svberger

You bet!

My journey continues. Have a pair of '77 La Scala's that came with the original metal can caps on the AA's. Liked the sound as is and resisted refreshing them. Then I gave in, bought some new Type A crossovers with Sonicaps from the company who shall not be named(went with A's because I disconnected the zener diodes and so figured no reason to get the AA's). Had them in for several months, no issues, liked them just fine. Not much difference after they seemingly broke in some. I also decided in that time that when @deangwas up and running I would order some new, Klipsch approved crossovers from him. Last night I was bored, so threw in the old crossovers again, and man if they don't sound really good. I figured they would be a little duller then the new one's, but they're not. All the detail and high end is still intact, but there is a nice warmer overall presentation that seemingly was missing with the newer X/O's. Probably just in my mind, and probably my 65 year old ears doing their thing. But I like what I'm hearing, and think I'll leave these in there. At least until I'm able to get the approved variety's in there. Over and out.

I have '77 Cornwall's also, and recapped(new crossovers actually). While I liked the way they sounded with the original caps, the new caps definitely cleaned them up some. Not to the extent that they don't still deliver the Cornwall signature sound, but brought back a bit of sparkle to the top and mids which were more veiled before the change. There was an initial period of break in, either with the caps, or my ears, so if you go this route make sure to be patient before making a final decision.

Thanks. I PM'd Dean.

So basically if I want new X/O's at this point PM Dean for info. Got it. Thanks.

???…How is the question not relevant to the focus of the thread?

How does one find out more of the offerings, prices, ordering info of this and other products of Dean's?

In my main system presently, in addition to La Scala's, I rotate between Bozak 302's and AR3's, plus(I don't know if they would be considered "classics" but I love them)Boston Acoustic CR8's. I also own a pair of Allison One's but because of their placement requirements I don't have the space for them right now. Also a pair of KLH Model Six's which I've had for a long time and try to get into the system on occasion, at which time they always pleasantly surprise me.

Yup that's what I use for my LS's. Pretty great sound, right?

Geez whatever you do don't get rid of the 500B. It's a jewel, appreciating in value every day. A great receiver(assuming properly updated) and about as perfect match with the LS's that I could think of. I've owned and liked Decware. Excellent company, excellent amps. But those Fisher amps/receivers from their golden period are special like very few others.

McIntosh MC2105. I foolishly sold mine last year while I was in the midst of buying madness acquiring McIntosh tube gear(MC30, MC225, MC240, MX110, C11) within a few month period. Figured that was it for solid state, and I had a MC2120 as a spare that I couldn't seem to unload(people don't like vintage ss Mac with those meters). Well, it became clear to me over the last few months that I really wish I hadn't. This amp is special and so seemingly tailored to my listening preferences, and so perfectly matches up to the MX110z(or C11) pre, not to mention arguably one of the best looking amps out there, that it became evident that I needed to reacquire. Search on, and this week a local Bay Area musician(played prominent roles with both Santana, Eddie Money & Chris Isaak) was selling one for a pal of his in financial and health straits. He was able to provide a full(and colorful) history of the amp, and the cleaning up/checking up on it to get it back into shape. It was local, it was selling for a great price(IMO), and he agreed to deliver it. A no brainer. Back here today, looking spiffy, and being used to drive a pair of AR3's. My La Scala's are driven by the MC30's, and that's a combo I ain't planning on changing anytime soon.

That's a beautiful amp. A review on it here https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/amplifier-reviews/integrated-amplifier-reviews/melody-action-ultra-mda2-and-everest-211/2/ states "It’s very neutral and analytical, but never clinical and its timbre is spot-on natural. The bass, nearly always an aspect in which tube amplifiers perform less well than transistor amplifiers, is fast and tight and beautifully articulate, and with perfect pacing, it’s neither slow nor hurried. The bass is a little lean compared to the Ayon’s ..." If this is true, it sounds like it would be a perfect match for the Cornwall's that I'm familiar with. The McIntosh amps(MC225 and MC30) that I prefer to use with the Cornwall's or La Scala's tend to be more old school tubey with quite full bass. Again, for me, a bit much with the CW's but just right for the LS's.

What do you use to drive the CIV's?

I haven't heard the CIV's although pretty much everything that I've heard about them are extremely positive. As I indicated, it really just boils down to one's preferences as does everything else in this hobby. My amps are all 60 year old tube amps, give or take, as are my preamps. I listen to mostly vinyl. Therefore, I have what I would consider an abundance of warmth throughout my audio chain, and perhaps it's just the neutrality of the LS's which to my ears play better with these electronics then the Cornies, which are just a little too bass heavy and thick sounding. I have used the Cornies with more neutral gear, as well as some solid state over the years and did find that to be a better match. But for me the LS's just do everything right within the confines of my room and my gear. FWIW, I also use restored Bozak 302's and AR3 speakers with my tube gear, and both of those speakers do fall on the warmer side of neutral, but are both smaller then the Cornies and the results are not quite as extreme as I find with the Cornies.

