Horns for HT?


Hi all,

I'm starting to set up a second HT room in our 18'x32'x10'basement game room. I have a B&W HT/music system on the main floor featuring 800ds, HTM2D, Velodyne DD18. I would like to try something different in the basement. From what I've been told horns excel at impact\dynamics\punch. So would a HT system with horn speakers work well. Does anyone have any suggestions going this direction? I will be using Arcam AVR-600 for my processor.I'm not looking at going quite as high end as I have upstairs

Thanks, Mike
128x128mikeba316

Showing 2 responses by queefee

I've been an audio/videophile for many years myself. I've owned some Klipschies in the past, and think, done properly, can indeed offer some dynamic, well focused, coherent sounding performance for good HT/music dubties! While I do like the klipsh's - historically - with tubes in the system, they offer some efficiency advantages over typical passive speaker systems, which usually ends up resulting in dynamic advantage to the higher sensitivity horn speakers. Basically, they amplify and reinforce the frequencies they cover, making a more potent, hard hitting, and dynamic pressentation there. Their higher sensitivity also makes for a more effortless, efficient system to drive, without difficulty. The horns - especially in your bassment - offer the advantage of limiting off-axis, and floor to ceiling acoustical reflections, which can smear the immaging and dynamic impact of a sound system.
Klipsch's tend on the bright/crispy side on the treble, wiht a foreward pressentation overall (this makes for a more involved pressentation with better "pressence" for movies, IMO), depending on models, so consider. I would go with tubes first, then more mellow, laid back electonics to match, for best tonaly balance (also, EQ's like the Audyssey will help here also, if needed).
I think you can rule out ubber-buck Avantgardes, and look also at Accutech's offerings offers, JBL's THX horns, and similar. Read your reviews here,and do some searching.
For the record, as a movie system, I've not heard much better with horn passive's than the Klipsch THX system refered to here, above, for movies! Sounded very dynamic, detailed, clear, and effortless for passive system. I'd use those if I had to NO PROBLEM! Very good, infact.

Good luck
In response to "Shiva" here previously, I would have to add that, if It was my theater I was building - even not having heard the speaker models he mentioned - I would not hesitate for a second to use any of the offerings he's suggesting you look at, over any typical home audio speaker offering, or even higher end B&W, Thiel, etc designs for a full on high performance home theater effort, you bet! And of course, not having heard any of these essoteric, ultra high sensitivity horn and active horn pieces in mention - even considering that other audiophile speakes out there might likely offer a more refined, better integrated, ubber-detailed and airy, sound quality - it's not telling the whole story about how any of these speaker systems will sound in absolute terms, with all sorts of material. HOWEVER. I have absolustely no doubt, based on the specs of these, that they would stomp the living bejesus out of anything else you'll likely ever apply to your sort of application, even surpassing 100% to 200% better overall dynamics and effortless power delivery than your typical home audio fare! - believe it!! Basically, you're looking at dynamics you'll find in a better commercial cinema theater here - serious speaker systems for no compromise thrills, slam, impact, and potency, if those priorities are important to you...and they are to me, in the context of an HT system.
For the record, my old little pair of Klipsch 5 1/4" bookshelf two way mini monitors were almost twice as dynamic and powerful as any other similarly sized home audio speaker I ever had! And yes, they were worse in other areas, and did best with tube gear - by far, sure.
However, since these exotic ht horn speakers mentined above are likely out of the price range being considered here, other Bang for the buck speakers you should consider, for seriously dynamic HT system applications, I think looking at the larger Klipsch reference speakers - or definitely the THX Klipsch's - like the RF7's or matching Reference Center all around, for LCR dubties, even, will be a no lose system for you! While not as refined sounding as delicate audiophile sensible designs, they offer strong detail (especially in upper registers), unbeatable dynamics in an affordable passive speaker, clear overall sound w good midrange, and powerful bass, of course. More over, they are mondo efficient, effortless, easy to drive, and coherent and focused for room friendly acoustics and room integration properties, for most untreated home environments.
I should add that, since everyone's tastes and appreciation for what a good speaker should sound like is likely personal, that you will have to audition and decide for yourself what kind of sound you like to here. For simply HT dubites however, I think you should strongly consider what's important in an effective cinema speaker. Look at what the pro systems use, what the industry uses for it's theater systems, and take it all in. Make your rounds, and chose your weapons.
Another consideration is powered speakers, loud spdeakers that integrate powered woofers for the bass. Used Def Tech speakers with powered woofers can be had for cheap around the net, used, and have a more tpical home audio sound to them, but still offer higher efficiency and a more powerful sound, thanx to powered woofer integration, due to their design parameters.
Just some thoughts