chockstarfish@hotmail.com Posted March 2, 2001 Share Posted March 2, 2001 What is the difference between these two types? Is one made for more of a "homey" type speaker? If anyone can tell me... Which speaker is acutally better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted March 2, 2001 Share Posted March 2, 2001 That's like asking which is better, blue or yellow? The La Scala's are fully horn loaded and the Cornwalls use a traditional speaker for the woofer. They have different "personalities." They are both great speakers, it really depends on your ear. Can you listen to them both? They will both work fine in a home setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKlipsch Posted March 2, 2001 Share Posted March 2, 2001 Get the LaScala's if you can afford to.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chockstarfish@hotmail.com Posted March 2, 2001 Author Share Posted March 2, 2001 I have the scalas i was just wondering what the differnece was Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Posted March 2, 2001 Share Posted March 2, 2001 Well, you might want to get a Cornwall for your center speaker. That would give you a good idea of the difference. Then when you decide to get another La Scala for your center you can sell me the Cornwall. ------------------ Richard Hemmings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chockstarfish@hotmail.com Posted March 3, 2001 Author Share Posted March 3, 2001 what are the pros of the Cornwalls to the Pros of the Scalas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted March 3, 2001 Share Posted March 3, 2001 I once owned a pair of 1970's vintage "industrial" La Scalas for a couple of months in the late 80's. I had owned my Cornwalls for about 10 years at that point and bought the La Scalas because I came across them for a really cheap price ($300/pair). The first problem I had with them is that my wife's first comment was "if you think you're going to have those things in our house, you're wrong." Well, they were really, really UGLY and the black finish looked like it had been applied with a broom! Perhaps if I had come across some Belles esthetic concerns woulnd't have been such a problem . . . Anyway, I was able to hook up the Scalas and listen for a little while and while I enjoyed them, they just didn't have the "oomph" in the lower bass registers I was used to with the Cornwalls. They didnt't go as low and were not as "clean." The mids and highs were very similar to the Conrwall sound. Another problem other than being UGLY and not having great bass, was that these things are freaking HUGE. I just couldn't seem to set them up in my room to get any kind of imaging at all, and my room is 17' x 28'!! So I sold the Scalas for a couple of hundred bucks more than I paid for them and didn't miss them at all. I know my experience is limited, but I thought I'd share it anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brennan Posted March 3, 2001 Share Posted March 3, 2001 I've owned LSs and CWs and I think the CW, with it's deeper bass, is a better balanced and more tonally pleasing speaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwiener Posted March 3, 2001 Share Posted March 3, 2001 I currently own both. I really like both speakers, and would have a hard time choosing between them. The Cornwalls have low end that is lacking in the LaScalas. The LaScalas have something in the mid to upper mid sound that is warmer, and less harsh than the Cornwalls. I just may be the way the cross over between the mid and high horn is handled, I just can not put my finger on it. As was stated before, they are both great speakers, just slightly different personalities. Oh, and the wife agrees that the LaScalas are ugly, really really ugly. That is why I had to find Cornwalls for the Home Theater. She absolutely refused to allow my LaScalas anywhere but the basement. So I have a nice quiet 2 channel listening room in the basement. Thats ok with me. Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCturboT Posted March 4, 2001 Share Posted March 4, 2001 I agree with Alan,Tom,& Mike, I've listened to both,though not at the same time,and felt the LaScalas were "soft"on the bottom end.I had a chance to pick up a clean set of Belles in Walnut for $650.00 but felt the same about these,too liitle bass for my listening habits.Always felt that the LaScalas looked-dare I say it...rather cheap.I'm very happy overall with my Cornwalls. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted March 5, 2001 Share Posted March 5, 2001 I've found for many of today's recordings, esp. the 5.1 recordings (or DTS), that a sub really fills out the low end. If you dial it in right, you don't notice it (i.e., it's not intrusive) but the improvement to the overall sound is phenomenal. If you're looking at the Klipsch line, I'd recommend the KSW12 ... I've listened/owned the 10s and they just don't have the power or punch (they're slow). Go with the 12's, and you can find them on the net for $309 brand new so it won't set you back too far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brennan Posted March 5, 2001 Share Posted March 5, 2001 Chris---I strongly disagree. How can you match a 12" direct-radiating sub to a pair of horn-loaded 15s (or even vented 15s) and expect the sub to match the dynamics, output and low distortion of the mains? Such an exercise is IMO missing the entire point of using LSs or CWs. Better no sub than an inadequate one, sometimes you just gotta live with the tradeoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Garrison Posted March 6, 2001 Share Posted March 6, 2001 Better inadequate bass than no bass. I have La Scalas, and an REL Storm. Sure, Storm can't keep up with La Scalas at higher volumes, but short of really dynamic levels, she does Okay. Even at higher levels, when I switch off the sub to hear naked La Scalas, I quicky put Storm back in the chain 'cause without her, my system doesn't sound as good. To me, anyway. I can live with the bass I get from Storm - I couldn't live happily with the