Rerurn to Romy the Cat's Site

Probably not one subject among horn enthusiasts does not arouse as much fantasies as midbass horns.  This subject in one way or another was discussed at my site (look for the linked threads) but I would light look at the subject of the Midbass horns from a different perspective – from the Real Estate perspective.

First I need to define what I am taking about. I recognize 3 type of basshorns : the lowbass, midbass and upperbass.  The upperbass horns are the horns from 90-120Hz. They are characterized that they can still work from the time-aligned position with MF in near filed. The midbass horns are 40-60Hz horn. They are characterized by setting reference level of playback softness. And the last one are - the lowbass horns – sub 30Hz. They are characterized by driving the illusionary imagination of people who have little understanding of want they do – I do not believe in the lower bass horns. Also, it would be worth to mention that taking about horns I mean the properly designed horns, not the direct radiators with “wings” as most of Audio Morons ™ sell themselves as “horns”. I am taking about the situation where anechoicly the bottom knee of the horns delivered at least with 6dB by the equalization of the horn…

The reason why I decided to talk about is because I decided to move from my currant place – there is a multitude of business, social, financial and other reasons why.  I love my currant place – I live here form 12 years but it is a time to move on. BTW, if you are not an Audio Moron™ and still would like to catch in my old place what was done there and to learn “how Sound might be: in accordance to my view then you might still catch me unit I move, I promise that it will be educational. I anticipate that within a few months I will be gone from here…

Now, I do not have a place to move at this point and I purely conceptualizing what I what. Of course my audio inclinations do not dictate my requirement to my future home but they are a part of it and I obviously do consider them.  Still this thread is not about the Real Estate but about audio. There is a very-very high probability that moving in a new larger listening room I will be willing to pursue a pair of midbass horns, probably 45-50Hz. So, I am trying to conceptualize what kind horns they might be if I have no Real Estate restrictions of any kind. The more I think about it the more I feel that it is not so simple subject to think.

I need to preface saying that I most likely know about midbass horns all that you know. I also have very specific objectives:

1)      A single 15” driver  per horn
2)      7”-8” throat,  40-50Hz horn
3)      Horn is straight or with a single curve (not bend but juts a curve)
4)      Driver in time-aligned position with MF
5)      Very solid construction of each horn, preferably masonry.
6)      Both midbass horns are invisible in listening room.

So, I am looking for an inspiration what I might be and how it might be accomplished.  Feel free to propose any absurd idea – this is the place for them.

In addition to that I most likely know about the horns what you do I most likely have see most of the horns installations out there and I have to admit that I do not like any of them. I would like to do it completely differently as I have advantage to start from Real Estate.  My current leading idea is to get a house that is called raised ranch with a large 800-900 sq feet living room. The raised ranches have basements where white trashes usually build bars. Those basements usually have 8”-9” ceilings – exactly the length of my 40-50Hz horn. So, hypothetically I might have two vertically arranged midbass hyperbolic of even conical horns with drivers sitting on the basement floor and the mouth  at the level of the living room floor, covered with the walking screens,  similar to those that we in city’s walkways above the subway holes. This is my leading idea so far but I also invasion some theoretical problem with it. So, I still am thinking and still working to purify my hypothetic design.

The best midbass I ever heard was from a corner-loaded Vitavox horn but it was an superbly accident that hardly even happen again. The most properly positioned and very well sounding midbass horn that I witness was in NH installation of Bill Gaw – it was 50Hs, time aligned very properly arranged in playback and the rest. It did not have all that I would like to have from midbass but it did not screw up sound as most of other midbass horns do and it was very good.  However, in Bill ‘s case it was a dedicated room – I do not like dedicated rooms conceptually I world like my midbass horn (if I go for it) to be very non-conspicuous in a normal living room.

Rerurn to Romy the Cat's Site