Why not horns?


I've owned a lot of speakers over the years but I have never experienced anything like the midrange reproduction from my horns. With a frequency response of 300 Hz. up to 14 Khz. from a single distortionless driver, it seems like a no-brainer that everyone would want this performance. Why don't you use horns?
macrojack
06-14-10: Audiokinesis:

If either of you will be at RMAF, come on by my room if you get the chance.
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RMAF ? R.eally M.ad A.udio F.arts .. -)

What models are you displaying ?
Before I completely lose my train of thought (again), let me do a quick tie-back-in: The conical horns Bill Woods (designer of Macrojacks's speakers) uses are arguably what might be called "waveguides". And when Bill Woods came by my room at RMAF several years ago, he subsequently referred to my waveguides as "conical horns". Maybe neither perfectly fits the defnintion of the other, but they are conceptually and sonically very close cousins.

Duke
Here's an excerpt:

Conical Horn Geometry

I’m often asked how horns differ from one another, and also how different types of horns differ in sound and design, such as exponential, tractrix, and new versions of these which carry the names of their designers. I’ve put together some observations, backed up by actual frequency response curves and measurements, so that people can decide for themselves what types of horns would work best for them.

The above are the words of Bill Woods. If you are genuinely interested in knowing something about horns, this article is available in its entirety on the Acoustic Horn website.

I am not an expert but I can tell from reading these comments that many of you are overestimating your understanding of the subject. Do yourselves a favor and get the real info from someone who has devoted his life to this study.

Horns differ tremendously and Bill has as good an understanding as anyone of how and why this is true. Let him explain it to you. He's a scientist with a degree in industrial design and a lifetime of trial and error experience.

Those of you making categorical pronouncements about the limitations of horns - all horns - demonstrate the greatest need for education.
prez, I think you are bit off base.

Bridging and paralleling are two very different things. Bridging effects the voltage. Parallel does so with the current. If a design can allow for paralleling you double the current thus doubling the wattage.

Assuming you aren't trying to draw so much current that the supply voltage sags then the max power is determined by the voltage rails. If you parallel two amps you get the same maximum voltage before clipping. If you get the same maximum voltage you get the same maximum power.

Two 75 watt amps with a given gain in parallel is a 75 watt amp with the same gain but capable of delivering more current into a low impedance load so it won't sag and clip as easily. Now that might explain why it sounds better.

a serious argument could be made that it is better to use 6 individual drivers to achieve the same sensitivity of just one and a huge horn due to the way the 6 different ones will average out their non-linearities.

Interesting theory but again, a little off base. You think if multiple drivers have different distortions that will add up to less distortion? You can't average out distortions.

A + B + C + D + E + F is less than A ??? I don't think so.

Now if you told me that 6 would distort less because each is working 1/6 as much therefore distorting much less then I would go for that.

I hate to be blunt but if you don't understand some of these basic concepts it kind of puts your other conclusions into question.

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Herman !

Prez said lower distortion for the same sensitivity, with multiple drivers vs 1 , this is correct!

1. Transient Distortion
2. IMD
3. THD

all will be lower vs a single driver !

You then went on to explain it in , well, a simpler term , coming to the same conclusion that you originally denounced.

LOL...

Regards,