• AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Beauhorn B2/2 Horn Loudspeaker System Reviewed


  • January 4, 2009

| Print Page | Adjust Font Size:

Free Home Theater Review Weekly Newsletter.

Enter your e-mail below to get Home Theater Review's weekly newsletter with the latest equipment reviews and home theater news sent directly to your inbox.


*Required

Sorry to use 'horns' and 'bull' in the same sentence with the former not connected to the latter's skull, but horns are to me as a red rag to a bull. Veteran readers know that the only horn speakers that do not induce migraines in KK are Chave-era Lowthers, original Klipsch models (e.g. La Scala, Belle and the K'horn) and certain vintage masterpieces from Decca, Voigt, Tannoy et al. I could even spend many hours with a JBL Paragon. But modern horns? To me, they're simply part of a nasty and, indeed, underground political movement that exists only to further the cause of single-ended triodes.

Because horns are pretty much the only speakers able to work adequately with amplifiers delivering less than 10W/ch, they are a natural salvation for those who bought into the single-ended triode craze. As S.E.T.s have even greater problems than a mere dearth of power, including incredibly soggy frequency extremes, horns also suited the S.E.T. purveyors' purposes by compensating with a bass cut-off at one end and screaming treble at the other. By sheer accident, some S.E.T./horn packages even sound listenable.

Naturally, there are exceptions to the rule, I still dream about Loth-X and Wavac valve amps, while designers including Tim de Paravicini, Be Yamamura and a few others have worked with either or both S.E.T. and horn technologies without acting like the 'useful idiots' of the power-brokers behind the conspiracy. (If you think Kessler is paranoid, then you're in denial about behind-the-scenes 'persuasion' in the audio industry...even when the stakes are as low as selling horns and valves. Coercion isn't the sole preserve of vast corporations with money and lawyers. )

Why this long preamble? Because I firmly believe that the chaps behind Beauhorn are too genteel and downright 'British' to be part of any great scheme, maybe even naïve. They simply, genuinely and deeply believe in what they're doing. If not, then how could they produce something as ridiculous-looking as the Beauhorn B2.2 and deliver it with a straight face?

Make no mistake: in an industry littered with absurd-looking products, the Beauhorn is a monumental - emphasis on the 'mental' - achievement. It drew peals of laughter from everyone who saw the pair in my room. Except for a friend's wife, who gave me a withering look, like an antidote to Viagra, and turned on her heels and left. It has been likened in every UK show report or review, since the birth of the B2 in 2001, to the BBC2 logo. And it's not just grotesque: the Beauhorn's size is enough to cause concern, with a footprint of 13in wide and 30in deep, and standing an imposing 47in tall. Finished in a cheesy metallic gold paint, reminiscent of a car re-spray at a local chop shop, it looks home-made and, well, psychotic. Beauhorn will apply other colours to it, but the words 'polish' and 'turd' spring to mind.

And there's not a lot to the speaker, truth be told. Made from 19mm MDF, the enclosure houses nothing inside bar a minimum of bracing. Those of you who swear buy the audio tyre-kicking trick of rapping a cabinet will reel back in horror: it's like tapping on Dracula's bed, minus the Transylvanian earth to damp it. Then again, it doesn't need anything inside, because this is, as with the majority of horns, a single-drive unit system. No crossover, no convoluted internal transmission path, just a rear-loaded horn firing out at the bottom.

Replacing the Fostex 168 Sigma of the still-available Beauhorn B2 is an ATD driver from Italy; all-new itself, the ATD is enjoying its first-ever commercial appearance in this UK speaker. It measures 5in in diameter, with a 3.5in cone mounted on a pleated, doped fabric surround; the cone's material is paper pulp with 'added exotic wood fibres'. The driver features a 1in voice coil, made from oxygen-free copper on Kapton former, and it has a ceramic, shielded magnet. This is fed to a single set of Gold Scorpion terminals. (If there's one good thing about single-driver horns, it's that they preclude worries about bi-wiring.) No grille spoils the view of the ATD, but Beauhorn protects it with a couple of clever bent-wire barriers that will prevent the entry of elbows in not fingers.

Also part of the '2.2' brief is a new plinth that can also be added to the plain vanilla B2. The VibraPlinth is an isolation platform that flies in the face of those who believe that speakers should be bolted to the floor to withstand Force 10 gales. Damned if I understand what's going on in it, a box that appears to be mounted on some elastic material guaranteed NOT to present a rigid platform. The Beauhorn Boys' eyes lit up when I likened it to Max Townshend's rocking platforms and they agreed that Max's philosophy, rather than that of the fixed-to-terra-firma brigade, was similar to their own.

