....I recently listened to some large horn speakers...I just don't get them.
Firstly they were clearly highly directional. Secondly, mid range seemed over emphasised with a "cuppy" effect...Lastly they were no more dynamic than any other large speaker.
Is it me? Am I biased?...Some rave about horns but it's lost on me.
...What are others experiences?
I have owned a few horn speakers but 90% of my experiences were selling them to mostly non-technical audiophiles from the 70s-2000s in regional specialty stores. During most all of that time Klipsch was the biggest selling speaker line by a good bit. Bose was usually the top brand overall but they were not close in traditional commission audio/video stores. So, I am familiar with seller and owner experiences.
On the buyer side, horn speakers, specifically Klipsch, were clearly differentiated in both concept and sound. Directionality and efficiency are easy to hear in a demo room filled with 20 other speaker pairs. Through most of this period movies and multi-channel audio were more likely to be demonstrated than two channel music, so precise localization, wide frequency response, and slam mattered more than cupped midrange. This is particularly true when powered through wattage restricted muti-channel receivers. For live music lovers, horns have a dynamic advantage at least when played through a retailer's switch box. They also more closely simulate pop/rock amplified concert venues as well as movie theaters both sonically and visually.
This may not align with what most at ASR consider to be "good" speaker performance, but consider. During this period component audio/home theater was more popular and more social than today. The neighbor with the best audio/home theater was where kids/parents often congregated. High on the priority list was purchasing speakers that sounded demonstrably different from what they had before (say, KLH or ARs) AND where their purchase decision would impress (and could be easily defended against) their neighbors. Klipsch advertised that their customer satisfaction, repeat purchases, and referrals were consistently #1 in the industry, and I have no reason to dispute that. Most customers loved them and they stayed out the door.
From the seller perspective the goal is telling a clear story, predict what will be heard, and then proving it with a demo. Of all components, loudspeakers are where the salesperson had the greatest impact (and where manufacturer's made sure commissions were the highest). Some of Klipsch's brand story has little to do with horns.... crazy genius Paul Klipsch, oldest U.S brand, Hope Arkansas. But the technical part, controlled directivity, high efficiency = low distortion, and wide frequency response were simple, consistent, understandable, and easy to demonstrate. They are louder, with more slam, with plenty of bass and treble in a retail demo room and pointing to the horns proved why.
Things have changed technically and in how speakers are sold. Current Klipsch products measure better and are only modestly horny. But questioning horn viability is a bit like complaining about the trunk space in a sports car. If the question is CAN horns measure well, certainly some of Amir and Erin's tests prove they can. If the question is "are they good", for many years the market said they were.
