Horns with good timbre and tonality?

"Classic Audio’s T 1.5 Reference by a mile. All the others are wishful thinking. SET ready, high impedance, field coils and all."

I knew they were the "one" when I first heard them at Capital Audio Fest. I was open minded about my new speakers during my hunt, as long as they were some type of horn variety. The field coil versions of horn speakers such as the Classic Audio T 1.5 Reference takes it up another level. The 18" downward sub bass and 15" forward bass along with the Dr. Bruce Edgar inspired mid-range horn and beryllium tweeter, what is not to like besides the weight.

I have been starved of music from my system for over a year as we moved, and my stuff was in storage. I got it test fired a few weeks ago and wow, the music reproduction is amazing. I also upgraded to the new Classic Audio Tungar power supplies. Another level of performance improvement. This will be with me well into retirement and beyond:)

+1 for ATC’s, especially powered ATCSCM40’s. With the price drop, $11K. Very totally correct, do piano well, tremendous dynamics. I have not heard many horn speakers that don’t have honking or cup mouthed issues, Martin Lougans are BRIGHT, with less than stellar integration of bass and lower minds with highs.

SET amp good for one thing-very fine insight into chamber music, but can run flat in bigger pieces.imaging can be iffy.

 I cannot be happier with my non amplified aATCSCM40’s driven by a SST Son of Ampzillas, with a Cary SLP05 preamp providing shockingly good timbre and spaciality Sets u easily wi no wild room interaction

@jallan 

how good is imaging with large baffle ATC? I have a large baffle Sonus Faber and imaging is terrible, I can make them disappear at all. I tried everything. 
 

Imaging with my ATC’s is positively holographic, with a strongly lifelike 3D placement of instruments. My system images as well as any I have heard in 50+ years of audio enthusiasm. I think it’s partly due to the fact that it’s easy to minimize room interactions because of the lack of a port. The ATC also has a rounded shape to minimize diffraction on the speaker front. I feed the speakers with Aurender N100H/Schiit Yggdrasil/Cary SLP05/SST Son of Ampzilla II/Audioquest Columbias+ biwired Audioquest Gibraltar’s, all with 72v DBS.

@audiokinesis --

Thanks for your elaborations - very illuminating.

In your previous post, on which horn type in particular could facilitate a proper reflection field, you wrote:

... Ime what works well is a constant-directivity horn which does not rely on diffraction. Most horns do not fit this description.

What about, and maybe when is the diffraction part most troublesome here; what’s inherent to - as a distinct sonic imprinting/coloration - the narrow slot section leading up to the horn widening at every volume level (i.e.: at lower levels as well), or more predominantly at higher, and perhaps only very high SPL’s? My understanding is it’s more the latter than the former, which urges the more pragmatic question of relevance in a given, domestic setting when, or rather if the issue seems to arise only at, say, +120dB levels.

I find horn size to be a factor as well, certainly with a lower crossover point and trying to maintain a fairly uniform dispersion pattern at the crossover with directivity control all the way down to the crossover. My finding here is that, generally, the larger the horn the less it sounds like a horn, and by that I mean a more relaxed, properly (i.e.: realistically) sized, dense and visceral sphere of sound. What are your thoughts on sheer horn size here?