Horn speakers , high efficiency but not “shouty”

newtoncr, With a new amp, preamp, and speakers you will need a lot of run in time. Probably in the 300-500 hour range. You have a lot going on right now that will affect the sound.  Tubes from Andy are a good idea. He knows his stuff and good tubes do make a difference. Tell us a little about your room. Size WDH? Treatments? Flooring? Speaker placement etc....

When I got my Companions it took a few weeks of run in time just for them. I have a basement room where I was able to use an old receiver. Wired the drivers out of phase and had them face each other about a 1/2” apart. Put the Isotek burn in disc on continual play, turned up the volume and let them go for a few weeks. Even after that the drivers were still a little tight and sharp. Then all of a sudden bloom! Be patient it’s worth it! 

Hi @newtoncr,

Which WE300B do you use?
Vintage or reissue?

Regards, 
Alex

@alexberger 
I ordered the reissue , the one reviewed in the latest issue of stereophile. I haven’t got them yet. What’s playing is Chinese tubes that came with the amp .
also waiting for tubes from andy .currently all tubes are Chinese which came with the pre and power amp.
@rodge827 
my room is 12 ft wide and 23 ft long , open in the back. 10ft tall
per Brian’s recommendation the speakers are 12” from the side wall and 18” from the rear wall. 84” between the speakers and 100” to the listening chair .
the floor is carpet , the walls are double drywall with green glue between drywall layers and hollow space packed with roxul .
acoustic treatment for now are a stack of 13” tube traps dead center between the speakers in the front wall and two traps halfway between the speakers and the listening position to reduce cross talk .

I am burning them 24/7 with the Ayre burn in disc 

No proper horn is shouty. Cheap undersized poorly designed horns over a ported box can have issues since midrange is so much more efficient most compromised to make them smaller cheaper. A proper horn is fully front horn loaded to at least 100hz not many like this exist that audiophiles would buy so they opt for small poorly designed horns then go online saying that all horns shout or some such BS.

johnk,
The OP's new speaker is a back loaded horn with a full range river, right?
I never really considered this type of speaker "horns", but I guess they are in their own way.