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La Scala AL5 What a Painful Experience


GlennyC

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  The tweeters used are different than the K77 variants used for many decades. After having pulled the crossovers from later version La Scala’s it is doubtful there is a loose wire. The connections are all soldered. Extremely solid construction. 

  More likely is a failed tweeter. 

  If you have the shipping boxes, packing up this top hat should be fine. Weighs 40 -50 lbs. The top of my LS ii is about 40, and constructed with 3/4 MDF. Think yours are 1” MDF. 

  Your crossover looks a lot like these.18BA85C4-AB8B-410B-AA66-C2EBC557ACF9.thumb.jpeg.20022604e6b9f808d724ddbe354fe36f.jpeg

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3 hours ago, PrestonTom said:

I am afraid the suggestions are being lost.

 

Measurement should be close (1 meter or less). This is what the speakers is putting out (mostly). First thing is to get that right. Once accomplished then maybe you want to measure at the listener's position (I said maybe). If you measure there, then you are getting  the output of the speaker interacting with the room. Do you make adjustments above this frequency region (that is a loaded question)?

 

There is a spectral region where you might want to make adjustments (relatively low frequencies) and there is a spectral region region where you do not want to make adjustments (relatively higher frequencies &  you should leave it alone). Where is this dividing line (low vs high)? The answer is more complicated but it is typically  around 300 to 500 Hz and I am being deliberately vague. Check in Toole's book and he will give you a better understanding.

 

IOW, correct "room issues" at the low frequencies but not the highs.

 

Good luck,

-Tom

Ok I get it. Only measure close to the speaker (1 meter or less) and not with both speakers playing. After measuring only correct below 300 Hz (to be safe). Apply corrections then remeasure. Does the DEQ2496 let you correct each channel independently? I don’t think I have been doing that. So, by hand I will average the correction* for both channels, apply and remeasure (using REW).  I have been doing AUTOEQ with pink noise with the Behringer microphone (uncalibrated) connected to the DEQ2496 in the listening position. This adjusts and turns on the GEQ (in the frequency range from 60 to 17,000 Hz) for both speakers. I should set the range to 60 to 300 Hz. I am not going below 60 Hz because the DEQ2496 sits between my preamp and amp and my preamp is sending all frequencies below 55Hz to the subwoofer out. The (stereo) amp only gets 55 Hz and above. 
 

* I have a second DEQ2496. Maybe use one for each channel then I don’t have to average the corrections?

AA9AAFFF-465E-4351-A7CF-A04B1775E404.jpeg

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4 hours ago, GlennyC said:

Does the DEQ2496 let you correct each channel independently?

Yes.

 

347906208_DEQ2496PEQscreenshot.JPG.e00293ecefa1687a5975f0fa7e2baa94.JPG

 

Quote

In this menu too, the A keys selects the left and right-channel signals. If STEREO LINK modes has been selected in the UTILITIES menu (chapter 3.5), the parameter values refer to both sides

 

Turn off the Stereo Link mode if it is on.

 

Chris

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Thank you Chris A. I will do as you suggest and PEQ unlinked not GEQ linked. I just realized that when I get my Sunfire True Signature subwoofer back from repair I will be able to not use the preamplifier subwoofer out (not using the preamplifier crossover at all). I can send the full range of frequencies right and left channels to the DEQ2496 from the preamp and then from the DEQ2496 to the Sunfire, use the crossover in the Sunfire and return the left and right back to the amplifier. In this way I will be able to correct from about 17 Hz to 300 Hz. The only problem is I have been using XLR balanced connections between the preamplifier and the DEQ2496 and the amplifier. Between the Sunfire and the Amplifier would have to be RCA unbalanced. I will have to test how it sounds but in my experience the XLR is noticeably (significantly) better. 

D047A81E-CC81-40C2-BF99-D116915B39D2.jpeg

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I purchased a pair of Walnut B-Stock AL5's a couple of months ago but they don't work too well in my room. Considering going a different direction if anyone is interested in purchasing, and I'm happy to let them go for 15-20% less than what I paid. If anyone is interested let me know.

