Their reputation for being bright and hard is deserved but can be very much dependent on the source components. I've owned my Klipsch Lascalas now for many years, and I love them. The biggest problem most people have is they try to feed these beautiful speakers with 150w - 500w amps. Utilizing the same horn-loaded drivers used in the Klipschorn® and Belle Klipsch the La Scala is highly efficient and can produce high volumes with very little power and undetectable distortion. T he Klipsch Palladium line never ultimately became a speaker that would be cross-shopped with B&W or Martin Logan at the $10,000-$20,000 price point. We listen to a huge variety of music from rock & indie to classical & jazz, mostly records, but movies and our ipods too. ), and a pair of Adcom GFA 555's bridged to mono (800 watts +) and all sound great. The Klipsch Cornwall IV Heritage Loudspeakers have already been reviewed by a number of print and online reviewers, so why this particular lagniappe review? Recommended Posts. This is a very large webpage, with almost two hundred pictures, that documents the restoration of three pairs of Klipsch La Scala speakers. £12,000. Whether it's pure electrostatics like Quad's 2912, hybrids like MartinLogan's ESL15a, or big moving coil boxes like the KEF Reference 5 and eccentric full-range pods like Eclipse's TD712z Mk2 – they all cater for their design team's vision of perfection, rather than the statistical median. Bought mine in 1976 after spending a month going to every stereo shop in Houston listening to just about every speaker available. Listening to this huge loudspeaker makes music feel alive, vivid, tactile, bracing and beautiful. Looking more closely, the most obvious differences are the beefed up woofer cabinet, which is now made of 1" veneered MDF, rather than 3/4" birch ply as before. I had a pair of Heresey's in the 70's and still have a pair of KG4s from the 80s, and a set of Infinifty Interlude series in a home theater and for 2 channel music the La Scala's are in a league of their own. They weren't used very much, his loss, and the cabinets are in mint condition. Not only did you have the courage to review a "retro" loudspeaker, you were thoroughly honest about how it sounded. T he Klipsch Palladium line never ultimately became a speaker that would be cross-shopped with B&W or Martin Logan at the $10,000-$20,000 price point. I regularly listen to older Jazz, Blues and rock on LP's. The 1975 Lascalias that purchased very recently can produce the dbs effortlessly, but what I was looking for was a speaker that "breathed". The company says that AudioQuest Type 4 copper cabling is used inside. Lest we forget, it was originally conceived as a public address speaker, but if you have the space and the funds, then you might find this a fascinating potential purchase because it's not simply a rehash of an ancient design. Thank you so much for your review of the La Scala II. At least you know what an updated compression-driver speaker sounds like. The La Scala was updated in 2006 as the La Scala II. This is the second largest speaker they make in their Heritage series. Other Web Sites in the ConsumerReview Network: mtbr.com | At louder volumes the soundstage is absolutely unbelievable (Pink Floyd; Time) when the Adcom's virtually unlimited power is available. I have also had Pioneer HPM 100s, Theil, JBL L100 and Advents. 2W - 75w tube is the best for these. 'The benefits of horn loading have not changed.' They never get tired either. Home Audio Products for Every Lifestyle, Application & Budget. You da man........ (C) Copyright 1996-2018. BTW, This is a reputation shared by many speakers in the high end community that are very revealing of detail. £12,000 High-end speakers are truly diverse. 2. The Klipsch La Scala AL5 promises to be easier to accommodate, while still keeping the speaker's trademark efficiency and boasting increased power. KH's Lab Report suggests a slightly lower value but the La Scala AL5 could still pump up the volume if driven by many of the headphone preamps featured in HFN! Because some considered it a “portable” and more affordable version of the revolutionary Klipschorn®, the La Scala found success beyond the campaign. Originally designed for professional use and initially released in 1963, the La Scala took its name from the Teatro alla Scala in Italy Often referred to as the “mini Klipschorn”, the La Scala AL5 features a three-way, fully horn-loaded driver configuration. Vocals will have all of the presence they would have if you were sitting in front of the performer. And by chance, the La Scala speaker (with horn-loaded bass) had been recently updated to become the new Klipsch La Scala AL5. I bought these speakers in 1975. Certainly the La Scala AL5's distinctive 'workmanlike' aesthetic is like very little else on sale, and the same goes for its sonics. A month ago I bought a used pair of La Scalas built in 1984 to use with my Harmon Kardon A50K tube amp. When the La Scala first launched in 1963, audio pioneer Paul W. Klipsch made it for Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Winthrop Rockefeller to use as a public address speaker. The Klipsch La Scala AL5 promises to be easier to accommodate, while still keeping the speaker's trademark efficiency and boasting increased power. Highly recommended. Followers 0. Under all circumstances, my Lascalas really ROCK! Not only did you have the courage to review a "retro" loudspeaker, you were thoroughly honest about how it sounded. | audioreview.com. We do, too. I purchased them from the original owner. I am using the new Marantz intergrated amp, the 11s2 with the Marantz SA15S2. Delivering top-of-the-line sound in a more compact design, the La Scala AL5 is the only other fully horn-loaded speaker … It isn't even everything. The Grandstand at Ascot Welcomes The UK Hi-Fi Show. ... 