horns vs. speakers
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dc270
Now Off the Reservation
Horns are quite efficient number 1- more so than standard cone speakers. Horns can be overwhelming for some people however, sharp definition and perhaps not as delicate as some mediums. I think a good happy medium to full blown horns are "wave guides" like those used in some noted projects here in AK. When crossed over properly and a good driver the sonic transition is smooth and defined. I thought the Altec 811 horn to be quite exceptional, as used in the ALtec 19 design, until I went to a proper wave guide.
Where horns really sound exceptional is in folded bass horn designs like Klipsch Horns and some of Bill Fitzmaurice designs.
As for cones, domes, ribbons, etc there are still good places for those even yet- but if ou really want to fill a room then a large 14" x 10" wave guide is my personal choice.
DC
Where horns really sound exceptional is in folded bass horn designs like Klipsch Horns and some of Bill Fitzmaurice designs.
As for cones, domes, ribbons, etc there are still good places for those even yet- but if ou really want to fill a room then a large 14" x 10" wave guide is my personal choice.
DC
theebadone
Super Member
With horns you also have a huge assortment of compression drivers you can experiment with, with the others you are just stuck with how they sound/perform. Horns can be intimidating, and at the same time they can be fantastic when the right combination of horn, driver, woofer, is found.
marcusekner
Racer
There's really no way of describing the difference between any horn and any cone/dome speaker as they are all different. However, there are some things you can count on. A horn is more efficient, so it needs less power. Horns can also be a lot bigger, and they tend to need a large room to really shine.
If you have room for horns, try some! I feel like the horn tweeters I'm using now are a lot more detailed and smooth than any domes I've had in my setup before.
If you have room for horns, try some! I feel like the horn tweeters I'm using now are a lot more detailed and smooth than any domes I've had in my setup before.
One other thing about horns is that they usually require a considerably more sophisticated crossover design, or at least a L-Pad to pad them down since they almost always have a lot higher sensitivity than the woofer they're being used with. That's not a negative, it just means a horn requires more planning when building a speaker with one.
My JBL's have a wave guide tweeter, and they sound great. Horns can too, or they can sound horrible, but then again, so can conventional drivers.
My JBL's have a wave guide tweeter, and they sound great. Horns can too, or they can sound horrible, but then again, so can conventional drivers.
doucanoe
Registered Audio Abuser
Sophisticated crossover? I guess it would be if you consider anything more than a cap on the tweeter as defining a sophisticated design. Introducing an L-pad just provides variable HF attenuation (in a 2-way for example) if your unsure what level of attenuation is needed. It can be easily replaced with fixed attenuation once it has been determined and measured. Many times, 1st order crossovers are desirable when it's a all horn loaded design and low power amplification is going to be used. I'd hardly view that as sophisticated.
A "waveguide" is still a horn is it not?
RC
A "waveguide" is still a horn is it not?
RC
My point was that the crossover would need to be more sophisticated if one did not use an L-pad. It would take trial an error to get the level right otherwise.
Also, I was talking about the difference between a wave guide (conventional tweeter loaded in a wave guide) vs a straight horn (compression driver) which to me aren't the same thing.
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dc270
Now Off the Reservation
That's a good observation/ comment. I tend to put waveguides outside the norm of tradional horn speakers as they need more "work" like proper drivers, xovers tweaks, compensations, etc, to best complete their integration into typical speaker uses.
DC
mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
Is there a good primer on the topic (in the public domain)?
doucanoe
Registered Audio Abuser
Here is a pic of the x-over from my old KEF Reference One-Two's high order 3-way. Not horn, but thats what I would consider to be in the sophisticated neighborhood 
I suppose that the addition of calculated compensation could be considered sophisticated when compared to a design not requiring it.
RC
I suppose that the addition of calculated compensation could be considered sophisticated when compared to a design not requiring it.
RC
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theebadone
Super Member
Zilch would have (loved) this thread lol.
dnewma04
The Healer
The econowave thread has a lot of information. Perhaps, Wayne Parham has something more concise and easier to find. I'll can have a look around and let you know.
