are not. 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! Other Web Sites in the ConsumerReview Network: mtbr.com | I regularly listen to older Jazz, Blues and rock on LP's. With your eyes closed you feel like you are in a front row seat at the symphony. I am new to the forum and I would like to add my two cents to the the forum about La Scala upgrades. I would have paid the $3000 had the high end shops had this speaker. Klipsch La Scala Floorstanding Speakers user reviews : 4.8 out of 5 - 72 reviews - audioreview.com The La Scala is particularly close to my heart. I found it startling to behold, it reminding me that loudspeaker design is first and foremost about the physics of moving air! The Marantz amp is a warmer map as is Marantz's reputation. It includes a 25mm tweeter, a 50mm mid-range driver and the same 381mm woofers as the flagship Klipschorn. Its hard to believe how much sound is produced with little or no distortion.I listen to all types of music and it all sounds great. Not only did you have the courage to review a "retro" loudspeaker, you were thoroughly honest about how it sounded. Delivering top-of-the-line sound in a more compact design, the La Scala AL5 is the only other fully horn-loaded speaker … This is a striking-sounding design, in an almost entirely positive way. I've owned my Klipsch Lascalas now for many years, and I love them. According to Delgado, his ongoing work with Klipsch's five core Heritage models—the Heresy, the Forte, the Cornwall, the La Scala, and the Klipschorn—is guided by an overarching principle: "I want to do what Paul wanted, not what Roy wants." 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. They never get tired either. Even at that price, to my ears they are worth far more given the high price of "great speakers". These are the last speakers I will ever own. Thank you so much for your review of the La Scala II. I honestly spent 72 hours re-listening to every album that ever meant anything to me after I hooked up these speakers for the very first time, because every track was new... friggin' born again as a disciple of the horn. That's why some might consider the La Scala AL5 to be just too much – a double espresso in a world of wishy washy instant coffee, it will taste too sharp for some palettes. Just an overview of this Monster speaker from Klipsch. 'The benefits of horn loading have not changed.' This is the second largest speaker they make in their Heritage series. They are connected to a 1979 Sansui G-8000 receiver pushing 120 watts per channel. Its two-piece cabinet looks anachronistic alongside your average compact-footprint tower floorstander with its umpteen small diameter mid/bass units. We listen to a huge variety of music from rock & indie to classical & jazz, mostly records, but movies and our ipods too. Klipsch Audio has been making speakers since 1949 and Paul W Klipsch started speaker manufacture in Hope Arkansas with the now infamous Klipschorn. That is NOT what these speakers are designed for. 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. Thank you Paul Klipsch!!! For me, a properly designed horn has the same goal as an amplifier – both should act like wire with gain – so a horn is essentially an acoustic amplifier. 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. 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. The La Scala II 70th Anniversary loudspeaker is built to rigid Klipsch standards — the toughest in the industry! Efficiency, sensitivity and coverage pattern – all attributes that are hard to beat,' says Klipsch's Principal Engineer Roy Delgado. audioreview.com and the ConsumerReview Network are business units of Invenda Corporation. The Klipsch La Scala II is still Designed & Assembled in the USA, by proud craftsmen in Hope, Arkansas. £12,000 High-end speakers are truly diverse. 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. Klipsch La Scala AL5 Floorstanding Speakers. 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. By mikebse2a3, August 13, 2019 in General Klipsch Info. I found it for $400 ! Still proud of them as ever. I’d recommend being seated fairly low in front of the La Scala’s so that one’s ears are level just between the two cabinet sections. ). This isn't just a new toy, it is a revelation. 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. I chose them because of their reproduction of instrumental sounds. The recordings include pops and other distractions but the music comes through like no other speaker I have used. The company says that AudioQuest Type 4 copper cabling is used inside. I just went to a high end audio store with a buddy and listened to a slew of speakers. This HiFi News review of the Kilpsch La Scala AL5 is the best trade magazine Klipsch review that I have read in the last few years. Vocals will have all of the presence they would have if you were sitting in front of the performer. In the early 70's we ran it of a am/fm radio, that's how efficient these speakers are. A couple of things though:
1. ... 'The acoustic horn and compression driver are always up for review. I started this work back in March of 2004 when I was in my old shop. 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 must-have speaker for any audiophile! "A" and "B"d La Scalas's and Klipschorns speakers with records I brought and picked La Scalas's 3 times out of five. I have powered the La Scalas with a vintage Pioneer receiver (35 watt) Harmon Kardon 2 channel amp (50 watt ? The Klipsch La Scala design is a folded horn woofer, and direct radiator exponential horns for midrange and highrange. If you have a good acoustic memory, once you've heard these you start to hear what's missing everywhere else. I have loved the sound of Klipsch speakers since i first heard them when i was in high school in the late 70's.To me this is what music is supposed to sound like. Sit back and enjoy the music not the BOOM BOOM BOOM! Thank you so much for your review of the La Scala II. They sound as good today as they did the first time I heard them. That's why classic Klipsch loudspeakers are so special – the company's Heritage range applies an … Amazing, clear 'might as well be live' music. That, and they tell you when your source material is poor. I suppose that is what the sound is worth and the rest is spent on the how the package looks, although I frankly have an odd attraction to the look of my 1975 version. They were, and remain, 'auditorium' loudspeakers that sit directly on the floor but they seem relatively unfussy about their exact positioning. I have never accomplished my dream of stacking 2 pairs (I harbor the extravagant hope that my colleague mrgoodosound can one day do that). Despite its Your amp has to be nice (I run a vintage Marantz 2285B), or they sound like crap. Low bass is weak for modern rock n roll and some jazz but perfect for acoustic music. 