Do you want to find out why horn speakers, tubes, and Japanese amplifiers are a big deal?

Herb and I met in the 1990s and became fast friends. On this episode we nail down how it happened. Also, we have a special Herb announcement near the end of this episode.
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[@ppmnox]

Watching these 2 together, and watching some of the younger reviewers and their similar enthusiasm, gives me hope for our hobby. thank you, Steve and Herb, for bringing the joy of audio to a new generation.

[@markusschulzbro]

I’m a simple man. I see Herb, I press like!

[@timw.9466]

An affable man is you?

[@milesdufourny4813]

We need a sixty minute video of Herb's wonderful stories.

[@julianstorey2699]

I could listen to them all day...

[@gizzy2403]

yes!

[@UberPilot]

Herb needs his own channel. The Highwater Sound video is epic. I’ve watched it a dozen times.

[@burner8959]

I love the videos with Herb. I think the only thing better would be a video of you two sitting next to each other listening and talking about equipment.

[@frankiep8262]

I've never met either one of these guys, yet they make me feel like I've known them my entire life! Love it!

[@gtodave6768]

I love this conversation. It sounds like a conversation between two intelligent surgeons. Looks like a cool friendship!!

[@mladenbasic1]

Having both of you in the shot at the same time is great. You should do every interview this way.

[@PDCRed]

Great idea.

[@Spaniard47]

Agree

[@raphaelmeillat8527]

You guys have a way to draw us in and make us part of a special chat. Love your duo routine. Can't wait to see the next one! Thanks Steve for sharing your passion!

[@gBoogie47]

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting both men at different audio events. Steve you are a superstar and seem to enjoy it. Herb is a poet laureate in this audiophile community and always loves talking audiophilia. Hope to see you both in future events.

[@fabieneldridge3414]

These two can go on forever. They are very knowledgeable about all things stereo ! Horn speakers are the Best ! The Voice of Theater, Klipsch K- Horns have been around since the 1940’s , and no leaps have been made in music reproduction. Klipsch still makes K-horns over 75 years and still consider Great ! Advent / Lancing are still some of the Best Speakers around. You can spend all you want but you really can’t get more music than Klipsch or Advent will produce in the right situation. I am a Horn lover ! Clean, crisp, Dynamic, live listening levels. Even better now that we have sub-woofers ! Quality today is far and few , plus the costs are crazy ! I’ll probably die with my old Marantz and Klipsch speakers. Adding a set of Klipsch Belle’s with the K-Horns really adds a new dimension to my listening. It really opens the music up. Very open , their sound bless together very well into a single wide full range. You feel the music as well as hear it . I have been thrilled with this set up for over 30 years and it still rocks !

[@arun2995]

Herb is the Godfather of low wattage triode. Him and the late great Art Dudley are by far my most favorite reviewers. I love hearing about Herb life stories, Thank you Steve.

[@kartickgrover]

I really really wish I could meet Herb and host him at my house where I could play my horn speakers with an all DHT tube system. Herb if you ever visit India, Id love to host you!! Cheers.

[@brkly99]

Based on your videos, I started looking at horns and pulled the trigger a couple of years ago. Can’t thank you enough!

[@christinearmington]

What did you get? 😃

[@brkly99]

@@christinearmington Avantgarde Duo Mezzos

[@greymurdock2]

Audiophiliac episodes just keep getting better!

[@Michael-xz1nk]

Herb just amazes me. Talk about a jack of all trades. From construction and the fire house to selling $90 Audio Note boxes to the simple bunker in Bed Sty. And so interesting to listen to. Thanks again Steve. Keep bringing Herb back...what a treat!

[@ninovasev]

Thank you guys, my passion for music and hifi is living because also the guys like you exists......

[@brianlewis5042]

Awesome conversation between friends. Hopefully a part ll

[@samlee2562]

I love it when old guys chat it's like a movie

[@rickmathis8590]

Always a pleasure to hear the two of you together (especially when you'retalking about two of my favorite subjects: tubes and horns). Thanks, Steve!

[@hakanpersson6524]

I could listen to Herb and Steve for a whole day. They have always interesting topics and their knowledge is a goldmine.

