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Attention Horn Owners

Hey guys. I’m in the middle of making a few changes and seek your wisdom and help. Doing my research for speakers, I currently own Audio Note e/lx, and I think I might need a little more bass presence. These are wonderful, natural sounding speakers but I’m debating a change. Slightly more efficient would be nice, the AN’s are listed at 94db but some say measure closer to 92db. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 
Now for the post title. Doing my research I came across Volti. I like purchasing American made when I can, my amp and preamp are Aric Audio. I’ve never heard a horn speaker before. Reviews of some say they tend to be bright, which is a no go for my sensitive ears. Reviews did mention that Volti are not bright. So, any comments regarding ear fatigue and horn speakers or Volti speakers would be fantastic. 
‘Finally, I live on Long Island. If there is any nearby who would be kind enough to allow me to listen to a horn speaker, there’s a six pack or bottle of wine in it for you! lol. I’d love to hear a pair before I spend 1 million hours researching different ones. Thanks in advance. Earthbound

earthbound
referee1
18 posts
 

Depending on your budget Klipsch heritage series work well with tubes. I’m using Rogue Cronus Magnum III with Cornwall IVs, very good match. 

unreceivedogma's avatar
unreceivedogma
1,172 posts
 

@toddalin 

Best they have ever heard?

They haven’t heard mine, 😂!

Then again, I’d never make such a claim about a particular component, only about a system.  Each component functions within the context of the system within which it resides. Weakest link rules. 

See the about page theaudioatticvinylsundays.com

larryi
4,591 posts
 

I like the Klipsch heritage speakers even though they don't come close to some custom systems using truly great vintage compression drivers.  Drivers of this quality haven't been made since the 1960's.  Klipsch makes do with what one can find of modern drivers at modest prices.  Likewise Volti, and I like what Volti does even more with modern drivers. 

But, for my taste, a truly great horn has to use some of the old compression drivers and horns.  This weekend, I heard a just finished custom speaker that utilizes a Western Electric 713A driver and a Japanese horn from the 1950-60 era.  The woofers and tweeter are modern, the crossover is new, but filled with vintage parts.  The internal wiring is, I believe 1940-50 Western Electric wire.  The crossover point is lower than the original Western Electric specification, but, the builder said that because this speaker is not being used as the sole speaker in a theater (original use of the driver), it can be pushed down a little.  The sound was fantastic--a surprising amount of detail and texture to instrumental sounds came through without the sound being thin and harsh like some other "detailed" speaker.  It had all of the other characteristics of a good horn, except for the enormous sense of "scale" that one only gets with truly enormous speakers (these were quite compact by horn speaker standards); still they are better than most in this respect as well.  

bolong
964 posts
 

Makes me wonder if replacing some of the internal driver wire in the Cornwall's with some vintage "Western Electric" wire might be interesting. 

larryi
4,591 posts
 

The only way to know is to do a trial.  Any change in sound could be for better or worse, depending on one's taste and the set of other components.  If you are really able to get vintage Western Electric are, you are looking for old, multi-strand wire with cloth insulation.  I know a builder who, when he finds the stuff he likes, will pay well north of $10k for a 6" spool of the stuff.  This builder generally builds with Western Electric or Audio Note speaker wire, and both options are very expensive.  

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