Okay, I suppose we just have drastically divergent listening needs.
Regarding some of your other points, the Lowther isn't really designed for front horn loading, and nearly all of the cabinet designs for Lowthers have rear loading of one kind or another, which is supposed to augment the gradual rolloff below 500hz of the front radiator. The rolloff is well known, and is accounted for by the rear-wave horn or TQWP loading.
I think that some of the nuances of this kind of system is not understood by many people who seek "perfect" response curves and the like. The purpose of this kind of system is the utter simplicity, and the acceptance of less than perfect response curves. It is this seeking of "perfect" response that has caused most of the mediocrity of "mainstream" systems. To get to this perfect flatness, or perfect this or that, ends up sucking the life out of the music, because of all the increased complexity and band aids included to try to attain that at the expense of all else.
I suppose that I must admit that what many would call a "ragged" response curve is okay with me, as long as at least a small portion of the life of the music is still left in it. Call me crazy, but flat response that is virtually lifeless is not my bag. I can see that flat response is very important to some others, so I have no problem with that. But that is not what I want, if it means that I lose what means more to me about the music.
I guess it comes down to what is important to each person. The 90-95db peaks at my listening chair is just fine with me. Suits me fine.
Maybe Nelson should have tried a Voigt Pipe. I have no problems at all getting under 50Hz quite easily, with authority. Lowther EX3 drivers begin audible compression at 108db, which is above my amp's ability to produce, so no worries there.
Somehow I've deluded myself into thinking that a very musical 95db at my chair with a somewhat imperfect response curve can be a quite exciting form of audio enjoyment.
Fancy that.
I wonder how that could be, after all these years of listening to more "normal" and "perfect" and expensive high end systems?
Maybe there's just some unknown aspect to it that intrigues me.
Regarding some of your other points, the Lowther isn't really designed for front horn loading, and nearly all of the cabinet designs for Lowthers have rear loading of one kind or another, which is supposed to augment the gradual rolloff below 500hz of the front radiator. The rolloff is well known, and is accounted for by the rear-wave horn or TQWP loading.
I think that some of the nuances of this kind of system is not understood by many people who seek "perfect" response curves and the like. The purpose of this kind of system is the utter simplicity, and the acceptance of less than perfect response curves. It is this seeking of "perfect" response that has caused most of the mediocrity of "mainstream" systems. To get to this perfect flatness, or perfect this or that, ends up sucking the life out of the music, because of all the increased complexity and band aids included to try to attain that at the expense of all else.
I suppose that I must admit that what many would call a "ragged" response curve is okay with me, as long as at least a small portion of the life of the music is still left in it. Call me crazy, but flat response that is virtually lifeless is not my bag. I can see that flat response is very important to some others, so I have no problem with that. But that is not what I want, if it means that I lose what means more to me about the music.
I guess it comes down to what is important to each person. The 90-95db peaks at my listening chair is just fine with me. Suits me fine.
Maybe Nelson should have tried a Voigt Pipe. I have no problems at all getting under 50Hz quite easily, with authority. Lowther EX3 drivers begin audible compression at 108db, which is above my amp's ability to produce, so no worries there.
Somehow I've deluded myself into thinking that a very musical 95db at my chair with a somewhat imperfect response curve can be a quite exciting form of audio enjoyment.
Fancy that.
I wonder how that could be, after all these years of listening to more "normal" and "perfect" and expensive high end systems?
Maybe there's just some unknown aspect to it that intrigues me.