Are horns and hi-eff designs becoming more popular

Yes, Khorns or cornerhorns in general would work and be the other (ultimate?) way to go for me given my constraints if a local pair came up, but obviously they are a much larger investment.

If I decided to go with Klipschorns, they would probably go in a small 12X12 room where my Dynaudios are currently. Also, I'm not in a rush to part with the Dynaudios, but that's a different though related issue.

Mapman K horns in a 12x12 room your crazy man:) a square 1 of the worst shapes for a audioroom. Placing such a large corner horn in such a small square room is just asking for disapointment. Have you treated your listening room? Might be the best way to improve sound quality. Or move to better digs...

JohnK,

Yes, I know my 12X12 room is less than ideal, in particular for larger speaker designs.

It is very much a nearfield listening environment, I would say.

That's why I have a pair of small (Dynaudio Contour 1.3mkII) monitors in there currently. They have some needed room to breathe as set up and perform very well in there though certainly more room would be better.

Khorns would work physically. Sonically? Maybe. Almost certainly not the BEST environment to bring out the best.

I've also had a pair of B&W P6s, Magnepan MG 1.3c's, and Triangle Titus in there in the past. The Titus' did well but the B&Ws and Maggies did much better in other, larger rooms. I consider the (much more expensive) Dynaudio monitors an upgrade over the Triangle monitors mostly in terms of satisfying bottom end, though the sound of each otherwise is still quite distinctive.

Meanwhile I'll see if I can convince my wife to move so I can have a better room for a pair of Khorns but will not hold my breath......

I built 2 rooms for audio in my new home. One large other 13 1/2ft x 15 3/4 11ft H peak this has my corner horn rig with 8 -15in 4 per front horn I use as a office listening room. Other rooms 20 x 30 designed for horns 8 ft-12ft H some of my bass horns I designed to couple to room so room becomes a bass horn. Maybe talk your wife into a custom designed home only way to get a room thats right:)

I do have visions of adding an additional optimally designed (for sound) room to my house someday.

In the meantime, I've learned to become pretty adept at experimentation and adapting my equipment to the rooms I have to work with.

I'm very lucky these days in that I can go into any of 5 rooms and also out on my deck on a beautiful day, and be very satisfied with each of the various listening experiences.