Landscape orientation!
Dagogo readers who have followed my writing over the years have seen that occasionally I dabble in an alternative setup I call Landscape Orientation. It’s quite simple; I turn speakers sideways to obtain a slightly lower but much wider soundstage. I discuss this at length in a second article on the Daedalus Ulysses speaker found here at Dagogo.com. I recently had opportunity to work with the Magnepan .7 in Landscape orientation, and while it was good, the result could not compare to the Trio15 Horn1 in Landscape.
A disclaimer might be in order at this juncture. Some manufacturers freak when I do anything that is not by the book – that is, completely benign when it comes to marketing and sales. Turning a speaker on its side is politically incorrect in the audiophile world, even though studios do this constantly. Just as there are hecklers against aftermarket cables who have never spent a penny on them and never lifted a finger to try them, so also there are people who would make a snap judgment that the speaker is no good if someone has to turn it on its side to make it sound good. Let’s not be so foolish. I am not sharing a fix for the speaker, but another way to enjoy it that is outside the box. The glory of the Horn1 is untarnished by my experimentation. In fact, to me it is magnified.
Do I need to go one step further and clarify that I do not think you need to turn the speaker sideways in order to get full enjoyment from it? Perhaps I do. I thoroughly enjoy the Horn1 in whatever orientation it resides; I’m simply letting you in on Doug Schroeder’s Wide World of Audio Sports! I could keep this all under wraps, discussing nothing of it outside my close listening circle, keeping it mum from industry insiders, and never posting images of it. But what fun would that be? When I have the equivalent capability of bungee jumping as an alternative to, say, parachuting, why would I not enthuse about it? I thank Ze’ev Schlik and Thomas Sulentic for being open-minded, the kind of open-mindedness that leads to a fabulous product such as the Trio15. I told them the Landscape orientation would not be the predominant feature of the review, and I remind the reader that while I enthuse about it, I find the Portrait (upright) performance as compelling. I simply want lots of variety in my experience as an audiophile and I pursue it aggressively, a DIY impulse writ large on a system scale. So, forward we go!
I consider the outcome of using the Horn1 as a Landscape speaker to be one of my crowning achievements as an audiophile over the past 35 years, partly because the custom Sound Anchor stands that were made for me were originally conceived for holding dynamic speakers, but have been adaptable for panel speakers as well as for the Horn1. In order to secure the open-framed Horn1 to the stand, I had to rotate the completely adjustable heavy arms of the upper cross-member until the flat 3” wide supports were in a vertical position. The open frame of the Horn1 is slipped over these supports turned skyward, which act like posts to hang the speaker off one side of the stand. (The hollow steel posts of the stand are filled and the entire stand weighs in at about 100 pounds.) The side of the speaker’s metal frame rests against the cross-member itself. Think of it like hanging a picture; the nail holds the anchor point and the bulk of the picture rests against the wall. In this case the back spine of the speaker is held in place by the vertical supports and the speaker rests against the length of the cross-member. Perhaps I should just show you a picture, you know, worth a thousand words.
The twist to the story, dear reader, is this – you have a Landscape speaker when you buy the Horn1! Does that statement confuse you? Look at the orientation of the horn in a normal setup, it is horizontal. A secret of why the Horn1 sounds so good is that the soundstage is widened to present a captivatingly large, very broad image much more so than typical floor standing speakers. That is the undeclared reason why the Horn1 is so captivating. The Horn1, then, is naturally a Landscape speaker by design. Therefore, owners of the Horn1 get to enjoy something I have been pursuing for years.
Why, then, would I turn the speaker and ruin the Landscape orientation experience? Perhaps you might believe me if I told you that it is every bit as enchanting when the horn driver is turned to a vertical orientation. Recall from seeing pictures of horn speakers at shows that some designers orient the mouths of the horn vertically and some horizontally. Some manufacturers do both. Case in point: Volti Audio, which offers the horizontally oriented Vittora and the vertically oriented Alura.
