Jump to content

What Year are my Pro La Scala speakers?


Goodguy911419

Recommended Posts

I think they look a little too good.  Do you know their history?  Some folks get stuff that's had normal or worse handling and "fix them up" then resell them.  Depending on what's been done in that realm I feel that looks aside they'd be worth less, not more, than they would have been.

 

Like with used vehicles, if I see wheel wells and/or undercarriage with fresh black paint I lose all interest regardless anything else to consider.  That's just me...

 

I'm not passing judgement on your pair, just stating that their vintage might be totally irrelevant depending on their provenance.  If they're all original (nobody's put their hands to them) I'd say you got a real find.  Otherwise, maybe not so much.  How do they sound to you?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Goodguy911419 said:

They do have a round magnet tweeter with 97999 stamped on it.  

 

That's a Klipsch number.  Round magnet tweeters, if original, are pre-1980.  They will have an ink stamp, close to: 824 7925.  20180530_123916_resized_1.thumb.jpg.f45f60e676b4c8685c09d1a7cb2c8826.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all your comments and information. As for them looking too good I’ve inspected and believe that they have not been touched up. I emailed the seller asking for his thoughts on when and where he bought them. He hasn’t replied and it’s been two days. I think they are truly original. As for how they sound, I think they sound great at low to medium sound level. When they get turned up the sound suffers. I’m going to buy some new crites AA crossovers. Do you think that’ll help the sound at loud volume? I’ve attached the picture I took of the tweeter behind the panel. I don’t see a ink stamped  lettering. I may have to pop the panel off again. 

4E1DBA2E-7A5F-4BA3-900D-D6511B7C5C39.jpeg

E07277A8-3A62-4CE7-9D69-671F04FCA481.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ink date code may be under the Klipsch label, but look elsewhere on the tweeters. 

 

You'll have to further explain "the sound suffers". 

 

You do not need new crossovers.  The crossovers MAY need new capacitors due to age.  The sound should be alive, forward, out in the room.  Laid back is never used to describe La Scalas.  If not, the caps need replacement.  Use good film and foil caps; they will seem pricey (but not $200 each).  Pay it anyway. 

 

Those tweeters have a 2 watt continuous/20 watt program rating.  The KLiP tweeter protection diodes chop off the waveform to limit the power the tweeter sees.  The result can be a hashy, rough sound, but the old tweeters need the protection.  K-77-M, as I posted above, carries a 5/50 watt rating.  Their diaphragm will fit your tweeters, raising your power rating.  Then, you can remove the KLiP diodes, for home use only. 

 

Less trouble is replacing your tweeters with K-77-Ms or -Fs.  You will get more output above about 12k Hz, too. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

My 1974 La Scalas (non-Industrial) had the same tin-can capacitors, and after I replaced them with a set of Crites Sonicaps, they definitely sounded better.  A few days later, I replaced the K-77 tweeters (which had a 2-3 dB mismatch in output) with a pair of Crites CT125 tweeters (whose output "mismatch" was only about 1/2 a dB), and the sound improved again.  Now Crites has CT120 tweeters, which are better yet.  I'd recommend doing those two changes first, after you've heard your speakers for at least a little while more, to give you time to become fully familiar with their sound.

 

If the sound at louder volumes still seems rough, the roughness may be coming from the squawkers.  When I got those La Scalas (which I still have), I found there was a "shouty" quality to the sound.  The solution to that is to reduce the output of the squawkers.  I'll leave it to other members as to the best way to do that.

 

Hang in there.  You've got a beautiful pair of speakers, which is not often said about original La Scalas, and once you get the sound dialled in to your taste, you should be very pleased with them.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...