Single Driver Horn vs Multi driver efficient spker

You can get an excellent match between efficient, non-horn, dynamic, multi-driver speakers and SETs. I currently own the Total Victories, the Abbys and the Fab Audio Model 1. I now use nothing but the Fabs with a pair of ACI subs, and can't foresee changing. The M1s get along famously with PX25 amps - an Audion Silver Night in my case and an Art Audio in the system of a friend. They also work brilliantly with 300B SETs like those from Wavelength

I prefer the M1s to the TVs by a good margin because they sound much more present and alive. I could get the TVs to wake up, but not with any of my SET amps - it took a pair of 50 watt Canary P-P do do the job. I blame it on the large driver complement and the crossover. The Fabs sound much faster, more transparent and musical to me than the TVs did, even with the powerhouse amps. I've driven them both with PX25 and 300B SETs, and the conclusions were the same regardless of tube type.

I like the Abbys, but frankly they are not in the same league as either of the bigger speakers. With a pair of subs running they sound very present, spacious and dynamic - a non-audiophile friend heard them and said the sound made her break out in goosebumps. Where they lose out is in resolution and refinement. In particular the treble sounds dirtier than either the Fabs or the TVs.

I had a chance to hear a pair of highly regarded single driver back horns with my PX25 amp, and I was seriously underwhelmed in the areas of presence, resolution and dynamics. Both the Fabs and the TVs sounded better to my ears, and the Fabs especially left the back horns in the dust. This isn't a dismissal of back horns in general, just that one model with that one amp. I heard the speakers with a different (very high powered) amp and they sounded fantastic, but that's not the direction I want to go.

If asked, I recommend any of the Fab speakers as a good match for SETs. And yes, I have read the recent 6moons review. I have no idea what Steve Marsh's problem was, because his results are diametrically opposed to what I hear in my system. My speculation is that it was an infelicitous combination of room, amps and cabling. I have found that the resolution of the Model 1's makes them very revealing of things like that. All I can say is that with the appropriate amps, cabling and room environment, these speakers provide the best impression of a planar horn mini-monitor I've ever heard.

Having heard their Stonehenges a number of times as well, I think they are exceptional value for money, and would be my first choice if I had SETs but didn't have "Model 1" cashflow.

Yeah...the Fab Audio Model 1 took a serious beating in that 6moons review.LOL Probably one of the worst beatings I've seen by them.

The Stonehenge looks similar to the Hammer Dynamics S-12. The biggest difference is the Hammer is $650.00 as a kit with a 12 inch woofer and the Stonehenge $2700.00 with a 10 inch woofer.The Stonhenge is ported in the rear .While the Hammer is ported from the front. Other than that quite similar in certain aspects.

My partner is using our own Three Dimension Audio SET amplifier with a pair of Samadhi speakers. They are floor standing, multi driver, rated at 94db/4 ohms, and are full range; ie, no sub is required.

Our amplifier is rated at 8 watts and uses custom wound interstage, output, and power transformers. It is, of course, optimized for the 4 ohm speakers. The dynamics are fine and it plays plenty loud. I use the same design amplifier, with some minor changes (such as transformers), with a pair of Lowther 2.5 DX2 floor standing speakers with a REL Storm sub; works great.

The Samadhi speakers are wonderful but also cost in excess of 7000 per pair. You can find them on Dick Olsher's website.

Nice thread, and something I've been thinking/exprimenting a lot with lately.

There is a sonic coherence to single driver sound that is very, very, hard to match with multidriver systems having crossovers in the critical range. Not impossible, but generally beyond the capacity of most speakers.

When done properly, it seems that music eminates from a single, seamless, tapestry - just flowing forward. And, there is a realism that can be spooky and addicting. tonality can also be unworldly.

But, like all things in audio, there are tradeoffs and problems. Bass being the biggest for me. There's no problem with deep, tuneful, bass, many achieve this. It's power, authority, and punch that is difficult to achieve. I'm talking about tactile sensation of a drummer's padded kickdrum being hit. That sudden pressurization of air that buffets your body. For that, you need driver excursion or large driver area, something most single-drivers do not have.

