La Scala I VS Cornwall I... I know, I know...

[TRV86Caprice]

[]

I know this has been talked about a thousand times. But I want to talk about it a little more before I make this purchase. I currently use Cornwalls, Heresys, and Klipsch Legend equipment... I am want to purchase some La Scala's. I think it may be just to calm/subside my addiction to Klipsch equipment... But, my actual question is to those who own or have listened to both. I'm concerned about the clarity of the La Scala. Will I notice a huge difference between the Cornwall and the La Scala on the same equipment/amp/receiver? I listen to a lot of big band, jazz, rock, and classical. The Cornwalls keep up with ease and have never let me down... Where do the La Scalas stand? Would it be ok to say they are 20% "cleaner"/"more punchy"... 30%, 10%, 5%???

I am just using the percentages for comparison. Obviously, nothing is actually being measured... Thanks for all the help in advance!

[dtel]

Yes the LaScala is MUCH more pronounced in the midrange and has a good bit less bass but tighter bass. % ?

You have Cornwall 1's Why don't you convert your Cornwalls to Cornscalas ? Midrange of a LaScala, bass of a Cornwall, the best of both models !

Or just buy some LaScalas and give them a try and go from there after hearing them. I was going to say sell off the set you like the least, but you will not want to sell any , who I am I kidding. []

[IndyKlipschFan]

I have all the speakers u mention.

Minus a Jubilee or a 20 thousand P 39 speakers.... ok now I can talk...

The K horn was always my favorite Klipsch speaker overall. Most dynamic range, big room full of sound music wise, Since I was 15 years old.

In a good room, with the music you mention, the K horn is just magical!

That said, (Without ticking anyone off in here.) It is a very hard speaker to incorporate into a room properly no matter what Klipsch or anyone tells you... U need 18- 24 feet between speakers... to really appreciate them. If your thinking HT, your still going to need a sub for the big booms etc., etc., too.

Ok Roger back to topic...

Between a Cornwall and a La Scala, the Cornwall will sound muddy, but it will have more bass. The Cornwall is a better overall you can throw anything at it speaker true... The Cornwall is an amazing speaker, it sounds clear and wonderful..... That is... until you hear the La Scala.

(That, too, in a LA Scala is determined by what is the music your listening to as well.)

Have I confused you yet?

My 2 cents./.. if your ear loves the sound of a K horn... Get the La Scala's and do not turn back.. I did, in my HT, and I am still very happy!

Best overall match.. La Scala's with a quality sub.

Or a TSCM bottom and a La Scala top. But that's another conversation. LOL

[TRV86Caprice]

Dtel, the % was just for comparison. Like a scale of "1-10'ish" type deal. If you follow me. Not actually a measure of anything. I will pursue this Cornscala. That has me fascinated.

Indy, your post just about has me sold on the La Scala. That's what I needed to hear. I wish the K-Horn was in my budget. I have the home theater taken care of. I am purchasing the La Scalas soley for two channel use with a tuner and turntable. The room is 14 x 14.... haha.

[Marvel]

Midrange of a LaScala, bass of a Cornwall, the best of both models !

Only if you like the peaky bass of a Cornwall. [] The bass on the LS is tight and punchy, given enough power. I prefer the huge, clear sound of the LS over the Cornwall, and in MY room with MY equipment, I have plenty of bass for ME.

When I heard the Cornwalls at the Klipsch gathering in Indy a couple of years ago, I was glad I got the LS.

Bruce

[stormin]

Yeah I think the only sensible move for me, being a 20 year Chorus II veteran, would be the La Scalas plus a sub. The Cornwalls just couldn't get it done for me. The Cornwalls compared to the Chorus II's are really just a rumble box. I like the tighter and punchier bass. But I wonder if I could stand not having the tractrix mid?

[Bonzo]

I have had most of the Heritage and "extended" Heritage speakers at one time or another. For my money it's the La Scala's bar none! They sound great with every manner of amp I have thrown at them. I prefer the sound with a vintage tube amp, currently using a 63 Sherwood tube receiver, but SS works very well. Nothing can touch them for clarity, accuracy and overall musical enjoyment IMHO. I have had a chance to experience the Khorns in a large room with correct corners and vinatge Marantz tubes. They do sound amazing but there is no way they would work in my room. My second choice would be Cornwalls, actually I have only had the Cornwall II, which was also an amazing speaker. However, as Indy pointed out, they can get a bit muddy in the bass and not as open in the mid-range presentation. I have had the Chorus I but not the II so I can't comment on them but they are well liked by many. My La Scala's are form 79. I did replace the K77 with the Crites tweeter. I also have Crites crossovers and new Atlas mid-drivers from Bob as well. The woofers are stock and work great. I immediately noticed an improvement in the sound, much more open and refined. They are used strictly in a two channel music only application. I finally get it, La Scala's baby!!!

[TRV86Caprice]

All this info is reassuring. I just wanted to confirm that I was making the right choice buying these LS's. Deep down I was hoping to hear that the La Scala is hands down, a better accuracy performer. I listen to a lot of jazz and classical, and the CW seems to get a little "lost/confused" in a quick paced bass line... I'm not going to be getting rid of the Cornwalls anytime soon anyways. So, the La Scala purchase is a win & win situation. The only spare equipment I have right now is a H/K TP 430. I feel like the specs should be enough to match with the LS. Am I right to think that it should be a decent combo?

,

[Guest David H]

I was a hard core Lascala fan til I compared them to Cornscala's. I'll not be going back. I do however agree that in original form the Lascala bests the Cornwall.

Here is a pic of Herb's converted Corwalls.

