24 Crazy-Ass Hi-Fi Systems

[tw 2022]

Or what to think about this fullrange horns... View attachment 244001
Or this Nelson Pass build, the Kleinhorn:

And as finisher, this massive 4 way horn system:

Oh my goodness, holy overkill Batman...

 

[MattHooper]

Or what to think about this fullrange horns... View attachment 244001
Or this Nelson Pass build, the Kleinhorn:

And as finisher, this massive 4 way horn system:

Great photos!

And the article from the OP was fun as well.

I'd love to hear those systems! For practical purposes, yeah I'd look to standard designs. But aside from that...much of "regular" hi fi is yet another similar-looking box with cones. Yawn. This stuff is way outside "the box" and it would be a blast to hear what they can do. I've heard some wacky designs at shows that, yeah, weren't checking all the best-practices boxes, but wowee did they do *certain things* in an arresting fashion!

 

[MAB]

One of my favorite "crazy ass" hifi sites is Romy the Cat at GoodSoundClub:

GoodSoundClub - Romy the Cat's Audio Playback

GoodSoundClub - Romy the Cat's personal High-End Audio site

www.goodsoundclub.com

Part of the crazy has got to be the owner.

Every time I go to this site I walk away believing in the impossible.

 

[Waxx]

This is not hifi (in the sense of home listening system), but very crazy and actually very good sounding, the german folks of Realhorn Soundsystem, who make high power full horn systems for the European rave scene:

Realhorns Soundsystems | Eggenfelden

Realhorns Soundsystems， 埃根费尔登. 23,351 次赞 · 2 人在谈论. Producer and Rental of high Quality Horn Sound system, variety of High-End Stereo and Surround System

www.facebook.com

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Number 14 looks like a morbidly obese Warlock couple who came to an All Hallows' Eve costume party disguised as a pair of Avalon loudspeakers.

 

[sq225917]

Dont the Kleinhorns owe a debt of gratitude to the Yamamura Churchill Dioniso?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9a/35/dc/9a35dc7fb016bcbfbabf8c00eb97cf0a.jpg

 

[Waxx]

Dont the Kleinhorns owe a debt of gratitude to the Yamamura Churchill Dioniso?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9a/35/dc/9a35dc7fb016bcbfbabf8c00eb97cf0a.jpg

It probally is, because a part of the amp phylosophy (minimalistic and often current source class A amps) of Nelson Pass is also comming from there.

But both use the tech that was developped by JBL in 1950-1951 with the C34 scoop horn and became widely know with the JBL 4530. This was again based on the "Domestic Corner Horn" patented by Paul Voigt in 1934 that is a both rear and front loaded horn. And he got his id's again from someone else tryouts probally...

But both the Kleinhorn and that japanese horn are drivers with the back in a compression chambre that loads a horn that come in or out phase with the front of the driver (depending on the goal) and JBL did that first. The visual form is indeed very similar and different from the classic scoop, and the Japanese one was 10 years before or so.

 

[MAB]

This is not hifi (in the sense of home listening system), but very crazy and actually very good sounding, the german folks of Realhorn Soundsystem, who make high power full horn systems for the European rave scene:

Realhorns Soundsystems | Eggenfelden

Realhorns Soundsystems， 埃根费尔登. 23,351 次赞 · 2 人在谈论. Producer and Rental of high Quality Horn Sound system, variety of High-End Stereo and Surround System

www.facebook.com

Crazy can be good! That does look stunning, and potentially great sounding.

 

[DanielT]

Great photos!

And the article from the OP was fun as well.

I'd love to hear those systems! For practical purposes, yeah I'd look to standard designs. But aside from that...much of "regular" hi fi is yet another similar-looking box with cones. Yawn. This stuff is way outside "the box" and it would be a blast to hear what they can do. I've heard some wacky designs at shows that, yeah, weren't checking all the best-practices boxes, but wowee did they do *certain things* in an arresting fashion!