[@richardmiglioranza4004]

That was awesome as usual. You guys are a treat to listen too and love your passion for audio. It's contagious!

[@AudioTnT]

Thanks to Herb, I now enjoy Hana, Elekit, Falcon and soon Sunvalley too. Both of you, stay strong and live long!

[@williamsmith1892]

Both you and Herb are truly audiophile originals. I have watched many of your videos, and read reviews by Herb many times in Stereophile magazine. You both are to blame for my renewed enjoyment of music using a tube amp and Klipsch speakers. Thank you.

[@edwardbalboa5528]

They know fcuk about Audio

[@crimsonghost6454]

I love you guys and I have said it before,I could listen to you two talk for hours and hours. Please do more videos together. And yes horns are great.

[@edwardbalboa5528]

FFS... You must be bored

[@AALavdas]

Great discussion, great points about the Decca recording of the Wagner Ring cycle with Solti!

[@DougMen1]

The mighty Klipschorn is the finest speaker I've ever heard, with a realism unmatched by any other, IMO. Only the La Scala comes close to me. The effortless dynamics and the sense of scale is unparalleled by any other brand or style of speaker to my ears.

[@ProgRockKeys]

When Herb cups his hands around his mouth and mentions “horn coloration” (?) that accurately demonstrated what I hear from Voice of the Theater speakers. I am convinced, when I go to someone’s house with those huge horns that sound to me like a bad public address system at a bus station, that our ears must present radically different sounds to our various brains. And I love my JBL 4333 3 way horn speakers, but there’s just something about those Voice of the Theater speakers that completely escapes me.

[@carlosoliveira-rc2xt]

I hear the same when listening to most (not all) horn speakers.

[@DPSingh-px4xu]

Herb and Steve are audio nuts who just make this thing we do cool and always an adventure....best hobby slash distraction from a brutal world...music

[@gelderlandproduction]

This was FANTASTIC to watch! THANK YOU!

[@Rensselaer1586]

I loved those days when Herb, Don, and the others were building experimental SET's and displaying their schematics and construction drawings in Sound Practices. Those times dictated my path to my present system (Altec A7 speakers, Garrard 301 turntable, Ayon 30 watt SET amp) . I lament the passing of that era.

[@user-od9iz9cv1w]

What a great way to start my week. Hanging out with Steve and Herb. The firehouse soirees must have been amazing! Great to get a glimpse back in time.

[@JohnDoe-np3zk]

the girl came down the poll and all the guys sat around listening to horns made me soiree not to have been there...

[@HareDeLune]

@@JohnDoe-np3zk Ouch.

[@zizendorf]

@@HareDeLune LOL

[@zizendorf]

Wondering what all else was going on at "the firehouse"?! Hah!

[@biff196972]

I love listening to these stories. I wish I had more experience with tube gear on my horns. The prices these days of good tubes and gear is not a cheap date

[@lynnpoole7830]

Much thanks Steve & Herb!

[@roybertalotto6355]

That was fantastic! Love Herbs enthusiasm! I had VoT and Dynaco Stereo 70 back in the day in my parents basement. Sold them and replaced with LaScala and Crown DC300a which also doubled as sound reinforcement for a rock band. Great memories.

[@vacuumtube1954]

Wonderful ! Always a pleasure to hear the both of you.

[@Vibrasonique]

I’m here a bit for audio reviews but mainly because of Herb’s statements like the nature of the universe being vibratory and stuff like that, and of course for steve’s mood...so good to see you standing together again guys!

[@dougg1075]

Man I could listen to this all day long.

[@garyhilbolt4363]

Meaningful dialog with fervor. How could anyone not enjoy these delectable slices of the past?

[@clarkstone-bear7742]

You can tell your old friends. Those soirees sound like they would have been fun. Good friends and audio.. great video. Thanks guys.

[@HiFiTown]

Hey guys--- great video-- make more :) This is Early Bender (Walt my dad ran Audiomart, which was the reference required member/ marketplace everyone bought and sold before the Internet) -- I remember these days --Don Garber, Fi 's ads and everything else! You guys are electric -- love it. We need more tube horn system talk ;)

[@brianesbaugh6897]

Such a great story of the “voice of the theatre” vs the Watt Puppies while hearing the Stones live. So cool hearing these older stories and the nostalgic joy while recalling it!