While the listening tests confirmed that the anticipated results of a wiggly platform were not forthcoming - no image smearing, no bass overhang - the VibraPlinth is a disconcerting device to use. Y'see, it allows the speakers to rock left-and-right, and I have visions of someone leaning on a B2.2 and pushing it over. Yes, it was confirmed that the speaker can lean too far if you push on it. Be warned.

Set-up is a problem-free state of affairs: you simply aim the speakers to fire past the listening seat, crossing behind the listener, as opposed to, say, certain Sonus Fabers that 'cross' in front of the listener, or Wilsons that fire directly at the hot seat. That's it. I connected the B2.2s to the EAR-Yoshino 859 integrated S.E.T. amp, fed by the Marantz CD-12/DA-12 CD source and the SME 10 turntable with SME Series V arm and Koetsu Urushi cartridge through the EAR-Yoshino 324 phono stage. Speaker wires included ABcable Rubino and the latest 'mm' technology Transparent wire, while interconnects were from Transparent and AudioQuest (yes, the new ones with the batteries attached to them - which I will cover soon against my own free will).

However much taste, conditioning, intelligence or - yes - paranoia may want you to recoil from the Beauhorn B2.2s, they are simply irresistible. If these were not the days of political correctness, I could whip up a saucy analogy about Kat Slater, but I won't alienate our three female readers with a display of sexism. Suffice it to say, I knew instantly that my listening partners would have to be blindfolded to avoid prejudice. So neither Peter Roberts nor Jim Creed were told what they'd be hearing, let alone seeing.

To my surprise and delight, they both guessed (and these were separate sessions, without the two consulting each other) that they were listening to electrostatics! And it wasn't just the dearth of deep bass. Yes, the Beauhorns sound so 'light' that even a non-bass addict such as I was driven to comment about the truncated, one-note nature of the bottom octave. But it was the clarity, detail, openness and 'crispness' that suggested ESLs.

Openness? From a box that resonates with a hollowness better in keeping with something badged Slingerland? It's just part of a whole series of mini-events and characteristics that defy belief. I don't know the people from Beauhorn well enough to know if they're practical jokers, cynics, crackpots or simply contrary by nature, but it's as if they set out to prove that the sun sets in the east. A small driver, a crappy enclosure - about the only thing the B2.2 appears to do 'right' by current thinking (or one school of it) is to mount its driver on a baffle too small to damage the dispersion. And yet this thing sounds at times like a massive dipole with a planar radiator! I was reminded of Glenn Croft's ability to take the most mundane ingredients, only to create a cost-effective valve masterpiece.

If you do audition these speakers, blindfolds are advised because prejudice is something hard to avoid. Room darkened, and sonic images floated in front of me, completely in denial of any boundaries such as the extremities of the speakers: there were distinct sounds past the sides of the Beauhorns, stage depth only slightly shy of the Quad ESL-57 and image height nearly on a par with Wilson's WATT Puppy System 7. But it was almost like one of those optical illusion illustrations, the ones where you have to stare and stare until a shape pops into view.

What happens is this: the sound, especially the spatial presentation, is so unlike anything you may have heard before, , that you have to re-orient yourself. For one thing, the system is bass-shy, nearly to LS3/5a levels, and the bass you do have is lumpy and one-note. But it doesn't matter because the 2.2 forces you to listen to the zone that matters: the midband. Voices have a naturalness that I've only heard bettered by the LS3/5a and the original Quads, and the wasn't even a hint of sibilance. Ella, Aretha, Eva Cassidy and Peggy Lee, each had all of the correct textures, the sounds of breathing, and presented in a clearly defined space. It was chilling in its veracity.

And there were two characteristics which even I will admit are the norm for horns, but not necessarily for other formats: a sense of 'ease' due to the high sensitivity and lack of hunger, and particularly good 'attack' on transients. Diana Ross' 'Muscles' is an old favourite for transients at all frequencies, and the 2.2s dealt with the material with aplomb, bar the bass smacks. It was then and only then that my ardour would cool; Kodo drums are not recommended. (Again, though, I speak with eyes closed.)

If you want to understand the Beauhorn B2.2, go see the film . It will teach you about the meaninglessness and shallowness of appearance, about not judging a book by its cover or any other cliché you can muster regarding looks versus substance. But still it breaks my heart that the Beauhorn is so goddam hideous because, at £3984 with the stands, it deserves a huge audience. It is so enjoyable a speaker that you forget all about flaws such as the lack of deep bass. And yet I fear that the only homes it will find are those where the customer has a separate 'hi-fi room' or utter disregard toward aesthetic concerns. Or no wife.