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4 minutes ago, BassMaykr said:

I purchased a pair of Walnut B-Stock AL5's a couple of months ago but they don't work too well in my room. Considering going a different direction if anyone is interested in purchasing, and I'm happy to let them go for 15-20% less than what I paid. If anyone is interested let me know.

You might want to list them in the Garage Sale section, along with your location.  Better exposure in that section.

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This is the reason I did not buy Cornwall IVs even though reviews claim they are much better. Hardly any used ones around. 

 

At 6K, I would be entering a price bracket where there were more options to consider esp. used. So I got B stock Cornwall IIIs for 3K. One of the speakers had a barely noticeable blemish. Otherwise perfect. I plan on keeping these for a long time.

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So I opened up my La Scala after getting to OK from tech support at Klipsch. Wire was loose to the tweeter. Easy peasy fix. Ten minutes at most. I ran the REW measurements as follows....

Red line is Right speaker. Green line is Left speaker.

La Scala AL5 R and L OK.jpg

TweeterDisconnect.jpg

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Those measurements look good now--especially the La Scala that wasn't running the tweeter.  Which side was that one without tweeter functioning--right or left?

 

Chris

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3 hours ago, VNC Studio said:

This is the reason I did not buy Cornwall IVs even though reviews claim they are much better. Hardly any used ones around. 

 

At 6K, I would be entering a price bracket where there were more options to consider esp. used. So I got B stock Cornwall IIIs for 3K. One of the speakers had a barely noticeable blemish. Otherwise perfect. I plan on keeping these for a long time.

There is hardly any good used Klipsch around period no matter what you have to spend right now.

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59 minutes ago, GlennyC said:

So I opened up my La Scala after getting to OK from tech support at Klipsch. Wire was loose to the tweeter. Easy peasy fix. Ten minutes at most. I ran the REW measurements as follows....

 

Hopefully that's 90% of your problem and everything else is just a matter of fine-tuning.

 

 

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5 hours ago, Dave A said:

There is hardly any good used Klipsch around period no matter what you have to spend right now.

That's true. I tried Audio Mart and E-bay. Not much luck. Plus people are not too keen on shipping. Then I saw the B-stock sales from Sound Seller on E-bay. Very reputable dealer and I was able to ship to Canada using a freight forwarding service.

 

I'm totally starting from scratch. I'm on Day 3 of breaking in.

 

I always wanted a system with Klipsch Heritage speakers with a SET amplifier forever. I am pretty happy. Some people claimed Cornwalls are boomy, shrill, and whatever.

 

Not what I'm hearing when I feed TIDAL via Audirvana through an MHT tube DAC to the SET amp. I have a fairly large room. I will also be doing some room treatment if needed after the break-in period. Next is to get a CEC TL5 CD transport and perhaps vinyl (not so sure about this since it seems like an endless money pit). :-)

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On 5/24/2020 at 10:47 PM, GlennyC said:

For what it’s worth, this is my curve for my Heresy IIIs after equalization...

2137E925-839C-4AF8-9486-5D4717338431.jpeg

 

Just beautiful!  though it may sound delicious, I'd knock down the bump at 40 Hz and be proud. 

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8 hours ago, GlennyC said:

So I opened up my La Scala after getting to OK from tech support at Klipsch. Wire was loose to the tweeter. Easy peasy fix. Ten minutes at most. I ran the REW measurements as follows....

Red line is Right speaker. Green line is Left speaker.

La Scala AL5 R and L OK.jpg

 

 

That loose wire would have had me all out of sorts with my new, $$$ La Scalas, too.  I'm curious about the green line being ~5 dB below the red line, though. 

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So, I just remeasured after checking all my connections and being meticulous about positioning the microphone in the same relative position in front of each speaker. New results look much better as far as differences between speakers goes. Positioned the microphone 16 inches in front of each speaker. I still have that Right channel peak at 160 Hz. But I will be able to PEQ that out of there. Will try that now.

Lascala AL5 No EQ L - R OK.jpg

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