Design of speakers that appeals to many. Many speakers look quite similar. Floor-standing, about the same size, same width and height. Looks pretty similar put into perspective, compared to many horn speakers shown in this thread.

Large horn speakers are for the enthusiasts. I also think that many people think horns are cool but wouldn't imagine having them at home anyway. Even if the WAF is not weighted in. If WAF is weighted in, it will most likely reduce the possibilities of bashing in horns that take up a third or half of the combined living room, listening room.Many people don't even like to sprinkle their living room with ugly black subwoofer cubes, even if it would do wonders for the music, the sound.

_____
This is what many people seem to want these days. A sound system that blends in. Few pieces of furniture and wooden floors without carpets in the living room....It gives a sound that...well some kind of sound it will be, but a good sound?:
(putting speakers on the wall CAN have its advantages, should be added)

However, this construction seems to be a smart combination of modern design, looks and also good sound. To be wireless solution good sound that is:

Ikea SYMFONISK Picture Frame Speaker Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Ikea SYMFONISK picture frame speaker designed by Sonos. I purchased it a couple of days ago from Ikea store for US $199. Their website said they had 42 in stock so they are planning to sell a lot of them. That said, there was not a single...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[Blumlein 88]

He seems to be a clearly committed man. A man and his dream, and that's something I can really appreciate!

That commitment and not just being a Crazy-Ass rich person who just randomly buys some Crazy-Ass expensive HiFi.

A system with good rhythm and timing. I can see at least three clocks in it.

 

[JSmith]

This looks rather... crazy ass;

JSmith

 

[DanielT]

This looks rather... crazy ass;

JSmith

It gives more ass-ociations to.

Ha ha among the silliest and most ridiculous things I've seen. Wonderfully idiotic.

 

[sq225917]

Er, shouldn't those main cabs be flipped 180 degrees so the mids sit under the treble horn? Like Technics 10k they are modelled on.

 

[Sokel]

People often talk about having round edges on the speaker baffles, all to minimize edge diffraction effects.But what if you do the opposite and add a lot of uh ...bowls around the speaker elements so that....uh...it should ...do...something?

Don't really know what this is. Speaker apparently:

This looks like the offspring of the Alien having sex with a bee.

 

[gitaarwerk]

Design of speakers that appeals to many. Many speakers look quite similar. Floor-standing, about the same size, same width and height. Looks pretty similar put into perspective, compared to many horn speakers shown in this thread.

Large horn speakers are for the enthusiasts. I also think that many people think horns are cool but wouldn't imagine having them at home anyway. Even if the WAF is not weighted in. If WAF is weighted in, it will most likely reduce the possibilities of bashing in horns that take up a third or half of the combined living room, listening room.Many people don't even like to sprinkle their living room with ugly black subwoofer cubes, even if it would do wonders for the music, the sound.

_____
This is what many people seem to want these days. A sound system that blends in. Few pieces of furniture and wooden floors without carpets in the living room....It gives a sound that...well some kind of sound it will be, but a good sound?:
(putting speakers on the wall CAN have its advantages, should be added)

View attachment 244132

However, this construction seems to be a smart combination of modern design, looks and also good sound. To be wireless solution good sound that is:

Ikea SYMFONISK Picture Frame Speaker Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Ikea SYMFONISK picture frame speaker designed by Sonos. I purchased it a couple of days ago from Ikea store for US $199. Their website said they had 42 in stock so they are planning to sell a lot of them. That said, there was not a single...

audiosciencereview.com

Next to my kefs, I have a Sonos Beam. What I usually do, is start playing on there, and tell them I am listening this on the Kef Reference 1. Then I switch over, ... but they are already like ooohhhhh ahhhhhh... before the switch.

I mean, Sonos is not comparable, but... for TV and background music, the interface and ease of use, is great. The eye wants something too. My beam will be built in my DIY audio/tv cabinet, because it's just fine... serves its purpose. And they are even better when you get friends & family discounts ;-)

I don't like the look of the sub. The new one is better. Maybe I'll do that...

