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Belle Klipsch / LaScala


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Having never seen it myself, I've always understood the Belle to simply be a LaScala with the front couple inches cut off, hence the flat nose. They compensated for the nose job by making her wider.

I've always wondered how they attached the grills in the bass section....velcro? is it even removable?

Did I just say that the speaker had a nose job and was fat? [*-)]

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I've always understood the Belle to simply be a LaScala with the front couple inches cut off, hence the flat nose.

I used to think that but I think I read here or heard that the Belle was actually quite different from the LaScala though very simlilar if not identical in performance. Think about it, the cabinet is a lot shallower - the LaScala's mid horn extends pretty much to the back of the cabinet and I don't think the Belle's mid horn extends out the back by several inches so it would have to have a different mid horn - a few inches less depth than the LaScala's mid horn.

I've always wondered how they attached the grills in the bass section....velcro? is it even removable?

I think Groomlakearea51 posted that a while back. It's rather complicated in that the top hat has to be removed.

Did I just say that the speaker had a nose job and was fat? Confused

Yes. I think you did.

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I seem to remember that the Belle LF could go a little higher and because of its shape being not as deep the cabinet didn't flex like the La Scala I. Belle has the k500 and the La Scalak400. I haven't met a bass horn I didn't like.

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Thanks for the drawings. What would the sound diffrents be? The LaScalsa would have a deeper bass? It also uses a diffrent mid horn but the driver is the same and the tweeter is the same? It also uses the same woofer as the Klipschorn and the Belle?

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The Belle is basicly a designer LaScala . I had auditioned them side by side many years ago with much younger ears and you can tell the LaScala is a bit more foreward the Belle is a little laid back . Very small differance but it is there . The differance in appearance is dramatic especialy side by side . For me the Belles shallower depth and wider width works better than LaScalas as far as room placement . 5 LaScalas would not fit as well in my room as the 5 Belles do . Also with the smaller width of the LaScala I don't think I would be comfortable placing a 60" plasma on top of one .

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Actually when we were in Hope at the pilgrimage, we were told one of the driving factors that went in to the decision to discontinue the Belle vs. giving the LS a cosmetic upgrade aside from reinforcing the bass bin walls was the fact the Belle had a diminishing performance issue in the upper ranges of its bass bin. It was a less perfect design so to speak.
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Actually when we were in Hope at the pilgrimage, we were told one of the driving factors that went in to the decision to discontinue the Belle vs. giving the LS a cosmetic upgrade aside from reinforcing the bass bin walls was the fact the Belle had a diminishing performance issue in the upper ranges of its bass bin. It was a less perfect design so to speak.

Yep , the Belle is a compromise , an asthetic one .
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Actually when we were in Hope at the pilgrimage, we were told one of the driving factors that went in to the decision to discontinue the Belle vs. giving the LS a cosmetic upgrade aside from reinforcing the bass bin walls was the fact the Belle had a diminishing performance issue in the upper ranges of its bass bin. It was a less perfect design so to speak.

Yep , the Belle is a compromise , an asthetic one .

That is interesting I was told that the belle bass bin had better performance and went higher than the La Scala. The Belle didn't need any bracing where as the La Scala did benefit from bracing. The main difference I was told was the k500 and k400. The bass bins even have the same volume.I wish I still had my Belles I'd love to measure them.

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My subjective responses.....

Q- What would the sound diffrents be?

Opinion - The Belle has a upper midbass presence in the bass horn, but at a lower bass trade off. The LaScala has this upper mid bass presence in the mid horn...and due to the non expanding section after the first turn in the bass horn...the LaScala has less of an upper mid bass presence but a more pronounced lower end. One of the most misunderstood aspects of the Belle and LaScala dog house is the way the geometrics were done to allow the woofer to fit. In the LaScal, in order for the woofer to fit, a what would be 3 sided dog house was converted to a 5 sided dog house. This was done by adding a section after the first turn. In the Belle, in order for the woofer to fit, what would have been a 3 sided dog house, got converted to a 4 sided one. This was done by adding a section in the front. These additions were driven solely by geometric's needed to accomidate the woofer install.

Q- The LaScalsa would have a deeper bass?

Opinion - yes, but not by much

Q - It also uses a diffrent mid horn but the driver is the same and the tweeter is the same?

A - yes

Q - It also uses the same woofer as the Klipschorn and the Belle?

A - yes and the cornwall

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I remember the Belle not being as week as the LaScala in the bass department. After I bought my LSFBs I heard a pair of Belles and got a real sinking feeling in my stomach. I started looking for ways to get that missing bass back by reading up on subs, etc. A couple years later I ended up buying my then 25yr old Khorns and selling the LSFBs for a hundred bucks more than I got the Khorns for. I wouldn't have the Khorns today if the LSFBs had had more bass, and I should have bought the Belles in the first place. But being overseas you buy what the military PXs have, when they have it.

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I had auditioned them side by side many years ago with much younger ears and you can tell the LaScala is a bit more foreward the Belle is a little laid back .

I agree with the above but I would change the "bit more forward" to "quite a bit more forward". I have had the opportunity to listen to both but not in the same room at the same time. I listened to Cigarbum's LaScalas and Belles at his place at different times vs my Belles at my place. We have the same crossovers and tweeters in our Belles and we both have McIntosh, SS, albiet different models.

As you would expect his tube gear mellowed the Belles out even more (to my liking) in the upper range when we drug the Belles up (to a different environment) to compare with the new born Cornscalas.

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