[@chrish.4067]

Thank you for this great interview. I love Herb's enthusiasm for the music and for how for how equipment looks also.

[@phils9755]

"triode mafia" soirees LOL. That's a fantastic turn of phrase

[@brianj9944]

Hello Steve, a comment about the video. Herb stated the Japanese amp builder listened through an Altec 604. I had spoken to the amp builder back in the day. He stated he was listening to his single ended amps through Electro-Voice 12 TRX speakers with only a capacitor for the high frequency crossover and he ran the cone/propagator full range.

[@paulschumann4137]

I like how you mentioned Don Garber in the video and one of his beautiful fi preamps is sitting in the background.

[@osliverpool]

Pick three people you'd like to listen to in a bar all night - Steve Guttenberg, Herb Reichert and Michael Fremer would be hard to beat!

[@zizendorf]

Agreed with those three (and a whole host more - if we're dreaming, i.e. Lincoln, FDR Obama, Neil Young, Springsteen, and on and on...). Although, while I'm appreciating the post above, I'd have to have a long, long evening because I'd have to dedicate good periods of time to just and only listening to music with them (without the talking) and then intersperse the listening with the talking about it. This all would of course require some Scotch. (Which by the way, if you dampen a rag with single malt and wipe down your speaker cables, the sound becomes deeper and richer.)

[@zippymagee]

regarding audio gear; Andrew Jones, Nelson Pass, Sean Fowler.

[@recordhead]

No disrespect to Fremer (I'm a big fan of his), but, I'd swap out Fremer with the late Art Dudley.

[@jeffkalina7727]

@@zippymagee Had dinner with AJ last year. High energy talker. Very smart. Knows his trade. Nelson Pass- Zoom interviewed him for an hour for our club last April. Very careful wordsmith. Very intelligent. Great stories.

[@osliverpool]

@@recordhead Ah, Art of course - might have to make room for all four.

[@bigblueocean]

Gotta love Herb. Much more please. I want a pair of Avant-garde speakers even more now. Dammit!

[@nirodha35]

Start saving and just do it. That’s my plan🥳

[@veniceog]

Love hearing from Herb

[@TheDecguy]

This interview reminds me of the days when I had a subscription to Sound Practices Magazine. Horns, triodes, 300B!

[@stillastillsfan]

Whatever happened to Joe Roberts?

[@theone69ize]

Awesome video!!!! 👌 I can listen to herb all day . A book confessions of an Audiophile Maybe?

[@TheFilletingfish]

Great getting to know you both. Was also curious about Herbs earlier year’s. Hope you both have a great day!

[@vinyljunkie64]

Awesome! I could listen to Herb's stories all day.

[@steenj938]

Always a pleasure with you guys 🙏 Steve and Herb, you are amazing! I'd really like to hear those horns! However i recently ordered a pair of Harbeth Super HL 5 Plus XD. Just fell Completely in love with them. Just can't wait!!! Love your show Steve ♥️ Greetings from Denmark 🇩🇰🇩🇰🇩🇰

[@thomassampson1817]

Herb and Steve make audio fun again. Both pack their reviews with good information. If one listens or reads closely, you can get a real good idea if what the product is bringing to the table.

[@svbarr]

90% of the semi pro rock bands on the West Coast used Altec VOTT speakers with a Crown DC300 (or two) in clubs that held as many as 300 people. Those speakers FILLED those size spaces....Great speakers.Time frame 60's to mid 90's....

[@JazzInvaders66]

I built a pair of A7 cabs in 1973 and hauled them around. with the matching horns, for my band at the time. To make matters worse, I used what we called back then particle board. Sounded fab driven by DIY solid state Tiger amps.

[@astolatpere11]

I agree that playing old records on period equipment is pretty cool. I play a lot of mono lps from the 50s and 60s on a mono GE cartridge and Fisher mono tube amp, and there is a presence in the performances different from listening to them on my main hi-fi.

[@bertoray5497]

Great stories. That picture with the speakers at the end of the video rocks.

[@HolgerBarske]

Munich. Bellème. Wherever. So much looking forward to meeting you again, Herb.

