Cabinet

Vintage horn speakers

Speakers with compression drivers on horns for the midrange and treble, above a direct-radiating woofer. That's Klipsch's Heresy, Cornwall and Forte and Altec's Valencia, Santiago and Model 19, all built from the same kind of parts as theater and studio horn systems. Horns are efficient. The Heresy is rated at 96 dB for 1 watt at 1 meter, so a small tube amp can drive one. They're heavy too, from 23 kilograms for a Heresy to 143 pounds for a Model 19, and the drivers and crossovers are often replaced, so ask what's original.

8 models we cover.