Building a world-class Horn system for Small Rooms

After nearly 7 years, I think it's time to create a thread for my journey, in the hopes that it may inspire or help others with their own audiophile ambitions. My hypothesis was that world-class reproduction could be achieved in a small (~11'5" x 12'8" x 7'8) room. I think I have achieved it. I will post more photos and videos of playback over the next few months.

While my audiophile journey started many years before, the desire to create a world-class (almost) no holes barred system for my media room started with a visit to Oswald's Mill Audio (OMA) in Brooklyn and reading their (now removed) DIY meet summaries ("OMA Tastings"). If you have never heard a well-designed horn system close this window and go and find one, then come back. OMA has a beautiful showroom in Brooklyn. You should also listen to the Klipsch Jubilee at HiFi Loft in NYC (I have no affiliation and have never been). Be careful with horns from other manufacturers - not saying there aren't others, but it's more hit than miss.
 
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Thanks @Atmasphere - very good points that are not well understood.
What do you think the differences are in dispersion in a folded bass horn like mine vs the Klipsch LaScala? Note that the LaScala is oriented in the opposite direction.
I think one of the original design goals of Paul Klipsch in designing the Klipschorn was first to get distortion as low as possible, but more importantly make it work in actual homes by using the room corners. I think Paul Klipsch was a genius in that even today many of his ideas are under appreciated by contemporary speaker designers and audiophiles. Most modern loudspeakers that cater to high end tastes are huge (e.g., Magico, Wilson, Magneplanar) and require boat anchor amplifiers. Klipschorns and La Scalas can be driven nicely with 1 watt amplifiers. I have the La Scalas and I’m happily driving them with Triode Labs 45 mono blocks that produce 1.5 watts and run cooler than my Oppo Blu ray player. If I bought another horn, it would almost certainly be a Klipschorn. I’m not ambitious enough to design my own loudspeaker!
 
Looks like the top Basis table (a table we don't hear much about) in the foreground and the same for Clearaudio in the background.Those look like totally custom horns and SE amplifiers. Any ideas on their origin?

Dr. Chen is selling his house, however my guess is not his cherished audio system:)
 
Looks like the top Basis table (a table we don't hear much about) in the foreground and the same for Clearaudio in the background.Those look like totally custom horns and SE amplifiers. Any ideas on their origin?
the horns have the Cogent field coil RCA remake, Sub designed by Bill wood, speaker made by Drysdale, has an acapella super tweeter.

one type 50 amp and another 845

yes basis audio work of art and clear audio
 
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Does that mean they are following a design/construction originated by Bill Woods or Bill Woods builds the horns for them. Just curious.
It’s the former: the design and concept is from Bill Woods. Bill has passed away, unfortunately. About two years ago.
 
In my brief interaction with Bill, I found him to be very nice, down to earth, and willing to help for almost no personal gain. He was going to design and build me a horn speaker, until Weiss at OMA “forbade” him to because he wanted me to buy from OMA. There was no exclusivity agreement in place, it was just Weiss being who he is and Bill being a nice man who wanted to help a fellow audiophile.

I subsequently found a pair of Bill’s midrange conical horns for sale and I’m now proud to have them (and they were made by Bill).
 
I so wish I had bought a pair of his AH500 cast iron horns.

He did design for me a modest diy coax speaker and was very nice to work with.
 
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Looks like the top Basis table (a table we don't hear much about) in the foreground and the same for Clearaudio in the background.Those look like totally custom horns and SE amplifiers. Any ideas on their origin?

Dr. Chen is selling his house, however my guess is not his cherished audio system:)

Nice to see also a lot of Audio Research gear - the Reference 40 Anniversary preamplifier , the Reference 10 phono and the CD9. Close to the CD9 we also see a JL Audio CR-1 crossover. The Parasound JC1 are probably used for driving the subs.
 
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Not many give their time freely without marking it up 10X to sell their own products. Bill was one of the rare people who just want more people to enjoy this hobby. While I'm sure he made a profit on what he sold, he wasn't doing it to maximize profit.
 
Interesting speaker build video:

Why aren’t more speaker cabinets made this way? I.e., by layering the wood. Must be cost, as this will undoubtedly make a more rigid cabinet.
 
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