"I understand the considerations in regards to interior decoration, but
if you’re really into sound reproduction let your speakers be a main
priority in the allotted space they’re given - with the adherence to
form-follows-function as far as it goes, and not vice versa. As it often
happens, to my eyes at least, the really interesting physical shape of
speakers comes via an uninhibited accordance with their function as
dictated by physics. Even a much smaller, typical slender square box
speaker can be seen as an outright nuisance in a home setting because
it’s just that: a tall, rectangular square box oftentimes finished in a
rather sterile manner, and one that’s placed well into the room, at
that." Precisely right and much of the speaker world, no let me restate this to 95% of the "high end" speaker world is form before function and then trying to make them to work well within the physical parameters of the pretty, avant-garde or techno-artisto box. OP wants pretty and decent sound which I can understand is the choice of most but when I close my eyes I want to pretend I am truly in one of the best seats in the live performance. I want spectacular sound and looks just don't matter.
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Mahlman....trust me, I will not sacrifice sound for looks. How I got on this horn search to begin with was hearing the Avantgarde Uno Fino. That was the first horn I heard and in the same room I heard, Meridian, Eggleston, Vivid, Stenheim Alumine, Vandersteen. My wife and I both loved the sound of the Avantgarde better than any of the other speakers. I was shocked that my spouse would accept the look of the horn. I am going to listen to the Avantgarde Duo in October. IMO they are overpriced but we will see. I still like the hORNS Universum and the Symphonies. I just had an opportunity to buy a used pair of Cessaro Liszt for an unbelievable price but at 980 pounds a piece, I just thought that would not work in my room. The biggest question I have now as I am about to embark on building my new house is, should I add to in wall subwoofers. Even if I don't use them at least I have them ready. With Horns being so fast, I would need a very good subwoofer. My wife has laid the law down and said they have to be be in wall subs like I have in my current house. Also, beauty is a matter of opinion. What might be a great looking speaker to me may be ugly to others. So, if I can find great sound and good looking speaker, then I am a happy camper. |
"So, if I can find great sound and good looking speaker, then I am a happy camper. " Absolutely and if you can do this you can't ask for more. If you find something that meets these standards in your eyes that is what matters. In my search for my audio standards to be met I could not find what I wanted and ended up building what has turned out to be in most eyes a visual klunker no doubt, but the sound is amazing and it is produced by the laws of physics in which best functional form can't be evaded. Properly done pure horns systems are unbeatable by any direct radiator systems and they do this by correct audio producing shape which can be done no other way. Side benefit to horns is also super efficiency and you don't need lots of power to run things. It is a shame this forum does not allow for pictures. It was mentioned to me that a build thread would be interesting and there were not enough of them here but I can see why. Can't post build in progress pictures nor finished results nor can you post actual measured audio results for people to see so it ends up being talk and no evidence. Can't post REW or TrueRTA graphs showing the benefit of doing things certain ways nor can anyone share screen captures of active digital settings that would work with Xilicas to balance and time align systems. |
@willgolf -- The biggest question I have now as I am about to embark on building my new house is, should I add to in wall subwoofers. Even if I don’t use them at least I have them ready. With Horns being so fast, I would need a very good subwoofer. My wife has laid the law down and said they have to be be in wall subs like I have in my current house. If what you’re about to embark on, at least as an outset, is a horn hybrid solution like the Avantgarde Uno Fino’s, then you’ve already "welcomed" the switch from horn mids/top to direct radiator in the band below in the main speaker, with all that entails sonically. To mitigate any discontinuity that would invariably exist in such a pairing within the mains - you and your wife’s appreciation of them notwithstanding - adding a pair of subs in a proper fashion could improve overall coherency; "proper" being high-passing the mains somewhere between 80-100Hz with a quality digital cross-over to the subs augmenting below, in which way you’d free the direct radiators of the Duo Fino’s from low frequency content - with significant gains to be had in the range above (to better meet with the horns here). With an in-wall subs solution you’re facing some interesting options that should include horns variants or other hidden-driver approach, so that only the mouth area is visible. Now, even though what I’m about to quote and link to is only meant as an inspiration, I wouldn’t recommend your wife read and see the following.. ;) Taken from the opening post of a build thread over at Avsforum: I figured I’d start a new thread instead of mooching off of the other threads with my questions... I have started my build for the two Gjallarhorns designed by Ricci - thanks for sharing the plans Josh! I’m building these for my 2700 cu ft living room that we use for watching movies, listening to music, entertaining, etc. Not really a "true" HT because it’s the main room of our house and there are several different openings to the room, two windows, sliding glass door, vaulted ceiling, fireplace. The goal is to have this room +10 on WAF by looking like a "normal room," but with ninja-stealth, bone crushing sound coming from the shadows. https://www.avsforum.com/forum/155-diy-speakers-subs/1495785-doug-s-dual-gjallarhorn-build.html |
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