LaScala Question

[gjp60]

Currently driving a pair of Snell Type CIV's with a ss amp and a Bottlehead 'Foreplay' pre-amp. Loved the 'Foreplay' so much that I purchased the 'Paramour' 2A3 amps to build as well. Problem now is the Snell's efficiency is 89db and that doesn't fair well with 3 watt tube amps. Found a pair of 1974 LaScalas for sale and was wondering if anyone, who has ever heard the Snells, can compare how they sound versus the LaScalas.

Thanks,

Gerry

[John Warren]

LaScala has no bass and a 3W amp gets boring real fast even wired to a pair of Klipschorns so your heading down the "just what the hell was I thinking?" path.

[soundog]

I have LaScalas that have bass, actually very very good clear, natural sounding bass. I had to experiment with placement to achieve this . They do cut off at 45 Hz however, and I prefer my Khorns which go down to 35. Both produce some of the most realistic bass I have ever heard. I use a Dynaco tube pre-amp with the solid state amp section of my receiver. The Dynaco mellows the mids and highs and while I have no experience with tube amps, I have heard that some dont do as well on bass as solid state. Im happy.

HT-1 Klipsch Heritage System (music oriented)

Klipschorns w/ ALK crossover upgrades

4 Klipsch LaScalas (surround & rears)

Heresy components in custom cabinet /monitor stand (center)

Panasonic 32 Monitor W/ component video input

3 Sony CX400 CD changers

Sony CX-240 CD Changer

MSB Technology Digital Director w/ jitter reduction

Nirvis DXS digital controller (auto selection of whatever changer is playing)

Nirvis Slink-e computer interface

Nirvis jukebox software (downloads net cd info, album covers& lyrics- programs & controls changers searchable for songs, artists, albums).

Nirvis CDJ (CD Jukebox Software)

Monster 5000 Power Center

Sony Viao Laptop Computer

Sony S530D DVD Player

Sony 798HF VCR

Sony XA1ES CD player

Sherwood HX-PRO dual cassette deck

Dynaco PAS4 stereo preamp W/ Tesla Tube upgrades (also outputs to HT2)

Technics SL3300 DD Turntable w/ Shure cartridges

Outlaw 1050 6.1 A/V Receiver (Dynaco inputs directly to amp section)

Perpetual Technologies P1A Digital Correction Engine (jitter reduction, 16 to 24 bit conversion, future speaker frequency correction, and room acoustic correction )

Perpetual Technologies P3A DAC ( plus 44.1k to 96k CD upsampling)

Klipsch KSW-15 sub (for DVD LFEs )

Klipsch LF-10 sub

Phillips Pronto TS2000 Programmable Remote

Scientific American Explorer 2000 Home Communications Terminal

X10 computerized lighting controls

Radio Shack Wireless Remote Control Extender

Cables: Onix , MSB, Monster, AR., Iced Purple, RS Gold

Monster Bi-wire speaker cables.(Khorns)

HT#2 Klipsch THX System (movie oriented)

4 Klipsch KT-LCR THX Speakers

4 Klipsch RS-3s (side & rear surround)

2 Klipsch KT-DS THX Surrounds

10 Linaem Tweeters

Outlaw 1050 6.1 A/V Receiver (Dynaco inputs directly to amp section)

Monster 3000 Power Center

Sony X111 ES CD Player

Sony 775HF VCR

Sony STR-G3 (supplemental amplification for extra speakers)

Toshiba 61 High Definition TV

Sony NS700 Progressive Scan DVD

Toshiba 4205 DVD/ CD Changer

Klipsch SW-12II Sub

Klipsch LF-10 sub

Sony AV2100 remote

Scientific American Explorer 2000 Home Communications Terminal

X10 Computerized Lighting

Vibrapods (vibration isolation)

RS Gold , Monster, Iced Purple, AR Cables

[Tony Reed]

I think John is in the minority here. Most people seem to love the LaScala's! I know I love mine!

Tony

[Colin]

you are headed down a different road, but before you get out of range ...

HORNS love tubes!!

