What does one purchase after owning horns?

Renmeister,

I totally agree with you that the vast majority of speaker systems do not deliver the kind of "drama" of live music the way the Avantgarde, and other horn systems, are capable of doing. I find that most systems sound either dead and constipated, or they attempt to inject some life into the sound with an artificial edginess. I also agree with you that Avantgarde speakers do have some problems with the bass response. The model I am most familiar with, the Duos, tended to overemphasize a certain portion of the bass range ("one-note" effect) and the bass did not integrate that well with the rest of the sound. I personally thought that the positive attributes far outway the bass problems so I like the speaker overall.

I don't think it will be easy to find a replacement for the Unos in your specified price range that will also deliver the same kind of lively sound. Also, one would have to consider whether a different amplifier will also be needed if you were using a low-powered amp with the Unos and the alternative were not as efficient.

You should audition Audionote speakers. These are fairly high in efficiency, and are quite lively sounding. But, in some respects, they too have a problem with the bass response. The bass can tend a bit toward being loose. Still, on balance, they are quite musical and are relatively free from the nasal coloration that is a problem with horns and other high efficiency designs.

If you can deal with lower efficiencies, try looking at speakers from the Triangle. These are quite lively sounding and quite musical. They are a bit bright, but, not in the harsh and unpleasant way many other speakers are also bright.

I think it comes down to if you like horns, get better ones.

There are other ways to push the limits in regards to dynamics and other aspects of good sound, but these will not sound like horns, however perhaps better than good horns even in enough other ways to matter. There is no one speaker I have heard that is teh absolute best in all regards. If there were, I would expect it to be widely known by now and there to be a consensus to that effect.

No such luck!

Honking/coloration need not be a problem with all horns, but enough of this has occurred in fact over the many years horns have been around to give horns an undeservedly bad name in this regard.

I do think only the biggest and likely also most expensive horns, like the larger AGs, are the horns that raise the barrier overall. The size and cost is also prohibitive for many too though unfortunately. That is a sad but true dilemma that even most horn lovers must be willing to face.

What does one purchase after owning horns ? bigger horns .

Hello Shadrone ,

There are 2/3/4 way panel speakers, why would they have a panel 2 large for the wavelength they are reproducing if they are using multiple panels/diaphragms .

Also my statement about studio main monitors and not using them for mixing, is really because of there low accuracy regardless of who builds them. You cannot get good or accurate sound quality from soffet mounted speakers, but i will acknowledge there are those who like that sound, again there is no accounting for personal taste in this hobby...

Regards,

I've tried to stay out of this, but, the zealots are just begging for a rebuttal. Till I hear other wise, horns blow. It's not a myth, everything that those who don't like horns complain about is true. It doesn't matter how many times the horn fans say otherwise, they can't change the truth. Within typically sized rooms, and with enough power, other designs are capable of the same realistic dynamics. Obviously the OP wants something else, why don't we help him with what he asked for?