I was thinking of getting bigger kefs.. but perhaps I should get one of those giant horns instead...for bass...obviously. Perhaps with a duck face..playing the "duck sauce" song.

 

[flor]

These speakers look like ducks

Imagine blasting this on the ducky speakers:

 

[DanielT]

Er, shouldn't those main cabs be flipped 180 degrees so the mids sit under the treble horn? Like Technics 10k they are modelled on.

It looks like that. I suspect that the owner of those Donald Duck speakers deliberately turned them upside down when he realized the humor that would come with such an image.

They are probably flipped like those Technics 10k you mention when he then listens to them. Well crafted then his Donald Duck speakers can be really good, I guess.

Next to my kefs, I have a Sonos Beam. What I usually do, is start playing on there, and tell them I am listening this on the Kef Reference 1. Then I switch over, ... but they are already like ooohhhhh ahhhhhh... before the switch.

I mean, Sonos is not comparable, but... for TV and background music, the interface and ease of use, is great. The eye wants something too. My beam will be built in my DIY audio/tv cabinet, because it's just fine... serves its purpose. And they are even better when you get friends & family discounts ;-)

I don't like the look of the sub. The new one is better. Maybe I'll do that...

I was thinking of getting bigger kefs.. but perhaps I should get one of those giant horns instead...for bass...obviously. Perhaps with a duck face..playing the "duck sauce" song.

Exactly, you can have different solutions, for different occasions and needs. Also, the development of Sonus seems to be progressing, at least those IKEA SYMFONISK Picture Frame Speaker I referred to seem exciting.

I mix new and vintage, also new and used. Right now in the bedroom an HK330C receiver, a couple of small JPW mini monitors plus a Yamaha YST-SW90 sub under the bed. The youngest of those things is ..hm.. the subwoofer from the year 2001, I think. Or wait, the youngest gadget in that solution is the Topping E30 DAC.

In any case. You are absolutely right about sound and image and the flexibility of Sonus. My sister has such an audio-visual solution and I think it's perfectly fine.

 

[Waxx]

As much as i personally hate the sound of the Sonos (at least the version of 4 years ago), my brother is perfectly happy with it for his use, to play background music. He is not an active music listener, but the radio or spotify is almost always playing in the background. So for him Sonos is perfect. He does use other speakers (JBL inwall speakers) altough (but with the sonos amp and streamer modules) as he tought the sonos speakers were crap.

But i would never install it for my own, for me it's crap. But for him, the speakers that work for me are crap.

 

[TonyJZX]

i remember the time l listened to a store demo of the original B&W Zeppellin and I thought... this really is "close enough"

i would always prefer a set of large bookshelfs say 7" driver + a good 70w and up int. amp but jeez... even the 1st Zeppellin put out such a passable performance that really, for most people, its enough

to me something like Ken Fritz is the defintion of madness and unlimited money

I did watch the doco and it just kept getting worse and worse

even here... didnt some guy have those JBL $20k speakers thats the size of an average miniskip? or an original Alec Issigonis Mini compact car?

 

[DanielT]

As much as i personally hate the sound of the Sonos (at least the version of 4 years ago), my brother is perfectly happy with it for his use, to play background music. He is not an active music listener, but the radio or spotify is almost always playing in the background. So for him Sonos is perfect. He does use other speakers (JBL inwall speakers) altough (but with the sonos amp and streamer modules) as he tought the sonos speakers were crap.

But i would never install it for my own, for me it's crap. But for him, the speakers that work for me are crap.

For two-channel stereo sound there I want a reasonably sensible and competent HiFi solution, but when I'm watching TV or movies, I don't care. Or, okay a decently capable subwoofer that can dig deep in frequency when watching action movies is nice.

Speaking of home cinema. Here's a video, Norway's rawest, (coolest) home cinema. It's enough to watch the video, you don't need to know Norwegian, and you'll understand that it's a fat system. That system would be fun to listen to.

It is a home theater, but you might think it is speakers for a commercial movie theater.