Horns and Wafeguides
Is there a difference between horn and waveguides?
Yes, there is. A horn is a system where the throat is much smaller than the surface of the diaphragm. The surface between the diaphragm and the horn throat is called the compression chamber. The small horn throat has a very high acoustic impedance. It can derive extremely high acoustic power levels from the diaphragm but at the expense of high distortion due to the compression chamber's extremely high SPL (Sound Pressure Level).
On the other hand, Waveguides are systems where the horn throat is similar in size to the surface area of the diaphragm. Without a compression chamber, the diaphragm radiates directly into the horn's neck. The rise in acoustic impedance and SPL (Sound Pressure Level) at the diaphragm are both moderate. Waveguides also achieve lower distortion than the compression chamber/horn system