Horn based loudspeakers why the controversy?

I don't hate horns, but I find there dispersion characteristics to be very different on and off-axis.  If you tune them for on-axis listening then they are muddy off-axis.  If you tune them for off-axis listening, your ears will bleed when you are on-axis.  So, when properly tuned, they can be good on-axis, but they do not make good speakers for wide-field listening.

The sound of any speaker, including omni directional drivers,  is always better "on axis" because the stereo image is right, all conventional drivers beam some anyway, and phase plugs and proper modern horn design is about dispersion to prevent extreme beaming. Any speaker manufacturer that says their speakers sound great anywhere in the sound field is hyping their stuff, because it just ain't so since the closest speaker is always louder (see "Garcia's Second Law of Nearness," Merkle Press $4.50 plus shipping.). The "little" horns in the Heresy IIIs seem to disperse as well as the conventional tweeter speakers I have around. In fact, a little test of "realistic" (by my standards anyway) sound is how a speaker sounds from nearby…not in the direct field like when I’m in the adjoining part of the sort of "great room" where my gear is (making another martini or curled up in a fetal position weeping quietly), and the Heresy’s sound like, "hey, there are musicians over there doing something." Also note that some designs feature the fact that they "beam" higher frequency tone at the "sweet spot" listener as a way to limit wall reflections. Who cares what the speakers sound like from the side anyway? The dent on the couch from my butt where the system sounds best is there for a reason.

I'm listening to a movie with the Heresys and my sub and it sounds awesome.....  was listening to Joe Bonamassa at Albert Hall... sounded "live"    i am really loving these speakers.   

johnk

Well you seem to be correct when you say horns are controversial. Sorry to bring that to the fore front.

Best
Jim

I was the dealer of the month...but that must have been a long time ago. 

With all loudspeaker designs you compromise. Perfection does not exist in anything so since nothings perfect,designers take these imperfect parts and make a imperfect loudspeaker. We set it up in a imperfect room play imperfect music from a imperfect source and we use our imperfect mind and ears to sort it all out. I do think people assume perfection is possible and are in a bit of denial about how crude it all really is. I find imperfection to be comforting since it allows choice learning and variation. So embrace the imperfections in your system work to get synergy make compromises that work best for you. If horns are not your thing good that hopefully means you found your thing if still searching consider giving horns a try set up  a system with craigslist cast off if you hear + maybe pursue if not you can sell and get cash back plus you learned something and that cant be bad right?