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These seem to be taking over the U.S.-Canadian high-end speaker market.Before 2000, we had 'word-of-mouth' brands - like Klipsch (Heritage) and Edgarhorn. But around 2000, Avantgarde became the first to get wide attention. Several audio writers bought their review model, at the time.
Not much after (and finally catching wind in the U.S.), was Tannoy. Their 'Churchill' got a big review in Stereophile in 1998. But other review sites followed, inc. Dagogo and PFO.
Starting in 2002, Amphion and SP Tech did really good, in reviews.
The designer of SP Tech, Bob Smith, went on to design speakers for NuForce and those were subsequently raved.
Sunny speakers did good with (3) Stereo Times writers who bought them.
Soundquest, Klipsch Palladium and Hersey's got reviewed - all to thumbs up.
YG speakers are waveguides (going up from 1.75 kHz). This covers a big part of the midrange, which goes to 3 kHz, IMO). A host of writers said A-plus - or went on to buy them.
ATC is heating up - as a few audio writers own them. And Devore Orangutans (2 models) are now found in writer's systems.
The most popular waveguide/horns are Emerald Physics.
But there's more. How many have Gedlee, Wavetouch, DC10, Volti, AudioKinesis or Oswald Mill ?
Horns have been popular in Japan forever - why did it take so long here ? Was 'coloration' or 'shouting' effects that bad ?
They must have been, because this type of speaker *really* has taken off...
Edits: 10/22/16 10/22/16 10/22/16Follow Ups:
and honestly compared them to other dynamic designs, the field would be emptied. IMHO, no other brand could survive the comparison. Thus too, the magazines would be out of business vis-à-vis speaker reviews.
Please note that honking is a characteristic of Lowther-type horns, not Tannoy DCs.
Don't forget JBL and revival of old Western Electric horns with replicas from Japanese company GIP and Chinese company Line Magnetic.
In Europe, horns are now a big thing (literally and figuratively). In addition to Avantgarde you have Cessaro, Odeon, hORNS (Poland), Tune Audio (Greece), Aries Cerat (Cypress), Blumenhofer, Acapella, AER and several others.
I personally use horns now (Odeon) in both my systems where I used to be a die hard planar fan (still love the sound though).
Most planar/'stat owners have moved on to dynamic-cone or waveguide/horns. Cones are not dead in high-end, despite my thesis.One reviewer said the Magico 'S' speaker was clearly better than his 'stat.
Still, most who give up panels move to waveguide/horns, as you have.
One famous reviewer (in the states) thought 'stats were best. And over many years, bad-mouthed horns. He then bought a pair of horns 2 years ago...
Edits: 10/27/16 10/27/16 10/27/16 10/27/16 10/27/16
I still love the sound of good stats or planars. Just last weekend I heard again a pair of Acoustat Spectra 2200s, like what I used to own and it was like putting on your favorite slippers... The sound was rich but transparent and quite dynamic. I gave them up for space reasons and not because I found dynamic or horns to sound substantially better. The horns I have now are one of the few i have heard that are low enough in coloration that i can appreciate their strengths without lamenting their weaknesses. I don't miss the transparency as much anymore because my horns deliver that without "horn" colorations.
I have heard the S series (and Q series and older M series) and I would not replace an old pair of Acoustats for them...I think the Acoustats sound more realistic with acoustic music.
Is it because that the home theater movement is also having a resurgence? I am reading in home theater forums that folks are looking at true baffle or waveform speakers to recreate the cinema experience at home, with the ability to play loud and project far into the room to reach 2 and more seating rows. I am contemplating this type of speaker as well for my home cinema vice inwall home cinema speakers.just some more food for thought.
Actually, I think the most popular waveguide speakers right now are Revel's or Paradigm.
:)
They're more popular than people realize.
I think like any technology, Beryllium, infinite slope crossovers, time aligned, massless plasma tweeters, aluminum enclosures, etc. it's rare that any one technolgoy actually takes over the home market.
Don't forget the emminently affordable Hsu satellites too! :)
Best,
Erik
Don't forget JBL Synthesis. Although fairly efficient I'd still recommend quality watts with good current for these. I've always liked the sound of good pro compression drivers & horns like JBL or EV.
I also saw the Sadurni horn speakers, sounded incredible but the model I heard was $40k.
Emerald uses a 12" driver as a wave guide but I thought their main design point was being open baffle.
I should have mentioned JBL - both Synthesis and reference models, like the K2.Synthesis was reviewed and K2/Everest have received glowing show reports for 10 years. Yet no review in the states. HiFi News did the K2 and gave it the highest award ever (for a speaker, up to that point - an 89).
Reference models from Revel and Acoustic Zen are waveguides, starting at 2.2 Khz. Not low enough to count, IMO - but you may if you like. There is no standard for freq. cutoffs.
Rockport is now wave-guiding their tweeters, but how 'low' I don't know.
