Horn, monitor, bookshelf... what's the difference?

[DesiPower]

Have been researching speakers for HT for a while now and have seen people referring to three different kind of speakers, what's the difference? are both horn and monitor types of bookshelf? or are they three different types?

 

[NutBucket]

a horn is a type of tweeter. a monitor is powered speaker (amplifier built it). a bookshelf simply describes a speaker that is sized to fit on a bookshelf.

 

[Anubis]

monitors are not always self powered, generlly used for sound recording/production where a neutral flat and accurate responce is needed

 

[LoveMachine]

Also, Horn just refers to the mounting of a driver (tweeter, mid, even sub) into a horn-shaped (gasp!) outlet. More output with less power.

 

[alcoholbob]

All a monitor is, is a speaker that's between the size of a satellite and a floorstander. A bookshelf speaker is also known as a standmount monitor. Although most of the times, when people say monitors, they are referring to powered monitors which the term for amplified speakers that mixing engineers use, also known as studio monitors.

A tweeter is a high frequency driver.

A horn is a type of baffle waveguide used typically for tweeters, but can also be used for midrange drivers (see Klipsch Palladium).

Horn and monitor...what exactly where you researching OP, the Chase PRO-10s?

 

[ethebubbeth]

None of those are mutually exclusive designations. You could have horn loaded active bookshelf monitors 🙂

 

[DesiPower]

All a monitor is, is a speaker that's between the size of a satellite and a floorstander. A bookshelf speaker is also known as a standmount monitor. Although most of the times, when people say monitors, they are referring to powered monitors which the term for amplified speakers that mixing engineers use, also known as studio monitors.

A tweeter is a high frequency driver.

A horn is a type of baffle waveguide used typically for tweeters, but can also be used for midrange drivers (see Klipsch Palladium).

Horn and monitor...what exactly where you researching OP, the Chase PRO-10s?

Not researching anything in particular... Just researching speakers, old and new and getting confused with all these names and terminology... Thanks guys, I got what I was looking for

 

[vshah]

horn isn't a type of tweeter, just means that the tweeter, whatever type it is (ribbon/dome/whatever) is mounted in a horn, amplifying the sound. makes for more efficient speakers but some feel them to be heavy on the treble.

 

[Gunbuster]

"Bookshelf" is often a very loose definition so be sure to check the dimensions of the speaker. For instance my JBL S38's are 11-1/2" x 17-1/2" x 12-7/8" and weigh 28lbs each.

 

[s44]

"Bookshelf" is often a very loose definition so be sure to check the dimensions of the speaker. For instance my JBL S38's are 11-1/2" x 17-1/2" x 12-7/8" and weigh 28lbs each.

Heh, yes. It basically just means it doesn't go all the way down to the floor.

 

[alcoholbob]

"Bookshelf" is often a very loose definition so be sure to check the dimensions of the speaker. For instance my JBL S38's are 11-1/2" x 17-1/2" x 12-7/8" and weigh 28lbs each.

Yep. Genelec 1039As are also considered monitor speakers. Except they weigh 253lbs each O_O

 

[Oyeve]

"Bookshelf" is often a very loose definition so be sure to check the dimensions of the speaker. For instance my JBL S38's are 11-1/2" x 17-1/2" x 12-7/8" and weigh 28lbs each.

True, my 1974 20" 130lbs color TV was listed as "portable". Meaning it had hand lifts on the side. Very loose definition indeed.

 

[BurnItDwn]

There is a lot of misinformation here and a lot of information.

This is really very simple.

A horn is sort of shaped like a bell. It's the shape of the thing that noise comes from.
A monitor is a speaker for monitoring the sound.
A bookshelf is a speaker that will fit on a bookshelf. Not designed to sit on the floor.

slightly more details below

driver = the thing that makes the noise (tweeter, woofer, midbass , it's that paper or foam or metal thing that actually has the magnet and such to make the sound.)

Horn = one possible shape of a driver (literally, like a horn. I have some speakers with horn tweeters. My brother's Guitar amplifier has a pair of horn speakers (full range).)

Monitor has nothing to do with size or power. a stage monitor is a speaker that a musician would have on stage to hear what the outpout sounds like. A Studio monitor is a speaker that essentially reproduces the sound close to reference so that the guy doing the recording or editing or whatever can monitor how it sounds.

A bookshelf is simply any speaker that is designed to be placed on a bookshelf. In general any speaker that is not floorstanding, and explicitly designed only to be mounted to a wall is a bookshelf.

 

[vshah]

Horn = one possible shape of a driver (literally, like a horn. I have some speakers with horn tweeters. My brother's Guitar amplifier has a pair of horn speakers (full range).)

not exactly. A horn is something a tweeter is mounted in. usually a compression driver instead of something more exotic, but you can, for example, have a horn loaded ribbon tweeter as well.

 

[BurnItDwn]

not exactly. A horn is something a tweeter is mounted in. usually a compression driver instead of something more exotic, but you can, for example, have a horn loaded ribbon tweeter as well.

Horns aren't only for tweeters though.

 

[vshah]

Horns aren't only for tweeters though.

correct, meant to say "driver"

 

[alcoholbob]

I love it when a post starts with "there is a lot of misinformation here..."

 

[s44]

I love it when a post starts with "there is a lot of misinformation here..."

And then is itself wrong? Yeah, that never gets old.

 

[Number1]

Horns in audio: A wave guide mounted to a driver to amplify the sound.

here we have a pair of bookshelf speakers with horns mounted in front of the tweeters.