bass I get from La Scalas without her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted March 6, 2001 Share Posted March 6, 2001 Tom, I respect your opinion on this; I think the Cornwalls have excellent bass. It's just that with the sub at normal listening levels (to Ray's point) it sounds ... well, better. I know technically there will be discrepancies, but remember I'm a "newbie" and to my old ears, they sound pretty good, esp. on tracks with an LFE out. ------------------ Denon AVR-3800 McIntosh MC-2105 (Fronts) Toshiba SD-3109 DVD Klipsch Cornwall I's (LF/RF) Klipsch KT-LCR © Klipsch Heresy (RR/LR) Klipsch KSW-12 sub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chockstarfish@hotmail.com Posted March 6, 2001 Author Share Posted March 6, 2001 I was kind of looking for the pros of the Scalas over the pros of the cw. i have the scalas and i was seeing what would be better to trade them off for cw or keep them.. i was just also wondering what JCturboT thought was cheap about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klewless Posted March 6, 2001 Share Posted March 6, 2001 fish, I would keep the LaScalas and purchase Cornwalls as an addition. One reason is that the LaScalas are fully horn loaded. That is why they do not make as much bass as the Cornwall. It is also the reason I believe they sound better in the upper bass/lower midrange than the Cornwall. The Cornwall on the other hand has a wider bandwidth. This is because the upper frequencies are attenuated to blend in with the bass, which is helped out on the bottom by the ported box (bass reflex). Consequently the Cornwall bass driver has to move farther to do it's thing than the bass driver on the LaScala. It is this reduced motion that horns bring about that makes them sound so accurate. The price one pays for this all horn loading is, of course, less bandwidth (meaning no bass). Actually the LaScala does make low bass. But it is not helped out by the horn. The horn brings about the high efficiency above the bass. So it is a matter of balance, balance, balance, and balance. Did I mention balance? Really good speakers always have good balance. Lows relative to mids relative to highs. Speaker designers have learned that it is better to choose a well balanced system rather than trying to force the last ounce from a system. (For example, it would not be a good idea to put an equalizer on a LaScala and boost the bass. Just let it be.) Of course, all this is just my opinion but I believe most of it is considered accurate. And it is not the final say on the subject either. There are many many things to consider in designing speakers. I own both LaScalas and Cornwalls and love and appreciate both of them. They are different but I prefer the upper bass clarity of the LaScala over the more abundant bass of the Cornwall. The Cornwall, howver, has a beautiful sound all it's own. And the bass does not cloud the upper bass too badly. I hope this helps to understand these two very fine speakers. ------------------ John P St Paul, MN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chockstarfish@hotmail.com Posted March 6, 2001 Author Share Posted March 6, 2001 john, you have gotten to some of my questions. but what do you mean by "don't put a eq on the LS's" why? i do use one on mine and get very good bass. when someone says they don't have good bass is that because they don't use one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCturboT Posted March 6, 2001 Share Posted March 6, 2001 Fish, I'm Comparing the LaScalas to the rest of the Heritage line...The rest of the Heritage line from the Heresy to the Klipschorn look like fine furniture while the LaScalas look like something I might have designed in shop class in high school. With unfinished birch cabinets,no grill cloth ,and no laminate on them they in no way possess the beauty of the rest of the line. From what I have read in past posts you have the industrial versions of these speakers and they look nothing like the home versions. They are both probably excellent sounding speakers but for my moneys worth I'd spend the extra cash and go for the Belles or Klipschorns. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klewless Posted March 7, 2001 Share Posted March 7, 2001 Fish, I think people who refer to no bass are indeed running the speakers as is, ie. no helpers in the bass region. Low bass is extremely sensitive to the room and speaker placement (extending from NONE by cancellation to TOO MUCH by coincident addition). I have gotten very good response with my LaScalas simply by changing where they are positioned in the room. But my REL subwoofer adds a new dimension to the sound. LaScalas and a good sub produce beautiful music together. I should also note here that I do not listen to music which rattles the windows but I do listen to it very loud. If I remember correctly (guys -- please help if I miss the boat here) I believe that driver excursion increases by a factor of 4 each time the frequency is cut in half for the same power level. Thus the use of eq and tone controls near the bottom end can produce 1) muddy bass and 2) potentially overdrive the woofer. Of course with the heritage series you'd have to have them awfully loud for that to happen. Hope this helps. ------------------ John P St Paul, MN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chockstarfish@hotmail.com Posted March 7, 2001 Author Share Posted March 7, 2001 it does help in some ways but nobody has been able to what is the deal with the eqs. and what are the chances of me overriding them. will i notice any differnece in sound or resonsiveness? (spelling error) i know ive just had a tweeter diaphram come off . could that be because of the eq? there isn't a way to actually look at the woffer without taking it apart is there. does anyone have a picture of a scala opened? im really interested in seeing what it looks like but im to afraid of taking mine apart. thanks for all the help/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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