Planning a 3-Way Horn Hybrid - Inspired by Avantgarde Acoustic Zero 1 XD

[plushundert]

Hi everyone,

I’m in the early planning phase of a DIY speaker project inspired by the Avantgarde Acoustic Zero 1 XD and Zero iTron. While I don’t intend to clone them directly, I’m fascinated by their compact, active horn design and how they blend traditional horn acoustics with modern electronics.

My goal is to design a 3-way horn loudspeaker that reflects this idea — but with my own twist: a focus on analog signal integrity in the mids and highs, and digitally controlled, active bass using Hypex DSP.

Concept Overview​

• 3-way loudspeaker with horn-loaded mid and high
• Passive mid/high crossover
• Active DSP-based bass section
• Frontend:
  
  • Turntable and external DAC
  • Pass Aleph P1.7 preamp
  • Aleph J Class A amplifier for mid/high
• Bass amp: Hypex FusionAmp FA251 or FA501

No built-in DAC or streamer — I want to keep things analog-first with the option for future upgrades, such as fully active signal paths or streaming integration.

Tools & Research (So Far)​

I'm currently researching and evaluating tools to simulate and design the horn sections:

• Hornresp – for estimating horn behavior and cutoff frequency (F12)
• ATH4 – for modeling OS-SE or Tractrix waveguides and exporting STL for 3D printing
• AkAbak – potentially for system-level simulation (once I’m deeper in)
• Also collecting Excel sheets and online calculators for basic flare geometry and alignment

No simulations done yet — I’m still learning the tools and comparing approaches.

Tentative Driver Selection​

Midrange Horn​

• B&C 5MDN38

Tweeter Horn​

• BMS 4524 compression driver

Bass​

• Considering FaitalPRO 12PR320, B&C 12PS76, or Beyma 12P80Nd
• Enclosure: sealed or reflex
• Powered by Hypex FA251/FA501, using built-in DSP for:
  
  • Low-pass XO (~250 Hz)
  • EQ and delay alignment with mid/high section

Since I’m at the very beginning, I’d love your thoughts on:

• Which tools are best for horn simulation at the mid and high frequencies?
• Tips for integrating a hybrid analog/DSP setup without phase or delay issues

Thanks for reading! I’m happy to document the process as it develops, and share test files or results as I move from research into prototyping.

Cheers,
Friedrich

 

[AllenB]

Tips for integrating a hybrid analog/DSP setup without phase or delay issues

Both ways start with the same design, measurement and simulation.. so just begin as you would normally.