One of my audiophile friends owns the Alura. He heard the Landscape oriented Horn1 (on the stand with the horn itself vertical) and was as astounded as I was because it mimicked much of the character of the Alura. I’m not saying they sounded the same, just that the shaping of the soundstage and the dynamics of the two different horn systems were uncannily similar. Live music with this orientation was perhaps the most gratifying aspect of this setup. I put the Legacy XTREME XD Subwoofers alongside the Horn1 and when the six 15” woofers combined firing power with the 1” compression horn, the reproduction was convincing. There may be one out of a hundred fans of the Horn1 who might opt for pursuing the Landscape experience as I do. If so, intrepid sonic explorers, contact me and I will share some tips with you. The Horn1 is a marvelous thing when run conventionally, but doubles its enchantment when the option of Landscape orientation is added.
Judgment of value
In my next article I will discuss the active crossover operation of the Horn1, so while this is a definitive assessment, it is only so for the passive operation of the speaker. I have no doubt that other just as lovely experiences can be obtained via the PAP-C1 active crossver.
Meanwhile, let us consider the ultimate money question; is the Horn1 a great speaker in terms of price to performance? Yes, in some respects more of a “value-able” speaker than a Magnepan or Vandersteen. You know those names, as does nearly every hobbyist. What you don’t know is that in several parameters the Horn1 outperforms anything from the mid Vandersteen or Magnepan lines down.
Concurrently to this review, I was finishing up an article on the Magnepan .7, the second from the bottom of the Maggie lineup. It’s a good speaker, but not at the same level as the Horn1. Compared to the Horn1, the .7i sounded congested, anemic, lifeless, bass shy – in brief, very unappealing. Unless money rules your decisions on what speaker to buy, preference toward the Horn1 was overwhelming, perhaps more so than any comparison between speakers in 12 years of reviewing. The Horn1 made the Maggie sound like it belongs in a tertiary rig, not the main listening system. Defenders of Magnepan Truth please do not bother arguing with me on this; I’m not interested.
How did the Horn1 stand up to my initial impression that it was more precise than the Kingsound King III electrostatic speaker? After I finished with the rounds of system building and listening for the Horn1, the next speaker I put up was the King III. I maxed it out with the best rig I had to date, but it showed no better elucidation than the Horn1. The soundstage was obviously different, and as might be expected, it has a more generous midrange, but the dynamics were no better. In short, a truly great panel speaker did not upstage the Horn1.
The PureAudioProject website shows several systems where manufacturers have chosen the Horn1 as a reference with their components. What, a $7K speaker with uber-electronics? In the case of the Horn1, yes! My four critic/friends who are unafraid to rate my rigs all placed the performance of the Horn1 as among the most arresting sounds they had ever heard in my room. A couple of them ruled it flat out the finest performance ever. Not bad for a supposedly DIY speaker.
It’s just different, and wonderfully so!
Different can be a good thing or a bad thing. People stuck on preconceptions of what a speaker should look like, or for that matter how it should be oriented, might be too timid for the Horn1. Fine, buy the version with the round driver, but when you hear the Horn1 and realize it’s that much better remember I said, “I told you so!” Conversely, those who want far better than average return on their money in performance and who are unbowed by a more athletic appearance will be drawn to this speaker.
Those who for any reason wrote off horn hybrids should reassess their position. All the reasons I discounted horns in the past have been demolished by the PureAudioProject Horn1. On my last trip to Florida to visit my parents we ate at an Italian restaurant that so exceeded our expectations that we remarked it was among the finest meals in recent memory, regardless of the ethnicity of the food. When I listen to the Horn1 my ears tell me it is one of the finest sounds to grace my listening room regardless of the “ethnicity” of the speaker, that is, the technology employed. That is one of the highest complements I have ever paid a speaker in 12 years of reviewing. It offers an absolute lock on value for the dollar to the purchaser.
You should have a clear picture of what the Horn1 offers. On the other hand, I have a conundrum. I have handled too many speakers of various technologies to believe that the first encounter with a technology, many times with a more moderately priced implementation, is the ultimate expression, the peak of performance of that category of speakers. No matter how good a sub-$10K speaker is, select others of the same technological bent at multiples more cost will outperform it, despite what rabidly enthusiastic owners and protective manufacturers might say. However, I don’t see many others that would perform comparably at the same price point, and allow me to do both Landscape and Portrait (normal) orientation so capably and seamlessly.
