heavyP Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 hi happy Klipschers! i'm french and maybe about to join the K-community, as there's a nice pair of early 90's LS (93 if i checked my codes well) that is reaaaally tempting not too far from home! i've always found the LS quite fascinating, though never heard any... i come from vintage Tannoy and, hum - Altec19 territories, but don't hold it against me please. both are gone, due to life changes and maybe it's the right time for a Scala life. lately i've read a lot about LS ups and downs ( bass issues, etc) which just seem to comfort my choice. ;-) as i will be able to put them in real corners the pair hold K55M-K77M and AL-3 crossovers. 2nd owner (for 10 years) seemed to use them on active mode. from what i gathered here AL3 isn't held in much praise. i'm sure if i really like what i hear you guys will be of best advice to upgrade it. i'm going to hear them pretty soon, bringing my own amp to get me an idea though i know it will be very different from my own listening room. i just wanted to submit you a pic of the x-over and horn , just to check if it looks 100% kosher to you. so feel free to comment- thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Welcome, They look "kosher" from what is shown. You can never have too many photos for this crowd. Given the relative scarcity in France, you should be able to recoup your investment if you decide they're not for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricktate Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Jump on those with both feet....You can always rebuild the crossover to type A or order new type A from Bob Crites and just switch it out. You got pic of the front???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 here's one of them ...;-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricktate Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Looks awesome.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason str Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Nothing wrong with AL-3 crossover version, probably needs a new set of capacitors installed if they are still factory installed type. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 yeah probably... they just need to be changed for same values or there's an "ideal" upgrade for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason str Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Use quality capacitors of the same value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 Thanks jason ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 (edited) edited ;-) as soldering goes, is it better to switch to bob crites' A or AA kits? Edited November 30, 2016 by heavyP unimportant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiet_Hollow Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 ug...the insecurities. Just listen to them as-is. So many people fuss over the crossover when many other factors are more detrimental to the quality of the sound. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted December 1, 2016 Author Share Posted December 1, 2016 yeah, i totally agree with you. anticipation is indeed a great insecurities revealer ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 Personally, I would not alter the AL-3 networks in any way. After listening to them for months as they are, if you are less than pleased, you could swap out the AL-3 networks. I would keep them unmolested to make possible resale less problematic. I would substitute FRESH A or AA networks. The path of least resistance would be to buy a pair from Bob Crites. With those in place you could decide if La Scalas are for you. Only then would I suggest embarking down the slippery slope of boutique crossover networks, bass bin modifications, subwoofers, etc. If you decide you don't fancy La Scalas, even with fresh non-AL-3 networks, you should be able to easily sell the AL-3 La Scalas and a fresh pair of Crites networks. Feel free to send a PM if you want to speak about La Scala strengths and weaknesses. We can exchange phone numbers. I'm in the USA Eastern time zone, which is 5 hours behind UTC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted December 1, 2016 Author Share Posted December 1, 2016 Thanks Diz for your insight and advice. i will definitely start by listening to them first. if something sounds weird to me, we'll see. my listening session/pick-up trip is set for next thursday, so there's a lot of anticipation on my side. and the pleasure to share and meet klipsch fans here just adds to the excitment. it's always like that with classic speakers. i drove more than a thousand miles to pick-up my former altec 19, it was quite a trip! and they almost couldn't fit in the damn car... this time i have a huge vehicle and the LS are smaller La Scala had been on my radar early on but seemed out of reach. then i upgraded slowly, been here (altec, tannoy) and there (modern toys like eclipse, Horns fp10 and mummies by Audio-Tech), LS seem like a logical step in my musical journey but as audio wisdom says: "Accuracy of reproduction is determined by how well a sound system models someone’s warped set of preconceived notions." ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron167 Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 I'm backing the AL-3's as well. Mine are still original and sound fine to me. I have no issues with base, however my Yamaha amp has a continuos loudness feature that let's me essentially roll the low end with the volume. I'm very happy with my La Scala's and I think you will be too. Happy listening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason str Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 We had Altec Valencia's when i was growing up, lots of other Altec stuff on the block as well along with 2 others with Heresy's. Making the change over to Klipsch was an easy choice. Altec mids may be a bit better at certain frequencies but the lack of lows and highs got old very quickly, there was bass but you throw a bit of power at them and the cone was easily bottomed out leaving you wanting more. I have heard most Klipsch crossovers with the La Scala and one center with ALK though i forget witch one, my least favorite was the AL though not applicable here. What i find with worn out capacitors is you never get a true sense of stereo and wavering sound from one speaker to the other and you never know its there until you hear it without the problem and is why i recommended replacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blvdre Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 I believe it's the AL crossovers that are spoken poorly of, not the AL-3s (as many have pointed out). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted December 2, 2016 Author Share Posted December 2, 2016 that's good to know, thanks ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted December 8, 2016 Author Share Posted December 8, 2016 La Scala had landed home... (well, with a little help from my friends ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axz Hout Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 On 11/29/2016 at 6:01 AM, heavyP said: the pair hold K55M-K77M and AL-3 crossovers.. so feel free to comment- thanks in advance 4150 M = mud slurry magnet PASS The plywood box can be made new for Less than $150 The crossover AL are barf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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