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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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larryi
3,778 posts
 

I think the Avantgarde speakers represent modern horn systems quite well--they are dynamic, engaging, and fun to listen to with no more tonal issues than any other speakers.  Yes, all speakers are voiced differently, so it may be the case that an Avantgarde speaker may not fit one's particular taste, but, none of the systems I heard were so extreme in tonal balance that they stood out in that respect.  Like all horn systems, they do require very good amplification, particularly at the low wattage levels that they will require.  I heard the Duos and Trios with both tube and solid state electronics; for me, low-wattage tube is the way to go.

Ag insider logo xs@2x
bouncehit
73 posts
 

I think the Avantgarde speakers represent modern horn systems quite well--they are dynamic, engaging, and fun to listen to with no more tonal issues than any other speakers.  Yes, all speakers are voiced differently, so it may be the case that an Avantgarde speaker may not fit one's particular taste, but, none of the systems I heard were so extreme in tonal balance that they stood out in that respect.  Like all horn systems, they do require very good amplification, particularly at the low wattage levels that they will require.  I heard the Duos and Trios with both tube and solid state electronics; for me, low-wattage tube is the way to go.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>Well said!  My AG Duos do NOT have the typical horn colorations.  And for life-like sound, Klipsch is VERY hard to beat, IMO.  ;)  

vladtheimpala
99 posts
 

Speakers speak, horns blow 😊

roxy54's avatar
roxy54
7,769 posts
 

And what miracles are you listening to vladtheimpala?

vladtheimpala
99 posts
 

3-way floor standing speakers with AMTs that are sufficiently engineered to preclude the need to horn load to achieve usable sensitivity.

There are many to choose from. Take your pick. If horns were the answer, then I suppose that Magicos, Rockfords, Bowers and Wilkins, Focals, Raidhos, KEFs, Monitor Audios, Sonus Fabers, Stenheims, Wilsons, MartinLogans, Dalis, TADs, Fink Teams, Cantons, Elacs and the rest of the industry's very best offerings would either be horn loaded designs, or said manufacturers would at least offer a single horn loaded model in their line, wouldn't they?
Horns are best suited for concert venues where sensitivity is crucial to achieve concert worthy SPLs with minimal amplification and extremely long throw coverage.
BTW, I was employed by a pro sound contractor for 14 years and I'm plenty familiar with the concept or horn loading and it's attendant benefits and limitations. I view horns for hi-fi as an anachronism of yore, but there are still those among us who prefer a couple of 4-barrel carburetors over that new-fangled fuel injection stuff, and they are welcome to it.

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