I currently have three directions in terms of gear procurement I am considering to allocate my funds, and for which I am selling gear. Based on the influence it has had in the Portrait (conventional) positioning alone, the PureAudioProject Horn1 sits at the top of the list. Despite the fact that I intend on scaling up my exploration of horn speakers, the Horn1 needs to stay. It is my opinion that the open baffle design of the Trio15 Horn1 is relatively rare, especially with supplemental 15” woofers to make it a truly full range speaker. The degree to which it can be configured makes it rare among horn speakers. If you plan on dropping $15K or so on a dynamic speaker with a cabinet and aesthetic considerations do not dictate your selection, you will want to seriously consider the Horn1. If you plan on spending up to $10K on a speaker of any other technology, you may wish to join me in becoming a Horn1 fan and a new devotee of horn speakers.
Copy editor: Dan Rubin
Associated Components:
Source: Salk Audio StreamPlayer Generation III with ROON player
Streaming Music Service: Tidal
DAC: Eastern Electric Minimax DSD DAC Supreme with Burson, Dexa NewClassD and Sparkos Labs Discrete Opamp Upgrade; Exogal Comet DAC and upgrade power supply, LampizatOr Big 7
Preamp: TEO Audio Liquid Preamplifier; VAC Renaissance Signature Preamplifier MkII; Cambridge Audio 840E Amps: Red Dragon S500;First Watt J2 (two); Exogal Ion PowerDAC
Integrated: none
Speakers: Legacy Audio V Speaker System; Kings Audio Kingsound King III; Legacy Audio DSW Clarity Edition; Kings Audio King Tower omnidirectional; Vapor Audio Joule White 3; PureAudioProject Trio15 TB (Tang Band) and Trio15 Voxativ and Horn versions
Subwoofers: Legacy Audio XTREME HD (2)
IC’s: TEO Liquid Splash-Rs and Splash-Rc; TEO Liquid Standard MkII; Clarity Cable Organic RCA/XLR; Snake River Audio Signature Series Interconnects; Silent Source “The Music Reference”
Speaker Cables: TEO Cable Standard Speaker; Clarity Cable Organic Speaker; Snake River Audio Signature Series Speaker Cables; Silent Source “The Music Reference” Digital Cables: Clarity Cable Organic Digital; Snake River Audio Boomslang; Silent Source “The Music Reference” USB: Verastarr Nemesis; Clarity Organic
Power Cables: Verastarr Grand Illusion; Clarity Cable Vortex; MIT Oracle ZIII; Xindak PF-Gold; Snake River Audio Signature Series; Silent Source “The Music Reference” Power Conditioning: Wireworld Matrix Power Cord Extender; Tice Audio Solo
- ← Previous page
- (Page 4 of 4)
Thank you for the interesting and thorough review. A few questions come to mind. Since you are interested in DIY projects, have you ever heard or built a Troels Gravesen design such as the large Illuminator 4 or 5 or some of his open baffle designs http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/ ? I am wondering how they stack up against the Horn1. Also, since I know you think very highly of the Legacy Aeris and V Series, could you compare and contrast them to the Horn1?
Nice review. How would you compare these to your Legacy V? Or for us with the Legacy Focus SE with Wavelet?
Thanks
Thanks for your wonderful review Doug! I’ve ordered a horn1 to upgrade from my voxativ.
I was hoping you’d write a bit more on the amplifier horn1 pairing. Did you try any tube amp/single ended/high and low power SS/Class D? I’d be very interested to hear your opinion on which amp you thought was the best match for horn1.
Now regarding simplified vs default crossover – I’m going to use my existing voxativ crossover with the caps/resistor changes. You mention it’s purer. Which crossover do you think is more suitable more modern music rock/pop that are not the greatest in sound quality. This is assuming that I do not see myself biamping the horn1. But from your review it seems biamping provides a clear improvement. Instead of biamping, if I just bi-wire would that be a clear improvement as well?
Congratulations on a very detailed and interesting review!
Sincerely,
Shahed
Gentlemen,
God’s Joy,
Thank you all for your positive feedback on the article; it is gratifying that you found the article useful.
Jeff, I was previously unaware of that DIY site. I have not done DIY myself, and Dagogo.com restricts articles to retail speakers. I considered trying DIY many years ago, but thought that the time and equipment costs to do it properly would be prodigious. I think it would nearly have to be a second hobby to make it worthwhile if the goal was a fine speaker. Those designs look much more demanding than a weekend warrior just starting out could accomplish. So, no, I have no comparisons to other actual DIY designs.
