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Just bought a La Scala AL-3


javelin

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Please tell me this was a good buy. I drove 36 mins and paid $600 for the pair. The black lacquer paint

still smooth. Some minor scratch but nothing major. The numbers are in sequence, 12421 and 12422.

I tested both speakers with a small receiver and both worked nicely. Just a simple test to make sure

the speakers work. Anyway to tell when this speaker was assembled?

My intention is to replace my main RF-3ii with the La Scala set. Will this work?

See attached pics.

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MQbAwqBDQmBm9yd+dKt7HR2fwxMW5T52ZqHxJzG2


I was hoping for an RF-83s to replace my RF-3II but nothing has come up yet. There is one RF-83 listed

in craigslist now but the guy hasn't responded to my offer so I got the La Scala instead.

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Definitely a really great price for those. Looking on CL, cheapest I found was a pair for $800, with many asking $900 - $1400. If you decided they were not what you were looking for, you should EASILY be able to sell them for what you paid for them or sell them at market value for a profit.

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You did AWESOME! I'd buy another pair at that price even though I don't need them! LOL

Your name and story are familiar....were you posting over on AVS?

It sounds in a way like you feel you've settled for a lesser speaker than the 83? If you've got the room and can get them dialed in well, I think your search for something "better" will be over. ;)

The AL3 crossover is considered less desirable by most people. Mine came with them and I switched out to AA's with a few extra filters (thanks to the help of speakerfritz). It did smooth the sound out a bit. Nothing drastic, but something to put in the back of your mind for now.

Enjoy!

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Thanks guys. I appreciate the positive encouragement. I got lucky. :)

I'll hook them up this afternoon and will run a "test" with Copland "Fanfare for the Common Man". I played this same

CD with my RF-3II and I was amazed how these speakers reproduced sounds from the various brass and

percussion instruments so sharp and clean, imho. :)

I'm excited and can't wait to try this CD on them La Scala. Will find out tonight.

BTW, I use a puny Pioneer 91TXH 7.1 receiver with 110 watt per channel to drive the RFs and a Velodyne DLS-5000R for

the boom and thuds. I still like to get the RF-83s...I hope tonight's test will change my mind forver... :)

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It sounds in a way like you feel you've settled for a lesser speaker than the 83? If you've got the room and can get them dialed in well, I think your search for something "better" will be over. ;)

That's right! These are just in a different league!

The larger the room, the better. If you have the possibility of putting them in the corners of the long wall instead of the short wall, try that. Space them out a lot (18 feet is not too much) and point them towards you (by as much as 45 degrees, like Klipschorns) and, for me, they disappear from the room entirely on stereo music, leaving pinpoint imaging. Enjoy them!

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LOL, I can't work. I can't stop thinking about setting this up. Ok, I'm leaving at 2pm.

I have a 14 x 16 room, probably too small, and right now, I have my RF-3s crossed or angled as you

say. Basically, I took my tape measure and stretched it to about 8-10feet away from the TV. I used that

as my center point(my middle chair), and used it to dictate the correct placement for the L/R speakers

which comes out to a nice 45 degree, but that was for the RF-3s. I'll need to do the same for the La Scala.

One other thing, can I safely remove the xover board and clean it? The horn's exterior is also a little dusty.

I'm a little cautious about touching these.

Just a side note, the guy I bought it from is the second owner. He bartered with an older gentleman, the original owner, for a house paint job in return for the speakers he no longer use. This guy is a painter by trade, no disrespect here, and his basement setup is nothing more than a 32inch tube TV, a VHS, and the La Scala speakers which he never heard to work until I tested it with my receiver. He had no use for them but he was very happy with $600.

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Wow!

1- If the 16-foot wall has available corners, try them there at 45 degrees, putting the sweet spot at 8 feet from the front wall (or TV).

2- No problem with removing the crossover, but it's also very accessible without removing it of course.

3- LOL! Everyone is happy and you got a great deal!

