Horn speakers: the toughest and loudest

Whether it's windy, raining or there's a fire, our horn speakers will hold their ground in any situation.

What delivers sound so reliably and powerfully even through rain and wind? It's the horn speaker, of course! You could imagine Goethe writing something like this about the Erlking of outdoor speakers. But there is also a less poetic version: horn speakers are efficient, incredibly durable and loud. They are often used in public address systems for large venues such as train stations, airports, factory buildings, camping sites and sports stadiums. Horn speakers are most powerful in the mid-range and higher frequencies. But: our newly designed music horns also provide that juicy bass we all love to hear. That now makes them relevant in settings where music playback is a main focus. Having said that, their main strengths are still clear speech, volume and stability.

Whether it's a sports field or an industrial building: Find all our horn speakers for your project here – stable, cost-effective and tested based on the strictest requirements.

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Horn loudspeaker according to EN-54

The EU standard EN 54 for fire detection and alarm systems contains specific regulations for voice alarm systems. Research shows that voice messages are better at alerting people than traditional alarms. For example, to guide them quickly out of a building. We offer a range of EN 54-24-compliant components that are certified to meet stringent fire safety requirements.

Weatherproof horn speaker with EN-54-24 certification: IT-15EN

  • 100-volt technology

  • IP66 tested

  • Light grey ABS case

  • Housing is self-extinguishing according to UL-94-V0

  • Cable feed via PG screw connection

  • For indoor and outdoor use

  • High-pass filter for sound and stability optimisation

  • Includes mounting bracket

     


More about IT-15EN


  • 100-volt technology

  • IP66 tested

  • Light grey ABS case

  • Housing is self-extinguishing according to UL-94-V0

  • Cable feed via PG screw connection

  • For indoor and outdoor use

  • High-pass filter for sound and stability optimisation

  • Includes mounting bracket

     


More about IT-15EN

  • UL 94 is the standard for "Safety of Flammability of Plastic Materials for Parts in Devices and Appliances". In simpler terms, it is a standard for the flammability of plastics. It determines a material's tendency to either quench or spread the flame. UL-94 is harmonised with the IEC 60695-11-10 and 60695-11-20 as well as with ISO 9772 and 9773. Our IT-15EN horn speaker meets the requirement V-0:

  • Burn rate < 76 mm/min with a material thickness of < 3 mm.
  • Burning ceases within 30 seconds on a vertical sample. Burning particles are allowed to drip off.
  • Das Brennen hört innerhalb von 30 Sekunden an einer vertikalen Probe auf. Partikel dürfen abtropfen, solange sie nicht entzündet sind.
  • Burning ceases within 10 seconds on a vertical sample. Particles are allowed to drip off as long as they are not ignited.
  • Burning ceases within 60 seconds on a vertical sample. Burning particles are not allowed to drip off. A hole is allowed to form in plaque samples.
  • Burning ceases within 60 seconds on a vertical sample. Burning particles are not allowed to drip off. Plaque specimens must not develop a hole.

Low-impedance horn speaker

The most obvious advantage of our low-impedance horn speakers: they work in systems that operate at low impedance levels (8 ohms). These are most music/PA systems with standard speaker cables. In other words: You don't need a 100-volt cable. Check out our magazine to find out more about low-impedance speakers. Low-impedance speakers are always used where you need just a few speakers and have short cable lengths. They are suitable for connecting directly to the amplifier. Perfect for smaller sound system scenarios.

Low-impedance horn speaker: NR-20KS

  • Reliable protection against moisture

  • 10-watt load capacity

  • Elegant black plastic

  • 103 dB maximum sound pressure


More about NR-20KS


  • Reliable protection against moisture

  • 10-watt load capacity

  • Elegant black plastic

  • 103 dB maximum sound pressure


More about NR-20KS

100-volt horn speaker

Do we really have to say much more about the legendary 100-volt technology? OK, maybe one more thing: These horn speakers are the absolute classics and are usually unbeatable in terms of their price-performance ratio. No, you don't install horn speakers with 100-volt technology in night clubs. That's not what they're built for. But they do exactly what they're supposed to: Get your announcements and background music into people's ears. Even if the source is still far away from the recipient.

