Value of speakers

[jillymac]

How can I find out the value of some older Klipsch LaScala series speakers. Serial numbers: 13R118 / LS-BR

[JL Sargent]

One way would be to read up here about these speakers. You could learn how to test the different drivers in the speakers. That way you could test your speakers. Also you could learn how condition affects the price. If they have gouges out of the finish or rings on the top from being used as plant stands the value will be less.

Another way would be to post several good pictures here of the speakers showing the finish on sides, top, and front and other forum members will be glad to assess them for you.

[Colin]

I was tracking vintage Klipsch model re-sales for several years now. The data is old, prices down in the last three years, yet it still provides a good guide to what to look for and expect:

• Belles share the same wonderful mid and high range drivers and horns as the mighty Khorn, but fall off quickly below 100Hz. Yet they have a tipped up bottom and top-end response (many loudspeakers intentionally tip up the ends of their frequency response). Belles don’t require a corner and are same size as LaScalas, but have decorative cloth covered fronts. In a half-dozen sales on eBay, mostly from August 2004, Belle pairs sold from $800 to 2075 (average $1,352). Prices seem to have spiked upward however, with Klipsch selling new models on eBay. Adding three sold in 2006, bumps the average up to $1764.

• LaScalas are the same as Belles, but with exposed wood front (no cloth on bottom), share the same lens and drivers as the Khorn and also fall below 100Hz. Their frequency response is rougher, but it is NOT tipped at both ends like the Belles. LaScalas are bargains compared to the similar Belles. From a dozen sales on eBay and Klipsch forum beginning in 2004, and recently in 2009, LaScalas sold from $292 to $2,504! Recent 2009 sales for $300, 600 and 800 are dropping the average down to $1064! In all cases, the type of crossover can make a difference, as some are better than others. The shipping average I had was $150 for both Belles and LaScala models. Because Belles and LaScalas share the same upper horns as the classic Khorn, you might say they provide 80% of the best Klipsch horn sound. If so, the average Belle and LaScala pair sell for a lot less than 80% of a Khorn.

[Marvel]

Because Belles and LaScalas share the same upper horns as the classic Khorn, you might say they provide 80% of the best Klipsch horn sound.

I believe the Belle doesn't share the same mid horn. A K-400 or 401 with driver attachched wouldn't fit in the cabinet.

Bruce

[JL Sargent]

That's right, the Belle has a shorter horn than the 400/401 series. I THINK its a 500 horn? The Heresy has a 700 horn? Anyway, it is different. Talking about the difference in Bass between these horn loaded bass offerings by Klipsch, several have noted that the Belle bass has more upper bass speed. That certainly could be.

[Guest " "]

ebay completed sales search is a good source.

this fourm's garage sale section is not a good indicator since like in realeste, you only see the asking price not the actual sell price.

[mustang guy]

Within the past year I have purchased 3 pairs. The best pair I paid $1,050, the next best I paid $1,000, and the lowest was $700. The best ones had an excellent finish, AL-3 crossovers, and neede no work. The $1k pair were one owner, but had the old AA crossovers, and I had to put in new caps. Otherwise perfect condition. The last pair were beat up and had been painted black, had delamination at some edges, and also needed new caps in the AA crossovers.

All 3 were local pickup. No shipping.

[garyrc]

• Belles share the same wonderful mid and high range drivers and horns as the mighty Khorn, but fall off quickly below 100Hz. Yet they have a tipped up bottom and top-end response (many loudspeakers intentionally tip up the ends of their frequency response).

I have a Belle center channel, with Klipschorns as the right and left fronts. My particular Belle was made in 2005. I don't know if it is the Belle or the room, but in my room the Belle shows a little peak at 60 Hz, which gives the bass some punch. The response drops like a rock below about 50 -- 60. There is no appreciable dip between 60 and 100 (i.e., there is no greater dip than in certain other parts of the curve). In both listening and measuring, the high end doesn't seem tipped up.

For what it's worth (if anything), in the mid '70s, long before my Belle was made, the largest Bay Area Klipsch dealer, refering to PWK, said of the Belle, "He toned it down."

[MikeFord]

Scala used to be one of my most frequently used search terms on Craigslist, and I tracked prices for maybe year back from now. In Orange County Cal and a few surrounding areas I found about half a dozen offered in that period, and sales seemed around $600 to $800 a pair. The trouble with using Craigslist though is that people pull the ads fairly quickly when lower priced items sell and they keep getting calls, so many great deals you will never see unless you happen to search at the right time.

Prices varies a lot by location, and much of what I see for sale in my area are people moving to a smaller house or apartment that doesn't have space for a large speaker. Sqft in a house in expensive here, in areas where houses are larger and cheaper in general I suspect big speakers sell for more.

[tromprof]

Seems like a lot of sellers are asking $1,000 or more for them, but I would be willing to bet not many are selling for that much. I paid $700 locally for mine, and they are much nicer than the average. For buyers the La Scala is a bargain, it is the Belles that demand the premium price.

[DanO55]

So true on the Belles. LaScalas at about 1K seems the "asking" price now. I paid $900 about 3 yrs ago for my pair which I think was about right at the time.

[Chris A]

the Belle has a shorter horn than the 400/401 series. I THINK its a 500 horn? The Heresy has a 700 horn?

The Belle's midrange horn is in fact a bit shorter, requiring a smaller tweeter-midrange delay in order to time align them using an active crossover, and therefore crosses at ~500 Hz rather than ~400 Hz to the La Scala's bass bin. This is due to the slightly shorter depth of the Belle cabinet with respect to the La Scala. The La Scala accommodates the Khorn's midrange horn length.

[Note that the small difference in time alignment between the La Scala and Belle that I initially failed to recognise in my active tri-amping settings for the Belle was very audible: once I made the adjustment for the slightly shorter Belle midrange horn in my tri-amped Belle, it began to integrate much better with my Jubs. I have since resisted upgrading my tri-amped/time-aligned Belle midrange/tweeter to a K-510/K-69A "Jubscala" configuration because of the improved tri-amped Belle's performance. I may still upgrade at a later date in order to get achieve wider "apparent source width" of the Belle with respect to the Jub's K-402 horns. The timbre of the tri-amped/time-aligned Belle with respect to the Jubs is a pretty good match now.]

The Belle bass bin is actually stiffer than the La Scala (I) due to its geometric shape, but both models have about the same total path length and comparable flare rates, and therefore ~same lf cutoff. The Belle's bass apparently has a little better FR smoothness because of extra stiffness. Note that most people try to find ways to stiffen La Scala I bass bins (and this was instituted by Klipsch with thicker MDF panels in the La Scala II design), but I've not seen any threads where anyone has done that with a Belle bass bin. Seti in particular has stated that he prefers the Belle bass performance to that of the La Scala bass.

Also, both the Belle and La Scala bass bins are apparently very able to cross at 500 Hz than the original product for which the K-700 midrange horn and K-55 driver was designed: the Khorn--with its bass bin limitation of not being able to cross much above 400 Hz. I believe that the deal was that the early La Scala and Cornwall models used the same midrange and tweeter horns/drivers as the Khorn in order to capitalize on commonality of parts. The Belle design came along about 10 years after the La Scala design and required a different midrange horn than the Khorn, but it is more room-friendly package in terms of cabinet depth.

Chris