Are horns and hi-eff designs becoming more popular

Mlsstl, I've heard horns that honk too. That does not mean they all do! I too have been at this a long time as I suspect many of the 'goners have, like you about 40 years also including professional recording and mastering. As you know, having access to good mics, master tapes and the like is a boon to developing any kind of reference so it is in that light that I ask you to view this next statement: some of the most neutral speakers I have heard are horns. Add to that list: ESLs, magnetic planars and regular cone systems.

IOW its how neutral the speaker is, not what kind of technology it is. I find the more neutral the speaker, the more it sounds like other neutral speakers, the more it sounds like the real thing.

Horns, in being neutral (which not all are), offer the benefits of being easy to drive and fantastic impact. What I **thought** was hard for them was getting the last bit of detail that a good ESL can- I had that thinking dashed at the last CES when I heard a horn that ceded nothing to ESLs in the transparency/detail department. **Without** question, horns have been an advancing technology in the 21st century.

Johnk, I see the brussels sprouts analogy flew right past you. (Actually, just for full disclosure, I happen to like them.)

I've heard horns all the way from the original 1930's Western Electric theater horns to the classic EVs, Altec Voice of the Theaters and Tannoys. One of my best friends owned the large Klipshs for many years. For the newer ones, I've heard the Avantegardes, several Fostex and Lowther incarnations, as well as the Acapellas.

As noted before, I often thought they sounded good, but every single time I knew I was listening to a horn. For me that was a distraction in spite of some other advantages, such as dynamic range, that I've already admitted.

Even Avantgarde said in a Stereophile article (Sept 2000) "that, regardless of available power, horns' high efficiency confers benefits in dynamics and low distortion, and that careful design can reduce horn colorations to a negligible level."

Notice even they did not say "eliminate" but used the word "reduce." What is "negligible" for one person may not be for another.

And I never said I or anyone else had "magic ears." I said we are probably sensitive to different things. What is confrontational about that? I used "perfect pitch" in a previous example. I don't have perfect pitch, but I sure don't denigrate those that do or suggest that they are "full of it." I even gave a reference to a book that talks extensively about how our brain hears and processes music. Like height, hair color and many other traits, this is going to vary by individual.

I'm not really interested in turning this into a 1950's style Ford vs Chevy debate. Nothing I said ever indicated that those who enjoy the strong attributes of a good horn system should stop doing so.

A main point of discussion forums on audio (or any other subject) is to engage in give and take on the subject at hand. I'm not quite sure you've taken this as a personal affront; it was certainly never meant that way.

hello JohnK....in the interests of full disclosure...aren't you the man behind KCSloudspeakers which is on your list of your recommended horns above? btw, please don't take offense & i'm really a nice guy. i've drooled over your website a few times.

there are perhaps individual companies(newer or start ups)experiencing more sales, but this hobby as a rule, is not capturing the imaginations of a larger consumer base. doesn't mean it won't be around...just means that overall 'flat' is the new 'up'......as for horns 'honking'..i prefer to refer to it as 'color and speed'.

Nothing like listening to a bit of HONKy Tonk Train Blues or HONKy Tonk Women on a pair of horn speakers that honk.