... If mid bass and bass are proper horns they yield some of the best mid bass and bass availble but as I mentioned above its were product gets compromised DIY types are free to build proper sized but they are not easily availble maybe this is part of the issue hardly anyone has heard or owned full range all horn loaded systems and they take knowledge and sometimes real physical work to set up. And face it most just want to easily buy just open box and plug in. But with many things in life sometimes whats easy and convenient is not whats best.
The size of an all-horn system that extends down 20-30Hz range, or even lower, is not trivial, certainly not with dual subs or more. DIY is usually the approach to seek here as there are relatively few pre-assembled solutions to be had, and the ones that are typically counts pro subs tuned higher (around 35-45Hz, perhaps) for more pronounced midbass impact. Danley Sound Labs on the other hand, a pro reinforcement manufacturer, offer viable horn sub alternatives for domestic use, some of which extends down 20Hz and lower. The very few "hifi" options there are of horn subs are really outrageously priced and mostly statement products (what’s expensive here tends to simply be luxury finish, added to more complex product assembly), and this narrows down the appeal to the über-wealthy that are hardly representative of audiophiles in general. So, DIY or used Vintage is the route to go (if not Danley), and this often requires some elaborate research to get a bearing on the iterations that suit one’s needs and possible practical limitations the best. It’s an interesting journey, however, and there are DIY-communities around (like Avsforum, Bill Fitz Maurice forum, Klipsch ditto and others) that are very helpful to aid one’s quest here.
My own tapped horn subs extends to 20Hz, and it’s a different bass compared to the direct radiator subs I’ve heard - indeed, I’ve never heard bass of this quality before. Horn bass like this doesn’t have what I regard as a degree of thickening, smear and slightly massive feel of some if not most DR subs, and the sheer presence, smoothness, ease and informative nature of TH(/FLH) subs is rather unique. Horn bass somehow sounds less like "bass" and more like an enveloping, differentiated downwards extension (with a livelier upper band as well), and it can give the initial impression that some of the more heavy-handed or even ponderous weight and "pulsating" nature of DR’s is a disadvantage with movies in particular. You quickly realize though, or so I find, that the differentiation of horn bass opens it up with better dynamics to boot, and it makes for a more whole, coherent overall experience.
You might think that boxes this big (in my case 20 cubic feet per horn) would overwhelm the experience (and of course you could make them if dialed too hot) as a sonic bass entity per se, but quite to the contrary they blend in more effectively; they’re simply easier to integrate with all-horn mains, I find, with the proviso that the size of the horns themselves can be a challenge to make acoustically invisible in one’s listening room, unless space is sufficient of even abundant.
In any case I’m still baffled to see "horn" speaker manufacturers mostly resort to DR subs to augment the horns in the frequency range above, seeing how it usually diminishes the coherency, sheer quality and dynamics of the sound. As horn proponents I'd urge to let size be size, and physics have their say; are we audiophiles or not? :)