'The acoustic horn and compression driver are always up for review. I found it for $400 ! The La Scala's have replaced my beloved Altec Lansing Model 14's in my listening room and have taken up residence in my bedroom. Removing the grille really is worthwhile, however…. Auditioned in editor PM's listening room, the speakers sat comfortably about 80cm from the boundary wall, slightly toed in. This is a striking-sounding design, in an almost entirely positive way. Originally designed for professional use and initially released in 1963, the La Scala took its name from the Teatro alla Scala in Italy Often referred to as the “mini Klipschorn”, the La Scala AL5 features a three-way, fully horn-loaded driver configuration. General Klipsch Info ; HIFI-NEWS La Scala AL5 review Sign in to follow this . High-end speakers are truly diverse. The lower enclosure sports a 381mm woofer with fibre-composite cone behind a two-fold birch plywood and MDF horn, said to be a smaller version of the Klipschorn's three-fold design. The new Klipsch La Scala AL5 isn't for everyone, yet is superb at what it sets out to do – if that's what you're after, you'll love it. With your eyes closed you feel like you are in a front row seat at the symphony. A retro-style silver luster grille cloth and a nostalgic script cast zinc logo complete the look. I started this work back in March of 2004 when I was in my old shop. The La Scala II 70th Anniversary loudspeaker is built to rigid Klipsch standards — the toughest in the industry! Like those on all Klipsch Heritage Series models, the book-matched wood veneers on each speaker allow each La Scala AL5 to look exactly like the other – and contribute visual consistency to your decor. On a single watt, it generates 105 decibels of sound pressure, which means that the La Scala will delight the listener even while using the most modest amplifier power. Special little note: a friend of mine still has the original Klispshorn given to his dad by none other than Paul Klipsh. They sound as good as ever 43 years later and are worth a ton more now than when I bought them. Low bass is weak for modern rock n roll and some jazz but perfect for acoustic music. Reproduction of the sound of a french horn is so real it is almost unbelievable. Hard for me to believe anybody could be disappointed with a pair of these. It includes a 25mm tweeter, a 50mm mid-range driver and the same 381mm woofers as the flagship Klipschorn. My pair of 1980's La Scalas w/ AA x'overs are the best sounding speakers I've ever owned and the list is impressive. Here's a loudspeaker that sounds like it looks – big and wide and loud. Long Lineage He's quite right, of course, but neither have the caveats, not least because attempts to deliver realistic bass typically requires gigantic horns and speakers the size of the average British garden shed. They have given me listening pleasure for over 30 yrs. The La Scala (the top image), introduced in the early sixties we're originallly created to reinforce sound for a local gubernatorial campaign it turns out, and are now $8,000 pair. I found it startling to behold, it reminding me that loudspeaker design is first and foremost about the physics of moving air! 1 watt at 97db. Klipsch Klipschorn and La Scala loudspeakers, truly legendary all-horn speakers made by Southern gentleman and acoustic genius Paul W. Klipsch. For the first time I have been able to hear very delicate brush work in the middle of much higher level sound from a base, sax, and piano. The man was a genius. It's the aural equivalent of a bright, fresh autumn morning with an azure-blue sky and a chill in the air, through which the sunshine blazes a path. I own a pair of Lascalas as well as a pair of Heresys. Below 4.5kHz this crosses down to the 50.8mm K-55-X midrange compression driver, with phenolic diaphragm, firing into a large exponential horn. Reply to this topic; Start new topic; Prev; 1; 2; Next; Page 1 of 2 . Updated April 2007 - please note that I have not had the best results using raw wood veneer with Titebond II wood glue. The Altec's are incredible in their own right and do have the bottom end. Remember great sound? It's a three-way, fully horn-loaded design, with a new K-771 1in tweeter, a 2in midrange driver and … The whole range is a sweet spot. I had them cleaned and tested about 8 years ago and the technician could find nothing wrong. I had that impression until I found this batch of reviews of the LaScalias. They are so pure and fill the room instantly. This is the second largest speaker they make in their Heritage series. I have powered the La Scalas with a vintage Pioneer receiver (35 watt) Harmon Kardon 2 channel amp (50 watt ? Submitted by Ortofan on October 19, 2019 - 6:49pm ... would have been a Luxman LX-380 integrated amp. I also have a Klipsch powered sub to compliment the La Scala's and compensate for the lack of bottom end for the La Scala's. These beautiful speakers with 150w - 500w amps 's La Scalas with a pair these. Phenolic diaphragm, firing into a large exponential horn, it is not difficult klipsch la scala review your! And acoustic genius Paul W. 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