You’ll agree with us when we say that finding the best horn speaker for your needs can be quite confusing.
We gathered the most popular horn speakers available in the market and tested them for many months under different conditions.
In this post, we’ll be going over the horn speakers that we think are the best and also going over what aspects you should be looking for in a worthy horn speaker.
Winner
With a cost-efficient design that is both sturdy as well as effective, this product is quite versatile and can be used in a number of different settings. It even has a 5-year warranty so you don’t have to worry about it breaking down.
Runner Up
This portable PA speaker can be used in many different environments and it’ll still provide loud, clear and consistent audio. It comes with a mounting bracket that you can use to mount it anywhere you want with ease.
Also Great
With its heavy-duty design, this speaker produces audio that travels far and wide. In addition to that, it’s also clear over large distances. It’s very easy to set up and also quite budget-friendly.
After many months of rigorous testing, these three products definitively stood out from the rest. Let’s take a closer look at them:
Best Horn Speakers - Top 3 Reviews
#1: Best All-Around Horn Speaker - Abrams Eco 100 Watt Siren Speaker High Performance Review
We were looking forward to testing this horn speaker due to its neo-driver which the company has claimed, boosts its performance tenfold.
It gives us pleasure to tell you that this horn speaker outperformed all of its competitors on all fronts. Not only does it produce crisp and clear audio that is distinguished and recognizable but it’s also very easy to use.
You can hear this speaker’s audio from many blocks away and can also clearly hear every word that’s being said.
It has Aluminum housing inside it which makes it corrosion-resistant. We tested it for many months under humid, hot and cold conditions and saw zero signs of any wear-and-tear.
The 5-year warranty is also great and frees you of any worries you might have of the horn speaker breaking down over time.
Features of Abrams Eco 100 Watt Siren Speaker High Performance
- Weight: 3.3 pounds
- Peak power handling: 100 watts
- 5-year warranty
- Aluminum housing
- Matte-black finish for housing
- Simple to install
- Clear, crisp audio
- Long-lasting
- Easy to use
- Excellent build quality
- Some users feel it’s not as loud as they’d hoped
- Relatively expensive
Best All-Around Horn Speaker
The best all-around horn speaker is the Abrams Eco 100 Watt Siren Speaker High Performance due to its amazing build quality and clear audio. In addition to it being an all-around great speaker, it’s also very easy to install.
#2: Best Portable Horn Speaker - Pyle Indoor/Outdoor PA Horn Speaker Review
This horn speaker is quite lightweight when compared to other speakers in the same class which makes it a lot more portable. You can take it with you anywhere you go without too much hassle. It’s also perfect for mounting onto smaller cars.
The 100dB sensitivity makes it quite versatile since it’s a sweet spot that’s appropriate for both indoor as well as outdoor settings.
Furthermore, it comes with an adjustable bracket that can rotate up to 180 degrees so you can really customize the direction of the horn speaker to ensure the audio is travelling in the direction you want it to.
Lastly, another component that’s included is the mounting bracket. This mounting bracket makes it easy for you to mount this horn speaker anywhere you go. Installation components are also included so you don’t have a hard time setting it up.
Features of Pyle Indoor/Outdoor PA Horn Speaker
- Weight: 1.78 pounds
- Peak power handling: 50 watts
- White in color
- Adjustable bracket
- Speaker sensitivity: 100 dB
- Easily adjustable with the mounting bracket
- Loud and clear audio
- Easy to operate
- Lightweight
- Compact and portable
- Slightly flimsy
Best Portable Horn Speaker
The best portable horn speaker is the Pyle Indoor/Outdoor PA Horn Speaker due to its small footprint and light weight. You can easily move it around wherever you go and the audio that it outputs is also clear and loud.
#3: Best User-Friendly Horn Speaker - Nippon America Power Horn Speaker Review
With its minimalist matte-white finish and simplistic design, this product is streamlined to prioritize functionality over style.
We were pleased to see that these speakers were extremely easy to set up as you can easily connect them to any type of external amplifier you want. This makes them great for both indoor settings such as schools, etc. and also appropriate for outdoor, mobile settings such as the roof of a van or a car.
The audio on this horn speaker prioritizes the higher frequencies i.e., it’s heavier on the treble. This is perfect for horn speakers as having audio that has too much bass in such a speaker would result in the audio becoming muddy and unclear.
Features of Nippon America Power Horn Speaker
- Weight: 6 pounds
- Peak power handling: 100 watts
- White in color
- RMS rating: 50 watts
- Speaker sensitivity: 110 dB
- Made from high-end materials
- High-quality sound output
- Compatible with a number of different amplifiers
- Easy to operate
- Affordable
- Quite heavy and bulky
Best User-Friendly Horn Speaker
The best user-friendly horn speaker is the Nippon America Power Horn Speaker due to its ease of use and clear instructions. You’ll find that it’s very easy to set up and it can work with a number of different amplifiers.
Buyers’ Guide
How do Horn-Loaded Speakers Work?
As a rule of thumb, you should know that the larger the radiating diaphragm of a speaker, the better and louder the sound will be.
The radiating diaphragm is the circular component of a speaker that bounces up and down in order to move air and produce sound.
Thus, if you want louder audio and a higher energy-to-volume conversion rate, then you should just invest in larger speakers that have a larger radiating diaphragm. However, larger diaphragms are obtrusive, heavy, bulky and also expensive.
So, what can you do if you want high-quality, loud sound but don’t want the inconvenience of a bulky speaker?
That’s where horn speakers come in. Horn speakers feature a horn (the technical term for it being the “flared transmission channel”). Using this horn, the effective “radiating” area of the audio can be increased to the area of the mouth of the horn.
