How much of High End Audio is Horn Speakers?


An audio friend of mine had been discussing my future speaker purchase. We discussed, Harbeth, Devore, Spendor, Audio Note and other more traditional speaker brands. A week or two later he called an asked me what speakers I had purchased. When I told him Klipsch, there was a little silence on the other end of the line. Our call probably ended a little sooner then usual. I could tell he was disappointed in my purchase. Is it the Klipsch name that illicits this type of response or is it Horn speakers in general? After thinking about some of the other Audiophiles in town, a good deal of them are on the low power high efficiency speaker route and more than a few I know are using Horns. Does anyone know how the high end market share is divided? Is there a stigma associated with certain lower cost Horn speakers? Or is this just Klipsch? I now own a pair of Klipsch Cornwalls and am enjoying the journey associated with tweaking the sound to my taste. Is there an unwritten rule that friends don’t let friends buy Klipsch?

128x128coachpoconnor

These horns tick all the boxes if you have a few hundred grand to spare.

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Sorry, horns belong on the top of poles at HS football stadiums.  You cannot understand how they mess up sound reproduction until you listen to them next to an accurate speaker like Magnepans.

Before you buy, give this a try IN YOUR ROOM.  If you still want horns, fine.  I think you will figure it out, however.

Cheers!

Klipsch speakers are very particular about what you feed them. If this is a hassle for you, move on.

They are also very sensitive to placement. Again, hassle for you, move on.

Lastly, there have been numerous improvements in the Heritage line in the last few years. Don't base your opinion of Klipsch on a pair of 70s Lascalas that you heard back in the 80s being driven by a receiver in a less than optimal room. This happens a lot and people post their opinion as fact.

The new Heritage speakers are able to compete with anything in their price range and not be embarrassed. Sometimes way above too.

 

As for @jasonbourne52  and his measurement fetish, JA measured the Khorn on a dolly in Art's driveway. This is a speaker that is designed to use the corner of a room as the last fold of the bass horn. What would you expect that graph to look like?

 

Oz

 

 

First and foremost, if you like your Klipsch Horns that is all that matters.  Screw everyone else. 

      Well said!