Keywords

Beauhorn B2/2 Horn Loudspeaker System Reviewed

Subscribe to the Newsletter
Subscribe to HomeTheaterReview.com's Weekly Newsletter to get the latest news, reviews and insight on the world of home theater, HDTV and audiophile equipment. Subscription is 100% FREE!
*Required
Email Marketing by VerticalResponse
subscribe to rss Subscribe with RSS
Follow home theater equipment reviews and daily news via our RSS feed.
Related Floor-Standing Speaker Reviews (Classic):
  • Comment on this article

    0
Post a Comment

Please answer the following question (required) before posting to help us prevent Spam.


Featured Audio-Video News

Is Today's Home Theater Equipment Too Good?

Is Today's Home Theater Equipment Too Good? -

Shocking wouldn't be how I describe the news that regional AV chain Ken Crane's is closing after decades in business...

Latest Floor-Standing Speaker Reviews (Classic)

Aperion Intimus 5T-DB Hybrid HD 5.1 Speaker System Reviewed -

If you're in the market for a powerful home theater speaker system and you're trying to avoid a Home Theater in a Box (HTIB) or soundbar-based rig, then Aperion Audio should be very much on your speaker-buying radar. Portland, Oregon-based... Click for more...

Rogers db101 Speakers Reviewed -

Wealth by association is a funny concept. But that's never stopped merchandisers from exploiting weird non-sequiturs like Ferrari-badged wristwatches, Marlboro clothing or any of the perfumes which inevitably follow the success of a designer in the rag-trade. And while writing... Click for more...

Sonus faber Concerto GP Loudspeakers Reviewed -

Keeping one step ahead of the competition has been Sonus Faber's trick ever since the birth of an Italian 'school' of speaker design. Whatever the origins of the genre - and there are stories to make Boccaccio blanch - the... Click for more...

Ruark Solus Loudspeakers Reviewed -

It was only a matter of time before Ruark added an entry-level model to its flagship series. I'm completely puzzled as to why this brand needs as many ranges as it has, but, hey, I'm just a reviewer. What the... Click for more...

Sonus faber Amati Loudspeakers Reviewed -

In 30 years as an audio casualty, I must have played with over 4000 different components. Some have been forgettable, some memorable and some so nigh-on-perfect that I've toyed with unspeakable, nay, inenarrable plots for acquiring them. So delicious is... Click for more...

B&W 602 S2 Loudspeakers Reviewed -

Sampling this budget beauty is an education. The last B&Ws I reviewed were the decidedly high-end Nautilus 805s, which I pretty much expected to be something yummy. Hell, anyone can make a small two-way speaker which sounds dandy at around... Click for more...

Orchid Two Deep Resolution Loudspeaker Reviewed -

What a gap: the Heil Air Motion Transformer first appeared some 30 years ago, pretty much faded from sight, and then - whoosh!!! Up pop a couple of new systems using the legendary tweeter, from two unrelated sources. With the... Click for more...

Quad 989 Loudspeaker Reviewed -

Few products are of such great consequence that reviewers both covet and fear them. Imagine the impact of a Linn LP-13 or an LS3/5b. Magazines and reviewers would fight for the scoops, and the resultant articles would enter audio lore... Click for more...

Quad Electrostatic Speakers (ESL 55) reviewed -

If the title doesn't say it all, then let us remind you: The original Quad ESL. That display of genius which makes Peter Walker something of an audio deity. The most cherished hi-fi product ever. The cause of a thousand... Click for more...

MartinLogan Script, Scenarios and Cinema Speakers Reviewed -

One of the minor dilemmas associated with audio reviewing is the need to keep a number of systems on the go. It's necessary if one cares enough to review products in context: you need to use high-end partnering components for... Click for more...

Latest Floor-Standing Speaker Reviews (Classic)

Aperion Intimus 5T-DB Hybrid HD 5.1 Speaker System Reviewed -

If you're in the market for a powerful home theater speaker system and you're trying to avoid a Home Theater in a Box (HTIB) or soundbar-based rig, then Aperion Audio should be very much on your speaker-buying radar. Portland, Oregon-based... Click for more...

Rogers db101 Speakers Reviewed -

Wealth by association is a funny concept. But that's never stopped merchandisers from exploiting weird non-sequiturs like Ferrari-badged wristwatches, Marlboro clothing or any of the perfumes which inevitably follow the success of a designer in the rag-trade. And while writing... Click for more...

Sonus faber Concerto GP Loudspeakers Reviewed -

Keeping one step ahead of the competition has been Sonus Faber's trick ever since the birth of an Italian 'school' of speaker design. Whatever the origins of the genre - and there are stories to make Boccaccio blanch - the... Click for more...

Ruark Solus Loudspeakers Reviewed -

It was only a matter of time before Ruark added an entry-level model to its flagship series. I'm completely puzzled as to why this brand needs as many ranges as it has, but, hey, I'm just a reviewer. What the... Click for more...

