horns Aria 1 loudspeaker review by Dominic Marsh

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1 horns Aria 1 loudspeaker review by Dominic Marsh Goodness me, yet another pair of speakers submitted for review that originates from Poland! And no, that isn t a typo for the company s name, it is spelled as horns. Their Aria 1 floorstanding loudspeaker under review here lives around two-thirds of the way up horns product lineup, ranging from the diminutive FP6 bookshelf/standmount to the Universum 3 way model pictured below. Top of the range horns Universum 3 way model

2 CONSTRUCTION Although at first glance this speaker doesn t have many external embellishments, I can tell you that they are very solidly built, weighing over 30 kilos each. The review sample was finished in a white colour, although natural wood veneers are available as is any colour from the RAL palette you care to choose, to special order of course although we have no indication as to the ordering timescale involved. SPECIFICATIONS Driver Array 2 Woofer/midwoofer High range 1 1 Middle range Crossover Box Sensitivity Frequency range 1 7 coated paper 1 1 annular diaphragm Alu 12dB per octave, extracted, high quality 17 litre, bass reflex, natural veneer, RAL Colours option 86 db Hz

3 Impedance Terminal Box dimensions (with horns) Weight of speaker 8 Ohm Single wire, WBT 210x1040x311 [mm] 32kg each The horn trumpets are manufactured from a resin and composite material and the speaker carcass itself is also made from an MDF composite material which is very inert. To the rear we find a pair of very high quality binding posts that accepts 4mm banana plugs, spade connectors and bare wire. There is no biwiring facility. The price at the time of review is 3000 Euros. SOUND QUALITY If you are looking for an out and out disco blaster speaker, great for rock music and high energy jazz, then please stop reading this review right now, as this model isn t one of them types. Indeed, I would say it is the exact opposite, because the sound is far more sophisticated than that, with a soft gentle bass output that reaches well down into the mid-forties frequencies easily, but presents it as a subtlety rather than outright thumping bass power. I must also add that this isn t a criticism, because experience has taught me that not everyone likes being relentlessly bombarded with big powerful bass and there are many countless audiophiles who live in apartments and terraced houses that need to be ever mindful of keeping their neighbours happy while at the same time still enjoying their listening, so I am very confident that there are some readers of this review who have had their interest suitably piqued already. What this speaker really does excel at though is the treble and midband, which is very clear, concise and free from any coloration and congestion. That in a nutshell effectively sums these speakers up and I see none of that in a negative light whatsoever, because although they didn t set my pulse racing with their dynamics and speed, I was impressed by the way

4 they simply drew you into the music and their intimacy in presentation served to reinforce that situation. If I were to be totally honest I would love to have these speakers in a second system where I would retreat to for those moments that I wasn t actually working carrying out reviews and solely to unwind to. When I carried out my listening tests then, I had to make alterations to the music playlist to capture the very essence of why these speakers would appeal to a distinct audience. However, they still had to meet my benchmarks first that I look out for in Fink s Wheels Beneath My Feet album. This album for me contains a whole raft of benchmarks that whatever component I review has to meet and hopefully exceed. Bass kick drum is adequately represented in this album, along with the rest of the drum ensemble including snare, toms and floor tom drums, high hat, ride and crash cymbals all have signatures that to me are a true yardstick of performance. In addition to that we have the warm tones of Fink s voice although his diction leaves a lot to be desired, although you should be able to hear the soft rasp his voice has. Then of course there is the wonderful venue ambiences within each track, each recorded at different locations during one of the band s many European tours, so has different flavours, some recreating the drummer s snare rim shots so clearly echoing around the venue. If I put my mind to it I could probably find equally good recordings to use as tests, but I know this album intimately and I know that some readers have also bought this same album to follow my results. The album begins with hearing the audience clapping and cheering when the band begins to play and that sound is very revealing of a speaker s performance. If it sounds like bacon sizzling in a frying pan then I don t usually hold out much hope for the rest of the album. Glad to say the horns Aria 1 speakers gave a very life-like rendition here so let s press on. Next, the drummer plays a short series of cymbal strikes as the intro, shortly followed by an acoustic guitar then some more cymbal strikes, all of which flowed seamlessly and effortlessly from the speakers. I won t go into a complete

5 breakdown of the entire album, but I will move on to track 12 which is Sort of Revolution which is my favourite track on the entire album, which also contains most of the bass benchmarks any component needs to meet and exceed. When those floor tom whacks arrive that the drummer delivers during this particular track, I want my listening room to reverberate very strongly with each strike and the horns Aria 1s couldn t deliver the weight and heft I was expecting, which in truth wasn t unexpected either, given their overall character. Leaving that aside though, the remainder of the album was rendered with great accuracy and delicacy in the treble and midband, with a sweetness and flow that made listening a true pleasure as after one marathon session I racked up nearly six hours bathing in the mature grown up kind of sound these speakers are easily capable of. CONCLUSION If you are the kind of audiophile that wants adrenaline coursing through your veins and edge of the seat excitement during your listening sessions then in truth you are not going to be a good match for this breed of loudspeaker and there are plenty of speakers on the market that will provide that level of entertainment. On the plus side though is that stunning treble and midband output, plus as mentioned previously the softer bass delivery is going to please many who either don t enjoy prodigious amounts of bass or have neighbours that would prefer you to keep your music to yourself. They produce a very grown up and sophisticated sound and were very good at latching onto microdynamics and presenting them in a clear and unruffled way, so I have no hesitation whatsoever in giving them my Gold Award. Dominic Marsh Hifi Insights Magazine