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bought some used la scalas


Binkstir

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Forgive my makeshift stack of stereo equipment. I'm going to make a proper rack as soon as I decide what I want.  The other speakers are polk ls90s which are headed to the media room as soon as the ls50's there go somewhere else. 2 posts down.

 

 

Edited by Binkstir
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Eventually, consider some horn loaded subwoofers.

 

La Scala has very low modulation distortion, is very clean and clear, and was rated "A" (the top grade level) for speakers that don't go all the way down in the bass by Stereophile a few years ago.  La Scalas don't veil the sound -- some people like bad recordings veiled a bit. 

Experiment with turning up the bass.

 

From about 60 Hz up, they are hard to beat.

 

For more bass, try putting them against a wall, or in a corner.  If you put them in a corner (preferred, for maximum bass), put a few acoustical pads on both side walls, starting at the place a line across the front of the midrange and tweeter would touch the side wall, and for about 2 feet farther out into the room.  This will prevent early reflections from the side walls.  A throw rug in front of the La Scala where the sound from the mid/tweeter would hit the floor might help, also.

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On 9/6/2017 at 11:24 AM, Binkstir said:

" . . . I ran across an audio forum where members were saying the la scalas were some of  the worst sounding speakers ever made. . . ."

 

"If they told you wolverines make good house pets, would you believe them?"

Del Griffith

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The bass bin mod as done through the top.








 








IMO, these are still Klipsch La Scalas.  On the other hand, the "Super Heresys" I'm building are not Klipsch speakers, despite containing many Klipsch components and modifying a Klipsch designed product.








 








 








 








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I find that statement quite laughable.
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I don’t think they lack bass. I just think people are getting so used to everything being over bass. What I mean is that now people are not used to how music is really supposed to sound like, It’s the same thing as we get older we can’t hear the highs as well, so we turn up the the high gain on the receiver


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In and of itself, the LaScala is a wonderful speaker...and can be used in a wide variety of situations and locations!  Nothing makes an outside party great better than a pair of LaScalas!  (Unless you have an MCM system...LOL!).

 

The bass horn of the LaScalas is the limiting factor on how low it will go in the bass end of things.  Increasing the bass output from the amplifier really doesn't do much.  At somewhere around 60 hz, the roll-off of the response curve begins to drop severely, due to the design of the bass horn lens. Stiffening the bass bin helps smooth out the response curve, but by 45hz or so, the roll-off is gonna happen, like it or not.  It is best to use a Sub and cross it over around 70 hz or lower, depending on what is needed for your particular speakers and their locations, to pick up on where the LaScalas drop off in bass response.  What you DON'T WANT TO DO, is to have that subwoofer kick in at too high a frequency, because you will end up with a bit of bass that the LaScala CAN reproduce ACCURATELY AND EFFICIENTLY being covered by non-horn-loading of the subwoofer...and you will notice some "muddying up" of the bass you hear if you crossover the subwoofer at too high a frequency.

 

Also, keep in mind it DOES DEPEND on which crossover network is actually IN YOUR LaScalas...to begin with.  let us know what that network is and you wil get better hints at what you need to do for initial mods...always check two things on used speakers...1. Ensure the drivers are the proper ones in them, and 2. ensure you have the best crossover network FOR those speakers.

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Those who say the La Scala is the worst sounding speaker ever made has most likely never heard them or they are just deaf in one ear and cannot hear out the other.

 

My advice would be to replace the crossover first with one of Bob's 4500 units, this minimizes the buzzsaw affect on the ears. Adjustable ( 1 dB ) crossover is also a great option to invest in, i would imagine Bob can work with this for you as well, if not many forum members I'm sure would be happy to help. 

 

Replacing the stock woofers with Eminence Kappa 15 C's are another worthwhile improvement but i would only recommend this mod if using low power amplification or use a high pass crossover on the mains.

 

Lastly is using a proper subwoofer, best for this is a horn loaded sub that plays cleanly to 100 + Hz. Anything else will not blend properly with the mains.

 

The room and placement of course plays a big part so take your time setting up and good luck to you.

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8 hours ago, jason str said:

Those who say the La Scala is the worst sounding speaker ever made has most likely never heard them or they are just deaf in one ear and cannot hear out the other.

