Now there's a pair 🥳
I'll be working on the throats today and mounting them on the screw on adapter rings that I made some 6 or 7 years ago - currently on the 400Hz Tractrix.

Thank goodness we're not quadrophonic!

Need to paint them all black now Steve

If Captain Nemo had speakers ...

I decided to fine sand treat the Le Cléac'h horns.
This gives fine sand texture that is sealed in by lacquer sprayed on.
This is the same as I did for the Tractrix horns I previously used for the upper mids - I liked it.

I've also been experimenting using absorbing materials on the backs of the surrounding horns.
This has proved beneficial for the Le C horns - I'd not previously found it necessary!
Perhaps that's down to the more pointy nature of Tractrix compared to Le C, or that the larger Le C diameter means they are nearer?

I had previously tried foam but prefer needled wool felt.

What are your views on absorption materials and use like this?

Horses for courses.
When I put the needled felt out, first on surfaces that could reflect around the Le Clèac'h horns and then the tweeters too, higher frequencies became calmer.
Not any less detailed or engaging.
In fact I heard some new detail and reverberations not previously prominent enough to notice.

Also interestingly, the volume of those channels increased a bit. My take is that soundwaves previously reflecting are absorbed, or part absorbed. Net gain is that more direct sound waves get to me.
The wide nature of Le Clèac'h and roll around mouth means more propagation right around the back of the horn. It gives that unique Le Clèac'h sound, but you don't want too much.

I'm going to experiment more.

After messing about with various dampening materials, I scaled back to only on the adjacent surface of the mid horn.

Doing more reading about Le Cléac'h horns, in particular a thread from 2009 on DIYaudio where Jean-Michel Le Cléac'h (RIP) is very informative on the subject in general.
There was a placement gem in there too!
He recommended toeing in the Le Cléac'h horns of a system to meet about 60cm in front of the listener!

This goes against everything I've tried with Conical and Tractrix horns, but these are not those of course! 🙂

A quick undoing of one of the fixing screws under my Vitavox S2 cradle and crank them in.

They now point into much freer space for one, away from the back edge of the Tractrix mid horns

The result is about the same angle of driver throat exposure as before, but in the inner angle instead.

I'm still evaluating, but I definitely like it.
There's a new delicacy and ease.

In line with what others have written, somehow the less is more, with this profile.

Is there any way of applying that profile to the other drivers, Steve?

I realise the bass ones might be simply huge.

Best laid plans haha, I had no idea 2021 was going to be so much fun.
I thought it was mostly going to tweaking the odd phono or banana plug!

I had no idea I'd suddenly get the Le Cléac'h itch and where that would lead me.

Having toed the Le Cs in and liking it.
I redid the time alignment for the S2s as the toe in messed it up a small amount.
Takes seconds to do. Laptop with Holmimpulse / Najda DSP control SW running, measuring mic, play some sweeps, time zero, adjust the time delay parameters in my Najda setup.

I also measuring the frequency response of the Le Cléac'h horns and decided to try Najda crossovers instead of the 3uF cap method.
Setting a 1st or 2nd order LR XO 3KHz, gives me a really nice smooth response when measured with the mic at ear position.



Perhaps I should explain.
The above does not show a 3KHz XO, but that's what I put in.
The S2 drivers has a characteristic quite big amplitude hump at 1-1.5KHz - or thereabouts.
Setting a higher X/O point than you want levels the hump very nicely and causes the crossover point to effectively be lower.
I first read about it in Romy's S2 survival guide, way back.
The S2 will play as low as 500Hz on the right horn but you have to deal with that sharp hump or hear it.
Crossing higher it pulls the hump perfectly into submission, but you get some of the S2 playing but on while ramping down on amplitude.

I've mostly used the 3uF cap XO, but felt like a change. Glad I did.

I am evaluating which order XO I prefer.
I can change between the two from the remote.
1st order is more gutsy, more S2, 2nd order cleaner, more Hi-fi.
The realism and dynamic loveliness on Diana Krall's - Turn Up The Quiet is stunning.