drum365 Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I've found a pair of 1984 La Scalas for sale in my area. The crossovers and caps appear to be original, so I assume they're going to leave much to be desired. (If I'm correct, these should have the AL crossovers, right?, which everyone says should be replaced with A's or AA's.) Anyway, aside from poor performance from the crossovers, what should my 60 year-old ears be on the lookout for? I have an audio test CD with tones at various Hz and sweeps and stuff. I expect I should be able to identify any problems with the drivers. Anything else to look for? Thanks in advance for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 welcome to the forum. what you should do is listen to see if all 3 drivers are working. a simple towel stuffed in the midrange to block it off will let you know if the tweeter is working. remove the towel and put your hand over the tweeter and see if the midrange is working and you should have no problem to hear if the woofer is working. don't get to carried away with the crossovers needing rebuilt right away. listen to them and enjoy them for awhile. after that you can send them to forum member BEC ( bob crites ) and get them rebuilt or change them out for whatever. bob will tell you everything you need to know. do they need rebuilt and can you tell the difference when you get them rebuilt. absolutely. enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tragusa3 Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Mine are late 70's models, and I haven't done caps yet. I've had them a year, and they sound stunning. They need to be done, but it's not like they'll sound like junk. Why didn't I think of the towel idea? I was auditioning and blowing my ears out trying to determine. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennie Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Hey Drum365, welcome to the Klipsch Forum, we're glad you're here. I agree with Budman, don't worry to much about the crossovers. It is the size of these speakers that will throw you! LOL If you haven't seen them in person before........be prepared, they are large and heavy. I think they are 130lbs each, so bring help if you are taking them home. Give them a good listen with some music you are familiar with. They should sound okay, even pretty good, no matter what shape the crossovers are in. Heck, I didn't think my crossovers (1979) needed to be replaced as the speakers sounded very good. It wasn't until I replaced the crossovers, that I noticed the difference. How much are "they" asking. La Scalas seem to be going from $500 to $1500 in my neck of the woods. Keep us posted and remember, we don't think there are "Stupid Questions", just stupid people who don't ask questions! [] Dennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 it may not be immediately apparent, improperly connected drivers are common, pen springs and the like as fuses, corrosion in between the crossover screws and the wiring terminals (star lock washers are your friend). The AA/A xovers certainly have a different sound than the AL, but thats not to say you won't like the AL xovers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wunsung Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I've found a pair of 1984 La Scalas for sale in my area. The crossovers and caps appear to be original, so I assume they're going to leave much to be desired. (If I'm correct, these should have the AL crossovers, right?, which everyone says should be replaced with A's or AA's.) Anyway, aside from poor performance from the crossovers, what should my 60 year-old ears be on the lookout for? I have an audio test CD with tones at various Hz and sweeps and stuff. I expect I should be able to identify any problems with the drivers. Anything else to look for? Thanks in advance for your help! Hi Drum365, Welcome to the forum. A test CD is a great tool for the playback of various audio tones; however, unless you have a reference, or baseline to use for a comparison, it won't be of much use during your audition of the La Scala's. Rather you should bring a few of your favorite CD's and make the determination that the sounds you hear are to your liking. If you are familiar with the sound of Heritage loudspeakers, then you'll know what to listen for. On the other hand, if this is your first foray, be prepared to be blown away. I find the sound of Heritage loudspeakers unlike any other. Without getting all fluffy, music through them should be presented with transient snap and startling realism. Nothing, with the exception of a few electrostatics, is as fast as a Heritage loudspeaker, and this characteristic is what sets a Heritage loudspeaker apart from the rest. Everything should sound as natural and fully fleshed-out, warts and all, as if the performance is literally right in front of you. I know this was a brief explanation, and I could wax on this subject for hours, but if the La Scala's are up to par, your favorite CD's should be rendered in such a way that you can't help but become addicted. I hope they work out for you. Let us know how you get on. Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted March 16, 2011 Moderators Share Posted March 16, 2011 If you are familiar with the sound of Heritage loudspeakers, then you'll know what to listen for. On the other hand, if this is your first foray, be prepared to be blown away. I find the sound of Heritage loudspeakers unlike any other. Without getting all fluffy, music through them should be presented with transient snap and startling realism. Nothing, with the exception of a few electrostatics, is as fast as a Heritage loudspeaker, and this characteristic is what sets a Heritage loudspeaker apart from the rest. Everything should sound as natural and fully fleshed-out, warts and all, as if the performance is literally right in front of you. I know this was a brief explanation, and I could wax on this subject for hours, but if the La Scala's are up to par, your favorite CD's should be rendered in such a way that you can't help but become addicted. I hope they work out for you. Let us know how you get on. Marty Well said, and the idea of the towel Budman, a simple way to check drivers. [Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted March 16, 2011 Moderators Share Posted March 16, 2011 Almost forgot, Welcome Drum. subliminal message starts here [6]........get the LaScalas.......get the LaScalas.......get the LaScalas...