Horn speakers have traditionally attracted a niche following, appealing most to SET amp owners and those with a love of dynamics. Many audiophiles eschew horn speakers in favour of conventional speakers which are considered by most to be more accurate. Red Spade Audio is introducing a new horn speaker designed to draw mainstream audiophiles into a more dynamic musical experience. According to Spencer, "PSE-144 promises to attract those who previously disliked horns."

"It all starts with a point source", Spencer continues.

A key design feature of the newly released PSE-144 is that the entire output of the horn comes from a single point source. Why is that important?

“A horn loudspeaker must radiate from a point source, otherwise severe problems occur. It’s not unusual for a horn speaker to offset the tweeter by as much as seven wavelengths. The result of this in combination with many other typical compromises, is that horn speakers tend to excel in some areas at the expense of others. A speaker must perform well across the board, otherwise it should not be classed as high end.”

PSE-144 combines multiple drivers into a single horn. With a single high frequency compression driver with a 44mm diaphragm matched to a 25mm exit, along with four midrange drivers, all sound above 250 Hz emerges from a single point source. The result of this inherently simple design, according to Spencer, "is unmatched coherence combined with a spatially correct and sharp image."

Standing 600mm H, x 900mm W and 482mm D, PSE-144 is not a small horn.

It's available as an assemble-it-yourself kit designed to stand on a separate bass module. Red Spade Audio PSE-144 is available for pre-order now, at $4495 (fully active version), or $4995 (passive version) per pair. They are available in black or white, or custom colours are available for $200 extra.

The bass module is available in kit flat pack form or fully finished with a broad range of options. The finished premium bass modules start at $3995 per pair and kit versions start at $1495 (amps not included). Pre-order pricing ends Feb 22. After the pre-order, the pricing will go up by $500.

While too often we see manufacturing moving oversease, it’s very positive to see that Red Spade's horn shells are manufactured locally in Australia, along with the anodized aluminium tweeter mounting plates and stands.

“We prefer working with local manufacturers as with such a complex design it’s essential to communicate well and be able to visit the factory and approve each unit. This is a boutique product with considerable sophistication involved in its production. We’re far more interested in quality and the ability to manufacture an exceptional product at a reasonable price, than mass produce a cheap product which is likely to have problems.” Spencer told StereoNET.

For more information or take advantage of the current pre-order, visit Red Spade Audio Forum.