GoodSoundClub - Romy the Cat's Audio Site

In the Forum: Horn-Loaded Speakers
In the Thread: Battling stupid Horn Criticism as a concept

Post Subject: Horn sound, why the 'abnormal' noticePosted by Axel on: 8/3/2009

Romy,
let me step up to the plate and get shot in the foot or what ever.
A lot of what you relate is of course right - BUT, 'where the is smoke - there is a fire" as the saying goes.
So, there must be a reason for this 'abnormal' notice of honking horns as compared to a "boxy" sounding speaker, etc.

I think it has to do with the much more efficient nature of horn speakers (acoustic impedance converter) and by this very nature a horn also amplifies errors more noticeable then say some 88dB box. I think horns are just known to do that much more easily (transmitting mistakes, being less forgiving) and so I guess many less acutely aware people may still notice if something doesn't sound quite right with a horn, but less so with a box speaker or foil and even a dipole.

Since the horn is emitting the sound it so happens to be blamed for everything that's not OK with the system. But IF something is amiss it seems to get converted into honkyness I.E. "it sounds like a horn".

It is easier for the ear to listen to a French-horn that doesn't quite do it with a box speaker, then to a honking piano from a horn, for instance. You are the expert, so why if a horn is not designed or set-up properly does it ALWAYS sound honky? It seems there is a small window for it to sound good / right whatever, but outside this VERY narrow window things then start to sound like a bloody PA system?!
I have heard some not so good box, dipole, foil speakers but the worst by far - if it goes wrong - (and often it does) is a horn sounding more suitable to call people on the beach to get out of the water (a PA system is just terribly offensive to the ears when pretending to play music, its actually phathetic, a joke, worse than a transistor clock radio, because it is so incredibly INTENSE).
Axel

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