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. Since 1946, no compromises in Legendary Sound. 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 am using the new Marantz intergrated amp, the 11s2 with the Marantz SA15S2. A retro-style silver luster grille cloth and a nostalgic script cast zinc logo complete the look. The 1975 Lascalias that purchased very recently can produce the dbs effortlessly, but what I was looking for was a speaker that "breathed". My question is why do the these speakers only cost $3000? The line was initially unveiled with the massive P-39F’s, and subsequently Klipsch followed up with its little brothers, the P-39f’s and P-37f’s. It includes a 25mm tweeter, a 50mm mid-range driver and the same 381mm woofers as the flagship Klipschorn. If you have a chance to hear them DO so. I bought the Paradigms 8 months ago and I suddenly have become unhappy with them because they are "too constricted" I truly suddenly wanted a speaker that "breathed". Also went to a Paul Klipsch seminar shortly after that and learned a lot about his engineering principals and speaker design. I am just going to give them a coat of natural stain and call it good. The Klipsch La Scala AL5 promises to be easier to accommodate, while still keeping the speaker's trademark efficiency and boasting increased power. The sound is excellent with terrific "presence". 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 totally agree with all the positive opinions here that talk about the negative impression some of us get concering horns based speakers get. The sound of a Klipsch La-Scala is extremely detailed you will hear every nuance of a recording, the playback media, and the amplification. At least you know what an updated compression-driver speaker sounds like. 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. That time, and every time I've been away from my LaScalas, I haven't been able to close my eyes and feel Jimmy Page's breath on my face like I can at home. That's why examples of the brand's superb-sounding flagship Klipschorn are so few and far between on this side of the pond – sheer physical size ruling it out for most UK audiophiles. 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. Just like Paul W. Klipsch (PWK) intended. Under all circumstances, my Lascalas really ROCK! This, and its size, makes for superlative sensitivity with Klipsch claiming 105dB/1W/1m. Discuss: Klipsch Heritage Series La Scala II Sign in to comment. Here's a loudspeaker that sounds like it looks – big and wide and loud. photographyreview.com carreview.com | My only real listening experience with Klipsch is their "Legacy" line, I owned La Scala's for over 30 years. HIFI-NEWS La Scala AL5 review. At louder volumes the soundstage is absolutely unbelievable (Pink Floyd; Time) when the Adcom's virtually unlimited power is available. Reproduction of the sound of a french horn is so real it is almost unbelievable. If I could give them 6 stars I would. 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. ), and a pair of Adcom GFA 555's bridged to mono (800 watts +) and all sound great. Klipsch La Scala AL5 Loudspeaker Lab Report Lab Report Measuring a horn speaker such as the La Scala AL5 using a quasi-anechoic, time-windowed technique is complicated by the time delays associated with the path lengths through the midrange and bass horns. Their reputation for being bright and hard is deserved but can be very much dependent on the source components. Bought mine in 1976 after spending a month going to every stereo shop in Houston listening to just about every speaker available. Klipsch La Scala AL5 brings back the glory and legacy of the La Scala speaker with up to date specification, and of course the same old retro design. 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. I own a pair of Lascalas as well as a pair of Heresys. Klipsch Klipschorn and La Scala loudspeakers, truly legendary all-horn speakers made by Southern gentleman and acoustic genius Paul W. Klipsch. The whole range is a sweet spot. It makes music a living, breathing, tactile entity that has you on the edge of your seat, transfixed. 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. The La Scala brings the most subtle musical details to life, always delivering the legendary Klipsch sound with clarity and ease. BTW, This is a reputation shared by many speakers in the high end community that are very revealing of detail. Hook them up to a 5w amp close your eyes and listen at 50% you will think you are in the middle of the concert hall smiling ear to ear. They don't need much power but the Adcom's must be very clean at low demand because acoustic guitar or piano at low to moderate volume is incredible. Your spouse has to be nice, 'cause these babies are big! If you are planning on purchasing a pair i would highly reccommend that you do. I purchased them from the original owner. Essentially, Klipsch combined the beauty of the discontinued belle klipsch with the drivers of the old la scala to create the La Scala II. Free Shipping on All Online Orders in the US. 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. Highly recommended. Amazing speakers very detailed sound , punchy bass , very efficient speakers no need to get a powerful amplifier to make them sound loud , clear vocals , one of the best speakers ever built , they were built at first for home use but a lot of people ended up using them in professional fields for their quality sound and powerful sound . They are so pure and fill the room instantly. I had them cleaned and tested about 8 years ago and the technician could find nothing wrong. Recommended Posts. 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. These babies scream and fill the large room they are in. Peace Out Patrick. Instead, it takes the best of Klipsch tradition and alloys it with new, modern drive units and construction techniques. 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. Mine are the industrial looking plywood cabinets and have been moved around a lot judging by the dents and scratches, but they are very sturdy and very strong. Wiring 'N' Weave They weren't used very much, his loss, and the cabinets are in mint condition. Our cherry review sample had a lightness to it that softened the cabinet's imposing lines; given its vast size, black might be too much for many households. I'm just glad my originals cost 800 dollars a piece. Removing the grille really is worthwhile, however…. I am new to the forum and I would like to add my two cents to the the forum about La Scala upgrades. General Klipsch Info ; HIFI-NEWS La Scala AL5 review Sign in to follow this . The La Scala AL5 has three drive units, all horn-loaded. Klipsch La Scala AL5 Loudspeaker Roy Delgado. Auditioned in editor PM's listening room, the speakers sat comfortably about 80cm from the boundary wall, slightly toed in. 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