Horns - Necessary to complete the Audiophile Journey?

[Cut-Throat]

An upgraded Klipschorns with BMS 4591 midrange compression driver behind an Edgar style Tractrix horn and Beyma CP25 tweeter with new X-over network is among the best speakers I've ever heard. Klipschorn bass bin is really something. You can literally feel the bass punch in your chest. Deep, tight, articulate, into the face point-blank.

That's very close to what I'm doing. If you look at my Avatar, you will see the Klipsch Bass Bins paired with Oris Horns (Orphean System) which consists of the BMS 4592ND/16 compression drivers. These have a Concentric Tweeter, and the Orphean System has a passive crossover for the Mids and 7,000 Hz for the Highs. I am bi-amping with Hypex Plate Amps on the Khorn Bass Bins and Korneff clone 45 SET amps for the Oris Horns. I doubt I will ever change speakers.

 

[bluesboy]

The Klipschorn is much maligned by many in the audio community. And for good reason as the k-400 mid horn and k-55 mid driver can be to say the least improved on in terms of sound quality. Updating the tweeters and the crossovers can be beneficial also.

That being said the K-Horn bass bins when properly placed do have an amazing sound. Paul Klipsch once said the Klipschorn is a tinkerers dream or words to that effect.

 

[TzuSHimA1]

Is this too big? Phasure/BD-Design Orelo (12" and 15" woofer versions)

http://www.bd-design.nl/index.html

http://www.phasure.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=au097h3holp743sanbmjjteau7&board=24.0

Nice, I like the transducers arrayed in alignment.

 

[TzuSHimA1]

TAD 4003 and FLH is a killer combination.

 

[Ron Texas]

Horns are fine, if you are a goat.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Horns are fine, if you are a goat.

Cone speakers are fine, if you're a cow.

 

[Ron Texas]

Cone speakers are fine, if you're a cow.

A cow? don't you have anything funnier?
Then, what do we do with flat panels and ribbon tweaters?

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

A cow? don't you have anything funnier?
Then, what do we do with flat panels and ribbon tweaters?

Goats are pretty un-funny, at least in my experience with at the goat down the street.

At any rate, flat panels are for Mules, and ribbon tweeters are for Snakes. Don't try to fight me on this point. Everybody agrees with me.

 

[Sal1950]

I'm kinda proud of being a horny guy.

 

[scrubb]

Yes, horns are definitely required to complete your audiophile journey.


…I’ll show myself out.

 

[Ron Texas]

 

[Cut-Throat]

Horns are fine, if you are a goat.

Yes, Horns are the Greatest Of All Time.....

 

[Vuki]

Latlely I've been listening to this a lot (designing xover for them)-Altec A7

It really sounds wonderfull. The problem is I can get only one in my room - so have been evaluating in a harman approved way - mono

 

[mhardy6647]

Latlely I've been listening to this a lot (designing xover for them)-Altec A7
View attachment 160075

It really sounds wonderfull. The problem is I can get only one in my room - so have been evaluating in a harman approved way - mono

You have chosen wisely
Is the woofer a 515B or a 416 family member? Looks like the former.
What treble driver are you using?

Gratuitous and unsolicited tip (sorry!). Consider losing that 811B (or is it a 511B?) and swappin' in an EMILAR EH-500-2, EMILAR throat adaptor, and an 802D driver.

DSC_6853 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

 

[Vuki]

You have chosen wisely
Is the woofer a 515B or a 416 family member? Looks like the former.
What treble driver are you using?

Gratuitous and unsolicited tip (sorry!). Consider losing that 811B (or is it a 511B?) and swappin' in an EMILAR EH-500-2, EMILAR throat adaptor, and an 802D driver.

DSC_6853 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

It's not mine
It's 416, 802g (gpa dia) and 511.
I have some expirience with altecs - have 414, 416, 902 (with tractrix) , 288 (with jmlc) , 604 and also had 511 (but get rid of it).

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Latlely I've been listening to this a lot (designing xover for them)-Altec A7
View attachment 160075

It really sounds wonderfull. The problem is I can get only one in my room - so have been evaluating in a harman approved way - mono

UGH, Altec speakers, and especially the VOTT ones are horrible.

 

[Vuki]

UGH, Altec speakers, and especially the VOTT ones are horrible.

Of course - the polars are terrible.

 

[mhardy6647]

Of course - the polars are terrible.

Measures bad, sounds good...
oops, did I just post that here?!?

 

[mhardy6647]

I have some expirience with altecs - have 414, 416, 902 (with tractrix) , 288 (with jmlc) , 604 and also had 511 (but get rid of it).

Good choice (re: the 511).
I'd love to stumble across a nice (ahem, and affordable) pair of 414s.
I would do this (or something like this)...

Altec 753C

jelabs.blogspot.com

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Measures bad, sounds good...
oops, did I just post that here?!?

Actually the A7 / A7-500 measure just about as well as any modern speaker if executed well, for instance if active crossovers are used and some voicing is used especially on the HF driver. Its distortion contribution beats or equals just about anything available now.

As far as polar response, I think that is basically a useless specification unless there are going to be critical listeners well off-axis. As far as I'm concerned, the high directivity (and yes 'beaming') of these VOTT speakers is a virtue, not a liability. Good holographic imaging comes from the recording. Any sound coming from the walls of the room is distortion of the inherent spatial qualities of the recording. High directivity preserves as much of the recording's imaging qualities as possible by keeping the contribution of the room as small as possible.