Stable, efficient and weatherproof: IT-40

  • Weatherproof horn speaker

  • 100-V transmission technology

  • IP66 tested

  • Protected against powerful water jets

  • Universal for indoor and outdoor use

  • Robust plastic housing

  • Stainless steel mounting brackets and screws

  • 5-stage power switch


More about IT-40


  • Weatherproof horn speaker

  • 100-V transmission technology

  • IP66 tested

  • Protected against powerful water jets

  • Universal for indoor and outdoor use

  • Robust plastic housing

  • Stainless steel mounting brackets and screws

  • 5-stage power switch


More about IT-40

  • The IT-40 is an effective solution for public address systems in large open areas

  • This horn speaker can also withstand heavy rain and wind and is a flexible solution thanks to its 5-stage switch.

  • Announcements get through – whether it's a wake-up call in the morning, safety-related information or the service recommendation of the day.

Campsite
Flush-mount and surface-mount speakers, 2,800-5,500 m2
voice alarm system according to EN 54
100V line technique

special solution: 100-volt and low-impedance horn speakers as built-in speakers

Our 10-M series combines the advantages of horn speakers with the strengths of built-in loudspeakers. Safe installation and perfectly suited for scenarios that require high sound pressure levels and clear tones.

  • Flush-mount horn speaker (music horn) with full range speaker, 4 Ω

  • For wall mounting and ceiling installation

  • After installation weatherproof and IP54 certified

  • 5 cm (2.5") full range speaker with horn front attachment

  • Suitable for general indoor and outdoor applications wherever a high sound pressure level and an excellent sound are required

  • Mounting flange with foam rubber sealing


More about the M-10


  • Flush-mount horn speaker (music horn) with full range speaker, 4 Ω

  • For wall mounting and ceiling installation

  • After installation weatherproof and IP54 certified

  • 5 cm (2.5") full range speaker with horn front attachment

  • Suitable for general indoor and outdoor applications wherever a high sound pressure level and an excellent sound are required

  • Mounting flange with foam rubber sealing


More about the M-10

Music horns

Horn speakers can't play music? That's never really been true. But our music horns are particularly good at playing music. They feature a significantly extended frequency range. their 2-way technology combined with a dynamic cone bass-mid-range driver and a horn tweeter delivers surprisingly good sound quality. It allows the fundamental tones of voices and instruments to be broadcast that would be unattainable with conventional horn loudspeakers. The music horns are the perfect solution for optimal voice volume and rich music playback.

For maximum musical enjoyment in harsh environments: the IT-400TW

  •  100-V transmission technology

  • Super high power taps

  • Weatherproof and IP66-certified

  • Rich broadband sound

  • Strong bass even at high volumes

  • 16-cm bass-mid-range driver

  • 25-mm horn (1")

  • Robust plastic housing

  • Incl. stainless steel mounting bracket

  • Incl. stainless steel screws


more


  •  100-V transmission technology

  • Super high power taps

  • Weatherproof and IP66-certified

  • Rich broadband sound

  • Strong bass even at high volumes

  • 16-cm bass-mid-range driver

  • 25-mm horn (1")

  • Robust plastic housing

  • Incl. stainless steel mounting bracket

  • Incl. stainless steel screws


more

Soccer fields and other sports facilities need reliable, high-performance all-round solutions. Very high sound pressure levels are important, but good audio quality is also important for atmospheric music reproduction. In the past that was a real problem. Sports facilities weren't exactly known for their good sound systems. That has all changed with our music horns: goal anthems and stadium announcers sound equally good.

The colloquial term for "pressure chamber loudspeakers" is (ELA or low-impedance) horn speakers. Strictly speaking, however, a megaphone is also a horn speaker. Horn speakers get their name from the pressure chamber in the rear of the speaker. The pressure chamber narrows the sound path, thus increasing compression and thereby increasing effectiveness. However, a pressure chamber speaker tends to pay for this increased efficiency with higher distortion levels.

Audio technology in outdoor areas: Horn loudspeakers are the most durable of all speaker types.

The outdoors presents its own challenges, of course. There are a number of factors that can be quite unfavourable outside:

  • No clear boundaries for sound

  • Difficult acoustics

  • Rain, snow, moisture in general

  • Changing temperatures

  • Publicly accessible areas where there is a risk of damage.

  • Changing ambient noise

The IP degree of protection as well as protection against dirt is very important with this type of speaker. The IP protection index indicates for you whether a speaker can be used outdoors. The higher the number, the better the protection. An IP67 speaker, for example, could easily be used in the middle of a field and would work perfectly. Rule of thumb: The second code number of the IP degree of protection should be at least 4 for outdoor use. For a device with an ingress protection rating of 43, you would need to ensure that it is installed in a protected location.