Dan, like Jeff, you also were curious about the comparison to Legacy products. A simple basis of understanding would be that the PAP Horn 1 is most like the Focus SE in terms of its ability to present the scale of the music. The chief difference between them all is the presence of a cabinet versus the PAP being open baffle. The presence of a ribbon tweeter also is a big departure in these other designs.
The V is in an altogether different class of sound due not only to its size, but also its dynamic capacity. While the Horn 1 is “shy” on Midrange presence the V maximizes it, and somewhat less so on down through the Aeris and Focus SE. The bass generated by the Legacy models is typically more pistonic and “pops” with force, versus the Horn 1, which does not pop the bass, but rolls it out with less carving of the note. Finally, the Horn 1 is shorter and without elevating it this sinks the soundstage more so than these other, taller speakers. The Focus SE and Horn 1 would be the closest in terms of overall performance capability, albeit with very different sonic signatures.
Shahed, I think you will very much enjoy the Horn 1 variant of the speaker. I have tried a variety of solid state amps with the speaker, including a pair of 25wpc First Watt J2 amps, an older Belles Theatrix stereo amp, and two other amps in for review which I do not care to divulge just yet. The Horn 1 responds readily to power structure improvement. While it sings pretty when the J2 amps are used, it takes on a more forceful, powerful character with higher power. The Red Dragon S500 Class D Amps were superb with the speaker as well. I did not have tube amps on hand at the moment, but given the cleanness of the speaker and ease of driving it, you would have no problems associating the Horn 1 with such an amp.
By all means, bi-wiring and bi-amping are both efficacious. If you can only afford bi-wiring, do it!
You should very much enjoy the revised Voxativ crossover. If you like super-clean rock music, it should suit you well. You must decide which is more important, a certain degree more transparency in the Voxativ crossover, or the several more adjustments to the sound offered by the standard crossover. Both have their merits and perform well.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
to raise the soundstage, simply swap the the horn for the upper woofer; w/all the tweaks you tried, i am surprised this one has eluded you (so far). ;~)
i heard the tang-band iteration of the trio at this past weekend’s caf; extremely impressive sound in a very large room, for <$4k delivered.
doug s.
Mundorf makes three versions of oil filled capacitors. One is with Aluminum, the other two with silver and a silver-gold metal. Which of these three did you use ?
Regarding the construction of the speaker; everything looks well made. The placement of the crossover very close to the speaker is asking for resonance. I would not mount it there.
Good luck! Looking forward to your further experiments with the Horn1.
VH Audio has a good selection of hook up wire, some with silver and copper wires.
It would be interesting to see how ribbon wire works with horn drivers.
doug s., BILL,
God’s Joy to you,
Well, in regard to swapping the horn with the bass, it’s not possible as the baffle pieces the drivers are mounted to and the mounting holes for the frame are not symmetrical. The Bass baffle pieces are approximately 50% wider than the horn baffle. If they were symmetrical you can bet I would have tried.
Bill, the Madisound invoice says the following about the capacitors “Supreme EVO oil 33mfd”. I apologize that I do not have time to run this down further for you. I suggest that if that is not specific enough, you call Madisound. The name associated with the billing was Brian Kane 608-831-3771
Blessings,
Doug Schroeder
I have voiced capacitors well over 15 years and when running a Hifi store when not selling
We did resistor capacitor mods the Black Supreme I find are still their best even though
Their new Evo Supreme are out ,they slightly elevate the upper treble region
The White evo oil are their least expensive and least good of the 3 and have the Aluminum oil
I believe .these even as a bypass are slightly tipped up in scale in absolute terms .
Cost per dollar the Obbligatto Gold have a warmer balance and very good .
My latest what I call a breakthrough for value quality – high end terms.is the New Clarity CSA- c is for a Copper lattice on the ends. In the Leonitus it has a Big 68 uf cap 250v and get them pr matched I did to within .2uf use the Mundorf Supreme solder which the cuircuit board has.
The Fostex Copper foil,Tin foil cap 2.2 uf using their unique dialectric .a great cap used here as a blend. And does not change anything in the circuit design. The Fostex very limited on sizes due to made for their Full range drivers this mixed with the CSA Clarity cap is open warm and very good layering of instruments it cost me $250 for them at Madisound.i did these in several different speakers for friends all were elated . If you want the Absolute best in resistors the $$30 a pop Path Audio
They tested in 12 pair every one was under 1% total variation .duelund not even close their best 5%
Which is a 10 % variance . I may be compulsive with my audio but results are well worth the effort.
