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Horn-Loaded Speakers
Topic: Replacing 802 G and 811 horns

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Posted by Sean19 on 03-08-2016
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Hi i want to replace my 802 G drivers with something that plays flat and has extended highs. I have several horns was thinking of using Radian drivers like the 1.4"  745pb i have some 800hz 1.4" tractrix horns to mount them on.  Anyone have experience with Radian? any recommendations? How about going three way with coaxial BMS drivers. Or do i just use a larger 1.4" altec and a good horn tweeter? all opinions appreciated. 

Posted by Paul S on 03-08-2016
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to get worthy advice, perhaps you could share some info about your present system and musical tastes, also what it is you like and don't like about your present set-up, and how you'd like to change it, beyond "flat + extended highs". If you have read the site, you know that mixing and matching horns and drivers is an expensive hobby with no guaranteed outcomes. If you've not read the site, I recommend that as a good starting point. Although you might not get the sort of specific, off-the-wall recommendations you'll get from other forums, you might actually wind up with a better understanding of how to get what you want. Anyone might say, "try the JBL 375", but that's hardly enough to go on, thus no real help, if you are at loose ends.




Best regards,
Paul S

Posted by rowuk on 03-08-2016
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I think that most of us here consider horns to be decade devices. That means about 3.5 octaves can be optimally covered. 800-8000Hz in your case. Extending the "highs" another octave means a couple of things. If a horn is "too short" you do not get much EQ or benefit for the lower octaves. If it is too long, it acts like a transmissionline, the response gets ragged (also to the ear). That means a horn that does a good job at 1K could (and most likely would) be pretty challenged at 10K. I know that there will be a bunch of Constant Directivity users that will scream that this is not true. If that is what they want to believe, then fine. Coax solutions are maybe great for PA, but the long horn for the mids will screw up the top octave for sure.

If Sound quality is your goal, you need to figure out if the Altec 802 on your tractrix horn has serious Sound from 800Hz to whatever. If yes, then an additional channel above 8-10KHz (not necessarily a horn) could be a solution.
I have experience with the BMS coax. I bought them, broke them in, and they were in my system for 2 days. I sent them back. Coax does not work in my opinion. You can get nice pressure response, but that is not my goal.

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