Sonus faber Amati Loudspeakers Reviewed -

In 30 years as an audio casualty, I must have played with over 4000 different components. Some have been forgettable, some memorable and some so nigh-on-perfect that I've toyed with unspeakable, nay, inenarrable plots for acquiring them. So delicious is... Click for more...

B&W 602 S2 Loudspeakers Reviewed -

Sampling this budget beauty is an education. The last B&Ws I reviewed were the decidedly high-end Nautilus 805s, which I pretty much expected to be something yummy. Hell, anyone can make a small two-way speaker which sounds dandy at around... Click for more...

Orchid Two Deep Resolution Loudspeaker Reviewed -

What a gap: the Heil Air Motion Transformer first appeared some 30 years ago, pretty much faded from sight, and then - whoosh!!! Up pop a couple of new systems using the legendary tweeter, from two unrelated sources. With the... Click for more...

Quad 989 Loudspeaker Reviewed -

Few products are of such great consequence that reviewers both covet and fear them. Imagine the impact of a Linn LP-13 or an LS3/5b. Magazines and reviewers would fight for the scoops, and the resultant articles would enter audio lore... Click for more...

Quad Electrostatic Speakers (ESL 55) reviewed -

If the title doesn't say it all, then let us remind you: The original Quad ESL. That display of genius which makes Peter Walker something of an audio deity. The most cherished hi-fi product ever. The cause of a thousand... Click for more...

MartinLogan Script, Scenarios and Cinema Speakers Reviewed -

One of the minor dilemmas associated with audio reviewing is the need to keep a number of systems on the go. It's necessary if one cares enough to review products in context: you need to use high-end partnering components for... Click for more...

All Floor-Standing Speaker Reviews (Classic)

Latest Equipment Reviews

NextGen 1x8 HDMI-Over-CAT6 Splitter Reviewed -

There's no denying the convenience that HDMI affords. The ability to send high-definition video, high-resolution audio, and control/data information over one small, relatively pliable cable has given us leaner, cleaner A/V backsides, but it comes with potential downsides. Handshake issues... Click for more...

McIntosh MC-501 Mono Amplifier Reviewed -

McIntosh is one of the longest living legends in American high-end audio history. McIntosh's 'Unity Coupled Circuit' utilized in the 50W-1 tube amplifier introduced in 1949 was its first breakthrough design. The use of black glass panels that give McIntosh... Click for more...

Mordaunt-Short Performance Home Theater Speaker System Reviewed -

Mordaunt-Short is a name I have known about for years but rarely got a chance to hear. When I learned I'd be receiving their top of the line Performance home theater speaker system for review, I was excited. Mordaunt-Short has... Click for more...

Bowers & Wilkins MM-1 Computer Speakers Reviewed -

When does a loudspeaker stop being a loudspeaker and become a computer speaker? When does a computer speaker stop being a computer speaker and become a loudspeaker? These two questions have been on my mind a lot recently, as I've... Click for more...

Bowers & Wilkins P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones Reviewed -

Bowers & Wilkins, makers of some of the finest home theater and audiophile loudspeakers the world over have come on strong as of late with a host of mobile and iPod friendly products like the P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones reviewed... Click for more...

Sherwood Newcastle R-972 Audio/Video Receiver Reviewed -

Sherwood has been a staple of high quality audio/video components for decades, and the Newcastle line represents the pinnacle of the company's engineering prowess. The R-972, which retails for $1,799, falls on the higher-end of mainstream receiver pricing. That said,... Click for more...

Vizio M550NV RazorLED LCD HDTV Reviewed -

Vizio's 2010 LCD lineup is perhaps its most ambitious yet, including a wide range of edge-lit and full-array LED models. The full-array models carry the TruLED moniker, while the edge-lit models sport the RazorLED tag. The M550NV is one of... Click for more...

Vizio SV472XVT TruLED LCD HDTV Reviewed -

Vizio's 2010 LCD lineup is perhaps its most ambitious yet, including a wide range of edge-lit and full-array LED models. The full-array models carry the TruLED moniker, while the edge-lit models sport the RazorLED tag. As the name suggests, the... Click for more...

AT&T U-verse DVR and Service Reviewed -

Bundling one's entertainment services - be it television, Internet or phone - is all the rage these days. Every service from satellite to cable is seemingly offering an all-in-one solution in the hope of making your home entertainment more enjoyable... Click for more...

Mitsubishi Unisen LT-55154 LED LCD HDTV Reviewed -

Mitsubishi's 2010 LCD line includes three series: the top-shelf Diamond 265 Series, the 164 Series and the 154 Series. As the entry-level series in the group, the 154 Series lacks some of the advanced options found in the step-up lines,... Click for more...

Read All Reviews