[@Cocteau61]

the feeling totally mutual-you are the man Holger

[@johngutmanis3580]

Great interview! For the past year I have only listened to my mc352 Magnepan 1.7i combo, my DIY Cornscala are in storage waiting for me to rework the crossovers and cabinets. I have really missed my horns! Finally realizing it maybe years before I get the time I pulled the trigger on a pair of Klipsch Hersey iv’s. That I am going to power with PrimaLuna until I can find a 300b amp for them.

[@NickP333]

Thanks, Steve and Herb! It’s Monday, and this vid has certainly started my week of very well. I always love to see Herb on one of your vids, and to hear you old buddies talk shop. Love it! ✌️🎶🤗 Gonna be hooking up the 300B’s today!

[@fredmedlen8020]

The Altec Lansing model 14's were 5he best, most efficient home speaker ever made in my opinion. They were crystal clear at 3 watts. But, one took them to a graduation party at the lake and on Sunday morning I went to a store there on the lake maybe three miles away by water. When I walked out of the store with the smokes, drinks, and snacks I heard Jethro Tull Cross Eyed Mary as clear as a bell from across the lake.... I'm sure all the people up for the weekend between my speakers and the store really appreciated that..hahaha

[@vincentlavallee2779]

Hello again! I just added a long comment under "Do 2021 HI-RES RECORDINGS sound better than 1960s, '70s, '80s, or '90s recordings?" on one of Steve Guttenberg's other websites. From that comment you can see that I go back a long ways in the audio world. This time I want to comment on the first speaker shown in this video, and about speakers with horns built in them in general. I had an opportunity to listen to the Voice of the Theater speakers back in the late 60's, early 70's (the first speakers shown in this video). They sounded quite good back then, with great dynamics, especially as compared to the speaker technology at that time. But it struck me then, and has ever since, that the horns in those speakers, and almost all subsequent speakers with horns, give off a 'horn' twinge to the music. Klipsch and Classic Audio Speakers use horns, as well as many other speaker manufacturers, and even some esoteric ones. While I have not heard many speaker systems with horns, I feel that they all have a similar sound, which is that the horns taint the sound a bit, and it is noticeable. I run into most of these at audio shows, and it is not a sound for which I care. I listen to mainly classical (not Steve's choice), jazz, and clean vocals. When playing the big band jazz, this horn tint is fine, and actually enhances their sound, but is a disadvantage on most other music.

[@DQ-su6qf]

What a great idea! The ability to speak to Herb!

[@per-henrikpersson1884]

Thanks guys for a fantastic enjoyable listning to two guys about my age talking about horns. I love horns. But I dont have my homebuilt two "Kjell Stenssons" horn any longer - but I miss them. Kjell Stenssons was "The" audio Guru an on SR (SVERIGES AUDIO - The stateowned Swedish Radio Company) for many many years but hes been Dead for many years now. They where really Big and really heavy. They where origanaly only using one singel Philips AG 9710 (?) broadband element. But I completed them with 2 Philips midleband speakers and 2 Philips Dome tweeters and 2 Yreble Horns from Hungary and a home designen 3 way filter. And designen a box for them as wide as The horn and as deep as The horn and about 10 to 12 Inch high. And I couldnt find any Philips 9710 elements but bought a couple of Philips 6 or 8 Inch Base elements instead. And The Base elements where placed so the front sound was out in the room from The front and The back sound came out from The open horn. And The man Kjell said that the back sound (from The 2 5 meters long) was 90% of The sound preassure. So The horn was extremely efficient so you could use an low power amplifier. Easely driven. But they are NO more. They where sooo Big she said (in total more than 1 meter wide, 1 meter high and ca 60 cm deep. So more than 0.5 cubicmeter volym) so I had to get tid of them before we moved to our new flat. I was crying but I had to slougther them. A lot of wood that I gave to my uncle for his new Project. But I saved all The 2 Times 7 elements (14 elements) and The two filters that still after 25 years are laying in my cellar. Maybee I should let them be sold to some young analog Hifi fan so they can still let their woices be heard❤️❤️❤️😀👍

[@jimmyli9678]

Wow, did this bring back memories. in the early 70s I ran sound for a rock club band that worked the east coast. We were using a 16 track board, 2 McIntosh MC-2300s into 2 Voice of the Theatres. Great live sound and many many very good memories.