(sorry for shouting)

Yes, 3.5 watts will power your big old horns just fine and you will still love your music years from now,

yes, 2A3 amps poop out when cranked or when music peaks demand 64 to 512 momentary watts - my Paramours will only go to 110 db at about 3 meters in my living room

yes, modern music and movies requires a powered sub-woofer, for which the SS class D and H bashing amps are aptly suited

yes, the Snell is a great speaker, but I have not heard them in any king of comparable arrangement in a very long time,

but if you love the sound of tubes, then you will probably enjoy them best with super efficient horns ...

------------------

big old horns, tube amps, tube pre-amp, British CD player, two subs, double wire, pipe insulation, paving stones, rubber mats & curtains

[TBrennan]

LSs are certainly shy on bass depth but the compromise---clarity vs. depth for a given enclosure size and efficiency---is a good one. Besides it's all relative. As an ex-rock musician in his 50s my reference for good bass is a Fender Precision or Jazz played through a Fender Dual Showman with dual JBL D-140s, this was once the hot ticket for bassplaying (I won't count the Ampeg B-15 which sounded great but with 30 watts and 1-15" couldn't cut the mustard outside a studio) and to me was the best sound ever. Now D-140s in the sealed Showman cabinet start rolling off 12db per octave at 100 cycles. Not much deep bass there but it sounded great and the LS will have no trouble reproducing that sound. But a speaker that goes deeper but with small direct-radiating woofers will never sound like that Dual Showman. To me the LS's biggest problem is the mid horn, I had to sit kinda close to my LSs and the mids were too directive in my setting and sounded fierce. A little visit to a prosound store for a set of EV SM-120A mid horns with 120 degree dispersion cured that, the EVs gave much better sound than the K-400s in my situation. Listening to 130 degree McCauleys right now, not as pinpoint as 90 degree Altecs but interesting, very "audiophile", bouncing lots of sound off the walls, big image. Listening to Madonna, "Like a Prayer", great bassplayer.

[joemcten]

If the price is right you should snap up the LaScala's. I have not owned Snell's but, have auditioned them in the past. I have '80 LaScala's that have pemanently replaced all of the previous audiophile speakers I have owned. To me one of the differences will be the speed of the LaScala's. I found them to be unbelievably fast compared to any of my other speakers. They do require some fiddling around to get the bass right. To my ears, the bass response is just fine. I have used the ASL MGsi15dt with my Lascala's and the sound was fantastic. I found that in the 5wpc setting, it was fairly easy to get the little bugger past it's limits. I had much better results in the 15wpc setting. I felt that the dynamics were less compressed with the extra headroom. I also have a modified Dynaco st-70 that is wired for triode and puts out 12 wpc. That has proven to be enough power for most situations. Good luck and keep us posted. Joe

[gjp60]

Hi All,

I bought the speakers. They were built in 1976( 'P' in the serial #) not 1974 as I stated above. I bought them from the original owner (one of the pieces of literature still had the business card from the dealer he bought them from). They're raw birch that he finished with a minwax back in 1978. Cosmetically they're in great shape for being 27 yrs old, no big dings, the plywood is not separating, no runs in the grill cloth, no water stains, etc... They look like old desks because of the yellowing of the minwax, and that has to be remedied, per the wife, before they go into the den(17x23). I'm really looking forward to hooking them up, I've read nothing but praise for them from sites such as Audio Asylum and Audio Review, but I made my decision based on the info & expertise of this site. Thanks to all for your input,

Regards,

Gerry Provenzale

[dubai2000]

Hi Gerry,

congratulations. I don't think you'll be disappointed once you hook them up. For me it was a matter of one evening and I was 'hooked' to the Klipsch heritage sound. The result: I snapped up a pair of Khorns (difficult to get second-hand in Germany) and have been in aural heaven ever since:biggrin

Wouldn't mind hearing how you like your new purchase. I bet these will stay with you for a very, very, very...long time.

Have fun,

Wolfram

[Lone Palm]

gjp, Great decision You'll Love em. Great NATURAL Bass!