Thanks Granteed. I just sent Audiokinesis an email asking if they may have any local speakers to audition. I can only assume horn speakers have something unique to offer.
"Horn speakers" is a
very broad brush, just like "electrostat/planar" is a very broad brush and so is anything else.
The Audiokinesis stuff uses 90 degree constant directivity waveguides. So unlike an electrostat, the sweet spot is MUCH wider (large panels will "beam"). Like a large planar though, the dispersion is much narrower than the typical speaker, so there won't be so many reflections off the side muddying up the sound.. the direct sound dominates more than the reflected sound.
Since compression drivers and waveguides by nature improve efficiency, they should be more able to hit the highest cresendos without ever sounding strained.
The higher end AK stuff like the Planetarium Beta also comes in a Bipole version that emulates the rearward radiation found in many planars (and others).
There's a lot of tradeoffs out there, in any kind of speaker. IMO it's a bit silly to get caught up in "sound of x" because there's very literally hundreds of factors at play" to isolate the reason for what you like being "because it's planar" or "because it's a horn". Audition with an open mind.
