tidmack

Bumpity bump...

Bump, I'm still looking.

Hi Lyle! Gosh, it looks like someone got a nice pair of La Scalas! Sorry for the delay, I've been out of town the last several days. Thank you for thinking of me.

PM sent.

I'd like to add a 2nd pair of speakers to my shop, as my Heresys could use some partners to fill the space. If anyone in the WI, IL, IA, or MN area has a pair of Cornwalls they'd part with, let me know. These are for my shop, so the cabinets don't have to be pristine. Jeff

I just want to say that I love this thread. This is the kind of discussion that filled this forum back in the day. I'm really curious to hear from other folks who use the 4 ohm taps on their Mac solid state gear. Jeff

@thebes Are bids on the speakers being made here in the thread? Your sense of humor has me wondering if all of this is just a ruse, lol! Thank you for helping Mallette my friend...

Hi Aaron, I'm back in Wisconsin. When you get a chance, please check your PM's regarding the Jubilees. I'm interested.

PM sent regarding the Jubes.

I don't disagree that with the right music (a pretty limited range), my La Scalas were terrific. I've only used subwoofers (crossed way into "woofer" range) with two speakers: Heresys and La Scalas. I think the point I was trying to make is that most folks would understand why Heresys would need subs, but be terribly disappointed to learn that La Scalas tremendously benefit from them them, too. This is all just my opinion, based on the music I listen to, but the vast number of people who modify La Scalas tells me they aren't a great design for a wide range of frequencies. Jeff

When I had La Scalas without subwoofers, I often demo'd them with Sarah McLachlan, Fleetwood Mac, or anything with acoustic guitar. The punch of a La Scala is spectacular and they're a BIG soundstage kind of speaker that shines with vocal-heavy songs. Toss on some jazz, something with upright bass, or let's say '80s-'90s rap, and they're awful. If I hadn't owned 5 pair over the years, I would probably think there was something wrong with the speaker. Their bass response trails off pretty darn quickly. As years went on, I picked up a pair of Klipsch THX subs and ended up with speakers that would rival, or even possibly exceed my Klipschorns. The difference in a La Scala when paired with a capable sub is night and day to me. As far as speakers in that size range to compare with La Scalas...Within the Klipsch line, the Klipschorn, even when poorly placed, equals the sound of the La Scala, AND has a smaller footprint. Please keep in mind, I am only talking about the original La Scala, not the La Scala II, which I think is a far improved design. Outside the Klipsch line, I immediately think about the JBL C38 or Altec 19, both of which I owned. I felt like the JBLs and Altecs "sounded like they should" consider the large size of their cabinets. Deep bass, detailed, and big, big volume when needed. The lack of bass with the La Scala has always been its downfall to my ears. It has big sound, but always sounded like it was missing an entire octave. But again, I don't think the criticism is necessarily fair, because the speaker was never really designed to shine outside of the punchy rock, or vocal-heavy acoustic realm.

I suspect some of the friction in this thread runs deeper than just this topic, but I guess I don't totally understand what's being argued? I've been on this forum for over 20 years and the driver upgrade topic has been here since my first day. It's no secret that PWK incorporated diminishing returns economics into his speaker drivers; after all, it's a business. If it didn't make sense to spend 2x on a particular driver for a minimal measured improvement, the existing driver was used. I think Roy's point about haphazardly changing drivers, and calling it an improvement without any data, is spot on. Our ears will tell us all sorts of things that aren't necessarily true. Roy is one of the few here who has tested likely hundreds of variations of Klipsch designs over the years. However, I think people feel particularly moved to upgrade La Scalas and I think there's a reason the upgrade topic comes up over and over and over again with La Scalas: they're a huge cabinet, so folks have expectations for them that are equal to other speakers of similar size. To my untrained, but experienced ears, La Scalas simply don't sound as good as other speakers of similar size, except for with music that lies with a narrow frequency range. In contrast, few people knock the response from Heresys because for their size, there isn't much out there that sounds better. People will complain about Heresys not digging deeper, but understand their cabinet size and design doesn't allow for it, and modifications to the cabinet typically negatively alters response in other ways. So, Heresys get left alone...for the most part. La Scalas, though, take up a bunch of real estate, and require a fair amount of work to sound decent outside a very narrow spectrum of music. So, I've always felt like folks are constantly trying to make La Scalas sound like a speaker they were never designed to be. As an owner of several pairs and incarnations of Klipschorns, La Scalas, Cornwalls, and Heresys over the last 30 years, La Scalas just aren't that good for a wide spectrum of musical tastes. My advice to the OP is to save his money on the La Scala upgrades and put it toward a pair of Klipschorns. Chasing improvement in the La Scala is a losing proposition, IMO.

Lyle, this is a fantastic deal for someone...a VERY NICE sounding CD player at an exceptional price. GLWS. Jeff

I'd likely just run one amp...there are days I just feel like a different sound, lol. This would be a great way to test incoming pieces of equipment, though, without having a dedicated 2nd system.

My understanding is many of the products allow for multiple amps to be powered on at the same time.

Sounds good. I look forward to your input regarding the Mapletree products.

Right now, I think I'm going to reach out to the company that Jim used up in Canada. It sounds like they can customize these switches to your needs. For me, the ability to test an incoming piece of equipment more easily would make the investment into a custom switch totally worth it.

10-4, thank you for explaining. I've been exploring all sorts of options this afternoon. I was familiar with speaker switches, but didn't know such a thing existed for amps, preamps, and sources. Really cool stuff out there...

I looked this unit up and it didn't seem to have any actual switches on it, to switch from one amp to another. Is there a 2nd piece required?

Thanks for the input, Jim. I was thinking it would be beneficial to have a load on the amp, as it's not good for a tube amp to not see a load? I saw an old thread where you purchased an SP-1 from Mapletree Audio Design. Do you recall what you paid? ...wait, I was able to see a price list. Looks like $220. Seems reasonable if well built.

Guys, I'm in a situation where I'd like to switch between a solid state and tube amp, with one pair of speakers. Some days, I just want to use the tube amp. Here is the switch I see recommended most: https://www.amazon.com/Amplifier-Receiver-Speakers-Selector-Switcher/dp/B0796KGVXT#customerReviews With the Specialty AV switch, how do I split my preamp outputs? Can I just Y the RCA jacks and run a set to each amp? Is this "legal" to do? I'm open to suggestions for a different/better product, or a thumbs up for this unit. Basically, I want to make sure I don't ruin my amps. I've had my Mac 2105 for over 20 years now and its sentimental value far outweighs its cost. Thanks for the insight. Jeff

End of year bump...

I've had many of my own threads get derailed, so hopefully I can be excused this time. I did a double-take at your profile when seeing your favorite artist is Poe! Man, I really dug her first album and had a chance to meet her and the band after a show at Milwaukee's Summerfest festival...back in 1994-5?? Anyways, I'll have to look her up and see what she's been up to. Thank you for taking me back in time. Jeff

$175 shipped to the lower 48 with PayPal friends and family. $181 with standard PayPal. Matched pair with serial numbers ending in 055 and 057. Jeff

SOLD $315 shipped to the lower 48 with PayPal friends and family, $325 with standard PayPal. These are a matched pair with serial numbers ending in 630 and 690. Factory terminals are still intact, as seen in the photos. Jeff