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In July I purchased up a pair of vintage La Scalas even though I’d never heard a La Scala before. I thought that a post explaining why, and what I’ve done with them could serve to introduce me to the forum. I had wanted La Scalas for more than 40 years, ever since a friend and I went shopping for a sound system for our high school for dances. We went to a dealer who supplied the top clubs in town with their sound systems. He was a huge Klipsch fan and convinced me that Klipsch horns --- and particularly the La Scalas --- were the “Cadillac” of speakers. I've aspired to have a pair ever since. But life got in the way … Until lately. Spending more time at home on account of the pandemic led to a rekindled interest in audio. Perhaps I haven’t been looking in the right places, but my experience has been that La Scalas don’t come up for sale very often up here (near Toronto, Canada). I found a pair listed on Facebook Marketplace that were about a 3 hour drive away. The speakers were were 1986 La Scalas in Raw Birch that the owner had coated with polyurethane. They had AL networks. The cabinets had some damage: scratches, chips, stains, gouges, missing veneer, broken corners, etc. I purchased them for CAD $2800 (~ US$2250). Since the speakers would feature prominently in my living room, I knew I'd have to repair and refinish the cabinets. I wasn’t keen on the look of paint and figured that I’d likely re-veneer them. Although I originally intended to keep the speakers close to stock, as I learned more about the La Scalas (mostly from this forum) I knew that I’d want to make some changes. I started with the networks. I knew that the 35-year-old capacitors in the networks were likely past their “best before” date and should be replaced. I also knew that the AL networks in my speakers weren’t well regarded. The cost of replacement capacitors from JEM Performance was high enough that I opted to spend a bit more and get new AA networks from Crites. I took all the components out of both speakers and gave the cabinets a thorough cleaning. Because a mouse had built a nest in one of the doghouses, at the recommendation of some forum members, I used Dettol to clean and disinfect the cabinets. I thoroughly cleaned the woofers, squawkers, and tweeters, filed down rough spots in the K400 horns, replaced the gaskets in the squawkers, and treated all of the connectors to a liberal dose of DeoxIT. I sanded the squawker and tweeter horns and then sprayed them with Rustoleum Satin Black paint. Then I turned my attention to repairing the cabinets. Following suggestions from some forum members, I decided to laminate new panels to the cabinets. I chose to do that for two reasons: 1) to provide a smooth surface for veneering, and 2) to stiffen the cabinets to eliminate a reported resonance in the bass bin I started by stripping the old finish. I used paint stripper, scrapers, and sandpaper. I did a pretty fair job on the exterior of the cabinet but didn’t do nearly as well stripping the doghouse. I used wood fillers and wood epoxy to repair the damage to the cabinets. In the end, the damage was easier to fix than I'd anticipated. If I were to do it again, I'd use bondo (not wood epoxy). Also, some wood fillers were too grainy; I found Timbermate and Wurth wood fillers to be very good. I laminated oversize 3/8" baltic birch panels (my supplier was out of 1/4") to the sides, top and bottom of my cabinets. I used about 3 quarts of Titebond III and a few hundred 5/8" brads (since I had no suitable clamps) to attach the new panels. After the glue had dried, I used a flush cutting bit in a router to trim the panels to size. I then used wood filler to fill any gaps and the indentations made by the brads. Then I sanded the cabinets smooth with 240 grit sandpaper. The new 3/8” panels have increased the thickness of the cabinet sides (and top and bottom) to 1 1/8” without changing any of the interior dimensions. By my figuring, the cabinets now weigh about 80% as much as the MDF-made La Scala IIs. The cabinets are certainly stiffer so that the bass resonance problem should be dealt with. It turned out that my repairs to the cabinet were good enough that I probably could have veneered them without adding the new panels. If I were to do it over, I might just add braces to the bass bin and not bother with the additional plywood panels. I’ve reassembled the speakers and have been enjoying them. I’m mainly using Spotify as a music source via my Yamaha R-N803 (100W/channel, solid state) receiver. Generally speaking, I’m really pleased with how they sound. I have noticed that they seem to really shine with some songs but not so much with others. A neighbour nicknamed the speakers “the blondes” on account of their colour and the amount of attention I was giving them. I haven't yet started to veneer the cabinets. I'm leaning towards something that will be light (blonde?) in colour: maybe quarter-sawn anigre or quarter-sawn birch. Because of the lead time to get the veneer that job will have to wait until spring when the temperatures in my garage are warm enough to work with contact cement. Some forum members have suggested applying veneer with PVA (letting it dry and then applying it using an iron). My experience with PVA and veneers hasn’t been good --- the glue has tended to bubble beneath the veneer. But maybe I’ll experiment with that over the winter. I haven’t decided on what finish to put on the veneered cabinets. I’m thinking of a natural-coloured Danish Oil or a clear polyurethane. Suggestions about what finish (and what veneer) to use would be welcome. What’s next? I have purchased plans from Bill Fitzmaurice (https://billfitzmaurice.info/) to build a THTLP subwoofer. The THTLP is a horn design that, I hope, will pair nicely with the La Scalas. I should probably leave the speakers as they are. I doubt that my hearing is acute enough to be able to discern much difference from, say, improved tweeters or a different crossover. But I do like to tinker …

