My experiences thus far tell me that each design has strengths & weaknesses. For example: a good PURe single driver setup (with no passive networks & no other drivers) has a purity and simplicity and coherence that is hard to match...even one uses cheap drivers like the Fostex FE206E. On the other hand, one will lose frequency extension and flatness. A 2 or 3 driver setup with minimal passive networks can take care of these problems (as i have done in my trusonic + tweeter + BSC setup) but at the expense of some of that coherence and imaging.

I think we have to look at the driver & decide...for example i have read about (but never heard) of mongo rear loaded horn cabinet designs for Lowthers that claim to give great coherence, decent imaging and good frequency extension (flatness may not be that good with Lowthers). In the case of the trusonic 80FR, it is clearly not great for a PURe single driver setup, however, it does pretty well with a tweeter and a BSC.
-akhilesh

A great push-pull design with great parts & workmanship will obviously beat the pants off a poor ly executed, or ill thought of SET design...and vice versa. The same logic can be extended to any component choice: for example horn loaded drivers versus BR versus sealed box. I tend to view these as means to an end: high fidelity. Often times, the means becoems the end...which is unfortunate. I have seen this in other pursuits as well.People tend to favor one "means" over another.
-akhilesh

The reason I bring Monte up here is that he has no brand bias. It's all the same stuff mushed into different shapes is pretty much his view. I've seen him build wheel-standing 351 Cleveland Fords, and big-blocks and small blocks of every brand. Vettes have been his latest flavor, but he's pretty much done 'em all, including Porsche's and riceburners. He and I built the Olds motor in my Cutlass, and we have even built a few Wankle engines together. Lots of fun in lots of cultures.

You wrote :

"All designs have strengths and weaknesses, as I'm sure you'll agree. Horns are great at some things, but they have very definite weaknesses that must be addressed and designed around. So it was odd for me to find that some horn enthusiasts had become as prone to irrational fixation as the older acoustic suspension fans had been. I guess I see this kind of thinking as unsophisticated and uninformed."

I agree completely. What I find to be most amazing is reading a post where the writer is asking for help to solve some obvious deficiency they have found in their finished "purist" system. The most common problem I see being discussed is a lack of bass output and a shouting midrange from some full range driver system.

In my opinion, this is almost always caused by a baffle step problem and/or mating a low Qts driver to a TL, BR, or poorly designed back loaded horn enclosure. It is never going to work well no matter where the speaker is placed in the room.

A generally accepted solution is to put a foam strip between the whizzer cone and the main cone, this seems a bit hit or miss without any real adjustability. Essentially this is damping the midrange response from the whizzer cone and killing the shout and probably a whole lot more. I have also seen recommendations to paint different substances onto the cone, this seems kind of irreversible and risky with an expensive driver. But both are generally acceptable in the cult of the purists.

The other thing that is generally recommended is to add a subwoofer. What I find most amazing about this recommendation is the following question. Why would you go to all of the trouble to build a complex and large back loaded horn if you are going to go ahead and add a subwoofer for the bass response? Makes no sense but it is again acceptable to the cult of the purists. Build a simple closed box tuned to 100 Hz and then add the sub! A crossover in this frequency range is acceptable to the cult of the purists.

So finally we turn to the taboo, adding a filter. The filter will rebalance the SPL response without any loose of detail. It will fix the slight phase problem associated with the baffle step region. It is completely adjustable and removable so it will fit almost any situation. To me is seems like a very obvious tweak. But it is not pure and we know that no matter how weak the bass, or shouty the midrange, it is better sounding then the filtered sound would ever be. So say the cult of the purists.

But I do see progress in the cult. I see people adding resistance to their systems by using special wires and other tricks while claiming it as a new approach. Boy I am glad this is not adding a filter so we don't loose anything!

I am also glad I am not a member of the cult of the purists or any other herd. Well, I guess I am a member of the cult of the refuse to conform and shut-up. I listen to my system and like the way it sounds, so do other people who visit and listen with me. OK bass and no shouting midrange.

Martin (of the unwashed)

I've seen a couple single-driver speakers that sounded quite nice being just a speaker in a box. It's pleasant to listen to them, so I'm all for that. But if a speaker isn't really suited for this, as most aren't, then other solutions might be sought.

I'm in full agreement with you on what solutions I'd explore and what ones I'd probably avoid. I'm not saying that I'm against folks that do it differently than I would. But I am saying that the solutions I've seen you propose are generally the same direction I'd go too.

Wayne