I've got Cain & Cain IM-Bens w/ the Fostex T-900A supertweeter pods AND a pair of C&C Bailey subwoofers. I also have the Hammer Dynamics Super-12's. Both speakers are fantastic, albeit vastly different price ranges.

You can get amazingly punchy bass with the Hammers, not doubt about it. They also handle complex passages extremely well. With some affordable mods, they can be real top performers. If anyone is looking to get into high-eff single-drivers, they are a perfect first step. You can get years of complete enjoyment out of them without betting the farm.

The six foot C&C Ben's are in another league 3 steps up the ladder in almost every capacity. And they should be for almost 18x more(w/ dual subs). Their rated frequency range is 45-36kHz. With that, I get nimble, deep, tuneful bass. The type that lets me hear all the minor inflections and decay of standup bass strings. The minute sounds os a bow drawing across cello strings. The ability to sense the wooden body of cellos and pianos in notes.

But, in both cases, I'm still in search of the chest thumping "thhtt, thhtt, thhhtt!!" of kickdrums. Or, the deep buffeting waves of kettle drums and timpani. The C&C Bailey subs seem to be primarily designed to enhance the nimble midbass and bass of the Bens instead of absolute authority.

The other factor has been sub amps. The pro audio 275wpc Samson Servo 550 amp I had for a short while was simply not up to the task. I also tried a Pro Hafler 500 amp last weekend, but the fan was so loud it was unusable for music.

I'm hooked on single drivers, but I did hear some ATC 100 litre active speakers two weekends ago that did bass in a way that made me almost want to jump ship. This last weekend I listened to some 3 way speakers using vintage 15" Truesonic fullrangers with an added midrange driver and tweeter that had punch galore. They were driven by monster 211 SET monoblocks. Yowsa!

Great write up Darkmoebius !
You should be working for 6moons! LOL
You've pretty much said it all...I feel the same way about the single drivers. I haven't heard a multi way I would trade for mine either.

Funny you mention the pressurization of the room. I thought it wasn't possible with the single drivers.
I was most definitely wrong! As mentioned above efficiency ,a little upper frequency energy and high output had to be traded to get it.For me it was worth it. The speakers still play cleanly in my room at 100 dB with peaks around 106 db. I never listen at these levels though. I'm normally around 75 or 80 dB. Also the shout some speak of is non-existant in them.The speakers also use correction circuits which contains a zobel network.This keeps the rising impedance/high frequencies at bay found in most single drivers. While in turn taming beaming and shout.

The speakers frequency response is the flattest I've heard in my home. I'm getting near fullrange sound from maybe 16 or 17 khz down to usable bass in the mid 20 Hz range. 30 hz response is basically flat in my room.It's no lower in dB than a 50 Hz tone burst. There's also no 50 hz hump that's found in ported bass reflex speakers.

I was listening to some Jacques Loussier Trio "Gnossiennes No.5" yesterday. This is a dynamic track with kick drums,cymbals,upright bass. The Transmission line loaded Fostex F200a pressurized my room enough to make the room shutter. Not in a drawn out way. Very well controlled with the kind of bass you feel in your chest( Room size will dictate results).

A kick drum sounds like a kick drum and also feels like one.I have a friend who has two drum sets in his house. So I know what percussions should sound like.

I had my son in law over to watch a action movie a while back. I used the FTAs as the mains. Half way through the movie he ask me" What size woofers are used in the powered subs built in the bottom of those speakers ?".

There are no powered subs I replied, it's only a single driver. He looked at me with this extreme surprised look on his face. Then he got up and walked over to check them out. He could'nt believe what he was hearing.The rest of the movie he just marveled at what they did and shook his head.LOL

I have been communicating with another owner of these speakers. The FTAs ousted a pair of $5000 multi way Gershman Acoustics AvantGardes in his system! Yeah their that good..when setup properly and given proper components and break in time.