 

 

I suspect they enjoy playing sycophant to "experts" on the Internet, high end magazine writers they have never met, or sales people in high end stores to seem to have discriminating, sophisticated taste in regard to speakers they have never heard.  

 

It is hard to find a store with a pair of La Scalas to audition.  I haven't encountered one in a store since about 1980.  I haven't seen a store with Klipschorns, or Cornwalls since about '86.  Yet, in private hands, there were 3 sets of Cornwalls and 1 set of Klipschorns within about 10 minutes of walking from my house in the Bay Area.   In addition, there were a pair of La Scalas in a local art house, and at the Exploratorium.   SFSU  had Belles in the Film Department. 

 

IMO, when someone says they dislike (or like) a speaker, the first thing to ask is, "Where have you heard them?"  A little later in the conversation one can ask how many pairs they've heard, where, and in what kinds of rooms, etc.

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On 9/6/2017 at 11:24 AM, Binkstir said:

I've wanted a set of la scalas for 30 years since I heard a set when I was a teen in a high end stereo store. While researching what I had bought, I ran across an audio forum where members were saying the la scalas were some of  the worst sounding speakers ever made. I will say they seem to be lacking in bass a bit. I've read a little about modifications that can be made to them, replacing tweeters and the like.  I do know that they are original in every way from the 80s. Although I've always wanted a pair, I'm lacking in experience. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

 

They must also dislike Martin-Logan SL3s.  The pair I listened to in Nicholson's Audio In Nashville for most of an hour sounded remarkably like La Scalas. 

 

Please post pictures and your serial number.  It is a good bet the crossovers need a little freshening, unless they have been used frequently. Then there are plenty of upgrades, not all stupid expensive.  If yours have square magnet K-77-Ms, you can disconnect the KLiP diodes, if your crossover has them, for use at home.  The KLiP tweeter protection is about the only valid criticism against La Scalas.  When they operate, the result is a harsh, hashy high end. 

 

La Scalas do lack low bass.  There is little output below 60 Hz, 55 deep in a corner, but I found that boosted the 120-ish range too much. 

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I too have heard horrible sounding LaScalas, and Belles, both decades ago and months ago.

 

But that didn't stop me from bringing home a pair of '92 LaScalas without even listening to them first!

 

That is because I have also heard INCREDIBLE sounding LaScalas, and Belles!

 

And I am blown away daily by the concert in my living room when I turn down the lights for a listening session.

 

All LaScala's are not created equally!

 

Some ARE better than others.

 

But ALL of them can restored or modded to taste! Crossovers, drivers, bracing...

 

But more than that, quality in equals quality out. Compressed music files, poor mastering at the studio, and source equipment plays a huge part in what you hear. On "best of" CD's I can instantly tell when the tracks are from different studios from the previous song.

 

I have an extremely modest stereo set up and am astounded by the presentation at low levels.

 

At louder volumes the bass is nothing short of thunderous. Not muddy deep, but SOLID. 

 

I am HIT by the guitar slam and drum strike, not rumbled.

 

And the imaging is unrivaled.

 

I have progressed from Heresys, to RF-3's, to Forte ii's, to CF-3's,  to Cornwalls and now LaScalas and will not be going back any time soon. Health and finances permitting!

 

I JUST sold my CF-3's to another Klipsch fan, who already has a pair of CF-3's, as well as KLF-30's, and when I cranked up the Lascalas (AFTER the sale!) his eyes popped as he pointed right at the middle of the room with one hand and grabbed the couch armrest with the other while the room shook.

 

Listening last night to Neil Young's live version of Cortez the Killer from the 'Arc Weld' CD set at decent volume through the LaScalas was the FIRST time the applause from an audience sounded real and not like a cacophony (I have always wanted to use that word in a sentence). The audience was around the band, not in it. Alice In Chains 'Unpugged' is another ear opener in this regard.

 

Until very recently I would have thought the lower crossover (400hz) from the woofer to the squaker would have taken away some bass.

 

What it does is free up the woofer to hit hard and fast, and the midrange to bite with detail you truly have to hear to believe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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