Horning owners what amps have you used?

I've not heard them together in some time, but our customer's comments regarding the M-60 and Horning fly right in the face of Trelja's comments. We've had customers run the combination for years. The speaker *does* like a bit of power.

Atmasphere, interesting that you suggested your M-60 for the Horning. 60 watts would certainly up the power in comparison to anything I've driven the Horing with thus far. Actually I would think the S-30 would be more than sufficient power for either the Aristoteles or the Eufrodite. By the way I always spend a great deal of time listening to the M-60 and CAR T1s at RMAF. Very impressive!

I also (naively) find it confounding when power equates more bass extension. I doubt I listen to very much music that goes below 40hz, Led Zeppelin doesn't get spun that often and even if it were I'd just be listening to Jimmy Page's acoustical tributes to Bert Jansch. So rather than thumping bass notes I would rather hear great bass articulation from the sound that I do enjoy.

Another puzzling thing for me is 11flat6 term: "euphoric", which I take for meaning exceedingly warm. When I attend a live performance of someone like jazz guitarist Jimmy Bruno and his Fender amp, I'm not hearing a resolving defined sound; rather the sound is euphoric (if my interpretation of this word is correct) and fusing. When I listen to a Bruno recording I want to hear a little heat and breath to emulate that Fender amp. I've heard a lot of amps render that sound sterile. Having said that, I'm not quite sure I want the same sound when listening to an un-miked acoustical guitar. From some of my previous posts you'll get a similar rant regarding my love for definition and dissipation of jazz piano notes. In my cramped, but too large listening room I have two sets of speakers and have up until recently owned more than one amp. If I'm not paying attention to what I'm listening to, and it's music that I like, then I know that the sound is dry and sterile and it's time to switch out components or blame it on the recording.

Here I go rambling again, but I think my initial post implied that there’s no one solution depending on what we listen to and how varied it might be. I think we convince ourselves that where we’re at in the evolution of our sound systems is the end all be all, but for a curious person like myself I always have an insatiable urge to further experiment and entertain others opinions. I like the idea of a 2a3 PP or possibly throw another OTL amp at them (Although I don’t like the Horning/Berning combo, but that’s just my preference).

Dpe,
Astute observations.
I would encourage you to try OTL and other amps with your Hornings .Your Thoress may best them all if your priority is realistic, natural and full sound.
I visit local jazz clubs fairly often and acoustic instruments heard live are very full bodied,dense and have deep tone saturation.The sound is dynamic and immediate but always full of body and tone.

It seems many current components follow the audiophile standard of detail emphasis and most tend to sound lean,dry,sterile etc. They don`t sound anything like what I hear live at all. A good SET amp in my own experience comes closer to the realistic-organic sound I hear in the clubs.
If that type of music presentation is what you desire, your amp may be hard to beat. Certaintly other amps will sound different but better? You`re starting with a very good baseline for comparisons.
Best of Luck,

Hi 11flat6,
Just curious, which amp sounds more like live music the Lamm or the Kondo ?

Charles1dad, "I disagree with that based on my own experiences."

Thus far, you've provided ZERO evidence that you were able to compare apples to apples when it comes to the 2A3 and 300B vacuum tubes.

Again, I will say, you need to hold ALL of the other variables constant before making your statement - transformers, power supply, circuit, driver tubes, etc. In other words, all of the things you previously laid out as making one amplifier superior to another. Then, and only then, will you be able to speak with any degree of authority.

This represents the essence of Scientific Method, developed out of the need to objectively draw conclusions when making comparisons between two things as we are doing with these two tubes. Otherwise, you're making a statement based on nothing beyond false hope.

Bud Fried liked to state that a backloaded horn was the opposite of a (true) transmission line. And, though of late it's become somewhat fashionable to try and equate the two, the differences come across as fairly obvious.

Though many times I've said that I've yet to find a better loudspeaker for the Atma Sphere than the TL. Conversely, I will again state that I have found that backloaded horns (Hornings and otherwise) do not mate at all well with OTL amplification (Atma Sphere or otherwise). As I've previously said, I haven't worked it all out, but there is something in regards to the impedance a backloaded horn presents to an amplifier that separates it from more ubiquitous loudspeakers, including front-loaded horns. What I am certain is Bud's point speaks to all of this.

That's not to say you can't drive this type of loudspeaker with such an amplifier. Obviously, you can. However, we all know that folks having poor (or worse) loudspeaker - amplifier marriages are as common as the day is long.