A Little Confused about La Scala Crossover Upgrades

[Rotobadger]

Hey All,

 

You may have seen my posts here as I'm on the lookout for a nice pair of La Scala in or near Phoenix, AZ.  I really wanted to go with a cherry pair of LS II (non-AL5) but they're pretty scarce nearby.  Wanted to keep it in the $4k range.

 

Sooo, I've read a number of posts that talk about how you can upgrade an earlier generation LS to be as good as or better than LS II.  Let me say right off, I have NO woodworking skills.  None.  Zero.  Nor do I have the tools.  So, reinforcing and upgrading the cabinet is out of the question.

 

So, to my question.  I'm looking at a gorgeous (albeit overpriced) pair of 1990-ish LS with AL-3 crossovers.  Not recapped.  My confusion is whether it would be a significant and worthwhile upgrade to put new Crites or ALK crossovers in or just to recap the current AL-3.  Every thread I can find with this topic rapidly devolves into "you should look into the Altecs for that money" or "if you graft a JBL onto a XTZ-3000 THX horn and turn it upside down you'll do much better for cheaper!".

 

I'm just after the easiest way to squeeze a little more out of the older La Scala.  Or, if I'm lucky I'll find a nice pair of LS II within driving distance.

 

For the record, I currently have a pair of Forte III which, to quote Adam Sandler, is Not Too Shabby (Don't lie.  You just read that and heard his voice saying it).  But I miss the punch of my old Heresy 1.  Just want that quality with a bigger stage and imaging.

 

Thanks for reading and looking forward to hearing thoughts/advice.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Rotobadger

[jimjimbo]

15 minutes ago, Rotobadger said:

Hey All,

 

You may have seen my posts here as I'm on the lookout for a nice pair of La Scala in or near Phoenix, AZ.  I really wanted to go with a cherry pair of LS II (non-AL5) but they're pretty scarce nearby.  Wanted to keep it in the $4k range.

 

Sooo, I've read a number of posts that talk about how you can upgrade an earlier generation LS to be as good as or better than LS II.  Let me say right off, I have NO woodworking skills.  None.  Zero.  Nor do I have the tools.  So, reinforcing and upgrading the cabinet is out of the question.

 

So, to my question.  I'm looking at a gorgeous (albeit overpriced) pair of 1990-ish LS with AL-3 crossovers.  Not recapped.  My confusion is whether it would be a significant and worthwhile upgrade to put new Crites or ALK crossovers in or just to recap the current AL-3.  Every thread I can find with this topic rapidly devolves into "you should look into the Altecs for that money" or "if you graft a JBL onto a XTZ-3000 THX horn and turn it upside down you'll do much better for cheaper!".

 

I'm just after the easiest way to squeeze a little more out of the older La Scala.  Or, if I'm lucky I'll find a nice pair of LS II within driving distance.

 

For the record, I currently have a pair of Forte III which, to quote Adam Sandler, is Not Too Shabby (Don't lie.  You just read that and heard his voice saying it).  But I miss the punch of my old Heresy 1.  Just want that quality with a bigger stage and imaging.

 

Thanks for reading and looking forward to hearing thoughts/advice.

PM sent

[JohnA]

The easiest way to improve/restore the sound of 30 y.o. LaScalas would be to replace the capacitors in the AL-3 crossover.  The AL-3 is a good crossover, designed for the K-55-M squawker.  Consider replacing the autoformer and any inductors it the cores or windings are loose. 

 

A Type AA crossover of any kind is not a happy match to a system with a K-55-M squawker because the -M has, on average, 1 to 1.5 dB greater output than the K-55-V depending on frequency (but also within the output tolerances of the -V driver). 

 

Al Klappenberger's Universal crossover is VERY good and can be adjusted to account for the -M's output.  Though the sound was clean and clear, I found them to be too bright because they run the tweeter at 105 dB, and higher at some frequencies, while the woofer and squawker run at 104 dB.  Al has addressed this, but that adds even more cost.  Your room may vary. 

 

As to bass horn resonances, they are there, but are only audible at pretty high volume.  If you find a pair that needs some professional cosmetic help, have them add braces from the sidewalls to the doghouse, otherwise, enjoy them and don't worry.  I had mine finished before I got an amp  if enough to hear the resonance.  Now, they are too pretty to modify. 

 

[Deang]

Even if you attenuate the tweeter, the networks sound very different than any of the Klipsch designs.

 

11 hours ago, JohnA said:

the -M has, on average, 1 to 1.5 dB greater output than the K-55-V depending on frequency (but also within the output tolerances of the -V driver). 

 

Yes. Can you hear it though, and if you can, do you care. Add to that the effects of a room, which can put swings in the response of up to 10dB.

 

My LaScalas came with K-55-M's. I've built the AK-3 several times, and each time I went back to the AA.

[Deang]

On 12/1/2021 at 3:16 PM, Rotobadger said:

I've read a number of posts that talk about how you can upgrade an earlier generation LS to be as good as or better than LS II

 

Both will have the characteristic Klipsch "house sound" or sonic signature. You can make older ones sound better, because, well, they are older and often need some attention -- but whether those become "better" or not is completely subjective. Once you move to mods like different drivers and horns, it's not apples to apples anymore.