Why not horns?

"Because the USA press killed them for the US market over 30 years ago and most audiophiles are naive enough to believe what they read."

The large systems needed for full range high efficiency horns and space increasingly being at a premium for many probably had a lot to do with it. Not to mention all the other inconveniences and potential additional expenses for many dealing with large and heavy household items.

I don't own horn speakers but I do like them quite a lot when they're properly implemented. At CES last month I heard a multitude of rooms with very expensive and highly raved about speakers. One of the very best sounding rooms I heard in terms of realistic and natural sound was the Cessaro horn driven by the Electra Fidelity 300b SET. Very alive and involving presentation. Many rooms even with high power amplifiers driving relatively inefficient speakers had a duller, less vibrant and flat 2 dimensional sound in comparison. The difference was pretty striking in some cases. A good quality horn can sound excellent.

Charles,

I remember once Harry Pearson (back in the 80s) commenting that horns weren't 'high end'. That sure has changed- no way he would say that now.

If they were not "high end" then they would be pretty much extinct by now, at least for home use.

Obviously that is not the case and they still thrive in pro applications where efficiency is in high demand.

Harry Pearson has done a greater disservice to high end audio than anyone else I can think of. His faulty proclamations, pretentious stance, and cronyism misdirected about 2 decades worth of audio growth. The internet came to the rescue when we finally started talking amongst ourselves thereby learning the myth in his message. Stereophile was nearly as bad but not nearly as effective.

Those of you who have not spent significant time with a quality horn system know not of what you speak. Conventional horn drivers and panel efforts just can't manage the realism provided by well-engineered horns. If you are inexperienced, find a way to change that. I bought mine from The Acoustic Horn Company. Friends have Gedlee and I have heard EdgarHorns in the past that were quite impressive. There are numerous choices and Ralph (Atmasphere) has what I believe to be one of the best, Classic Audio Reproductions.

If you would like to hear mine, I'm in 81521. Perhaps some other owners will extend a similar invite. Seems like the best way to spread the word and debunk the myths about horns.