Paul,
Joyous Thanksgiving to you,
Thank you for the thorough workup on caps and resistors!
Now, you’re discussing use with the Voxativ, correct?
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Hi Doug,
Regarding capacitor upgrade – given that you used 33mfd values, I’m guessing the Capacitor upgrade was applied to modified Leonidas crossover not the bi-ampable horn crossover. Right? It seems horn1 crossover needs a much higher value of capacitor and the options are limited if someone wants to roll them.
Thanks,
Shahed
Shahed,
God’s Peace,
Yes, you are correct; the 33mfd value Mundorf Supreme EVO oil filled were for the modified Leonidas crossover.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Hi D,
He is the glorious music Maker
I am following you sir. Bought the PAP Vox because of your review with all 4’ silver foils by Varastarr for the crossovers.
Now after reading the 3 online reviews on the Horn 1 they are being shipped from Spain to replace the Vox.
Ze’ev claims a big step upwards in SQ and you say the same?
Installing 4’ Gold foils from Varastarr in place of the Silver.
Thanks for your very helpful review of the PAP speakers.
Christ’s Glory upon you and your family,
Gary
Gary,
The Joy of the Lord to you,
Thank you for your enthusiastic vote of confidence! I’m glad you found the results of obtaining the Trio15 Voxativ satisfying.
The Horn 1 is a very different critter, an animal of a different stripe, so to speak. It’s a different technology employed and that absolutely results in a different experience, one that I like very much.
I do not have the ceiling height to review the 7′ tall Quartet, so I used creativity to do an alternative. I have employed two Legacy Audio XTREME XD Subwoofers to add the requisite 4 additional 15″ drivers to equal the eight 15″ drivers of the Quartet! It’s FABULOUS! The output is similar to the Legacy Audio Whisper – which also has eight 15″ woofers. There is no replacing speaker driver surface to create a sense of utter ease in the low end. For anyone who has a lower ceiling and would otherwise want the Quartet I strongly encourage adding some subwoofers to the Horn 1.
Anyway, you are on a good path, I think. I mean no disrespect toward Voxativ, but it is not among their highest model drivers, and the horn in the Horn 1 is exceptionally smooth and beautiful sounding. It’s truly a bargain of a speaker, especially how you can tune it to your liking with “internal” cables, capacitors, etc. It’s an affordable dream speaker to me.
I may post pics of the latest outrageous setup; I enjoy pushing the boundaries of what is considered conventional audiophilia. BTW, don’t forget to try aftermarket fuses in your components. 🙂
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Thank you for this lovely review!
I’m tempted to get the Trio 15 Vox, but reading about the PAP1 – I wonder if it’ll be better.
Can you please elaborate on the sound differences between these two very different ‘animals’?
Many thanks,
Jordan
Jordan,
God’s Peace,
I found that the Horn 1 casts a larger soundstage than the Voxativ, and is more dynamically capable per Watt. The Horn 1 is a bit fussier to tune to exact taste tonally, but imo is most worthwhile when dialed in. The extra cost of the Horn 1 is worth it and propels the performance toward the sound of a very large, cost no object speaker.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Thank you Douglas,
Can you please elaborate on the ‘bit fussier to tune to exact taste tonally’? Is this placement? XO components? Something else?
Thank you,
PS
Ordered my pair…
God’s Peace to all,
I have used the PureAudioProject Trio15 (various iterations reviewed for Dagogo.com), specifically the Horn 1 version for some time now. I have had opportunity to use it in both Portrait and Landscape orientations several times. When I use it in Portrait (typical) orientation the width of the horn lends a very attractive extension to the L/R vectors of the soundstage. This, actually, is the speaker in Landscape mode, and conversely, as the speaker is put horizontally on my custom Sound Anchor stands the horns turned upright put the speaker into Portrait mode operationally. However, as the orientation of the speaker physically typically dictates the operation I continue to refer to the orientation according to the position of the entire speaker. No other speaker I have used turns the Mode 90 degrees such as the Trio15 Horn 1. It is indeed a rare, and perhaps unique speaker in that regard – that is, one able to be lofted onto a stand and reoriented. That is one of the reasons I enjoy it thoroughly.
