Hi Romy
a good sound in a room does not depend only on the speaker chain, but essencially also of the room acoustics. Probably many of the Trio systems didn’t sound right just because of that…. I was at Holgers Home in Lautersbach back in 94. He had then a basshorn not in modules, like now, and it did not go deep. The mid’s where imaging over, ( sorry , I don’t have a good English vocabulary, I try do express myself the best I can ) lets say a piano did sound bigger, as it really does. I don’t know if the reason was the size of the horn. I was recently in Italy, and went to a hi-fi shop ( Di Prinzio ) and I did listen the first time a Tannoy Westminster. What a speaker !! Rarely I heard a speaker more natural sounding, and imaging was just awesome. It seemed I was not in front of a speaker, but listening a real concert. What made me think, is the small size of the horn for mid-high frequencies, from 1000 hz up. So your Macondo Horn for mid frequencies probably is the right size. I don’t know if the trio had this problem, of over imaging , because the horn may bee too big a little bit. The impression I had at this time of the duos, was that they sound horny.
Of course, Avantgarde with their price tag never will be for mass consumption. I offered Holger then to see If I could commercialize his horns in japan, Do u know how much was the dealer price for a pair of trios at that time ? 9600 german marks…. Abought us$5.000,00 Compared to what they charge today….. their prices are really ridiculous. But if u compare with others, stays in line. I don’t think even the absolutely best horn system should cost more than between lets say 8 and 10th us dollars. With that money, u can make great horns, buy the best drivers around, and bult up a wonderful horn system.
I went to Japan 5 times. There are actually 5 companies in Japan, witch deal with these exotic high-end drivers. YL audio, ALE , GOTO , and Onken. YL audio and Onken does not exist anymore, as far as I know, I was privileged to visit Kondo sans factory. I have still a catalog from them, as probably only a view people know, Audio Note does produce also very exclusive high-end drivers and woofers, all with silver wiring. Probably they do not commercialize outside of Japan, because no market for that stuff. Mid bass of Kondos system was excellent, deep bass Kondo uses his 38cm woofer in a very big cabinet, goes really deep, sound is warm, but not so fast. Overall very nice sound. I visit also ALE factory near Yokohama. Its probably a one or two man company, the owner produces all drivers and horns in a very small factory. He worked 30 years ago at YL audio, as well as Goto san. they have the same background. I did go with him to listen a system outside of Tokyo. There are fotos of this system at this site: http://aca.gr/pop_goto_ale.htm It’s the five way reference system, with green drivers. I have pics of the bass horn behind, its straight 9m. I brought my own cds, and I had some with very deep bass. I was surprised, as the basshorn did not go very deep, and time delay was a problem, you actually hear that the soundsource is 9m behind you, and that is really bad. It can be imagined like you go to a deep well, and somebody is down there. When this person calls you from down there, you can notice that the source comes from far deep, at a view m of distance. The same happens with these long horns. So , definitely, not a good solution for good, deep bass. The rest of the system was fine. I don’t think that these exotic Japanese drivers are far better than more commercial drivers, like tad, altec, etc. Probably only the highest series of Goto, really crazy. I don’t believe that their exponential horns sound honky. Goto’s objective is to creat the most natural sound possible, and they where using a piano, playing it, and then comparing directly with their speakers. They know very well what they do, and I believe, there is no coloration at all. And, they do that for over 30years… These drivers are not expensive only in the states , but also in japan. Only a example. The 1260 ALE 100kg bass driver costs there 1.3 mio yen each, abought us $11.000,00 I think a subwoofer with good speakers, Iike a audire 1808 should really sound better. Actually, I want to buy these, if u know who has a pair for sale ?
What guys like Bert Doppenberg of BD Design care of, is system integration. That’s why they try so much to have a pointsource. That’ one of the reasons why Tannoys sound so wonderful, and why Cabasse ore others experiment quit a long time around these solutions. I think this Is as much, ore even more important than time alignment. Bert did work quit a good time to make the BMS sound well, u did not read the story in his forum abought it, but people who heard these drivers with his horns are quit amazed abought its capabilities. That’s why I bought these horns. I only believe a mid bass horn will be necessary, to have more body of the sound.
I enjoyed a lot your comments abought magico minis, and his horns. Do u know the woofer of the mini ? It s a expolinear chassis (http://www.expolinear.de/ ) costs Euro$ 268,00 . His price tag is just ridiculous. The cost to built a speaker like this is not more than : scan speak tweeter us 600 a pair. The woofers also, 600 a pair, crossover and cabinet, may 1200 us, that’s total 2400 us. Why a speaker like this should be worth 22grant ?????? And in the interview Alon Wolf said, its Minis were cheap !!! A consumer that pays that is just stupid.
I did not involve me with high-end for quit a long time. But my dream now is to create a horn speaker Wich is a simbiosis of good looking, and good sounding, at a fair price. And that may I could produce and commercialize as well. A good alternative to Avantgardes, and Acapellas ( dinaudio drivers for 230 grant ? ) I believe your Macondo Horn must sound very well. But I would like to built something with commercially easy to get drivers, less esoteric.
Regards Angelo