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Anyone using La Scala's with 2.5 -5 watt amps


JimMeader

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Looking at the Alan Eaton and Decware SET amps

 

anyone using them with La Scala's

 

my room is 17X20 with rounded ceilings reaching 14 feet at the top , so high cubic volume

 

Listening position is 12 feet from speakers

 

Your comments would be greatly appreciated

 

 

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My concern is with the distance to my listening position and the cubic volume of my room might require more watts

 

I am sure for Normal listening they will be fine, but occasionally I do like to turn it up.  Right now I am using a Crown XLI 1500 which has 450 watts, which is way to much, so I keep it at 25% and use a pre-amp for volume control

 

I was hoping to get a wider and deeper sound stage by going to the SET tube amps

 

Schu  which Decware model and how big is your listening room

 

Thanks you for helping me out

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2 hours ago, JimMeader said:

My concern is with the distance to my listening position and the cubic volume of my room might require more watts

 

I am sure for Normal listening they will be fine, but occasionally I do like to turn it up.  Right now I am using a Crown XLI 1500 which has 450 watts, which is way to much, so I keep it at 25% and use a pre-amp for volume control

 

I was hoping to get a wider and deeper sound stage by going to the SET tube amps

 

Schu  which Decware model and how big is your listening room

 

Thanks you for helping me out

 

How loud do you listen?  I had 2.5 watts on a set of Belles in a room 19' x 45' deep and got complaints of being too loud, but it was really not that loud. 

 

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5 hours ago, JimMeader said:

 

I am sure for Normal listening they will be fine, but occasionally I do like to turn it up.  Right now I am using a Crown XLI 1500 which has 450 watts, which is way to much, so I keep it at 25% and use a pre-amp for volume control

 

Standard Levels (based on several measurements of full symphony orchestras by several labs and individuals, including PWK, THX, and Dolby):

 

85 dB is medium to loudish

 

90 to 95 dB is Loud

 

100 dB, in rooms our size, is about the THX standard for instantaneous peaks (about 1/4 to 1/3 of a second long) for midrange and treble.

 

110 dB, in rooms our size is more or less the THX standard for instantaneous peaks in the bass.

 

THX makes this adjustment in peak level recommendation in recognition that the complex, but early, reflections, specular and diffuse, one gets in rooms our size, make the music sound like it is about 5 dB louder than it really is to our feeble brains and ears.  In a big hall or movie theater, THX would require 5 dB more. 

 

In my room, just a bit smaller than yours, sort of acoustically dead, at 13 feet, here are the results for a single Klipschorn (converted to model AK5) which is exactly the same sensitivity as your La Scalas (105dB/2.83v/1 meter "typical" room with room gain and boundary gain; prob more like 101dB in an anechoic chamber):

 

Clipping is an anathema!  If your tweeter is a standard K77 (or K77m or K77F or K77D) clipping can smoke it!

 

wts         SPL

1             95 dB

2             98 dB

4            101 dB (might deliver dynamic peaks as high as 104 dB--some risk of clipping)

8            104 dB

16          107 dB

32          110 dB

64          113 dB

128         116 dB

 

 

 

 

 

 

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If you're used to the crown, you might be underwhelmed by the output... but to me there is more than output that constitutes rewarding listening.

 

My room is roughly 25' depth x40' width with my MLP about 15' from LR mains and my mains are 17' wide ctc.

 

Decware was strong enough to easily reach my normal 80-85db level.

 

The reason I got rid of them was because I wanted more... but not necessarily more db.

 

It escapes me right now which model they were, but I am sure it wasn't one of his top models, but they were monos.

 

I currently use a push pull design that is putting out about 18watts and it will blow you out the back of the room at half throttle... I normally listen at about 1/4 volume and get 90db-92db peaks at 85db level... more than enough db to pressurize my room.

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3 minutes ago, Shakeydeal said:

 

No, I think he really believes it. And that's the sad part......

