my taste. Is there an unwritten rule that friends don’t let friends buy Klipsch?

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tinear123
240 posts
 

Here's the deal... no speaker is perfect each type has strengths and weaknesses (conventual sealed box & vented, electrostatic, ribbon, horn, and a few others).  There are so many types due to people's preferences between speed, dynamics, imaging, resolution, tonal color, frequency range, AND cost.

I have made the journey over the years between several types and top brands and have landed back with horn speakers for the last 3 years and continue to love them.  Do not be detoured by what others preferences are or brand snobs. 

This hobby is a journey, enjoy the ride and discovery along the way.

henry53's avatar
henry53
280 posts
 

It is clear that Klipsch are special, you either love them or not, I'm a definite not despite trying to do so for 50 years.

plaw
80 posts
 

I have Wilson's for two-channel and Klipsch for Home Theater.  I had the K-Horns and felt that they were super harsh (could have been the volumes we played them at too).  I got the Chorus II's, love em.  They are still fun to listen to.  I heard Avante Gardes a couple of years ago, what struck me is everything was fun to listen to - no matter what you fed them, sounded good.  If it is a bad recording, my Wilsons are going to make that track unlistenable.  If you like the Klipsch - awesome!  I want to hear the new PS Audio speakers - they look very interesting.

Ag insider logo xs@2x
bouncehit
73 posts
 

The best part 😎

AG’s, Tune Audio, and Shinjitsu Research here. And I LOVE KLIPSCH. 

Enjoy those incredible Cornwalls!!

ja_kub_sz's avatar
ja_kub_sz
254 posts
 

As of right now I've been really interested in the JBL S3900, but always wondered about the horn/anti horn discussion.

I'm a big fan of my JBL L100 75's, and the S3900 would be my jump speaker if I was gonna make the horn leap.

I visually am not into the La Scala as much for some reason.

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