Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: RL Acoustique Lamhorn 1.8 Speakers by Canadian Canuck

Model:	Lamhorn 1.8
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$9,500 (CDN)
Description:	Single Driver Horn Speaker
Manufacturer URL:	RL Acoustique

Review by Canadian Canuck on October 03, 2007 at 17:51:29
IP Address: 216.221.44.176 Add Your Review
for the Lamhorn 1.8

The Lamhorn 1.8 is a single-driver back loaded horn speaker designed and manufactured by a Montreal based company called RL Acoustique, which is owned & operated by Robert Lamarre. The Lamhorn can be used with various drivers - AER mk1, Reps R-1, Lowther (EX3, DX3, EX4,DX4). Following Robert’s advice, I opted for the AER mk1 driver since they were the best match for my Tenor Audio 75wp OTL mono amps. The speakers are internally wired with Vacuum State silverfoil. What turned out to be curiosity about horn speakers on my part, turned out to be a complete overhaul of my preamplifier/amplifier/ speaker combination during the course of the the summer, courtesy of Robert Lamarre. My reference system now includes a Vacuum State SVP1 preamplifier, Tenor 75wp amp, Lamhorn 1.8. Yes, the Vacuum State SVP1 can keep up with the Tenors. It was Robert who introduced me to this amazing and reference quality preamplifier. Sources include an Ayre C5XE universal cd player and recently a silver Michell Orbe with TecnoArm “A” and Benz L2 cartridge. The turntable was added at the end of July and this was my first exposure to analog after an absence of more than 15 years. The listening room is actually a basement measuring 29 feet in length by 22 feet in width with 7 or 8 foot ceiling. The flooring is carpet over concrete.

My interest in horn speakers came from reading Michael Lavorgna’s review of the Lamhorn 1.8 (http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/lamhorn/18.html) and actually listening to them at Montreal’s “Festival Son & Image 2007”. At the show, I met Vinh Vu and Norm Ginsburg from Norvinz, who are the exclusive U.S. distributor of the Lamhorn speakers (http://www.norvinz.com). They played Ray Brown’s “Soular Energy” on a Merrill-Scillia Research MS2 turntable outfitted with Triplanar arm and Ortofon Jubilee cartridge. The Lamhorns were hooked up to an Opera Consonance Cyber 211 monoblock tube amplifier. Hearing the Norvinz set-up really encouraged me to seek out the Lamhorns.

I was fortunate enough that Robert Lamarre lives 15 minutes away from my place. He agreed to let me audition the Lamhorns for a whole month without any pressure. I liked the speakers but the only time I really took notice of how special the Lamhorns were was the day that I switched back to my reference multi-driver speakers. Hearing my reference speaker clearly showed that the Lamhorns were more detailed, faster, and more musical than my reference. I will not mention my reference multi-driver speaker. I have heard this speaker countless times at the dealer’s showroom and it always sounded amazing. However, in my room with my equipment, I preferred the Lamhorns. Your mileage may vary.

The first thing that impressed me about the Lamhorn is their ability to portray the highs with such amazing clarity. I can hear the leading edge and the following decay of the notes very clearly, cleanly, and without distortion. Listening to the way piano sounds on the Lamhorn on recordings such as “Midnight Sugar” from the Tsuyoshi Yamamoto trio (three blind mice recording) is simply amazing. Most of the playing concentrates on the higher registers. I can hear not only the high notes being played without distortion but also how hard the keys are being pressed. The spaces around the instruments are clearly audible. Not to be outdone, the midrange sounds so natural and without hype on the Lamhorn. There are some multi-driver speakers that portray Diana Krall in a larger than life manner. While this may sound pleasing at first, it tends to become tiresome and irritating after longer listening sessions. The Lamhorn presents the midrange in a different manner. It sounds lighter, with more air, and sounds more natural and without overly exaggerating the sibilant “S” sounds (which is due to the recording). The bass on the Lamhorn is very good but don’t expect deep organ bass. For example, the track “From the age of swing” (reference recording) has some deep bass notes that can be heard and felt if played loud enough. The Lamhorn will not knee-cap the bass notes like a Quad esl63. You can still hear the bass but there will be less impact. This is to be expected since the bass only goes down to 40 or 50 Hz. That being said, sometimes the bass coming out from the Lamhorn can be exciting and downright scary. Robert Lamarre played a track for me that featured kodo drummers from Japan. When played loud, the impact of the drums is downright awesome. The Lamhorns are no one note bass speaker. The impact of the kodo drums being hit is startling but what I appreciated was the portrayal of the decay and reverberation of the kodo drum after the initial impact. You might not get deep organ notes but what you will come to appreciate is the quality of the bass notes being produced by the Lamhorn.

I have saved the best for last. While the Lamhorn sounds amazing with digital, it changes character when using an analog source. The highs and midrange are still amazing. The bass slightly changed for the better. Bass was rounder, has more weight. In analog, the Lamhorns displayed every instrument more clearly in a 3-d space. The soundstage was not only wide but had more depth behind the speakers. Voices got a little rounder, fuller, and had more space and air around them. Do not get the impression that the Lamhorns sounds best with analog. Because of its inherently revealing nature, the Lamhorns will display with greater clarity the differences between analog and digital. However, both digital and analog format are equally musical and satisfying with the Lamhorns.

After reading some comments from various articles concerning horn speakers, I got the impression that all horn speakers favor corner placement. Because of this placement, they tend to sacrifice soundstage depth. This is not the case with the Lamhorns. They do not need corner placement. In fact, I think they will sound bad placed in a corner. The Lamhorns can be placed in the same position that you would place any cone speaker. I personally have mine set 12 feet apart and 8 feet behind the rear wall. I toe them in slightly towards my listening position. With this position, the speakers literally disappear and soundstage depth and width is excellent.

In conclusion, I have owned various multi-driver speakers and was fortunate enough to own a Quad esl63. The Lamhorn 1.8 is the only speaker that I have owned that can give me the feeling that the performers are actually in my listening room when I close my eyes. This happens with digital and analog. Also, gone are the days when I would wince and wonder what was missing in the performance. I now get caught up in the emotional content of the music rather than concentrate on how the instruments or voices sound or should sound. The only shortcoming of my listening session, I have to get up to change the music. In the end, it is about enjoying the music and forgetting the hardware. After 10+ years of being an audiophile/ music lover, I can finally rest and not feel the need to change or upgrade my components.

Product Weakness:	Bass doesn't go organ pedal deep.
Product Strengths:	Amazing highs, natural midrange, detailed and fast

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Tenor 75wp
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Vacuum State SVP1
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Ayre C5XE/Michell Orbe SE Tecnoarm Benz L2
Speakers: Lamhorn 1.8
Cables/Interconnects: to be determined
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Jazz, Rock, Pop
Room Size (LxWxH): 29 x 22 x 8
Time Period/Length of Audition: 1 mos.
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Nordost Thor
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Tenor 75wp
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Vacuum State SVP1
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Ayre C5XE/Michell Orbe SE Tecnoarm Benz L2
Speakers:	Lamhorn 1.8
Cables/Interconnects:	to be determined
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Jazz, Rock, Pop
Room Size (LxWxH):	29 x 22 x 8
Time Period/Length of Audition:	1 mos.
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Nordost Thor
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner