I appreciate the phase coherence of a good coaxial, and the bass of a passive radiator
Phase coherence isn't a real thing you should be worried about unless the speaker crossover is horribly designed. With the coaxial you're trading potentially increased IMD for larger vertical directivity. This can be "good" or it can be "bad" depending on the speaker.I appreciate the phase coherence of a good coaxial, and the bass of a passive radiator
Tannoy T185 driver with passive radiators.
https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/tannoy/t185.shtml
Coaxials are complicated beasts. They are hard to get right, and a lot of people seem to dislike the sampling of speakers they've heard.
Are there any Tannoy coaxes with horns that do not sound "horny"? From what I've read, the sound (or resonances) of their horns are quite noticeable.
Unfortunately, my vocabulary for describing horn speakers is limited!
Tannoy co-axials have a distinct sound, but so do lots of types of speakers (electrostats, dynamic direct radiators, etc.).
I don't know if that qualifies as 'horny'.
I haven't heard of this tulip(?) style horn waveguide myself. And I know, I know... this is very flawed, but there's a whole of bunch audio/video recordings for these types of speakers in youtube. The comments are nearly always positive -- but I don't take them too seriously. Could mainly be the crappy audiophile recordings played and/or room, but they often do seem to sound... very peculiar, or as you say, "distinct". The differences between other more conventional dynamic speakers demoed often from the very same audiophile channels tend to vary less. From the ones I've heard before running out patience and leaving, at least.
Horns have a sound, yes.
They also do loud better, though.
Pick your poison.
Good timbre and tonal neutrality, but with wet blanket dynamics.
Or life-like dynamics but colored timbre.
I own the Presonus Spectre S6, its a front ported horn coaxial
It’s weird because when comparing it to other monitors I perceive that horn effect, where it feels like it being pushed toward me, but it has like some crazy processing that gets rid of the actual honky sound
So it just ends up being a pretty dope speaker
Both together are possible, I swear
I have the S8 and the vocals are very clear and perhaps too forward -- people may find it a bit much so maybe listen more off-axis? -- but I think it's the 6-10kHz range that's mainly in need of some attenuation.
I hate them, personally.
I don't find they translate well.