horn speakers readily available in the UK? or other British speakers to check out...

wbass

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I've recently been offered a job in the UK. Naturally, hi-fi is not the foremost concern in a potential trans-Atlantic move, but more than likely my Magnepan 3.7i's would not be coming with me from Chicago. I'm not sure yet if I'll be living in London central (in a flat) or further out (detached home), but my hi-fi habit might influence the decision, as insane as that sounds.

Lately, horns have been what I've been enjoying, and I'm curious whether there are any British or European horns (or other high-sensitivity speakers from the UK or Europe) of which to be aware. Top end budget of, say, $20K USD. I see Living Voice, but those look pricy. I've heard big Tannoys, but they were too dark for me. I'm curious about Fyne but have not heard them as of yet. Any custom horn builders that aren't as pricy as the likes of Avant Garde, etc.? I'm aware of Klipsch, of course, but that's American made, and I've never quite connected with K-horns in multiple auditions. I do like Cornwalls, however.

Another route (non-horn) might be Harbeth, which I've heard and liked but don't know well. They might work better in a flat. I'm not drawn to B&W for whatever reason, but KEF I'd certainly consider. Maybe Spendor or Graham, too.

Anyway, a sort of preliminary query for the group here. In the US, we seem to be a little starved for interesting horn choices, but they seem more prevalent across the Atlantic, particularly in Europe, and I'd be grateful to hear what I might look/listen out for, both for horns and generally.

In other words, who are the speaker makers (mid-tier) to know in Britain right now?

Many thanks.
 
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gestalt

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wbass

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Thanks, Colin! No, sorry, European applies. Just generally interested in things that might be easy-ish to hear in the UK that we just don't see that often in the US. Though, interestingly, I have heard the Eufrodite, at High Water, and quite enjoyed them. Good call!

I'm also recalling ATC, which some people seem to rate highly. Maybe Zingali (for another horn option)?
 

wbass

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Right! Yes, Proac and Spendor, of course, forgot about them. Please keep the suggestions coming.

I've only heard Tannoy Canterbury (I think was the model), and I liked their organic sound. But they still seemed a bit dark for my tastes. I'll have to get ears on again though. They certainly look the business.
 
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bonzo75

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How big is your room, and what is the music you listen to?
 

wbass

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This is a very preliminary survey of what's out there as I don't know what sort of room I'll have yet. I'm trying to get an idea of what's out there and easy to hear in the UK, as that might affect what sort of room I try to get. If that makes sense.

I spin a lot of small group jazz--Blue, Note, Columbia, Impulse, etc--so I like to hear good bite on horns, a sense of realism on drums, and a good, solid upright bass. Super fine detail is maybe less important, but I don't like rolled off treble.

My go-to audition tracks/albums, if it helps are Steve Tibbetts, YR, an album with a lot of complex guitar lines and lots of percussion that's hard for some speakers to stay coherent on.

Art Pepper, Meets the Rhythm section, for convincing horns, drums, and bass and PRAT. I want it to be toe tapping but not brash.

And Eberhard Weber, "Closing Scene," which has a lot of subtle grace notes happening concurrently with a lot of bass, which makes some speakers go muddled.

Thanks. Again, mostly, just trying to get a sense of what's out there and what, eventually, to go out and hear.
 
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christoph

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Blackmorec

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This is a very preliminary survey of what's out there as I don't know what sort of room I'll have yet. I'm trying to get an idea of what's out there and easy to hear in the UK, as that might affect what sort of room I try to get. If that makes sense.
Reality check. Friends of mine just moved back to London and found renting suitable accommodation to be so difficult that they ended up buying a place. Our Government, in its infinite wisdom decided that the housing shortage could be best solved by creating a rental shortage and of course, when it comes to creating a crisis, successive UK Governments have proven to be unusually adept (Brexit, Covid, Housing etc etc). When it comes to London there are 5 criteria that usually apply; location (because you probably wouldn’t want to live in large parts of the capital; schools (because you wouldn’t want your kids to attend some of the capital’s schools); the commute (because you’ll end up packed like a sardine on old, overheated trains and not all properties are close to stations, making your daily trip very inconvenient); budget (because prices in London are similar to Zurich or Tokyo, while salaries for regular jobs are more aligned with Dhaka, unless its financial services, which can afford to to be generous as its not their money) and finally the actual property (I put this last, because by the time you’ve navigated the other 4 criteria you’ll be very willing to compromise on the actual place you live in).
Loudspeakers? Not even on the radar. My advice would be to do a preview trip and locate several areas you’d like to live in then appoint an agent to start the search. If you find something good, grab it, then buy some loudspeakers to match. Also bear in mind that the preponderance of London rental properties are either newish flats or subdivided Victorian building with very little sound insulation between floors and rooms, so depending on what you rent and how you like to listen, you may actually be happier with really good headphones.
Living in London is an exiting prospect but you really need to have your eyes wide open to the challenges, as they are not trivial. On the other hand if you are in the financial services industry, legal profession or similar, where money is not a limiting factor, there are some very nice properties available, but rentals will start at around 3x the average UK worker’s salary.
 
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bonzo75

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He hasn't said London, just UK
 
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christoph

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bonzo75

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Oh ok. That will totally change room size
 
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christoph

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Zero000

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I bet something like these would be fun, if you can handle the aesthetics. Way below budget but probably very good indeed.

 
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