[@shannonmiller5648]

These Herb videos are some of the best

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Yes they are!

[@neilfisher7999]

Love listening to you guys talk about audio. Wow! Keep it coming.

[@dougg1075]

This is GOLD

[@rickg8015]

Cool to see Don Garber’s Fi phono stage near that Feickert record spinner.. R.I.P., Don.

[@johnshepherd708]

I contacted Don many years ago and had him make me a 2a3 amplifier. I will never part with that amp. It was always interesting and fun exchanging ideas with Him. He was certainly a unique guy and greatly missed.

[@SyedNizamudeen]

My mouth was wide open while he was narrating the story of the Stones... 😯😯

[@edwardbalboa5528]

Ffs

[@airwatersun]

You are brilliant...a true master class for audiophiles! Holy canoli Herb...I've been a resident on Staten Island since 1960...an audiophile, record collector and former recording studio owner. I'm curious where that fire house was?! Heading upstate soon to live and looking for someone to help me with my AMG Viella 12. The room is very large with non-parallel walls and a 15' peak ceiling. It will be set up for recording and live performance

[@tcb7750]

Hi. Steve. That's why I own a pair of klipschorn Pro model speakers..7 drivers per cabinet. Was lucky enough to buy a pair..were not available to the plublic..

[@michaelvaladez6570]

Whai love about watching this video is the friendship that you two have going back in time and talking about the ol glory days of high fidelity.The voice of the theater..amazing sound.A friend had these and they could take your breath away.The first time i heard a high end stereo was in a store in the town i lived in..lots of gear.I was stunned by what i heard Lou Rawls singing right behind me.That good.That was the moment i was the search for some high end stereo.Love this talking points between you two.Audiophiles galore.Thank you Steve Guttenberg.By the way way. back in time are you related to thee Guttenberg that invented the printing press..?

[@johnlebeau5471]

Interesting. I built a single ended triode amp in 1997 out of curiosity. SET was the hot thing at the time and I could not find a single ended amp in my local area. The plans came from Glass Audio magazine and it used the 45 tube for a massive 2 watts. So unlike Herb who went looking for an amp to match his speaker, I went looking for a speaker to match the best sounding amp I had ever heard. I wound up with a theater pull Altec system.

[@johnstuchlik5828]

I'm in the process of building that same 45 amp

[@homerjones3291]

Excellent. Love to hear the stories and experiences, tangential to audio or not.

[@carlitomelon4610]

Once heard theatre horns in a customer's home....huge sound anywhere in the house. Playing Bob Marley:-) Not very refined, but no idea what he was driving them with. That was a huge room. My home is a modest bungalow with 13x21ft music rooms....can't imagine shoehorning horns in here! The firehouse sounded like a fun hangout- Thanks guys;-)

[@sum2automation]

Awesome storyline. Thanks for posting...

[@daviddavis5149]

Great personalities. Great chemistry. Great stories. Thank you!

[@AlainCliche]

I've had A-7 in the 1980's and those were the best speakers I've had...

[@lloydfranks1357]

More stories with Herb! I just got a pair of Altecs vot Some how they got sprayed with soda and the horn on one is rusty and so a friend is refurbishing them. I hope mine sound as good as his when I get them back!

[@tonykazz2779]

You lads are inventing an improved form of Journalism. You are showcasing a beautiful range of curious. Steve's room is looking better every day, now it looks un-tangled ! I'd hope for your regular group to include K.Micallef , J.Atkinson and Kal R. Audio gear is wonderful, the Journalism is even better. Tony in Venice Florida ps. It could be nice to hear an interview with Mr.JA2

[@DQ-su6qf]

Somebody get the Coen Brothers to make a movie of the Golden era of Audio..What a vast array of Passionate Characters & any number of twist & turns in the world of…The Audiophiles….

[@ML-rm3vk]

great video and you two were having fun what a wonderful treat for us take care both of you god bless.

[@lukerabin5079]

I’d love to hear those old theatre speakers again!