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These La Scala speakers are unbelievable! On the left is one La Scala and on the right is my RF-3. I put on the Copland

CD and played the Fanfare for the Common Man. Absolutely amazing! The La Scala was taking care all of the highs and

lows while I can't hear the RF-3 anymore. The brass instruments and timpany just come to life. It's like listening to a band

playing except you're about 10-feet away from them. The horn, midrange, and tweeter on these speakers are amazing and

that's what makes the La Scala unique, imho.

At the lowest volume setting where I can't hear the RF-3 anymore, the La Scala is audible at a nice comfort level, a low

volume setting I would used when taking nap, for example. Is this where the Sensitivity kicks in?

I'll post a picture of before and after later on. For now, I'm going to watch Mr. and Mrs. Smit.

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Definitely a really great price for those. Looking on CL, cheapest I found was a pair for $800, with many asking $900 - $1400. If you decided they were not what you were looking for, you should EASILY be able to sell them for what you paid for them or sell them at market value for a profit.

Just went through your HT. Awesome job hiding those speakers and I love the arena-style seating. I would have love to do the

same but I've got very limited space. Did you build your HT room yourself? I did mine and it took me almost one year and the

only thing I didn't do was the carpeting...everything else I did to save bucks.

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At the lowest volume setting where I can't hear the RF-3 anymore, the La Scala is audible at a nice comfort level, a low

volume setting I would used when taking nap, for example. Is this where the Sensitivity kicks in?

I'll post a picture of before and after later on. For now, I'm going to watch Mr. and Mrs. Smit.

Yes, the increased sensitivity lets you hear more low-level detail in the music.

At the same time, you're using less electricity to get more and better sound. You can smile while you're saving the planet.

BTW, I paid double that for an older pair of La Scalas six years ago, and I still consider it a good deal. My avatar shows one of them.

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I was going to finish Mr and Mrs Smith but my 3rd grader came to say the movie's to loud from the second floor

of the house. I've adjusted the volume for a dialogue scene but when actions and explosion came in, the entire

room seems to have just exploded but one thing I noticed for certain, the La Scala speakers didn't blurr, crack,

or distort even at the extrem volume level. This is crazy. At normal and higher levels, dialogues are full and clear...sweeeeet!

I was smiling from ear to ear. Can you break these speakers? I mean fry the coils, capacitors, transistors, blow the paper

cone, etc? It is just unreal. The RF-3s are going upstairs for my smaller TV where my kids play their Wii.

I would love to audition the RF-83s for comparsion and knowledge but probably not anymore after this...but who knows.. :)

So, I've made my decision...I'm keeping my La Scala. :) Can you see the smile on my face! [:D]

Attached is my HT with RF3.

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I was going to finish Mr and Mrs Smith but my 3rd grader came to say the movie's to loud from the second floor

of the house. I've adjusted the volume for a dialogue scene but when actions and explosion came in, the entire

room seems to have just exploded but one thing I noticed for certain, the La Scala speakers didn't blurr, crack,

or distort even at the extrem volume level. This is crazy. At normal and higher levels, dialogues are full and clear...sweeeeet!

I was smiling from ear to ear. Can you break these speakers? I mean fry the coils, capacitors, transistors, blow the paper

cone, etc? It is just unreal. The RF-3s are going upstairs for my smaller TV where my kids play their Wii.

I would love to audition the RF-83s for comparsion and knowledge but probably not anymore after this...but who knows.. :)

So, I've made my decision...I'm keeping my La Scala. :) Can you see the smile on my face! Big Smile

Attached is my HT with La Scala speakers.

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Yes, the increased sensitivity lets you hear more low-level detail in the music.

At the same time, you're using less electricity to get more and better sound. You can smile while you're saving the planet.

BTW, I paid double that for an older pair of La Scalas six years ago, and I still consider it a good deal. My avatar shows one of them.

It's what I thought but just a guess. Thanks Islander. BTW, you have a nice place Vancouver up north. Been there serveral times and I love it.

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