To horn or not to horn


I have never owned a horn speaker. I’m curious if there are any who are first time horn speaker owners after having owned other types of speakers for many years, and are you glad you switched?
needlebrush
I have been to Deja Vu (Virginia) twice in the past. The first time I bought a preamp and the second time a pair of used Reference 3a Grand Veenas. They were always helpful and courteous. And of course they had the good stuff in every room.

Oz



There are very few horn loudspeakers that are not hopelessly colored. Classic Audio speakers are the best I have heard. Making thin walled horns out of wood is plain asking for it. A loudspeaker is not supposed to be a musical instrument. It should be only a transducer, nothing else.
The only serious advantage horn speakers have is efficiency. While it is easier to make them dynamic they do not own the store in that regards.
I have not yet heard a horn system rise to the level of the absolute sound but I do not see a reason why they should not be able to get there. The settings I have heard them in have not been well controlled. With dynamic speakers it is usually the crossover and lack of directionality or uniform directionality that keep them from rising to the ultimate levels. (can't wait to hear my buddy's new Magico S7s) Horns are very directional which is a good thing, Classic Audio speakers uniformly so. It comes down to the crossover and it is not easy to design a really good one. The problem is essentially the same for any multiway system. This may be the magic behind full range speakers. It may be easier to get them to image properly and the people that love them hold this more dear than reproduction of the frequency extremes? Just a guess as I have never listen to or played with a full range speaker/driver.
There are a lot of horn speakers out there from over the years so chances are a lot of people like them. 
@isochronism ... I had components for 3 of essentially those (dual 1226 topped with 2446 CD’s with 2385 horns. (The offer cabinet and the drivers/horns came separately with no x-over (was going to use miniDSP’s). This was to be for the front stage in my large HT. Then moved and I’ve not had room for those in each of my next two houses, but I just dismantled and kept all the drivers. Flirting with a dedicated HT addition to current house, so these may yet be incorporated 🤞