Flevoman

@derrickdj1 **Brief explanation** It was a jab to provoke a reaction. But unfortunately, @KT88 didn't take the bait. A few weeks ago, he was at my place. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time as we were busy with other matters, but he briefly listened to my AL5. He didn't say much about it, but I had the impression (and this is entirely my interpretation) that he preferred his own Lascalas at home.

You sure?... You didn't seem very impressed. 😉

On my AL5, the 45 SET works great with rock, but the specific characteristics that make this amplifier so special don't really match this style of music. The 45 SET adds something magical to the vocals, revealing a lot of fine detail. It all sounds very musical and realistic. This matches perfectly with acoustic instruments, jazz, etc., making this amplifier a perfect match for this type of music for me. However, these aren't quite the qualities you're looking for if you enjoy music that bangs, has a strong beat, or a lot of dynamics. In that case, you're looking for an amplifier that can keep the music with a lot of dynamics well under control and can reproduce the low frequencies sufficiently and tightly.

This is a great question, but you'll hear everyone mention a different amplifier. The best amplifier is the one that best matches your setup, room, and personal preference. I recently said something similar. But the Cornwall 4 that I previously owned had a somewhat bright sound. Here, the 2A3 tube amplifier with the CW4 never seems to be the perfect match. This amplifier was very good, but I also found it somewhat bright in sound, which could sometimes make it sound a bit harsh. In this case, I found the 300B SET+CW4 a better match. Now, with the LaScala AL5, I don't find the 300B SET a very pleasant match, a bit to much coloring, but now the 2A3 tube is the most pleasant combination. Before I started working with acoustic panels, the 2A3 was the best match with my AL5. Now that I have installed acoustic panels, I prefer my 45 SET. To answer your question from my experience, I don't have a favorite amp ever; it's more about my favorite amp at the moment with my current setup, and these are the Melody 2A3 PP and the 45 SET, with the 45 SET being the preferred choice for now. My music style is jazz, vocals, and acoustic instruments. However, if I were to listen to rock, beat, or electronic music, the 45 SET would not be suitable at all, and my preference would shift to a completely different amplifier. And welcome to this forum

The Chorus has temporarily replaced the Cornwall. You can place the Chorus in the same position as the Cornwall in the Heritage lineup. So, above the Heresy and the Forte. So it will never be a downgrade. Which one you will prefer in terms of sound is a combination of your room, setup and personal preference, but I find it hard to imagine that you would prefer the sound of the Heresy over the Chorus.

I had the Heresy 2 once and upgraded to the Chorus 1. This was a big improvent, so go for it.

@82 Cornwalls You are right that the design of the amplifier plays just as big a role. And indeed, I generalize when I describe the sound of the tube. However, I have had three different 300B SET amplifiers (still have two) and two different 2A3 amps These are the differences I have heard myself, and they match what I generally read when you look up the sound character of the tube.

As previously mentioned, it depends on your personal taste and setup. I initially had the CW4 speakers. For a long time, I had the Melody 2A3 connected to these speakers. It’s an excellent amplifier, but I find the CW4s already quite bright in tone on their own. Combined with the 2A3, which I also find to be somewhat brighter compared to, for instance, a 300B, I often felt the sound leaned too much towards the highs. A 300B SET (which I didn’t have at the time) would have been a better match. Now, with my current AL5 speakers, I find that the 300B adds too much coloration to the sound, and the 2A3 matches better, making the sound fresher and clearer. However, the best match with the AL5, in my opinion, is still the 45 SET. It’s just slightly more refined and has a more open character than the 2A3. Though the bass is thinner compared to the 300B SET.

I'm sorry to say, but in my opinion they are overhyped. I had one, it sounded nice, but not that special.

Do you think the sound was thin compared to other audio sources like vinyl records and CDs? Or are you listening to this entire set for the first time, and is this your first impression of the LaScala?

Cool 😎

May I repeat it to check if I understand correctly? By making a donation, you have a chance to win a pair of AL-6 that are given away for free, and the higher the donation, the higher the chance of winning? Did I get that right?

I own the AL5 myself and have tried several tube amplifiers in the meantime. Of course, everything is about personal preference, but what I personally think sounds the best so far is the 45 SET. The reason why I think this is the best match for the AL5 is because this amplifier sounds very open and fresh. I would describe the overall sound of the 45 SET as very musical, dynamic, very detailed, clean and maybe a bit thin in the bass but the bass is tight, good placement, and a strong sense of realism. What I like the least is the 300B SET (I've owned 3 different 300B SETs). Personally, I find the La Scala sounds a bit colored (which doesn't necessarily have to be bad), and I think this coloration plus that of the 300B is just too much coloring. I have also tried two Decware amps, EL84 SET, which also sounded nice but had a somewhat smaller soundstage. Another one I really like the sound of, and this is my number 2, is the 2A3 PP. It has a bit of the same sound as the 45 SET, only the 45 SET sounds just a bit better in several aspects. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to listen to a 2A3 SET on the AL5 yet, but I hope that will happen sometime. My ranking of what I find sounds the best on the AL-5: - 45 SET - 2A3 PP - EL84 SET - 300B SET

Have you also heard anything about the Heritage hornsub and something about a date?

@tube fanaticThis link was familiar to me, but thanks for sharing it.