Compared to the entry level receivers from Denon and Yamaha that I've personally listened to; I find the 1050's sound to be the least strident of them all. That's actually part of the reason I bought one in the first place!

Another reason I like the 1050 is because of the pre-amp outputs. In your case, you might want to look into an external amp, say something of a tube nature, to power your horns. It's nice to know that option is there before messing with your speakers themselves.