I am visiting this topic because longer term I have concluded that I have finally found in this setup close to the ultimate monitor. There is a distinct difference in experience even between the portrait and landscape modes of use of the speaker. I have always felt a pull toward having a serious monitor, and this setup scratches the itch. In fact, it goes far beyond expectations of a monitor into the category of super-monitor. There will be very few who wish to dabble in this kind of experience, but there are some. Persons who should pay attention especially are the panel fans. I found the Trio15 vastly superior in all respects to the Magnepan .7, whether in Portrait or Landscape mode (I used the .7 on the stands in Landscape mode, too). Frankly, the .7 was a big disappointment in terms of performance. The Trio15 happily stayed, and the .7 went back. See my review of it if you wish.
Anyway, for the few who are seeking an ultimate monitor experience, the Landscape orientation (on the Sound Anchor stands) is as close as I have come to it. The horns oriented upright turn the soundstage more vertical and create a more L/R separation, but depending upon the positioning the center image is still quite full (But, even more so when the horns are parallel to the ground). If you want to do the full boatload experience then add subwoofers. What you will end up with is an extremely powerful performance that is emanating from the mid-section of the room, as with monitors. The bass is elevated nicely off the floor and powering directly at the ears. This is a more unusual experience, but quite distinct from large floor standing speakers. There is zero floor bounce, so the bass is much more tight coming from the speakers.
Consequently, those who demand a strong tactile feel to the bass might be disappointed with the lack of vibration of the bass, however the tautness of the bass and sense of extreme focus is superior. Obviously, you need a few things to pull this off. The stands are not cheap, so a commitment in funds will be required. However, the experience is so over the top in comparison to classic monitors that it bears little comparison cost-wise. I think you would have to spend in the neighborhood of at least the cost of the speakers and stands, about $10K, to get this quality of performance from a larger monitor, and the bass is holistically different working with four 15″ open baffle vs. whatever sized boxed woofers. In addition, I find the horn to create quite a different experience than dynamic speakers, with more vitality. Note, there is less dynamic punch compared to boxed woofers of similar size, but the spatiality and lack of box coloration is profoundly superior to my ears. You will need the room to maneuver it. My room is 13′ wide, just enough to pull it off. A smaller room would be vice-like. You also will potentially need differing length ICs and speaker cables. With an amp stand integrated with the speaker stand you have an option for close amp placement to the speaker if you wish. I have covered much of this already in the review, but wished to expound upon it more. I do not see any two-way monitor on the market that could give this combination of attributes for a rig that is specifically tailored to give a monitor experience. Usually a person who has the room to do such a setup opts for a larger floor standing speaker. However, if you are adventurous, or have a strong disposition to feel monitors are superior, then you may wish to consider this setup. Feel free to contact me if you are serious about considering it.
How does the PAP H1 complete with the Vivid B1? Do they have the same SQ as the B1?
Gary,
The Joy of the Lord to you,
I would love to have a simple answer for you, but that is not possible. One must compare the speakers side by side to have a thorough understanding of how they compare.
However, one can get general impressions from construction and specifications. The Vivid is listed as 4 Ohms and 89 dB sensitivity, and frequency response is 39Hz to 41kHz +/-2 dB and has two 6.5″ cone woofers; the PAP Horn 1 is 8 Ohms, 94 dB sensitivity and 29Hz to 32kHz “typical in room” response, with twin 15″ drivers and 1.4″ compression tweeter.
VERY different designs and construction, not forgetting one is box and the other open baffle. The PAP has a relaxing sound and one that replicates the sound of a much larger speaker.
Still, either one could be too strident in the upper end with the wrong gear and cables. No big deal; make some changes with cables and dial it in.
So, how does one answer “Do they have the same sound quality?” That depends on what is important to you and what you want to hear. I would say in terms of “sound quality” the Horn 1 can give you preferable sound due to the nature of open baffle designs. But you might be sorely disappointed in the result if you don’t know what you’re looking for in terms of sound and design. Recognize the independent goals and results, and you will be able to pick the one that is right for you. As I have stated in the review, the Horn 1 represents sensational value and has terrific sound quality in its own right.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Doug, I was fascinated by this review. To help me “calibrate” on your tastes, could you please provide a short list of albums you like and/or albums used in the review. Your detailed and no-nonsense reviewing still is much appreciated and I am guessing that you might have some interesting recommends with regard to music software. Thanks much…
Mitchel Whitehead
Michael,
God’s Peace,
Thank you for the complement! I am not so terribly “audiophile” in my musical tastes, as I enjoy Smooth Jazz, solo instrument, Jazz vocals and a cappella groups, some vintage Rock and some synthesized. I would have to dig through my pile of notes to see what I was listening to at the time, but here is some direction.
