Hi, new here. out of loop long time. where we at?


Hi all I am new here and just wondering where everything has lead. I have been out of the loop for like 12 to 15 years just collecting albums here and there and doing other hobbies.

I love music but have been happy just spinning records on a moderately cheap system. I have collected stuff over the years in the way of parts and equipment and did learn a lot.

I am older now so I am sure my hearing is not what it used to be but my taste more refined. When I kinda got out of paying attention to the equipment people were trying to bring the old technologies back like low power and horns.

Did this technology get ironed out or do horns and efficient speakers still have big shortcomings. By far the most transparent sound I have ever heard out of a system was a 45 single ended triode out of a horn but it had other issues but taught me simple amplification with less molestation and gain to the single was way way cleaner.

Am I wrong here and how do the new speakers compare to like the old school stuff like B n W 801's, Quad 63, Theil, Martin Logan and such.

And did anybody get a good horn going that is really good.

Thanks for any help.

moretorque
You might want to try a pair of Triangles (Antal ES). Very tube friendly and amazing 3D. Everything a horn speaker would like to be.
I like the looks of the little JBL home monitor series horn loaded monitor speakers that I have seen on AMazon for just a few hundred $$s. Would love to give those a shot someday.
Horns are improved and JBL has redefined horn 'sound' with the DD6700's. Problem is the cost. Flea power SET amps still won't--and never will be able to-- adequately power any near full range horn speaker. But, many people get full enjoyment from them. I like the idea of more for less but nothing is free as those with electric cars are realizing. The laws of physics demand a certain energy, whether gas,electricity or pedal power to move a mass a given distance, cars or cones. Virtually nothing has changed in loudspeakers, just like cars are a box on 4 wheels, planes have 2 wings. The physics of loudspeaker performance are unchanged. Marketing is still 'madly' creative and 'magic' is everywhere. But it is an exciting time for new materials and advances available from computing power and speed Check into DEQX type technology, which I think is the biggest advance in reproduced sound.
Welcome back. Sadly, the horn / SET technology remains largely where it was when you left, as far as I can tell. Few seem to understand how spooky a 45 done right can be. The inherent limitations of the speakers remain a stumbling block, and there has not been a lot of discussion about horns, lowthers or fostex for a while. Field coils are coming back, and the prices would make most shudder! Open baffle set ups are catching on with a lot of interest from those who seemed to like high efficiency stuff previously as well... haven't quite made it over. Look easier to build, but not sure even a monster like the 2a3 would drive them. Most also have some form of 'crossover' as well.