[@EclecticApotheosis]

They're talking about the wonderfulness of horns at scale -- operas, Stones concerts, symphonies. How about horns at low volume, intimate recordings? I used to have Magnepans, and to get them to really sing, they had to be cranked. I had 200W/ch and a small room, so no problem. But I would never have a speaker like that now, because I have to listen at mid or usually low volumes. I want a speaker that sounds as live/dynamic as possible at low volume.

[@roberte.andrews4621]

I hope that I am listening to my beloved Altec Valencias when I transition off this mortal coil. They have the A7-8 Voice of The Theater components in prettier hardwood cabinets. Angelic audio. Yes!

[@smith2924]

Really cool video, thanks guys!

[@bobb.9917]

Best comment (from Herb with finger pointing at ".net"): "Pay no attention to The Audiophiliac!" Can you say PRICELESS!!! 😂😂😂

[@heywoodjablome5630]

Sensitivity is overrated!

[@stillastillsfan]

@@heywoodjablome5630 No it is not.

[@chrispicquet733]

Great topic! I am blessed to have been able to sample the best of The

[@chrispicquet733]

Heyday of Audio! I had huge Altec Corner horns that housed two 15's and 515 horns.I also had huge JBL C37's,C38's,etc....with a Mac MC 240.i fell in love with the old school audio setups instantly? But, in my opinion,the Altec Woofers were slow,and they had to be rotated 180°every 6 months due to sagging of the cone and suspension.The JBL's had phenomenal Drivers,but bad crossovers and boomy box cabinets. I ended up settling on Klipsch Designs with the underappreciated Electrovioce Drivers.I love EV! Every Klipsch Heritage series speakers that I have owned,I replaced The stamped frame(subbed out Woofers) with vintage or pro JBL Alnico Woofers.(more efficient and lightning ⚡ fast.)enter single ended 300b's,pure heaven!

[@wademcinnis922]

Herb is one of the great honest reporters of audio and music. The other guy drives me crazy.

[@bencausey]

Just...excellent. “Priceless” is overused, but not this time.

[@luigimattei7698]

Hi Herb, we have same passions! Audio, old mercedes and also same type of glasses. Nice gays. Thanks a lot

[@chrishatcher9239]

After many years of high-end dynamic, electrostat and other planar/ribbon speakers; I'm ready to jump into the horn pool!

[@user-od9iz9cv1w]

Me too. There is a guy near me doing some interesting stuff with cnc wood horns driven by software to make perfect shape horns for compression drivers. I want them.

[@JohnDoe-np3zk]

where the geese honk and the ducks do too?

[@ptg01]

I got into horns back in the early 80's, by accident... Yet, I.still have my Klipsch Cornwall I from 1983-ish. Would not trade it for anything else. Now that I've paired it with an SET 10wpc Class A tube amp, it is just stunning. May not be accurate but super enjoyable nevertheless. Just so relaxed.

[@chrishatcher9239]

@@JohnDoe-np3zk I was thinking more along the lines of angels with trumpets.

[@Tedsnap]

That was one of the most entertaining and educational chats I have seen/heard in a long time. Great job, fellows.

[@AllboroLCD]

I used to wander manhattan on foot endlessly, trekking around union sq one day, I stumbled into some audio shop that sold shindo gear, man thats some nice nice stuff!

[@Gary_M]

Herb should start his own KZbin channel.

[@ropr5898]

I love that Herb has no concept of how microphones pick up his chest pounding. Oblivious to the tech, while he regales us with his wonderful audio tales. Carry on -- just be prepared for the occasional bang! through the desktop speakers or headphones.

[@zizendorf]

You're a funny person suggesting he's "oblivious to the tech". LOL

[@offason]

This channel is a good getaway from this mad world. Thank you

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Thanks so much!

[@therealeso]

In 2000 I bought a very old pair of Altec A5s and they completely reset my reference in Hifi. I've been working with horns ever since. Where I grew up most theaters were Altec equipped. Many of my earliest big sound experiences came from Altec VOTT systems in theaters. I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey in theatrical release at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood with all Altec Sound... So I wonder how much of my love of the big horn system sound is a subjective suggestion based on early exposure. To this day the intro to Also Sprach Zarathustra by Wagner is a reference piece probably influenced by the movie 2001. On some level I believe psychoacoustics are at play here, but my own playing of music and many, many live music experiences also tell me this sound is closer to the real thing.