Cornscala VS La Scala

[moray james]

the LaScala begins to turn into a box rather than a horn at around 120Hz. (horn effect fades off as the horn is far to short and has way to small a mouth) and by 90 or 80 Hz you are best to cross to a sub, the fact that it continues to play as a large box speaker down to around 50 Hz does not really count for much since its output is greatly diminished when compared to 120 Hz.. If you want to keep the tremendous horn loaded dynamics efficiency and clean sound you really do need to use a horn sub. The LaScala loudspeaker is great speaker it just has a balance problem when people try to use it as a full range reproducer which it was not designed to be.

[Dave A]

On 8/30/2017 at 2:19 PM, justinsweber said:

Dave. No worries. I was just saying I chimed in with my 2 cents.  Prob no need to recount it. 

Regarding cab size. 5.8-6.2 cu ft. Most stay true to the 2dt cubed.  When I have shrunk the cab a bit I have found the 15C woofer to be more responsive/tighter bass. 

Re bass. The LS bass is fast, tight and large but lacks the visceral response the CW has, at least to me.  The CW in practical terms goes ~15hz deeper.  As the LS begins to die at 60hz and the CW at 45hz. 

As Dave is a wiz in CAD I'd also suggest building an Edgar horn/ get a fastrac horn and put in all into 1 cab the size of a Cornwall.  You'll have a speaker significantly smaller than a LS with deeper bass. 

  Interesting that you say that about the fastrac. I have read a number of places where people talk about bad resonance from thin wall plastic horns or from metal horns.

 

  As an aside here. It seems like nothing is best singular known method here in audio land. I come from a back round where there is almost always a best way to do things. A design that is efficient and can be produced. Where manufacturing parts is pretty well proven science with known best ways of doing so. Still you have to dig for these things and then there is a group that wants to stay with what they knew but not realize there is a better way and provably so by the life of cutters and increase in cubic inch per minute metal removal rates.  Part of the equation I go through to arrive at best practices in my shop is to find A, the guys who have actually done things similar to what I propose to do and B, have verifiable excellent results. In general I can go to see these things being done in real life and make qualified judgements as to how I should proceed.

  Here things are different. I can read a ton of variations and opinions but have little resource to actually verify that what the author says is correct by going to see and hear what was done. So I have to slog through numerous here is the best way scenarios to try and figure out who has the best well rounded practical builder knowledge according to their technical presentation on a forum and not a combination of standing there and hearing in person to judge for MY ears that what was done was right for me. There is an old adage that says measure twice and cut once. I do not want to try and reinvent the wheel I just want to find the best way and I am wondering if this is even possible. Perhaps our ears and perception are so diverse this is a naive hope on my part and I will just have to jump in and forge ahead. It is not just this forum, it is all the audio forums. I have observed a few very nice looking systems when I have been buying speakers but it seems there was never time to sit and hear and have explained what was done and why. I have to say that these systems were far more involved than I will ever need or want. I just want two channel audio because I am not a TV watcher. I want a self contained preferably one piece cabinet at best and a two piece like the newer la Scalas would be fine too. I am in awe of you guys with these theater setups and would like to stop in and hear but I have no desire to emulate you. Simple two channel Dave is my goal.

 

   Anyway back to Fastrac.

 

  I had considered the idea  of machining a horn. I can make it in two halves to be joined quite easily and it could be any material I choose. Wood obviously has advantages in this area with screws and glues to join the halves and it looks good. I have often thought stacked maple butcher blocks would be pretty as well as a good base material. I can machine out of solid Delrin plastic two halves and screw and seal the joining surface and make it all thick enough to never worry about resonance. I can do the same with aluminum. Lots of $$$ for the material though. After all if you are removing the center cavity only out of a block that leaves a ton of dampening material. Then I think well OK can you even  hear such a difference? The K400 horn sounds just fine to me. I like the La Scala's I just don't like the lack of profound bass with things like Toccata in D Minor.

 

 " I understand. Please explain why so many want the Cornwall low end then? That's not folded horn woofer design...
Note: I am new to heritage speakers with folded woofer designs.....this is an honest question."

 

  Part of my dilemma too. I have had both Cornwall and Chorus speakers here. Both quite different to me and different from my industrial La Scalas. The KP-480 sub I am using with the La Scala's sounds a bit muddy to me and does not go low enough. The Cornwalls and Chorus's go deep but do not have the clarity of the La Scalas even though I really like the way they sound. Another consideration is my audio environment which is in my shop. All hard surfaces everywhere. The La Scala's seem to direct sound better to a central listening area and the speaker cabinet types are not so directional. My sound room is next to the CNC mill and lathe. The Cornscala was to me a possible worthwhile compromise that would allow me directional sound and bass and clarity in my environment.