Some of the artists I have used to asses, just a smattering…
Mary Chapin Carpenter “I am a Town”
Al Jarreau “Tenderness”
Postmodern Jukebox
Pink Martini “Splendor in the Grass”
Paula Cole (she’s turned Jazz singer lately)
Third Force and Rippingtons (to assess low frequency).
Kyle Eastwood (Clint’s son – bass player!)
Rajaton
Soundtracks like The Mission, The Man From Uncle (a sleeper!), Natl. Geo. album on the space dive
Dave Sanborn’s older “Straight to the Heart”
Acoustic Alchemy’s Live in London album esp. “Templemeads”
(Big low frequencies – careful); Bass Addiction
Ozone Percussion Group
Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble “Pretend” and “Bop”
Trombone Shorty
Brian Bromberg
On Roon’s music Genre categories I tend to look into the Jazz, Retro and Soundtrack segments.
Really, you should hear the soundtrack for Man From Uncle – very nice surprise and well recorded.
I think I’ll play that tonight.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Perfect, thanks very much. Was listening to some Brian Bromberg while reading your response, btw.
Hope your a thanksgiving was full of joy…
Mitchel
One last one for you, Mitchel, (mea culpa on the name mixup previously)
Corinne Bailey Rae – been a while since I paid attention to her newer music.
Seems the 2016 “The Heart Speaks in Whispers” is a departure from her previous style,
but very nice. I have not yet analyzed the lyrics for suitability, but the music is pleasant.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Doug-
You state in your review “In a positive nod to PureAudioProject, Nelson and his team has designed an active crossover, the PAP-C1. I will be assessing that crossover in a follow up article dedicated to discussing the implications of running the Horn1 with an active crossover.
Any idea when the follow up article may be published?
Ben,
God’s Peace,
I’m sorry that I don’t have a hard deadline; I typically take longer than most reviewers, as I build many systems over the course of the review period. It’s not uncommon for me to build five, six or even more rigs. Normally, only a couple are mentioned of the ones I have built, and that takes time.
I have been establishing quite a number of striking systems with this combo. I am itching to share more, but I will restrain myself. I believe the article will have some “value added” info for those who wish to take even the Trio15 and PAP-C1 to even higher levels of performance than typical. That is making the review more complex than a simple assessment of the crossover’s operation. In a rare move I am going to make a particular component recommendation to pair specifically with the PAP-C1 and Trio15.
I am about to make the turn for home, so to speak. I could go on for weeks with additional system configurations, but the foundation of the performance is in place. It won’t be too long now before it’s public. More than a few days, but not months.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Doug-
Thank you for your prompt reply. Looking forward to your recommendations.
Regards,
Ben
Surfin’ old reviews (and new ones) tonight during this unusual COVID 19 time (Good Friday, April 10, 2020). Just listened, since 4:00 PM, and it’s now 1:42 AM to PureAudioProjects Quintet 15 Horn 1 (Leonituis crossovers) driven by a Sophia Electric 91-03 300B using Sophia Electric Princess Mesh Plate. I wish I could post a picture of the PAP Q15 H1’s for you… which I ordered with the German White Oak UNFINISHED and finished myself in the most unique way imaginable, using a 2,100 Volt burning process across the surface of the wood (front and back of each of the 8 baffles), brushing out the carbon deposited from the burn from what looks like “black lightning strikes”, washing, bleaching and sanding the wood back to the natural color and finish, staining it a dark “Red Bamboo” stain and applying 4 coats of spray lacquer professional high gloss finish. If you go to the PAP Fans and Owners Facebook site and join (since you are either a fan or an owner, yes?) you will be able to see lots of PAP set-ups including my one of a kind probably never to be duplicated finish. (Do not attempt to do a 2,100-volt treatment unless you really know what you are doing and take safety precautions so as not to die in case you accidentally put that voltage through your heart and stop it from beating.)
