Horn Speakers - Is it me or.......

[LTig]

View attachment 539978
Taken from https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...iful-speakers-in-the-world.17178/post-2621110

The perfect desktop system ...
Well, if this is not AI, I'm wondering how far away one must listen to hear it as kind of a point source.

 

[Flaesh]

ISE 2024 @Barcelona — Pequod Acoustics

pequodacoustics.com

I brought up the photo above to the question about low [more or less low] frequency horns.

A typical home speaker has a single horn\waveguide above 800-600 Hz and is used at a distance of several meters.
Three+ meter long horns can be placed in an apartment. But not everyone wants an aggressive high-pass filter at 30+ Hz. I'll stick with direct-radiating subwoofers. Which solve most modal problems without using room correction.

 

[WerT]

OK, it happened again. I recently listened to some large horn speakers. I have periodically done this over many years at various hifi shows. I came away again with the same thoughts. I just don't get them.

Firstly they were clearly highly directional. Unless I was right bang in the firing line on axis they had no high frequencies.

Secondly, mid range seemed over emphasised with a "cuppy" effect. Exactly like the sound you get if you cup your hands around your mouth.

Lastly they were no more dynamic than any other large speaker.

All the same characteristics I have heard previously.

Is it me? Am I biased? Heard the wrong horns? Some rave about horns but it's lost on me.

What are others experiences?

You can make them sound good via dsp maybe they were trying to do horns with passive xover? but yeah i dont think you can solve directionality - perhaps with some esoteric horn designs

 

[Flaesh]

can solve directionality

Want you 360º horizontal?))

 

[WerT]

i currently run some open baffles that sound very good and i have just started to build some MEH speakers. 360 omni speakers like your drawing would have advantages for listening in broad areas maybe a restaurant where everyone is seated?

 

[Flaesh]

i have just started to build some MEH

Nice! What will be the directivity? I'll probably try to build the MEH again someday. For now, I'm using old, outdated, obsolete SEOs with dcx464. Measured by mtg90:

I definitely don't want it wider.

360 omni speakers like your drawing

This is Duevel "Bella Luna - omnidirectional highend audio speaker"

 

[WerT]

I'm building scott hinsons meh with the b&c drivers so... whatever they are

 

[WerT]

This is Duevel "Bella Luna - omnidirectional highend audio speaker"

I have heard the b&o speakers that look a bit like that and i wasn't super impressed at the time. tbh

 

[Newman]

The Duevel probably wouldn't impress either, not in a blind test:-

© Hifinews​

 

[Flaesh]

b&o speakers that look a bit like that and i wasn't super impressed at the time

But there are only 180º there! We can expect 360º to be double as non impressive.

scott hinsons meh with the b&c drivers

Yeah, these dcx464 are everywhere now. And once there were three of them - I bought two and Mark bought the third))

 

[gnarly]

But there are only 180º there! We can expect 360º to be double as non impressive.

Yeah, these dcx464 are everywhere now. And once there were three of them - I bought two and Mark bought the third))

Yeah, remember that ?!

I've ended up with three of them, in my LCR syn/meh setup. Love em You still like yours?

They really are everywhere...word is L'Acoustics has chosen then for their new killer L1 system.

 

[Duke]

Yeah, these dcx464 are everywhere now...

I've ended up with three of them, in my LCR syn/meh setup. Love em

Sweet!

They really are everywhere...word is L'Acoustics has chosen then for their new killer L1 system.

Are either of you aware of anyone using them in commercial home audio or studio monitor speakers?

 

[Bwaslo]

Nice! What will be the directivity? I'll probably try to build the MEH again someday. For now, I'm using old, outdated, obsolete SEOs with dcx464. Measured by mtg90:
View attachment 544298
I definitely don't want it wider.

This is Duevel "Bella Luna - omnidirectional highend audio speaker"

Hey, are you by chance on the US west coast? I have some MEHs that I don't use anymore (and for anyone reading, no, I am not willing to ship them!)

 

[Flaesh]

remember that ?!

I won't forget this).

You still like yours?

Yes, they almost always play, just in SEOS24 with a 15" midbass in its box. There are 4594 and D2430K on the shelf also.

 

[Flaesh]

Hey, are you by chance on the US west coast?

Hi! Nope, I'm 20 km east of Europe. As Pano said, somewhere beyond the Urals. XSim is sometimes used for simple questions, thank you!
The country on diya, without my participation, for some reason changed to US.

 

[gnarly]

I won't forget this).
View attachment 544419

Yes, they almost always play, just in SEOS24 with a 15" midbass in its box. There are 4594 and D2430K on the shelf also.

Hell yes, worth celebrating ! Nice collection of co-axials you have for sure.

Only other CDs I have are four 4594HE's, and three of the little 1" peerless folks like (haven' tried them yet)

 

[Plcamp]

Horns can be very good. This is a Joseph Crowe 600 hz horn.

 

[gnarly]

Are either of you aware of anyone using them in commercial home audio or studio monitor speakers?

I'm not Duke...

The only home use I've seen is DIY folks putting them in MEHs, or rigs like Flaesh has.

I've tried the dcx464 on a handful of commercial horns...Eighteen sound xt1464 xr1464, xr1496, RCF hf950, a couple of large JBL and DDS horns, and the B&C me464 made for dcx464, to show it's good down to 300Hz.
Performs a little differently on all of them of course.
My fav is still the DIY conical MEHs, despite the CD not being quite as well behaved as when on a horn without ports in it.

 

[Flaesh]

three of the little 1" peerless

We need to put them all into one horn\wg, like in the top Summits.

collection

14 annular diaphragms in a small old apartment with one stereo system, counting a pair of 4550. And nothing decent with a dome of 3" or more.
Did you end up choosing the 464 over the 459x? We discussed it then, but a lot of time passed.

 

[gnarly]

We need to put them all into one horn\wg, like in the top Summits.

14 annular diaphragms in a small old apartment with one stereo system, counting a pair of 4550. And nothing decent with a dome of 3" or more.
Did you end up choosing the 464 over the 459x? We discussed it then, but a lot of time passed.

Haha yes we do....NOT! Personally I think the new top of line Summit is pure audiophool bait!

And then with all those CDs you have the double bass array too, and me with more damn 18" subs than i know what to do with.
Addicts for sure.

Yeah, it really took me a long time to get to a firm choice, but in the end as I learned some tuning subtilties with FIR, the lower section of the B&C kept gaining clarity and realism vs the BMS.
That said, I still like the high section of the BMS a little more. And I like it's crossover point at 6300Hz better than the B&C 3-4k range.
Always tradeoffs, huh.....