Many of our horn speakers have an IP protection class because we know the realities of sound systems and would rather prevent damage than sell short-lived products.

Our horn speakers are almost always pressure chamber speakers. What does that mean?

A horn speaker is a speaker or speaker element that uses an acoustic horn. The horn increases the overall efficiency of the drive element. A common form consists of a compression driver that creates sound waves with a small metal diaphragm. An electromagnet makes it oscillate. The membrane is attached to a horn to direct the sound waves out into the open. The horn serves to improve the coupling efficacy between the speaker driver and the air. In a way, it is an acoustic transformer: It provides an impedance match between the relatively dense cone material and the less dense air. The result is better acoustic output. Early horn speakers used a protruding horn to amplify the sound produced by a vibrating diaphragm. The horns in these designs had two functions:

  1. The main one was to transmit the vibrations generated by the membrane to the air.
  2. by making the vibrations generated by the membrane louder.

Why is that important? The larger the radiating membrane of a speaker, the more air is moved. and the greater the sound energy. However, large membranes are impractical and simply heavy. Using a horn creates greater air coupling. Simply put: more volume. A horn uses the mechanical power of the source much more efficiently. A horn-loaded speaker does not change the electromechanical efficiency or the performance of the speaker itself. But the horn greatly increases the conversion of mechanical to acoustic energy.

Horn speakers can usually produce about three times (10 dB) more power than a cone speaker with a specific amplification power.

Impedance versus acoustic impedance

  • Impedance: size that impedes or reduces an energy flow. Impedance in electrical engineering is also known as resistance. Impedance can be electrical, but it can also be mechanical or acoustic.

  • Acoustic impedance: The relationship between the sound pressure and the volumetric velocity of the air. In a horn speaker, the acoustic impedance increases as the cross-sectional area of the horn decreases. A reduction in the cross section also reduces the maximum air flow.

Are you planning a sound reinforcement system? Our technical project management team will be happy to help with the planning. Quotation preparation and product selection. Questions? Send us an e-mail

How does directivity work with horn speakers?

Direction control is particularly important with horn speakers. An exponential horn loads the driver evenly but starts to radiate at high frequencies. The angle of radiation therefore decreases with increasing frequency. Planners and installers must take this into account. It is usually important for sound system planning scenarios that the horn radiates into a certain area and emits as little sound energy as possible into other areas. To get a meaningful picture of a horn's directivity, you need the polar plot for a number of different frequencies. It's also useful to get an idea of how the horn's radiation angle varies with frequency. Or quite simply, how much amplification a horn provides. The directivity factor (Q) and the directivity index (DI) are used for this:

  • The directivity factor is the ratio of the intensity on a given axis of a sound radiator (the horn speaker) to the intensity that would be produced at the same location by a point source of the same power. The calculation is based on free space.
  • The directivity index is defined as: DI(f ) = 10 log10 Q(f ). It indicates by how many dB the sound pressure level increases at the observation point when using (for example) the horn of a horn speaker compared to a point source. The directivity index thus corresponds to the directivity factor.

Why are pressure chamber speakers and horn speakers so efficient?

  • Because the membrane doesn't have to vibrate as much to produce a loud sound. The efficacy is correspondingly impressive.

  • Because directionality is important. Because instead of distributing the sound throughout the room, a pressure chamber loudspeaker can be aimed directly at the listener. The resulting "sweet spot" for the listener is smaller, but the sound is reflected far less, so some typical acoustic challenges are eliminated.

  • Horn speakers have very strong dynamics and their fast transient response makes them particularly interesting for music such as jazz. Because that's where the realistic, faithful reproduction of many colourful notes matters.

Do pressure chamber loudspeakers and horn loudspeakers have disadvantages?

  • The listening area covered is not always ideal because it is rather small due to the good directivity. Especially in the high ranges, it is clearly audible when the listener moves just a little away from the "sweet spot".

  • There is also a problem in the other direction: the bass. For purely physical reasons, horn loudspeakers are always a little weaker in the lower basses than other speaker designs, but this is usually not relevant for the tasks of a horn speaker.

Want more MONACOR? Go and have a look at what we have to offer in the sound technology realm. If you are a retailer in the field of audio technology and are looking for new partners or are planning sound system projects, contact us directly 

Or find out more about our most important topics in the magazine:

Planning a PA system
3 steps to a better sound experience
Planning PA applications with ceiling speakers
basic knowledge of coverage and selection
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