Set with full range vs two way with horn

[Tubeglowpio]

Hoping everyone can help me out with this one, so I'm trying to decide on a speaker to build for a 2A3 or 300b tube amp. I haven't decided on which set to build yet because the full range is a 90 db and the mid bass with horn driver would be 99db. I'm just trying to see if anyone prefers horn drivers with sets over full range because then I would build the horn with the 2A3. I know 90db wouldn't be enough for a 2A3 so the full range would force me to go with a 300b. What is your advice and opinions?

 

[maxhifi]

Opinion: Both can sound good, but the full range won't have the dynamic range, or the crisp treble of the two way setup. I would definitely say the two or three way horn setup will be much more versatile (for example, you can use it in a big room, and watch movies quite loud)

On the other hand, some people don't like the horn sound, and would prefer to live with the disadvantages of a full range driver.

There is also the other side of things - a full range will be cheaper. A horn loaded setup is going to be costly, physically large, and hard to transport (need a truck or van). Buying such a setup is quite a commitment in terms of time, money, physical space, and effort, and if you decide you don't like it later on, it will be fairly involved to liquidate it.

If you're just dipping your toe in the waters of SET, the full range approach may be a lower commitment way to try things out.

 

[Tubeglowpio]

I have built a couple el84 sets and a sep before and they sounded nice with my klipsch rp 160m speaker which is a two way with a horn. I have not heard a full range with any tube amp yet but people seem to say that full range sounds better with set amps than multi drivers. So my plans actually get a little crazier btw, I'm actually building a mono amp and building my own radio cabinet with tube am radio as well. So I need something that sounds good off axis to fill a small living room with music. I don't know too much about horn systems, I was just going to design a ported box about 3ft^3 for my mid bass requirements then also place the horn in the same box. Price difference isn't much of a difference especially since its mono.

 

[Son-of-Vere]

Full range speakers tend to be sweet spot things. From what you're describing as to how you plan to listen to it, I'd go with the horn.

 

[Eastham]

*Posted in wrong thread like a dummy*

 

[Tubeglowpio]

Full range speakers tend to be sweet spot things. From what you're describing as to how you plan to listen to it, I'd go with the horn.

I was leaning that way, thanks for the vote. I'm going to build a set of full range speakers for a stereo amp but for a mono console the horn with mid bass should be pretty sweet.