The stimulus for this post came from here. I thought a separate topic would be more appropriate as others may be interested in what turned out to be a well-made, yet inexpensive little analog EQ for those who want to keep things simple. I haven't measured an analog EQ in years and it brings back memories of my favorite console before Yamaha almost single-handedly converted the concert production world to digital. Component quality and PCB layout are very good, switches and knobs have excellent feel and alignment with no play, power adapter has a snug fit, designed and built in the USA by a company I've dealt with for over a decade in the installation industry. American quality at a Chinese price - I am impressed. Front Rear Interior 1 Interior 2 Unbalanced consumer audio equipment is generally standardized to a 2V RMS max output, whereas professional equipment is standardized at 12V RMS max. The Bellari EQ570 passes audio through its buffers whether or not the EQ is engaged and its max output is 3.5V RMS (without boost EQ) before distortion starts to rise. The unit has very little noise as well. The first two plots follow Amir's technique at ASR, which I think is an excellent snapshot of signal vs. noise and distortion at the standardized voltage level. SINAD is the reciprocal of THD+N and probably a bit more intuitive. It is a measure of how much higher a 1kHz test tone is than the noise plus distortion in a device (at 2V RMS in this case). Dashboard with EQ Bypassed Dashboard with EQ Engaged, but Flat Magnitude vs. THD from 100mV to 2V with EQ Bypassed Magnitude vs. THD from 100mV to 2V with EQ Engaged, but Flat 60Hz Low Shelving Filter at 1V (see plot legend for knob positions) 400Hz Peaking Filter at 1V (see plot legend for knob positions) 2kHz Peaking Filter at 1V (see plot legend for knob positions) 7.5kHz High Shelving Filter at 1V (see plot legend for knob positions) All Filters at Max and Min at 1V God bless you and your precious family - Langston

& that does look like a cup of Gold, leave it to @dirtmudd for all those High Times photos!! Wow that was my favorite.. the stuff from Acapulco that is. It's like that Mezcal gold or more specific when you'd get to the bottom and eat the worm? Redbud was harsh and quick to knock you on your ---, Gold was smooth, sweet and snuck up behind me like the tequila used to. That was the life, now it's natural process and honey process coffee beans. Golden Years?

I don't check where my coffee comes from, or care, it's coffee, as long as it's not weak i'm good. I have tried some of the best according to people who supposedly know and was not impressed. This is a good thing, almost anything goes, no money wasted on fancier types. When I think of Columbia, Jamaica, Hawaii and even Mexico and other places, coffee is not the first memory that pops into my head, from what a friend says anyway. .

Ain´t None Of Your Business

My buddy's book about being in Nam has me laughing quite a lot.

True it's been a long time since I had any Colombian.

Check Bass.

When I think of Acapulco...

Don't Bring Me Down-Sloppy Joe

HIT IT & QUIT IT

80s too brother, could only hope for that... but I don't miss that redbud cough! @dtel got it from Volcanica with a coupon I had from them, not bad and not as much as that bs $$$ geisha coffee. What the heck is a girl from Japan doing all over the world growing coffee beans and jacking the price up?

hey Dave @Dave1291 I'm not saying it; but I'm thinking it real hard ... KETCHUP! Peace Brother Man.