Presently a pair of Decorator 1’s from ‘77. But I’ve also owned verticals and II’s in the past. All good just prefer La Scala’s sound more.

I own and love the 240. But like the 225 it's a very old amp, and will need a complete restoration by a trusted tech before it's used. I wouldn't even bother testing it in it's present state. If it's in an antique store, I'm guessing it hasn't been used in a long time.

Decware amps are great. I've used a few different one's over the years(not the Torii Junior, however). That said, if you can find and afford a 225, not only are you getting arguably the best sounding of the classic Mac tube amps, but it's a piece of history that will only appreciate in value over the years. Of course, it will need to be restored by somebody who knows how to restore McIntosh classic amps (assuming it already hasn't been) unless you are able to do it yourself. I own a 225 and use it regularly with my La Scala's and it's a wonderful match.

La Scala's are the most honest speaker that I've ever owned. Paired with a reasonably good tube amp, they're magic on pretty much every recording. And I'm talking completely stock, as my '77's are. I have other speakers which are equally enjoyable (AR3's, Bozak 302's, Allison One's) but at this point the LS's would be the keepers of all of them. I can use any amp with them, they're easy to place, and sound great with any music that I've ever played on them. I own Cornwall's, but they would be the first to go of all the one's I mentioned. To my ears, they're pleasant but very overrated.

Portion sizes are out of control. Most adults eat like they work on a ranch/farm for 10-12 hours, when most end up leading sedentary lives, then go to whatever restaurant and eat portions that could easily feed 3. And if they don't get that kind of portion, they leave a bad review on Yelp. Doesn't even matter what the food is, healthy or not, eat too much and most folks will put on weight. The relatively rare time that I eat out(or order in) these days a kids portion is plenty. Anything more and I eat a 1/4 of it, my wife eats a 1/4 of it and the rest is leftovers for a couple of days. I'm constantly astonished when I see people in restaurants, or on social media digging into massive plates of food.

I've lost a lot of weight over the last 15 years or so, probably 70+ lbs from when I was at my heaviest at 50. That's me around that time, and me now. 33 lbs has been since December '20. 30 minutes of exercise in the morning, 2 long dog walks, household chores(try not to sit around too much during the day), very little to no meat and sweets, and only about 1200 calories a day. Oh, and I got sober 5 1/2 years ago. At 65, feel the best I have in almost my entire adult life.

Shasta, 6 year old BorderJack. A lethal combination of energy and brains makes him a challenging beast. His "sister" Chelsea, a 3.5 year old tabby. Also very smart, and very demanding. On her own terms, can also be exceedingly sweet. Once in a while, they gang up on me

My experience is the best amp for the speakers one is using is what sounds best to the listener given their specific requirements. I use a 40 watt tube amp on my AR3's although many would say that's too little. I was told that my Bozak 302A's really do better with bigger solid state amps, and while they do sound good with a 130 watt SS amp, I like them better with a 30 watt tube amp. I've used all kinds of amps with my La Scala's, and for me, 40 watt tube amps sound great. I understand asking for advice in forums. I've done it myself both here and other places. But at the end of the day, one really must trust one's ears. I bought some Crites crossovers to replace the original one's in my '77 La Scala's. I tried them out for awhile, then switched back to the original one's and for whatever reason I like them better. People can debate all day long why that's just not right, but it is what it is. So OP, get your Decware(I've several of their amps and preamps over the years...very good company), try it out. Then put the Crown back in. Let your ears determine what makes you want to listen more, and longer, and go with that. Of course, it's easy to rotate too. Maybe for certain types of music a smaller tube amp will work better for you then a large SS, and vice versa. Great! There are many flavors out there no reason why one has to stick to only one if they don't want to. Good luck!

Even a brief experiment away from the walls will at least give you some idea if they are making the boominess worse, or having little/no effect. You can always move them back. You might also experiment with moving your other speakers away from the LS's, at least just to hear what effect giving the LS's some space might have.

Try experimenting with placement. LS's don't HAVE to be in a corner, or against a wall, like Cornwall's or KHorns. Maybe move them out into the room and see if that helps tame the issue that you're having. I've not heard any boominess from my all stock '77's. I run them with a pair of McIntosh MC30 amps and while I've never had a need for subs like a lot of other with LS's, it's not because of too much bass. It just sounds right, although certainly different and not as thick as my Cornwalls. Anyway, enjoy the ride. They're fantastic speakers. EDIT: Oh I see Jim basically advised the same as me a few seconds before. Great minds...😁