Does attuniation in horns break dynamics?

[Defo]

Given that you horn load a driver, and uses, for instance, a cap to deal with the horn loading, will this break the gained dynamics by using a horn?

Cheers

[janneman]

Originally Posted by Defo

Given that you horn load a driver, and uses, for instance, a cap to deal with the horn loading, will this break the gained dynamics by using a horn?

Cheers

... break the gained dynamics... Hmmm.
What gained dynamics do you mean? A horn doesn't increase dynamics, it just plays everything louder. So you may turn your volume control down and/or use a lower power amp. Is that what you mean?

How would you connect the cap? Is it part of the crossover? Do you mean a capacitor or a mechanical cap somewhere?

jd

[Defo]

Originally Posted by janneman

... break the gained dynamics... Hmmm.
What gained dynamics do you mean? A horn doesn't increase dynamics, it just plays everything louder. So you may turn your volume control down and/or use a lower power amp. Is that what you mean?

How would you connect the cap? Is it part of the crossover? Do you mean a capacitor or a mechanical cap somewhere?

jd

If you horn load, say a dome tweeter, then it will boost the low end, meaning you will no longer have a flat response. A single cap fixes this (if you think apart from the actual crossover)

From my experience, perception of dynamics is all about sensitivity. A horn boosts sensitivity, meaning increased dynamics, but I wonder, if one attuniates the horn loading back to the nominal sensitivity of the driver, is the increased dynamics gained by the horn lost?

[chris661]

Dynamics are the difference between the loud and quiet parts of music. Whether or not your driver is horn loaded is irrelevant. As has been stated: a horn makes everything louder. Right across the frequency range. If you add a capacitor, then you'll get an uneven response, but the volume available from the horn will be the same (provided, of course, your capacitor is rated for it).

Chris

[janneman]

Originally Posted by Defo

If you horn load, say a dome tweeter, then it will boost the low end, meaning you will no longer have a flat response. A single cap fixes this (if you think apart from the actual crossover)

From my experience, perception of dynamics is all about sensitivity. A horn boosts sensitivity, meaning increased dynamics, but I wonder, if one attuniates the horn loading back to the nominal sensitivity of the driver, is the increased dynamics gained by the horn lost?

OK, I see what you mean. So, when you use the cap, you flatten the response, meaning you decrease the sensitivity in the hf range. You trade that sensitivity to get a flat response that reaches down to a lower point.

It doesn't do anything to dynamics, except when you equate dynamics to sensitivity

jd

[Robh3606]

No it doesn't effect the dynamics at all. Where it potentially could be a problem is padding down a horn loaded compression driver to match a low sensitivity woofer. If you pad down the horn and don't take that padding into account you could potentially under power the horns driver with most of the power dissipated in the network. Not that likely unless you use under 10 watt amps.

Rob

[Defo]

Originally Posted by Robh3606

No it doesn't effect the dynamics at all. Where it potentially could be a problem is padding down a horn loaded compression driver to match a low sensitivity woofer. If you pad down the horn and don't take that padding into account you could potentially under power the horns driver with most of the power dissipated in the network. Not that likely unless you use under 10 watt amps.

Rob

So if you pad down a compression driver to meet a woofer, it looses its dynamic playstyle qualities? If you have a 90 db tweeter, horn load it to 100 db but flatten its response again after so its back to 90 db, will it have greater, or the same dynamic playstyle?

[Defo]

Originally Posted by janneman

It doesn't do anything to dynamics, except when you equate dynamics to sensitivity

The reason I equate dynamics to sensitivity is:

All low eff speakers I've heard sounds dull.
All high eff speakers I've heard sounds lively.

In my opinion, good dynamics = realism

[Robh3606]

In my opinion, good dynamics = realism

I agree

So if you pad down a compression driver to meet a woofer, it looses its dynamic playstyle qualities?

When you attenuate the driver all you are normally doing is limiting the maximum SPL level. You are changing the nominal 110db@1 watt down to the woofers, say 90 db. So you have a 20db pad and 1/100 the power available to the CD. The compression driver is still capable of delivering it's full output providing the rest of the system can survive the input power required to negate the power lost in the network. All you are really doing is changing the set point so to speak of the compression driver, all else remains the same. You are not changing the capabilities of the driver. I have a couple of systems using padded compression drivers and they sound darn good.

Rob

[Defo]

Originally Posted by Robh3606

When you attenuate the driver all you are normally doing is limiting the maximum SPL level. You are changing the nominal 110db@1 watt down to the woofers, say 90 db. So you have a 20db pad and 1/100 the power available to the CD. The compression driver is still capable of delivering it's full output providing the rest of the system can survive the input power required to negate the power lost in the network. All you are really doing is changing the set point so to speak of the compression driver, all else remains the same. You are not changing the capabilities of the driver. I have a couple of systems using padded compression drivers and they sound darn good.

Rob

Cool, that was the answer I was looking for. Thanks!