This would lead to higher air coupling which would then result in much louder sound.
What should I keep in mind when Purchasing a Horn-Loaded Speaker System?
If it’s your first time buying a horn-loaded speaker, you may be confused about what type of speaker to buy.
Believe us when we say that there are only a few aspects which you should keep in mind which can help you determine what type of horn speaker would be best for your needs.
These aspects are:
Purpose of the Speaker
The very first thing you should think about is what you’re going to be using your horn speakers for. Will you simply be using it for voice paging, will you be using it for music broadcasting or both?
Depending on this, you’ll be able to narrow down what type of horn speaker would be best for you.
If you need it just for voice paging, then you should definitely opt for metal horn speakers. Metal horn speakers have rugged construction and very high sensitivity.
This means they can convert low sound energy into very high volume sound. They are perfect for outdoor noisy settings.
On the other hand, if you need it for music reproduction that is indoors, you may want to invest in a horn speaker that is made from softer materials.
A horn speaker that’s made from softer materials would output sound that’s a lot more mellow and pleasing to the ears.
Portability
This aspect is, again, going to depend on what exactly you’re going to be using your horn speaker for.
If you need it for one static place such as a room or a building, then you don’t really need it to be portable. You can go ahead and get an extremely heavy horn speaker if you wish as that will end up giving you great sound.
On the other hand, if you’re going to be taking it with you everywhere you go, then you’re going to want it to be lightweight and not too big.
Weather Resistance
If the speaker is going to be outside, then you’ll definitely have to worry about whether it’s weather-resistant or not.
Many horn speakers have speaker cabinets made from UV-inhibited mineral-filled polypropylene which makes them extremely resistant to hot, cold and/or humid weather conditions.
Price
Of course, you don’t want to burn a hole in your pocket while shopping for a sound system but at the same time, it’s important that you don’t go too cheap.
If you can afford to get something that’s at a slightly higher price point, it can sometimes be worthwhile to do so.
As you increase the price point, you’re going to get horn speakers that are made from better-quality materials. As a result, not only will they provide you with better-sounding audio but they’ll also last you a much longer time.
A cheap speaker can actually cost you a lot more in the long run if it ends up breaking down within a few months of your purchase.
Durability
Once again, this will depend on where the horn sound system is placed and what exactly you’re using it for but in any case, you should always look for a horn speaker that is fairly durable and made from high-quality materials.
You don’t want to invest your hard-earned money in a speaker that’s going to break down on you a few months later.
You should also look to get a speaker that comes with a lengthy warranty so that even if it does end up breaking down, you can still get it replaced.
What is a Horn-Loaded Tweeter?
Speakers that have horn-loaded tweeters produce higher frequencies that are a lot more directional, linear and precise.
If you sit too far off the direction of the sound that a horn-loaded tweeter is producing, then you may miss out on a lot of the higher frequencies of the audio.
What is a Horn-Loaded Subwoofer?
A horn-loaded subwoofer is installed in speakers in order to improve the air coupling between the speaker driver and its surroundings.
Does a Bigger Magnet Mean a Better Speaker?
The wattage of your speaker mainly depends on the size of the voice coil along with the weight of the magnet.
Thus, if you have a heavier magnet, that would mean that that speaker is able to handle much higher wattage.
While this can be beneficial, sometimes, you may want speakers that actually have lower wattage depending on what type of stereo system (or external amplifier) you have.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do Horn Speakers Sound Better than Regular Speakers?
We wouldn’t say they always sound better than regular speakers since most horn speakers tend to produce sound that is more slanted towards the higher frequencies.
One thing that is to be noted about horn speakers is that they are much more efficient at taking energy and converting it into sound. This is due to the improved air coupling due to the horn.
Which Materials Amplify Sound most Effectively?
Substances that are harder or stiff tend to absorb sound rather than amplifying it such as hard foams and paper.
On the other hand, elastic metals do a great job of amplifying sound such as Aluminum.
What is Meant by the “Frequency Response” of a Speaker?
When we are discussing a speaker’s frequency response, that refers to how accurately it can convert an input signal into sound.
The frequency response of a sound system is typically expressed as a range. For example, the frequency response of a horn speaker could be 60 Hz to 20 KHz. This means that it can accurately output frequencies in that range.
What is Meant by the “Peak Power Handling” of a Speaker?
The peak power handling of a speaker is the maximum amount of wattage that it can handle at any one given instant in time without the speakers blowing out.
What is Meant by the “RMS Rating” of a Speaker?
The RMS rating refers to the power that a speaker can handle over an extended period of time without blowing out. This is the rating that you should look at when determining how much power an audio speaker can handle.
Are Larger Speakers Always Better than Smaller Ones?
As discussed earlier, the larger the radiating diaphragm is, the better and louder the sound will be that is produced. Thus, larger speakers are indeed better.
However, large speakers can be inconvenient so it’s a good idea to strike a balance between convenience and audio quality.
Are Alnico Speakers Worth Getting?
Alnico speakers are actually less efficient at converting audio than modern speakers. That being said, they have a signature, vintage sound that is definitely appealing to many people.
Thus, if that’s something you’re looking for, then Alnico speakers might be worth getting.
What will Happen if I Put a Magnet on a Horn Speaker?
If you place a magnet near a horn speaker while it’s playing, it will disrupt the lines of force within the speaker and thus, distort the sound that is being output.
Final Thoughts
This brings us to the conclusion of our post for the best horn speakers.
After much deliberation and debate, we’ve concluded that the Abrams Eco 100 Watt Siren Speaker High Performance is definitely the best speaker of them all. It produces clear and flawless audio and its build quality is unbelievable.
We hope you found this information useful. Let us know which horn speaker you’re using.
