Are horns and hi-eff designs becoming more popular

Mlsst,I dont take anything online personaly though Iam blunt when I reply. Like I said I agree with some of what you posted just dont agree with the distinct trait of horns post;)I feel it does a harm to the general audio public to state such absolutes. For years I heard from audiophiles and other in the hobbie that horns are not audiophile loudspeakers only good for PA or sound reinforcement. So for many years did I passed by horn systems for other designs. When I finally heard a quality horn system it was a eye and ear opener for me and most of our local audiophiles have gone with hi-eff systems of some sort. As I have gained experance in this hobbie I see much disinformation being passed about as fact the all horns honk is one. So it needed to be addressed. And what fun is a thread if all agree with you?

I think horns are becoming more popular because of the movement back to analog back to tubes. The eff. of horns makes them desireable. I have owned the big Klipsch for 25 years and every time I would go to hear the new non horn speakers that were supposed to be so much better I was always underwhelmed. Bass was better but that was it. Very boring and never felt real performance. Maybe I value that most, the illusion of being there and I have felt that I have BEEN there with the horns. All other speakers to me are just speakers. They can sound nice but not "alive".

I wish I could understand the anti-horn honkiness?

Dynamic range is one of the benifits of horns other designs sound compressed to me even driven with massive amplifiers. And I too feel the popularity of small tube and SS amplifers have had an increase in interest in horns and hi-eff designs. When you look at the value a small tube amplifer gives in sound quality you get more performance per audio $ outlayed than lage power SS based systems. I do enjoy such systems but cost to get equal performance is much higher than SET horn. My opionion. And YMMV

What do you think JohnK is the immediacy that we feel with horns is that what others feel is honky? I have owned the Klipsch for 25+ years and it is funny most of the time (for sure the 90's) I used to get a snicker from the store I deal at. Now all of the sudden they think horns have some benefits. This has only just changed in last 2 years. Maybe we have this "Man Cave" idea now and big speakers are Ok again. Another change I have noticed is a kind of debunking of the myth that "little" speakers can be just as good.

Well, they certainly do have a following.

Horns + tubes offer a different kind of listening experience from SS and conventional box design speakers, so I personally do find some appeal there. Not necessarily better or worse..but different, that's the key.

Also, I have an old fashioned streak in me and I find there is a special romantic appeal with horns...they are a throwback technology of sorts and beckon back to the "olden days" when things were simpler, kind of like a techni-color movie from the golden age of Hollywood on TCM. Nipper and the "His Master's Voice" RCA logo just makes me feel good, for some reason (see my system pics).

I haven't taken the horn plunge yet to date, but have spent time seriously studying the options. I may pick up a pair of inexpensive, small modern Klipsch reference series speakers at some point just to test the waters in my two channel A/V system.