Why not horns?

"the throat may need to be like 35 feet long"

I can see the converts lining up now.....

Dan - I can hardly fault you for being an analogue purist but please keep in mind that everything in audio demands compromise. To my way of thinking the benefits and convenience introduced by digital processing outweigh the theoretical advantages held in place by analog austerity. Two equally valid approaches. Everybody is happy; nobody is wrong.
Mapman- Your cynical asides are not helping me any. Do they enhance your situation in some way? Do you suppose 32 foot organ pipes are used where a 3 footer would do just as well? Yes, bass horns must be that long if the frequency you strive to reproduce is low enough to require that length. Sometimes this is accomplished by folding the horn. Whatever you are using is a poor substitute for horn bass because you don't know the difference or because you can't accommodate the real deal. I don't have the room or the budget either. The photo link you provided is an example of someone who has the knowledge, dedication and wherewithal to do it right. Do you admire his system or not?

"Do you admire his system or not?"

Yes.

I just think it it a bit ironic to ask the question "why not horns" and then assert that a 35 foot throat is needed for full range bass. It may well be true but that fact does not support an argument that people should go the horn route.

Also I applaud those who strive to do anything right, but frankly this thread is scaring me further away from horns personally than when I started. Sorry.

You've been told repeatedly in this thread that true bass horns are unwieldy and that most of us have some sort of hybrid with bass reflex cabinet and midrange horn. The irony may lie in you insisting that horns are not for you over and over and over again. We got it and that's fine.
If more people take an interest in horns, better and cheaper horn systems will appear eventually. In a thread like this, we can become aware of each other and you can become aware of us. Perhaps this is the start of something that could benefit all of us in time. However, unless we start talking nothing will happen.

:The irony may lie in you insisting that horns are not for you over and over and over again."

Actually I have indicated that I am interested in horns and have researched them a good bit though I would surely not claim to be an expert.

I do not know if they are for me yet or not because I have never tried them.

And, its good that both the pros and cons are being discussed because like most anything it is a mixed bag.

Not for the faint of heart though I am fairly certain.

Don't Klipschorns achieve a fairly full range sound in a reasonable size (for horns) package?

My thought is that were I to test the waters with horns, that I would start with a proven design that has been around for a while like the Klipschorn. Its been a long time since I heard these, but I recall these to be one of the things that got me interested in audio years ago when I heard them.