[Arky]

I was a hard core Lascala fan til I compared them to Cornscala's. I'll not be going back. I do however agree that in original for the Lascala bests the Cornwall.

Yeah. I went from RF-7's, with deans magic, to Cornwalls. Better but still not happy. Let's say a little congested at higher volumes with rock music. Added Cornscalas that Crites made & much much better. Still not completely satisfied. I'm seeking clarity & separation, if that makes sense. I guess that means i'm a midrange guy? I can't get Lascalas out of my mind & i've only heard them quckly twice. Maybe it's the horn bass, I do have a sub if needed. My solution is probably a jubscala as it sounds wonderful. Then again it may be my room just sucks; square dimensions & lots of hard surfaces....i'm confused on what to try next.

[Carbon_66]

I've been playing with the Cornwalls and La Scalas all day. Everyone talks about the Cornwalls having better bass. The La Scalas are better on all accounts. Stock Cornwalls sound like shouting in a hallway. La Scalas have much tighter bass, and the mid is so much smoother. This is my interpritation before crossover mods have been made. The Cornwalls sound way better off of the floor. Neither one will give you the 25hz thump, but stock, the La Scala wins.

You should change your avitar if you didn't make the trip to the desert.

[Marvel]

The Cornwalls compared to the Chorus II's are really just a rumble box.

The Chorus IIs ROCK! That would be MY next choice.

Bruce

[DanO55]

La Scalas with a Klipsch subwoofer. Best set up I have heard---period.

[Bill H.]

1. I like the La Scala.

2. However, either one is the size of a small Frig..............so Making room is a major Problem .................

JMHO........... Good Luck !

[mark1101]

The lascala is fully horn loaded and will have the lowest distortion. Paired with the right equipment it can generally have enough bass for reproducing Jazz music adequately. However, its strength is in the vocals due to the bigger mid horn.

I have both corns and lascalas and the corn is no match IMHO. I am driving my lascalas with a bass heavy HH Scott LK-72. Emphasizes bass and so I notice no shortage of low end..........until I fire up my avatar speakers. The cornwall bass is deep like a Khorn but can be sloppy if not paired with clean driving equipment.

[stormin]

The cornwall bass is deep like a Khorn but can be sloppy if not paired with clean driving equipment.

A crown K2 can be called many things but one thing it can do is put an iron grip on a woofer. That's noted throughout the industry of both home and pro audio so its not just my opinion. It could not put a stop to a sloppy Cornwall. I don't believe its possible unless you change the design.

[thebes]

Pah! The LaScala is thin and reedy, the Cornwall robust, detailed and sensual. At best, the LaScala is a half a khorn. It sounds like a factory whistle compared to the Cornwalls robust and haunting sound of a diesel train's horn sounding over the plain on a warm summer's night.

Pablum for the hard of hearing. Don't do it!

[mike stehr]

Pah! The LaScala is thin and reedy, the Cornwall robust, detailed and sensual. At best, the LaScala is a half a khorn. It sounds like a factory whistle compared to the Cornwalls robust and haunting sound of a diesel train's horn sounding over the plain on a warm summer's night.

Pablum for the hard of hearing. Don't do it!

Khorns set up correctly in proper corners trounces all the rest of Klipsch Heritage with respect to fullrange tonality.

I like my LaScalas. But in my experiences, they are finicky bass shy monsters that hate solid state amplification. There may be a SS amp out there that works with LaScala, but I can't afford to find out. I have subwoofers, and it helps a bit. But it also can make a muddy mess out of things. I don't have the room or really the cash to come up with subwoofers than can accentuate the LF extension of the LS's, and not making things sound sloppy.

My best luck with my LaScalas is using single-ended tube amps. Single-ended 6BQ5 amps sound good, and a breadboard circuit of a SET 71A did rather well. The 2A3 SET amp had the best sound and power. But all speakers sound different, and it boils down to preference, and it's only just my opinion with LaScala.

I like my Cornwalls too. But I don't like the stock Cornwall tweeter. (K77) I'm using Crites CT125 tweeters, with the midhorn set as bandpass with the upper part of the bandpass set at 4500Hz. I'm using Crites replacement K33 stamped steel basket woofers.

I like the sound of the Cornwalls set-up this way. But, it doesn't change the bass. The bass is deep, but a bit sloppy/muddy, with that bit of a peak at around 60-80Hz.

It's to be expected from a big six foot box with no bracing, and a big shelf port I suppose......

Lately for daily listening, I've been listening to the Cornwalls. A better tonal balance than LS to me. And they seem to be more solid state friendly. I can listen to the Cornwalls, and get enough LF extension to not use the subwoofers.....unless I wanna really pound.

Mike

[Islander]

1. I like the La Scala.

2. However, either one is the size of a small Frig..............so Making room is a major Problem .................

Nah, La Scalas are the size of a washing machine, Belles are the height and width of a stove, but not as deep, and it's the Jubilees that have about the footprint of a fridge.

I thought the La Scalas were big at first, but now they seem to fit right in, especially since they're black and not very tall. Even stranger, the front centre and rear centre Belles seem to be invisible. Five times now, I've asked visitors what they think of my latest speakers, and they can't find them! "Oh, you mean that TV stand and that cabinet on the back wall?"

BTW, I get good clean musical sound driving my La Scalas (now JubScalas) with a pair of Yamaha Class D power amps. They sound a bit thin on the bottom without a sub, but with it, I get fairly flat response down to 25Hz.

[TRV86Caprice]

I like the idea of having both Cornwall and La Scalas. But I am very curious to hear what the Cornscala sounds like. I haven't ever been let down by the CW...