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Thomas had brought two raw tweeter horn blocks. They showed the twice or thrice bonded slabs of MDF already machined out to the proper tolerances and dimensions of the oval horn flares (solid wood versions are available for a surcharge). Each speaker model's horn is precisely matched to the driver and only works for that particular driver.

This suggested extensive prototyping. One cannot yet successfully apply predictive software modeling to determine horn geometries. Asked how many horn matching iterations a given driver required, Thomas quipped "perhaps two, perhaps twenty. But sometimes, I have to junk the driver. Not all drivers are appropriate for horn loading. Some of that can't be gleaned from the driver's specs alone. You have to model and fabricate the horn first, then measure it with the driver.


"The laborious prototyping applies to the back-horn enclosures as well. The size and geometry of the compression chamber, the diameter of the throat and the length of the line plus the amount of internal damping are all critical and, again, peculiar to a given driver. If you were to copy any of my enclosures perfectly but didn't run the same driver, it wouldn't work properly. And, our drivers are built to our own specifications and proprietary." Thomas grinned contentedly. He seemed like a man secure in knowing that his craft would never become an open secret.
His is a small enterprise with three employees working out of a house he built in the midst of a German national park. Just to obtain the building permit in this pastoral setting took a few years. And significant funds. Clearly Blumenhofer is both resourceful and stubborn. He lives and breathes the Old World artisan approach and is involved in every aspect of the operation. Spraying the heavy catalysts, solvents and paints ubiquitous for the finishes of PA speakers took a heavy toll on his health despite respirator protection. "Nobody could do the spraying. Or perhaps they simply didn't want to learn. So I did all of it for thirty years." He stopped that only three months ago. For hifi, he prefers hand-waxed wood finishes to high gloss and lacquers (though piano gloss is available but outsourced).


Because of his familiarity with the customized nature of the pro sector, Thomas applies the same spirit to hifi. "If you have particular requirements or desires, don't hesitate to communicate them. Chances are very high we can accommodate you." That's exactly how the forthcoming 3-way statement horn speaker project was born.
Blumenhofer Acoustics thus is a prototypical handcrafter's operation positioned as the polar opposite to the high-volume offshore producers. "Those who value the lowest possible price above all else must continue to shop somewhere else. Those who want something better and also want to support the handcrafter's way of doing things will feel right at home with us. Made one at a time by skilled artisans in Germany really is what we're all about."


Anyone comparing performance specs between the three models which competed for attention in Casa Chardonne over a day of musical chairs will agree that they aren't separated by very much. Over the other two, the Big Fun 20 adds about eight cycles in bass extension and 3dB of sensitivity. And a bigger box. That's about it. Even the impedance plots of the back horns mimic the typical saddle curve of the Genuin 3's ported alignment. Why the more complex back-loaded horns? "It isn't for sensitivity nor easily measurable behavior per se. Horns simply sound different. Conventional speakers mostly bore me. They lack the energy and charge of the live performance. I've built horns the size of a garage to know the difference. But in sound reinforcement, winning contracts is usually a matter of money. These tend to be big jobs so the guy with the lowest bid often signs the contract. It's not ultimate performance then that wins the day. So I branched out into hifi. There many customers are a bit more critical, sophisticated and appreciative. And yes, we are already working on a 250kg big statement hornspeaker with 21-inch woofers. Two pairs are pre-sold."


My selection audition determined that while the three models do share a clear house sound, the upsell qualities are immediacy, jump factor and resolution. The smaller rear horn is even softer on the attacks and less capable of properly energizing a sizeable room. It makes for easy listening without the dialed-for-speed aspect which most associate with horns. It's a soft horn sound, pleasant and 'musical' but a bit polite for my taste. Both my Zu Essence and DeVore Fidelity Nines reach lower into the bass and offer more overall articulation yet are priced comparably or lower.

The immediate differentiator between the Genuin 3 and the Big Fun 20 is tweeter quality. The more expensive speaker has the even better HF unit. It makes for a more lit-up, dimensionally more insightful presentation and higher PRaT. Down low, there's a bit more extension but the last 10 cycles are missing in action. The 'full' horn also has a small edge in overall liveliness or subjective speed over the ported design. While the sensitivity of all three models generated plenty of SPLs over my 8wpc Yamamoto A-09S, both Fun models seemed to favor the lower output impedance and higher current of the 18-watt  Ancient Audio 6C33C Single Six monos, FirstWatt F5 and ModWright KWA-150. For traction, the 300B amp worked best into the Genuin 3. This perhaps indicates that the large openings of the back horns with their high floor gaps appreciate more control.


For reviewing in my space with my gear, it was down to the Genuin 3 and larger back horn. The former already had a few reviews under its belt whereas the latter would be formally introduced only at the May Munich show. Plus, I slightly preferred its sound. Big Fun 20 stayed then.