Why not horns?

Weseixas, it sure looks to me like Duke addressed the issues that you had with my last post. I just have one thing to add, and this is true of digital vs analog, tubes vs transistors, horns vs planars, pretty much you name it in audio:

The better the technologies get the more they sound the same and that is simply because the better any technology gets, the more it sounds like real music.

I believe that most horn detractors (which often includes me) are leery of horns due to past bad experiences. However we have to accept that this world offers a large range of experiences, some of which are not available to everyone even if they have been in the field of endeavor for decades. I am now suggesting that while you have heard many horns sound terrible, you have not heard the best horns nor have you heard them with the best supporting equipment that can show them off. I'm going to take it a step further though, to illustrate my comment at the beginning of this paragraph. The same is true for you of planar speakers as well. I am sure that these two statements apply to everyone on this thread.

All we can be really sure of is that the better technologies get, the more they will sound like music and therefore more like each other, not less.

I would like to see those who query those that are in the know, to actually design and produce a loudspeaker and make a pair to be scrutinized. I own a pair of JohnK speakers and have heard Dukes loudspeakers on at least 2 separate occasions,they are very good sounding speakers. I do not know (or care) how they are designed or how many bottles of glue are used, I only know by my ears that they sound good.
Severely delayed? would that be like, er tomorrow?

"My mid-tweets are delayed so I am time aligned." - Herman

Please define time aligned.

My point, in this case, is that unless you changed out the crossovers in your speakers you may have some sort of "alignment" but the bass is still lagging the mid and the mid is still lagging the tweet.
A step response will reveal this.
And while what your's sound like in relation to the vast majority of box speakers may be true it may not necessarily be true in relation to a Thiel. A Thiel is time coherent, which makes it unique in this regard.

"The better the technologies get the more they sound the same and that is simply because the better any technology gets, the more it sounds like real music."

I can agree with that!

And yes, I have heard horns that conform to this assertion as well!

Hello Ralph,

Yes Duke did comment and clarify on what he is doing in regards to his speakers and they are not a typical monopole horn system, his being a bipolar horn speaker, i do agree this could be a better presentation of a standard horn config and as technology marches on, i can see horn speakers getting better , but better than what? another horn , absolutely! The best available to us absolutely not! others are marching forward too.

I also cannot agree that a horn speaker will sound like a planer, 30 + yrs experience designing and selling speakers tells me not so, the radiating pattern large surface area and lower transient distortion vs a single driver over the same range are typical standouts.

But i do reserve the right to be wrong here, but that would entail hearing one of these magic Horns..... right ?

Don't feel this is all Horn bashing there are bad planers 2, Recall me saying 90% of the speakers on the market are bad , some really bad ! This is across the board affecting some topologies more than others, and i have heard bad electrostatic speaker on many occasions , as recently as a few months ago ....

I will continue to listen and enjoy the music, there are many multi panel planer systems capable of reproducing the best of a recording, not shy for bass and lacking nothing to a horn speaker for power not to mention multi panel dynamic dipole systems that are way ahead of any Horn system i have ever heard and i could accept that even with my contacts and exposure at the highest level of the game, that i may have never heard a good horn system...

I will have to accept your's and Duke's word for it, as you mine that they will not approach the sound of a well built planer system....? IMO ..

Regards,