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drum365 Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 Hey - thanks everyone for your input! I guess I could have made a few more things clear in my original post: First of all, I know well what the Heritage line sounds like. That's why I am so interested in these! The way my house is laid out, there's no place to put Khorns. Seriously - all the walls and door openings and stuff just don't work out. So I'm thinking of La Scalas as the next best choice. I have heard them (many years ago, I must admit) but I clearly recall the impression the sound left on me. And I haven't really heard anything else in decades that has impressed me as much. I clearly have a preference for horns - all of my PA equipment (except the stage monitors) is horns. I love them! Thanks for the towel trick. Great idea! Anything else I should watch out for? Do these have a tendency to develop buzzes due to structural problems, that sort of thing? Thanks again, everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted March 16, 2011 Moderators Share Posted March 16, 2011 Great idea! Anything else I should watch out for? Do these have a tendency to develop buzzes due to structural problems, that sort of thing? Not that I have ever heard of, if it has happened it must be pretty rare. Mostly check for drivers working and in time you could always check the crossovers later, although I have some antique crossovers out in the garage I need to update, they are leaking and still work [:$].......I need to fix that ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted March 16, 2011 Moderators Share Posted March 16, 2011 I clearly have a preference for horns - all of my PA equipment (except the stage monitors) is horns. I love them! Now your talking, Pro horns ! [Y] You may find it hard to believe but there are some crazy people here that use Pro stuff in there homes with active crossovers ! [] They can't be normal..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drum365 Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 I clearly have a preference for horns - all of my PA equipment (except the stage monitors) is horns. I love them! Now your talking, Pro horns ! You may find it hard to believe but there are some crazy people here that use Pro stuff in there homes with active crossovers ! They can't be normal..... (Oh, no. Do I have to admit here that I've thought about doing just that? Major WAF problems there, though: rat fur in the living room? No way!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted March 16, 2011 Moderators Share Posted March 16, 2011 (Oh, no. Do I have to admit here that I've thought about doing just that? Major WAF problems there, though: rat fur in the living room? No way!) It's safe here to admit to that here, were not normal here. There are many here with speakers from the Pro line. I don't know about WAF, my wife and daughter heard these and said " that's what we want", although no rat fur, that would have been a little to much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I don't know about WAF, my wife and daughter heard these and said " that's what we want"... Show off! ;-)And yes, welcome to the forum. The LaScalas will rock the house if you want them too. I personally didn't like the AL crossovers and was fortunate that a friend loaned me a set of ALK (Al K. Engineering) crossovers to use until I built my own. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drum365 Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 To hell with the speakers - how much will you take for your wife and kids? ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnatnoop Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 To hell with the speakers - how much will you take for your wife and kids? ;-) he'd probably trade 'em for the lascalas! [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted March 16, 2011 Moderators Share Posted March 16, 2011 To hell with the speakers - how much will you take for your wife and kids? ;-) After 32 years I can't switch now, they would have to retrain me all over. [:S] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted March 16, 2011 Moderators Share Posted March 16, 2011 Show off! ;-) I like to show off my wife's speakers, she only keeps me around because she does not know how to turn it all on, It works for me. [Y] Bruce how's the new bride ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted March 16, 2011 Moderators Share Posted March 16, 2011 To hell with the speakers - how much will you take for your wife and kids? ;-) he'd probably trade 'em for the lascalas! Well I don't have any LaScalas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 I like to show off my wife's speakers, she only keeps me around because she does not know how to turn it all on, It works for me. Bruce how's the new bride ? That's because she couldn't have built those MWMs herself... Plus, you built here a super sewing room.The new bride is wonderful and I don't think we could be happier. Hope you and Christy are doing well. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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