Makers of horns call them 'waveguides', others say 'dual-concentric'. Emerald says 'controlled directivity' or 'open baffle'. Afraid of the 'H' word, I assume.
Edits: 10/25/16 10/25/16 10/25/16 10/25/16 10/25/16 10/25/16
I think cone drivers are here to stay. I feel trends come and go, manufacturers look for new things or bring the old things in an attempt to prompt new sales. As an example I would have never thought turntables would be hot and new LP's pressed again. Old vintage receivers are in vogue. I'd say there are quite a bit more manufacturers offering tube gear now than before.
Sometimes it's a good thing, Class D was brought back and making new gains in performance and sound.
One thing about most speakers using actual horns, they tend to be large and not high in WAF.
Back to my point, I remember when the selling point was dispersion. Now it's wave guides and controlling dispersion. My Revel F52's had a fairly narrow sound stage due to the wave guide. Loved the speakers though. I think the next series disperses some better. My JBL has a wide horn that presents a wide soundstage.
As in all aspects of audio, it's up to the listener to figure out what they like and where they are willing to put their money.
Cones will stay for the mass (music) market, yes. But don't be surprised if waveguides (that cover much of the midrange) become big for home cinema. JBL already has a line, and now there's Ocean Way, etc.A good fit, since the real cinemas always used horns.
But for the high-end, I don't see how cones could survive. There's too much mass, they move too slow, cause more cabinet resonances, etc.
Turntables have not come back - only if you read the press. Hardly a month goes by without one of the British high-end magazines (or Michael Fremer in the U.S.) stating that 'vinyl has surged'.
It never left high-end of one, but two, *if* LP sales are growing, there's no proof anyone (new) is playing them. It seems they're merely collecting them.
Online sells turntables, but no mass-retailer does, in the U.S.
Edits: 10/25/16 10/27/16 10/27/16
You can actually walk into Best Buy (not just Magnolia either) and pick up a Denon or Sony TT right now. While they won't rival a RP1 or Debut Carbon, they are still quite serviceable and light years beyond the Crosleys the hipsters are picking up. Combined with the sites Mr. P noted as well services that text albums to you on a daily basis such as The Edit, I would say vinyl is definitely enjoying a resurgence.
"If you can leave black marks on a straight from the time you exit a corner till the time you brake for the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." Mark Donohue
Maybe stores near you - but in my area, it's Best Buy online.
When you say "players", are you meaning turntables? If so. look at Needle Doctor, Music Direct, Acoustic Sounds etc. and local dealers in my area actually have them on display. If you want to spend the dollars quite a bit of new vinyl is being pressed.
I think you'll always need at least a cone for bass drivers. Also, cones can be fast, think of the aluminum drivers companies like Martin Logan uses to keep pace with the electrostatic panels in the hybrid models, or, JBL's large 12 & 15" drivers to keep pace with the compression drivers. Emerald and all the other brands you mentioned that I'm familiar with still use a cone. Time will tell.
Those are high-end retailers - the same ones who were always selling turntables.
I agree with bass cones - but the critical highs and mids will be challenged, as my piece mentioned.
And Emerald uses a compression driver, not cone, for midrange.
Maybe just because nobody ever wanted to stop using big, heavy, super powerful amplifiers wich seem to be a cultural thing (as much as a typical manly habit)
Good point. And a business thing, too - big amps require more R&D and take in more sales$.I don't mind 'supporting the economy' - I just thought for the sake of music, our tiny segment wouldn't let this happen.
In his (new) review of Auditorium 23 horns, Art Dudley says they never should have stopped making this type of speaker.
Edits: 10/25/16
I don't think that speakers using some form of waveguide and horn loaded speakers should be considered as a single type.Although waveguides are a form of horn, in most speakers they are used to control directivity (dispersion). This being the case they are normally of such a short length as to only be effective at the upper frequencies of the audio bandwith radiated by the drive unit. So such speakers effectively remain as direct radiators.
Horn loading, on the other hand, is not so concerned with directivity but in providing optimum impedence matching between the audio radiation from the drive unit and the air, thus increasing efficiency. In these cases the horn has to be long enough and of a correct cross section to relate to the full frequency spectrum of the drive unit ( although for the lowest frequencies the horn may not match the full wavelength for practical reasons).
As the latter type of design requires large cabinets of complex construction where a full, or close to full, audio bandwidth is concerned they will remain expensive and hard to incorporate in most domestic settings. Therefore their popularity is likely to continue to be limited. Remember that the number of available models has no relation to how many are sold.
Edits: 10/23/16
Thanks - Geddes said "all waveguides are horns".It appears we can't control (certain) wavelengths with a 2-inch deep throat. However, it may help early reflections. At least that's what one designer told me.
But waveguides also use a dome for midrange. Another feature of domestic horns.
Edits: 10/23/16
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