Speaker technology query

ok, I shall begin this by explaining I am no expert in the matters, in fact a novice. However to get to the point,...I have kindly been given a set of Lowther DX3 speakers/drive units, and am thinking of having the cabinets (academy) hand made for them, that in itself is all fairly simple. My real question is that when i visited the Lowther site, they make quite a deal of the fact that the Speaker cabinets are based on 'Horn' technology. My only question is how does this stand up against other technologies? and how would these speakers need to be 'placed within a room, i'm assuming a foot or so away from a wall??

Would welcome any thoughts.........

Thanks

Jim

[Knyght_byte]

normally horn loaded type speakers are not exactly small from what i remember.....i could be wrong here, but i get the feeling its not so much a case of how far from the wall, but whether your room will be big enough to fit them in...lol

other than i dont know anything, sorry, keep checking your thread, a lot of the posters for this kind of thing are often on during the week :-)

[Nimby]

Lowther are the name that horn enthusiasts once associated with ultimate driver quality. They pobably still do, but it is decades since I took any interest in horn loading. Lowther drive units were renowned for massive magnets and very light cones.

A quick browse later one discoveres that the DXR is most unlikely to survive in any other situation than a horn loaded speaker enclosure. It has a very small maximum cone movement. (stroke)

This may ideally suit a horn which maximises output from very small cone movements. But if you put such loudspeaker drivers in any other kind of speaker enclosure and they would probably be destroyed on the first loud transient!

Hopefully somebody here is seriously interested in horns and can advise. They really need an expert in horn loudspeakers to suggest a suitable design. Perhaps there is a horn loudspeaker specialist forum out there somewhere. Or Lowther can suggest designs for their own drivers.

Horns enclosures are complicated and require great accuracy in design and construction. It is probably going to cost you serious money to have such things built.

http://www.lowtherloudspeakers.co.uk/dx2.html

thanks, I guess my query really was are they any good.? I have someone who can build the cabinet to the Lowther design, and in fact my parents currently have the drive units in an older style , but custom made design. I reckon I could get the cabinets made, from the Lowther design, for circa £200 (family member) and the drive units are coming free (-RRP £345 each) therefore I reckon I would be getting spekers that would usually cost around £1500-2000 from Lowther, for just £200, or less. But is my £20 better spent elsewhere? probably not but you guys and gals may know better than me! Also, I am concerned about having them in the house, in that would the horn design mean loads of Bass coming out the back....and on to my neighbours wall!

[Nimby]

It's such a specialist area. Horns are incredibly efficient so you can run them on a couple of watts. So they appeal to owners of "wimpy" valve amplifiers.

From memory they can sound coloured. But don't quote me. Some progress must have been made since I last read anything about them. Colouration is often quickly forgotten once you have listened to something for a short while.

Horns are not well known for offering a great deal of bass except in enormous sizes. They are supposed to offer considerable dynamic range and are excellent for microdetail and micro dynamics. (Small variations in loudness usually lost on other types of enclosure.

You obviously have some experience of the type from your parents own horn enclosures. The obvious question is why you can't have their complete loudspeakers? Are they upgrading their drivers so their enclosures are not available? Or do they not suit your situation? Too large? They are obsolete? Woodworm?

Horns are a fascinating subject. Their owners and builders can be quite fanatical. I would try some gentle browsing to get a better feel for what is happening these days.

It's a shame you didn't mention Lowther or horns in your thread title. You might have woken a slumbering horn enthusiast.

Perhaps the mods could be persuaded to change the heading? Or you could simply start a new thread: Lowther Horns: Any good?

If you like the sound of your parents' Lowthers. Then you should already know whether they are any good.

If you do go ahead and have the enclosures built do post some pictures. It will be fun to see what is involved.
It will also make a change from the typical "Which 7.1 speaker package is best for £75?" threads.

[mr_seanstanley]

you may like to check out http://www.quarter-wave.com/Project04/Project04.html
Very nice bloke who runs the website and hes put in a lot of work on his designs. The cabinets are really simple and the electric network is simple so shouldnt be too much of a problem.

Thanks Nimby..well they're too big in the current enclosures!!..yes they do sound good, and I think i've probably answered my own question!, am pretty sure that it'll be the best sound I can get for a few hundred quid...or less!,

I will repost though using a new title...jsut to see what response arrives!!

cheers