 

 Depends on what you're trying to accomplish the La Scala was originally a PA speaker for outdoor use at large venues max output is rated at 121db IIRC? going by the chart above you'd need more than 200 watts to get them there. 

 

 Just like with my Chorus speakers 4 watts is typical on the daily but to really let them puppies loose you need 300 watts for max output, believe me I've tested it many times back in the day with numerous amplifiers. 

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20 minutes ago, jjptkd said:

 

 Depends on what you're trying to accomplish the La Scala was originally a PA speaker for outdoor use at large venues max output is rated at 121db IIRC? going by the chart above you'd need more than 200 watts to get them there. 

 

 Just like with my Chorus speakers 4 watts is typical on the daily but to really let them puppies loose you need 300 watts for max output, believe me I've tested it many times back in the day with numerous amplifiers. 

 

See that's where his statement is ridiculous. Nothing means anything without a point of reference. It's like saying a ball of string is 20 ft. long.

 

Yeah, you might want 200 watts if you are using them as PA speakers at a football game. But for listening to music in a home environment, not necessary. And I don't care how loud you listen, not necessary. 

 

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I've never used my La Scala IIs as PA speakers. I've run my La Scala IIs with a CJ MF 2550SE at 250 watts per side and a Rythm at 5 watts. 250 watts was not necessary or "better" (even with the 1812 Overture), so I sold it. Now I alternate between the Rythm and Cary 300B monoblocks at 11 watts per side. Both can produce ear-splitting volume levels with proper dynamics at less than full throttle.

 

As the chart above shows:

watts         SPL 

1             95 dB

2             98 dB

4            101 dB 

 

Who regularly listens at 101dB (or 95 for that matter)? As PWK said "What this country needs is a good 5 watt amplifier." 

 

So my answer based on my experience is that 5 good watts is sufficient for La Scala IIs.

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For pure volume very few watts are needed for the big horns (K-horn/La Scala). Like many posters I have used some pretty low watt amps over the years and volume was never an issue. 

I have found however I strongly prefer a robust SS amp on the bass bin. The lower watt amps loose bass definition/articulation compared to a good powerful SS amp. Conversely, a smaller amp with a few high quality watts is what sounds best on the mids.

For me the perfect combo is a nice Crown class D amp on the bass bins of my K-horns, with a really clear lower watt amp, currently a Topping PA5, on the upper horns (in my case K402s). 

Also, time alligning makes a HUGE improvement in bass definition as well.

Everyone hears a bit differently so...YMMV.

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Schu   I am currently on the waiting list for the Decware Torii Jr v2 ( push pull ) at 20 watts. Based on your comments  I thinking this should work for my system and room  also looking into the Firstwatt J2 ( used ) putting it in the same price range

 

any thoughts

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tromprof     within my system I have DSP capability where I can send everything down to say 100htz to my mains and then send everything from say 120htz  below to my sub with its own 400 watt sub

 

This should help the low watt Decware from a load stand point

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My experience is the best amp for the speakers one is using is what sounds best to the listener given their specific requirements. I use a 40 watt tube amp on my AR3's although many would say that's too little.  I was told that my Bozak 302A's really do better with bigger solid state amps, and while they do sound good with a 130 watt SS amp, I like them better with a 30 watt tube amp. I've used all kinds of amps with my La Scala's, and for me, 40 watt tube amps sound great. I understand asking for advice in forums. I've done it myself both here and other places. But at the end of the day, one really must trust one's ears. I bought some Crites crossovers to replace the original one's in my '77 La Scala's. I tried them out for awhile, then switched back to the original one's and for whatever reason I like them better. People can debate all day long why that's just not right, but it is what it is.

 

So OP, get your Decware(I've several of their amps and preamps over the years...very good company), try it out. Then put the Crown back in. Let your ears determine what makes you want to listen more, and longer, and go with that. Of course, it's easy to rotate too. Maybe for certain types of music a smaller tube amp will work better for you then a large SS, and vice versa. Great! There are many flavors out there no reason why one has to stick to only one if they don't want to.

 

Good luck!

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