NP here. Just have to button it up! 😂

Slept in my Chicago concert t-shirt once for about a week. Woke up Feeling Stronger Every Day!

You have to be specific when you search for this great little band that does my version of that tune. Heavy and I think it's been a while since I posted them. Not safe for the uninitiated! Nicklebag

I had a pair of those. If you stand them up, with the mouth firing to the ceiling, you will be very happy as they are a terrific match to LaScalas.

back in the 70s that would have meant something totally different than coffee.

The Danish National Symphony like to have fun, their National Ballet Troupe do also. Ever seen their adaptation(s) of The Nutcracker? If you get a chance and have seen the almost stoic in comparison regular renditions... WATCH IT!

I bought a new amp to replace a nice tube amp that I had been running with my Fortes. Now I have knick-knacks that are larger than my entire system. Don't laugh, this stuff sounds amazingly good. The detail in the highs, the clarity and presence in the midrange, the punchiness of bass while maintaining tone and timbre. I swapped out all my amps in three systems for class d chip amps using the Infineon Merus MA12070p chip. It runs counter intuitive, almost like taking a step backwards to go forward. It's cheap, it doesn't impress anyone but it sounds so good.

I'm tellin' ya'. Make Garage Sale listings where NO ONE can comment within the thread and ONLY by PM/DM and you will solve a lot of this BS that goes on. Not to mention potentially lessen the "professional posters" here that seem to post on every thread to increase their count.

Classic @AndreG. Feeling a little hard today. David Bowie & NIN Here are some of the tunes off of it

Now playing:

Must be on the same wave length. I hit Kroger's last night and actually paused & shook my head when I saw all the ketchup on the shelf. Nope, didn't hear a rattle either. Didn't get any salsa either! Just remember that for THREE days I thought salsa was ketchup. Day 4 was fantastic when my daughter said it wasn't ketchup but salsa. That's one I owe ya Steve! Yasssss, it was darn good without it but mucho better WITH it! 😂

Might be a great opportunity for someone in California! They look to be in very good shape and the 90w Sansui is a very nice unit. 3 days left and sitting at only at $24 today. Stereo system | Live and Online Auctions on HiBid.com

You likely will.

As others directly upstream have noted ^^^ the price is way too high. The mighty Khorn can be found used for much less. I bought my 1978 LS's for $600 and sold them for $1400 a few years ago when the top price for LS's was $1500. I took off $100 because the Buyer was driving a long way to pick them up. Here's what LS's with a beautiful patina looks like.

Now I have a PAIR of Ported KP250s

C'mon guys give Mr. Ian McKellen some credit!

Cruising in the car yesterday, listening to the local college station and this song came on. A first listen to them. This group knows how to make a tight toned Bass note. The Marias, Hush.

@wvu80

Premium price yes. But that price is in LS II territory.

Here they are. I'm going to see just how close I can get them to the AL5s. I'll get the AL5s later, but tinkering with these will be fun.

Googled cheap places to live and Fort Wayne Indiana popped up, rolled the dice and bought a home there. Just got stuff situated with internet and music hooked up yesterday & today, enjoying some tunes and figured i would stop in. Household dynamics changed since mom died and i had to get out for my sanity. Crazy moving to a place i have never been to and hours from friends and family but feels good so far. Plenty of tinkering to do on this 100 year old home will keep me busy.

I have tried many different sub settings with my LS II and I've settled on 40 Hz. My room has always supported low bass very well with any speaker I've had here and the LS is no exception. I'm pretty sure I'm getting a solid 50 Hz from the lascalas and on a lot of music the subs never even make their presence known. But when needed, the low end is ample and accurate. Good luck with your table tuba, I'm sure that will do the trick.

A big issue with BT on AK is that with so many posts, people would have a discussion that kept bumping it to the top, often going off on tangents not related to the sale at all. . I haven't felt like that's an issue here, but a set posting length (3-7 days?) would make sure new posts get more visibility. On the other hand, seeing someone resurrect a year-old for sale thread that is still available is fun. Also- I think i'm going to start low-balling more. I fully support people asking top dollar, but I missed out on a local pair of LaScalas because I thought offering $500 less than asking was too low.