Anyway, the PAP Q 15 H1 with a good 300B is an AWESOME combination. 8 wpc is plenty! Even in this rather large listening room with 14-foot vaulted ceilings (x 40 feet long), I doubt I need more than 2 watts maximum to achieve 95-100 dB SPL, which is considerably louder than my typical listening level.
These speakers are fantastic. Planned tweaks: I located the speaker wire that Doug described!!!! 750 strand silver tinned OFC in 8 gauge! I will wire the speakers AND make my own speaker cables as well. A new dedicated, 20 amp, fully double shielded power cable directly from the electrical panel to the amplifier location… coming soon. I keep thinking about tube up-grades, but the sound from the SE Princess Mesh plates and the stock issue 5U4G, and 6SN7’s are already so good…why? It’s gotta be a “gear thing”.
Anyone considering the PAP Trio or Quintet with the horn 1’s is probably never going to buy another set of speakers again…sorry to spoil your fun in that regard…you will have to find some other way to spend your money. Cheers! Stay safe! Stay well! Now go wash your hands.
Ken,
Blessed Easter,
Well, I’m sorry to hear that you are having such a horrid time with the Quintet15! 😉
Rarely have I seen such devotion to details in setting up speakers and system, and I’m sure you are reaping all the benefits! Kudos! You realize that sleep deprivation is a side effect of such mesmerizing sound. 🙂
Do not forsake the expected tube rolling! Sure, it sounds incredible; even so, it can get better. All systems can be improved, and tubes are an easy way to do it. I would certainly explore them and I am guessing you will be up until 3 a.m. listening! You actually have a fair bit of tuning left to do. Between “internal” wiring, tubes, speaker cables, etc. you have many options to elevate the already prodigious sound. It will get much better than it is now. I’m not jesting; you have several levels of improvement available to you yet before you should say that you are “finished”.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Doug,
I have the Trio 15 horn. I put my speakers on a 9″ thick chunk of LVL. That is laminated veneer lumber. Its a piece of leftover beam that spanned my garage door. Each piece weighs maybe 50 to 60 lbs. That was one of the single biggest improvements to the speakers I made. I brought the horn up near ear height, raising the sound stage. And for some reason the bass jumped in dynamics.
I also bought the Active crossover and distribution boards yesterday. I am going to drive the horn with Black Shadow 845 and the woofers with KT88 PP amps.
Rex,
God’s Peace,
Congratulations; you have discovered one of my secrets! Shhhh… don’t tell anyone! Want to know a secret? I have six smallish (perhaps 12″ diameter) acrylic small desk sized (perhaps 14″ tall) trash cans with hard rubber rims, and they are my “speaker elevators” to raise the pair of Trio15 Horn 1 up much taller than its normal height. This makes a world of difference in scale and size of soundstage! The bass is cleaner and directivity much closer to the ears, and thus more impactful, not a perfect recreation of my Landscape orientation, but a fair approximation of it. If I were using a smallish tower longer term I would use that method to fake as though a more prodigious tower. It won’t replace a dearth of Hz only attainable with a much more formidable speaker, but it will improve the size of the presentation.
Kudos for being creative and discovering some extra magic available with the Horn 1! You’re going to have a lot of fun with the active X-over!
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
God’s Joy to all,
I thought I would give an update on the unusual Landscape orientation of the Trio15. I have returned to this setup several times over the years, each time attempting to drive the performance higher, with great success. (See page 4 of article for an image of Landscape Orientation)
I am engaged in a review of a most extraordinary class D amp (Just underway; don’t expect the review immediately). I am once again playing with thousands of watts, and the result is so compelling that I no longer feel a desire to work with SET amps. I think I’m done with lower power tubes.
I am realizing the dream of Landscape orientation with this combination of amp and speakers! The Trio15 in Landscape orientation is a MONSTROUS monitor, quite impressive in every respect. The joy of joys is that this class D amp is unmatched in terms of timbral character, tonal sweetness – something quite unusual for a class D. This is a very, very special pairing, and I look forward to sharing more about it in the review of the amplifier.
The Trio15 in this setup is highly recommendable. If anyone is interested in attempting a Landscape orientation setup with the Trio15, feel free to contact me, and I will share the secret. You deserve to get the best shot at this wonderful speaker application!
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder