Originally Posted by
davewerden
The compensating horn seems like the standard copy-of-a-Yamaha clone. As such, it is geared toward being similar to a pro horn in some ways. The non-comp horn seems like it is made for students. The 4th valve pokes through between the 3rd slide and the large branch, so it is made for smaller hands. If your hands are small, that might lead you toward the cheaper horn, but only if you would gladly settle for a little poorer playing experience. But if you are intent on being a long-term player, you might be better off with the compensating horn. It probably has better playing qualities.
You might ask them to double-check the bore measurement, though. The compensating horn says 16.8mm and the non-comp says it is 17.8mm. Both those are really large for a euphonium!
Years ago I came to the conclusion with automobiles that WHERE you buy may be more important than WHAT you buy. Pretend you are comparing car A with car B. Car A has a little better reputation for dependability. Car B is sold by a dealer with a better reputation for service. You'll probably be happier with car B. So if the instrument dealer above is a really good dealer, and if this is a brand they are carrying for the long term, then I would not be too wary of buying whichever of the two horns suits your needs. They have a decent return policy.