drefrank Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Just picked up a nice pair of LaScalas from the original owner for a very reasonable price. Based on the serial #'s, I believe they are 1984. They were located only about 20 minutes away and have been very well cared for. They are lacquered birch and both came with original manuals. I'm looking forward to some comparitive testing as I also have a pair of 1982 Cornwalls. A quick observation based on a very brief listen is that they definitely have a different sound than the Cornwalls. Not as strong in the bass as the Corns (both have the same woofer??), but quite transparent. I expect to pass the LaScalas on to my son as I've put together a basic system for him (without speakers until now). Hopefully he'll have enough room in his apartment - otherwise I may be 'forced' to keep them for a while. That would be a shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 The LS bass horn has a low frequency cutoff of approx. 70Hz. It's approximate because it has 2 different rates of expansion. It all adds up to about 70 Hz when all is said and done according to PWK's paper on the LS published in '65. Not much low bass for sure, but all the dynamics that a fully horn-loaded speaker is reknown for are! They are good candidates for a subwoofer, of course. DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Adding speakers to your son's system will indeed work wonders. La Scalas sound fine with most real music without subs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyKlipschFan Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Specifications FREQUENCY RESPONSE:53Hz-17kHz± 3dB POWER HANDLING:100 w max continuous (400 w peak) SENSITIVITY:104dB @ 1watt/1meter MAXIMUM ACOUSTIC OUTPUT:121dB SPL NOMINAL IMPEDANCE:8 ohms CROSSOVER FREQUENCY:HF: 4500Hz MF: 400Hz TWEETER:K-77-F 1" (2.54cm) Phenolic diaphragm compression driver MIDRANGE:K-55-X 2" (5.08cm) Phenolic diaphragm compression driver MID FREQUENCY HORN:Exponential Horn WOOFER:K-33-E 15" (38.1cm) Fiber-composite cone / folded horn-loaded ENCLOSURE MATERIAL:Birch Plywood and MDF ENCLOSURE TYPE:Fully horn-loaded DIMENSIONS:38.5" (97.79cm) x 24.25" (61.60cm) x 25.25" (64.14cm) WEIGHT:175 lbs FINISHES:Walnut Lacquer, Cherry Lacquer, Black Lacquer BUILT FROM:2005 =============================================================Your corns go to 38Hz so relax...... Either for most music...Add a good sub for HT and be done with it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 In some pretty exhaustive listening tests here, with LS and CW side by side, I've found that it depends on the type of music. So I'm keeping both pairs in my Hearth room. Why not! Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 The LS frequency response curve from the PWK La Scala paper. No way to get 53 Hz +/- 3db LFc UNLESS one uses some sort of magic microphone! DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Here's the quote from the LS paper. DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuned4life Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 hello, are the la scalas unfinished raw birch ? if so and your son doesnt have room for them i would be very interested in them. i have a pair of very nice CWO 1976 cornwalls consecutive serial numbers as to not leave you speakerless. where abouts in the northeast are you? im in western n.y.. if i were to make a road trip it would have to be in the near future before the lake effect snow season starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyKlipschFan Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 D man... the design called for as in your paper was for 70 Hz/// I think you will find they will go to the stated numbers as I posted above off of this website. If your not getting that in your system, maybe something is wrong.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 The design hasn't changed! Still a nominal 70Hz horn that falls off about 60Hz. Personally, I would suspect some hanky-panky with the 53Hz +/-3db rating. Maybe in a corner, etc., but they don't say, do they? Certainly not measured as a free standing response. DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psg Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 More interestingly, the graph would put the KHorn at around 43 Hz at -3dB. Big difference with 33 Hz. Strangely, I still get significant output with a 30.5 Hz test tone. (I know the old -5 dB spec used to show around 60 Hz for the La Scala; I'll look up the old -5 dB numbers for both the LS and KH later tonight) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbflash Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 In some pretty exhaustive listening tests here, with LS and CW side by side, I've found that it depends on the type of music. So I'm keeping both pairs in my Hearth room. Why not! Michael What Michael said. They are both great speakers. I hope your son knows how lucky is. Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Don't get me wrong - admittedly, my experience with the LS's was less than they would be capable of, that is for sure. I am aware that it was a bad listening situation. But they did sound horrible that way. Granted most others would never set them up that way and its a shame that I happened to hear them that way (evidently somebody bought the Belle that previously served as the center). So when I heard them they were side-by-side straight in your face under the TV. There were also 2, not a single, which in hindsight may have been better in such a case. But it did serve to highlight the potential for ear-piercing mid-range fingernail-on-the-chalkboard grating shrillness. Would I own a pair? I heard them and I liked them as rear speakers in a surround system. Later I heard them as centers and SHEESH! - you know the story. I think they are positionally sensitive, and THAT has a great effect on the sound. They also MAY need a subwoofer. DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myhamish Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Congratulations drefrank, on a great choice of speakers and I hope you and your son enjoy them. ditto to dbflash. I've got both sets in the same room and switch back and forth depending on the music. In a nutshell, I prefer the Cornwalls for in your face rock and the LaScalas for more detailed music - ie McDonald and Giles 'Birdman' remaster. It's fun having a choice. Take care. Hamish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drefrank Posted October 18, 2005 Author Share Posted October 18, 2005 Lots of good information - thanks! After another day, I've acclimated to the LaScalas a bit more. What was said above seems to be the case - sometimes the sound is great, and sometimes I want to hook the Cornwalls back up. I'm running vintage tubes and my son's setup will be vintage (I'd like to think) solid state, so there's going to be some variation from what we're hearing now - not to mention the different space they'll be occupying. He's going to have to make the call once we get them to his place, which won't be for a while. Just on a non-sonic 'note' - the design has been a real attention getter with some friends that stopped by - they sure don't like like your cookie cutter loudspeakers. I guess that we can consider a sub at some point, although on alot of material, the bass seems fine. Back to some more listening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psg Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 You probably already know this, but try placing them as if they were Klipschorns. I got so-so soundstaging with La Scala's straight into 11' corners, but they image like crazy 18' apart, angled 45 degrees towards the listenning position. That's what convinced me I could get away with Klipschorns, but the La Scala were pretty amazing in their own right in that position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 DM, Do you suppose there might be some microphone or amplification weakness in those early sixties plots? There seems to be the same anomaly in both the K and L plot right there in the 50Hz range. In my experience, the Khorn does not drop off as fast as shown on that plot. Does anyone have any later plots? Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 You know every time someone gets those silly response curves out I want to throw up. Those curves are done when the speaker has no benefit from descent placement. I wonder if klipsch placed a Khorn in the center of there sound chamber and tested it like all other speakers what the results would be? I have tested my Lascalas using a test CD corrected for my Rad Shack DB meter on a number of occasions and my Lascalas in my room are dead flat down to 40hZ many people that come hear and listen to my speakers(many of these klipsch owners) are astonished at there bass response. People that come by and have no preconceived notion think they are excellent in the bass regoin. Response curves are worthless in the real world IMHO. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 "...and my Lascalas in my room are dead flat down to 40hZ..." Which means they are probably up 12dB or more at 100Hz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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