What do " Horns" in speakers mean???

[rb902]

Hi guys. i am planing to get the klipsch rf 35 series for my HT. while going thru many reviews in this and other sites. lot of people were talking about the word 'HORN' in relation to the refrence series. some people said it is bad and others said it is great. can someone please explain what exactly does horn mean and is it good or bad to have or its a personal choice. thanks

[jasmit]

Hi guys. i am planing to get the klipsch rf 35 series for my HT. while going thru many reviews in this and other sites. lot of people were talking about the word 'HORN' in relation to the refrence series. some people said it is bad and others said it is great. can someone please explain what exactly does horn mean and is it good or bad to have or its a personal choice. thanks

A "horn" is simply a type of tweeter and refers to the way it is designed -- the tweeter sits in the throat of a horn-shaped mechanism which acts kind of like a megaphone. For technical reasons beyond my understanding this design results in speakers that are generally more efficient and easier to drive. Klipsch is noted for horn tweeters because virtually all of their speakers utilize this design. Klipsch speakers are known for their "brightness" or as some might say, their detailed sound. Some say it is due to the fact that they use horn tweeters and others say the brightness is due more to the overall design, i.e., horn + crossover, etc., than to just the fact that it is a horn.

Is it good or bad or is it a personal choice. I'm not a technician, but I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with speakers that use horn tweeters. They're used alot in theater-type venues. It's really a personal choice. As you no doubt are finding out, of all the audio gear out there, speakers are probably the most subjective. My sense of things is that, because of the rather unique sound of Klipsch speakers, most folks either like them alot or dislike them alot. The major complaint seems to be that a perceived overly bright speaker can be fatiguing to listen to after a while. I've auditioned Klipsch (I think one of the RB-series bookshelfs) and I did find them to be too bright for me. But that's me. The most important thing is -- do you like them? If you do, get them; I'm sure there are alot of very satisfied Klipsch owners out there.