I think you can submit this question to the "Ask the Historian" forum. Usually the info is available for pro speakers. It was for my 79 La Scalas.

Industrials are spec'd for the K43 so how does it not "sound right"? If they sound "different" from a normal LS, well then, they are supposed to...... I have split Industrials and have had other LS with K-43s, and they sound fantastic. To my ears (and many others), even better are Eminence Kappa 15C woofers.

There is a facebook group, vintage audio, something like that, Heritage is usually about 20% or more above what the "benchmark" prices are here. A forum member I know well sold on that site, and they got their prices. They went straight there, rather than here, to fund new Klipsch and they needed to maximize return. They would have sold here if that wasn't the case, for a quick easy sale. With the FB place you have zero idea who you are dealing with, and an in home transaction would be a bit shaky. As least here, in most cases, in many cases at least you are dealing with a known entity. I have seen a lot of very quick easy deals. No muss, no fuss. How many times have you seen, looking for one __________ [a $50 horn, a $35 part, whatever] and the response has been "I have 5 there are collecting dust, pay the shipping and it's yours." That's the real spirit of the Forum, and it still exists, I see examples of it all of the time. I think that anyone can come in and list, with no posts, you are going to get flippers. We have even had a dealer sneak in a time or two. However, the flip side is, people have inherited nice Heritage, and chose to sell them here.

So Cal prices tend to be higher...

The Pink One

My K-402 horns with the Celestion Axi-2050 drivers sound very natural, and therefore, my audio system is now the best my guests and I have listened to in a house. The New Jubilee with Roy's waveguide should be the ultimate home loudspeaker.

Haha. About what I thought. I'm sure the node sounds great. I think im already set up a bit better, but I completely understand the relevance and convenience of said product. Price point is nice as well.

It seems that I am behind I suppose. No one uses a pc connected straight to a DAC? The NODE is the be all, end all of streaming? It seems the node is a streamer/ DAC in a single box? It is then connected straight to a Preamp? Do I have that right?

Because I can't control myself... New parts for the new turbo RZR:

This thread is not about what actual prices may or may not be. This thread is about thread crapping, trash talking, etc. etc. And by the way, Klipsch prices have not dropped especially in the last two years. Don’t know where that supposed data came from, but that doesn’t make any difference in this discussion.

DSP is amazing in what it can do, but it's just as good at screwing things up until you go pretty deep into that rabbit hole. : ) In the mean time, I'm convinced that the Heresy IV didn't see the light of day until the Chief and crew felt they had the best result possible for its expected application. Still, you can almost always improve things due to your specific acoustic setting*, tastes, recordings, hearing ability, etc., but I think you're wise to initially take a gradual approach with something like the broad tone control offered by the EQ570. I've never used one of those things, but I trust the company that made it and expect that it will work well. The manual generally specs the EQ offered and I can tell that the designer knew what he was doing. I just ordered one through Amazon since I can return it. It's due to me Monday and I'll post full measurements on it by Tuesday. In the mean time, the guy that's probably measured the Heresy IV more than anyone else outside of Klipsch posted a "spinorama" of it a few days ago. This form of analysis is the brain-child of Floyd Toole and and requires a long trip down the rabbit hole to fully appreciate, but you can just concentrate on the "estimated in-room response" plot to see that a broad (low-Q) reduction around 2kHz, such as the EQ570 provides, may be just what the doctor ordered. God bless you and your precious family - Langston * In live music performance there is absolutely nothing as effective in making an instrument sound good as mic selection and placement. IMO, placement is the most important of the two. There's no EQ or effects or mix (relative level) adjustment in the world that can do what placing the mic in the right spot will do. The mirror image of this is loudspeaker placement within your room. Do that first when your wife isn't home so you can move the furniture as needed. Then when she gets home, catch her before she sees the room and tell her that you have something terrible to confess. When you're both seated, tell her you cheated on her - but very quickly (before you die) correct it and tell her the only thing that really happened was some stuff got moved around in the room with the loudspeakers, "and isn't that way better?!" : )