"the sound of horns"

Anything not covered elsewhere.
Post Reply
Message
Author
osse
Posts: 390
Joined: Fri May 06, 2011 6:42 am
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden

"the sound of horns"

#1 Post by osse »

I was speaking with a speaker designer today(http://WWW.valutronic.se) about about speaker designs and I told him about bfm and asked his opinion on horns.

He told me horns do have a certain sound to them.. sure they punch hard, sure they can go loud and low, but he told me they by nature were full of 2nd and 3rd harmonic content making them not suitable for accurate/hifi/critical listening situations.

Sure, I know many of bfm cabs isn't made for this purpose, but is there any substance in the statement?

He told me you cant even see this content in the sensitivity charts..

The guy has been designing speakers and amps for 50 years and has some really well made and respected designs by the way, check him out!

User avatar
doncolga
Posts: 1967
Joined: Thu Jul 01, 2010 3:01 pm
Location: Statesboro, GA
Contact:

Re: "the sound of horns"

#2 Post by doncolga »

I thought front loaded type boxes had more harmonics?...that's what I've read...the VH-1 on his site uses a horn.
Donny Collins
Built:
Two 18" Tuba 30's 3012 LF
Two 26" Tuba 30's Lab 12
Two OmniTop 12's DL 2512 (Melded Array)
Presonus Studio One DAW
Harrison Consoles MixBus 32C DAW

User avatar
jcmbowman
Posts: 1263
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 3:40 pm
Location: Detroit, MI

Re: "the sound of horns"

#3 Post by jcmbowman »

Straight horns are subject to some of the same harmonics issues as direct radiators.

The long path folded horns (emphasis on FOLDED) filter out the harmonics.
Low End Junkie for over 20 years.

4 DR250s
4 Tuba36s @ 30" wide
2 ATs
...and a very serious addiction to the smell of BB sawdust and curing PL.

User avatar
Bill Fitzmaurice
Site Admin
Posts: 28916
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm

Re: "the sound of horns"

#4 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

osse wrote:


he told me they by nature were full of 2nd and 3rd harmonic content making them not suitable for accurate/hifi/critical listening situations.
How do you say 'bullshit' in Swedish? :loler:
That's the exact word that Paul Klipsch would have answered this with.
the VH-1 on his site uses a horn
That's a rear-loaded horn, and they suffer from an inescapable major response dip where the front and rear waves meet 180 degrees out of phase.
Straight horns are subject to some of the same harmonics issues as direct radiators.
Less, actually, as explained by the man Paul Klipsch himself:
http://www.readresearch.co.uk/loudspeak ... icle_1.pdf

http://www.readresearch.co.uk/loudspeak ... icle_2.pdf

http://www.readresearch.co.uk/loudspeak ... icle_3.pdf

osse
Posts: 390
Joined: Fri May 06, 2011 6:42 am
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden

Re: "the sound of horns"

#5 Post by osse »

Ive never heard bfm cabs(have 30% left of first of four t30s, can't wait:)) but when im thinking back of folded horn subs I've heard in the past words like "unfocused, thin" comes to my head. It's like you feel there is some kind of movement in the air but cant get a grip of it.. I hope it is due to poorly designed models but I can't really recall the same feelings when thinking about direct radiators.

I want gut wrenching thunderous crazy tight bass from hell, hope 4x t30 27" 3012lf will give it to me.. :hyper:

User avatar
netwerks
Posts: 768
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2009 4:58 pm
Location: Chicago, Ilinois
Contact:

Re: "the sound of horns"

#6 Post by netwerks »

osse wrote:Ive never heard bfm cabs(have 30% left of first of four t30s, can't wait:)) but when im thinking back of folded horn subs I've heard in the past words like "unfocused, thin" comes to my head. It's like you feel there is some kind of movement in the air but cant get a grip of it.. I hope it is due to poorly designed models but I can't really recall the same feelings when thinking about direct radiators.

I want gut wrenching thunderous crazy tight bass from hell, hope 4x t30 27" 3012lf will give it to me.. :hyper:
Properly placed in the right room at the right distance it will.

User avatar
Radian
Posts: 2032
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2008 12:56 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

Re: "the sound of horns"

#7 Post by Radian »

osse wrote:He told me horns do have a certain sound to them.. sure they punch hard, sure they can go loud and low, but he told me they by nature were full of 2nd and 3rd harmonic content making them not suitable for accurate/hifi/critical listening situations.
He's full of it. Rooms have a certain sound too. Tell him to listen to a Danley SH50.
Good food, good people, good times.

4 - AT
1 - TT
1 - THT Slim
2 - SLA Pro 4x6 Alphalite

User avatar
doncolga
Posts: 1967
Joined: Thu Jul 01, 2010 3:01 pm
Location: Statesboro, GA
Contact:

Re: "the sound of horns"

#8 Post by doncolga »

osse wrote:Ive never heard bfm cabs(have 30% left of first of four t30s, can't wait:)) but when im thinking back of folded horn subs I've heard in the past words like "unfocused, thin" comes to my head. It's like you feel there is some kind of movement in the air but cant get a grip of it.. I hope it is due to poorly designed models but I can't really recall the same feelings when thinking about direct radiators.

I want gut wrenching thunderous crazy tight bass from hell, hope 4x t30 27" 3012lf will give it to me.. :hyper:
They will man! I've got only two of those at 18" and got that in a big ball ballroom, not even corner loaded, but I was wall loaded. After a gig I played just a snippet of "Three Kinds of Bass". I shut it off quick...it was that crazy. I've never pushed my pair over 40 volts (that's where I'm set to limit) that I can recall, indoors or out. I've approached it, but just momentarily.
Donny Collins
Built:
Two 18" Tuba 30's 3012 LF
Two 26" Tuba 30's Lab 12
Two OmniTop 12's DL 2512 (Melded Array)
Presonus Studio One DAW
Harrison Consoles MixBus 32C DAW

User avatar
subharmonic
Posts: 2061
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2010 1:57 pm
Location: Mandan ND

Re: "the sound of horns"

#9 Post by subharmonic »

By this statement:
osse wrote:but when im thinking back of folded horn subs I've heard in the past words like "unfocused, thin" comes to my head.
I can tell this:
osse wrote:Ive never heard bfm cabs
When you are done you will pick a bare knuckle brawl with anyone saying these subs are unfocused/thin. Adjectives to describe these subs are usually: effortless, clean, tight, powerfull, and OMG
2x T39, 1x T60, 1x THTLP, 1x AT(not built by me) 6x DR250
I need more bass

But this gal's built like a burlap bag full of bobcats
CW Mcall

bassmonster
Posts: 1384
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:23 am

Re: "the sound of horns"

#10 Post by bassmonster »

subharmonic wrote: Adjectives to describe these subs are usually: effortless, clean, tight, powerfull, and OMG
:loler: Osse, here's a couple of neat reactions to two T39.


viewtopic.php?f=31&t=15969

User avatar
matt996
Posts: 81
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2010 1:08 pm
Location: Courtice, Ontario

Re: "the sound of horns"

#11 Post by matt996 »

Fascinating papers. If these were already linked in the education section then I must have missed 'em. Thanks Bill.

Post Reply