Horns
The bi-radial wood horns at the heart of Sunship loudspeakers — purpose-built for the TAD TD‑4001 compression driver. Every dimension, curve, and internal structure is the result of treating horn and driver as a single integrated system.
One System, Not Two Parts
A compression driver and its horn are not interchangeable accessories. The horn loads the diaphragm acoustically — its profile, throat geometry, and flare rate directly shape frequency response, dispersion, and distortion behaviour. Mixing and matching off-the-shelf horns with drivers they were never designed for is, at best, a compromise.
The Sunship horn was developed specifically around the TAD TD‑4001. Its bi-radial profile provides controlled directivity in both horizontal and vertical planes, while the multi-cellular throat — with carefully positioned vertical fins — dampens diaphragm breakup modes, suppresses resonances, and flattens response through the critical midrange and treble regions.
Multi-Cellular Throat & Vertical Fins
Inside the throat, a series of vertical fins divide the acoustic path into multiple cells. This does two things: it provides wide, even horizontal dispersion far beyond a typical single-cell horn, and it mechanically controls the diaphragm's behaviour at high frequencies where breakup modes would otherwise introduce colouration.
The result is a listening experience often described as "four-seaters" rather than a single narrow sweet spot. The soundstage remains stable and coherent across a broad listening area — a quality prized in the Japanese Jazz Kissa tradition that inspired much of this project.
Solid Plywood, Non-Resonant & Massive
Each horn is machined from solid birch plywood — not veneered MDF, not moulded plastic, not cast metal. The material choice is deliberate: plywood's layered structure naturally damps vibration across a broad frequency range. There is no ringing, no audible cabinet talk.
At 22 kg apiece, these horns are substantial. Their mass provides a rigid, inert foundation for the compression driver, ensuring that mechanical energy goes into the air — not into vibrating the horn itself. The weight also contributes to the overall loudspeaker pair tipping the scales at around 300 kg.
Note: The horns are not sold separately. They are designed as an integral part of the complete Sunship loudspeaker system and are not available as standalone components.
Why a Wood Horn?
Wood horns have a long history in high-end audio — from the classic Western Electric and Altec designs of the mid‑20th century to contemporary Japanese artisans. Beyond their acoustic properties, wood horns bring a natural, organic presence to a listening room that metal or synthetic horns rarely match.
The bi-radial geometry was chosen after extensive prototyping. It offers the loading efficiency of a traditional exponential horn with the controlled directivity of more modern constant-directivity designs — a balance that suits the TAD TD‑4001's particular strengths: wide bandwidth, high output capability, and exceptional transient response from its beryllium diaphragm.