Are horns and hi-eff designs becoming more popular

One thing I must say is, other than mass market Klipsch speakers targeting the A/V market mainly in Best Buy and Tweeter, I has never seen any horn designs on display for audition at any high end shop I've been in in the last few years that I recall, and I've been in many along the DC/NY corridor.

Horns may be more trendy or popular on this site lately, but if this was a larger trend, I would expect that most high end audio shops would demo some good horn designs alongside all the other designs which you do see/hear.

AM I reading into this too much or is it possible that horns just do not sell well if stacked up side by side against other designs?

Many large horns are DIY efforts. I do have 3 audio shops within a few hours drive that demo sell horn systems. But most audioshops are geared more to HT or the old dynamic with massive amps. Since I design loudspeakers of most all types not just horns I hear horn systems against standard designs most everyday. The weak spot of the horn is size and another reason why you dont see many audioshops selling such. Some of the horn systems I have built where 18ft wide without seperating loudspeakers thats with horns touching ea. other so not many shops can handle such. So if one doesnt DIY they can order custom built horn systems. Or buy from the many manufacters of horns. If you want a all horn loudspeaker with deep bass its going to huge....And after owning designing many of these I have a hard till going back to wee dynamics in slender towers that need minimum 200 watts just to have some dynamic range. But most audio types seem to be happy with this system type...Probly because the wife is;)

Size maters in loudspeakers. But most cant afford, can not house,wife- SAF wont allow,or audiophile just doesnt want to look at, move install giants....So I dont think large sized loudspeakers will ever become popular

Quite agree. "don't want to look at" beats the greatest sound 99 times out of a 100...and yet this hobby is supposed to be about the sound....you only have to look at the beautiful cabinet work on the highest end tall narrow elegant speakers to realize that big horns don't really stand much of a chance.

Why is it that not many dealers that cater to the higher end market show horn designs in their showrooms along with all the other popular designs?

You would think that if horns were really popular that you would see and hear them around more (other than the latest Klipsch).

I do have some friends who own retail stores and I can see why they do not want horns or any large speaker. Floor space cost of selling is huge. They said the Plasma, LCD is very much about less space in the store and the storage room.

What you are saying about the wee dynamics is the reason after 25 years I still have the Klipsch. Regular speakers I always fell like I have to imagine what the performance is like. The big horns you don't have to imagine! Do you find on the modern horns you can listen at low volumes with excellent dynamics. That is the biggest draw to me on horns. The tower speakers need to reach a certain volume level to make it worth listening too. I can listen to the horns at a low volume level and be quite happy!

John the cost of modern horns though?? Much higher than the ample supply of old (Klipsch) horns? What is the better parts of new horns?