|
Speaker Asylum General speaker questions for audio and home theater. |
|
|
|
Speaker Asylum General speaker questions for audio and home theater. |
|
In Reply to: HORN! posted by benjamin sheares on March 24, 2001 at 08:02:33:
Your post is for the most part incorrect.>>The other thing aside from size and limited bass and the problem of citing the speaker in a domestic space is that horns love to be played loud. Very loud.<<
I would say that audiophiles love to play horns loud. This is due to the fact that a horn's lack of dynamic compression allows audiophiles to hear music with similar dynamics to the live event. A well amplified horn maintains 'ease' well into 3 figure dB territory. Where dynamic compression and its associated hardness would normally limit a dynamic speaker, the horn just carries on effortlessly producing the goods.
But is that a must? Will a horn lose dynamics or detail when it is played with at less stentorian levels?
The same way its easy to tell the difference between whispering, speaking and shouting, your brain also recognises the optimum level for music based on the instruments, distance perception etc. Turn a horn down low and while it will maintain its dynamic range, it will also communicate if the music is unnaturally quiet. But this is a characteristic of music and human hearing and not of horn loudspeakers.
>>Horns like most other speakers have a 'sweet spot' in terms of their volume level where they sound their best. And this tends to be overwhelmingly loud at times<<
The 'sweet spot' in most other speakers is defined by their dynamic compression levels. The 'sweet spot' with horns is for the most part defined by the music. A symphony orchestra at full crecendo is loud. Most dynamic speakers will not cope with the intensity and volume as dynamic compression overwhelms the sound and causes listener fatique.
Good horns however will produce realistic levels without fatique.
>>Imagine Led Zeppelin rehearsing in your room full tilt every night and you'll get why the horn speaker dynamic and volume realism can be both it's finest and worst attribute!<<This is like criticising a Porche because its so fast you can lose your licence.
I said your post was for the most part incorrect.
Horns are big. You got that right.
But these days integrating horns with superfast dynamic woofers for the last one or 2 octaves has become an effective (if not perfect) way to fit horns into most domestic environments.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Follow Ups
- Dear Ben - Steve 08:36:50 03/25/01 (0)
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
