skrapid3 Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 As current Klipsch THX2 Ultra owner I was absolutely SHOCKED when I experienced a La Scala system last week. This "ancient" design managed to blow away my THX2 Ultra - in fact they pretty much embarrassed it IMHO. Why is it that after all those years the best Klipsch speakers there are are still the Klipschorn and La Scala. Anything developed since then can not touch it IMHO. Is there any chance we will get Klipschorn/La Scala level of performance (dynamic, detailed sound) from the upcoming Premiere products? Is that in fact one of the design goals of this series (beside the fancy looks) - this question goes to Klipsch´s tech staff? Klipschorn performance combined with a modern concept and design. Or can/must we expect Klipschorn/La Scala remaining the best performing Klipsch product for another 50 years... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 Why not just buy Heritage? They're making them again, and they look and sound better than ever! I get the feeling that Premiere will never premiere. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.4knee Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 Well the short answer is PWK knew what the hell he was doing. There are some improvements that can be done to these "ancient designs" but in reality the only real improvements available would be an improved tweeter, move to a tractix horn for the squawker and a better crossover design. The bass horns have already been optimized. As far as the "Premiere Series" this is essentially a dead line. The only real effort to market such a system was in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Europe. That is not to say it cannot be revived but last year at the Klipsch pilgrimage they told us the only real place the "Premiere Series" lives is here on the forum.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> You are comparing a fully horn loaded system to a system with a only horn tweeter, so yeah it is not so surprising the dynamics of the "Heritage" stuff is much better. A fully Horn loaded system yields lower distortion and improved dynamics and efficiency. The only real improvement done in this light is the Jubilee which is only available in the pro line up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skrapid3 Posted April 27, 2006 Author Share Posted April 27, 2006 So in the end you are saying that all we can expect from Klipsch in the future are some new $ 2000.- "Reference" speaker generations/iterations and some special/Jubilee/anniversary Heritage editions. Are there no intentions to come up with a new real statement product? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyKlipschFan Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 So another believer is won over with a group of "older" speakers beating out todays??? Come on over and experience 7 split La Scalas.. and the THX KA 1000 amp and 2 THX subs combo. I am not so sure you could do much better under 50k. The key, again, is their dynamics.. Seriously once you hear it in a good room. Nothing else compares! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.4knee Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 So in the end you are saying that all we can expect from Klipsch in the future are some new $ 2000.- "Reference" speaker generations/iterations and some special/Jubilee/anniversary Heritage editions. Are there no intentions to come up with a new real statement product? PWK did that in 1946, problem was it was a big statement its lasted 60 years and still going strong.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Compare the stuff Polk puts out today vs. the SDA SRS stuff from the 80's it pails in comparison, do the same with Altec and JBL their golden heyday speakers are still better. Altec has even gone so far as to re-release the VOT A7's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestonTom Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 I agree. It really is amazing. -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 As current Klipsch THX2 Ultra owner I was absolutely SHOCKED when I experienced a La Scala system last week. This "ancient" design managed to blow away my THX2 Ultra - in fact they pretty much embarrassed it IMHO. Why is it that after all those years the best Klipsch speakers there are are still the Klipschorn and La Scala. Anything developed since then can not touch it IMHO. Is there any chance we will get Klipschorn/La Scala level of performance (dynamic, detailed sound) from the upcoming Premiere products? Is that in fact one of the design goals of this series (beside the fancy looks) - this question goes to Klipsch´s tech staff? Klipschorn performance combined with a modern concept and design. Or can/must we expect Klipschorn/La Scala remaining the best performing Klipsch product for another 50 years... You might want to include Belles, Cornwalls, and Heresy as well as Chorus and Forte. Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steamer Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 and my friends cant believe it either untill they listen.They cant believe this ancient technology just stomps all over thier new modern hi-tec contraptions.One friend commented that he went home after a jam session and turned on his system and promply turned it off,the only bad thing about listening to my rig is he cant listen to his because it sucks so bad! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyKlipschFan Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 Personally, it is cool to see people come over and witness their jaws drop. Hard to place a k horn system for HT especially a Khorn center.... But a La Scala ... trust me, NIRVANA.... Timbre DOES matter! Same with Cornwall's or Belles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skrapid3 Posted April 28, 2006 Author Share Posted April 28, 2006 OK, I get your points. I know that Heritage is STILL great. But you guys will admit that there are "some" reasons to not put a "wooden box" like that into your HT or living room for that matter - no offense. And it is not all great about them either - eg. the rather limited frequency response shows in comparison with modern driver designs - again no offense. It is funny that you guys mentioned JBL. Now we are talking. JBL is doing EXACTLY what I would like to see from Klipsch. They are taking their "old" design principles and combine it with the most recent, most advanced technology on the market - building a real statement speaker every 5-10 years. One that is reminiscent of their heritage/tradition but shows that they actually learned and improved over the last 60 years. Take their most recent consumer statement product - K2 S9800SE. No comment needed. I know you cannot earn alot of money with a product retailing for around $ 20k a pair. But isn't that the quintessence of a statement product - it is not about making money but showing what you can accomplish as a company - giving your company identity. Continiously showing what great things your company WAS able to accomplish some 50 years ago is probably not the best statement to make... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 . Continiously showing what great things your company WAS able to accomplish some 50 years ago is probably not the best statement to make... So, when God created the "egg" a million, two million, 100?? millioin years ago and has since been unable (or unwilling) to improve it... does that mean he's incompetent to enhance it or perhaps, does it mean that he did it so perfectly billions of years ago that it can't be improved. Indeed, that any "improvements" would actually be a step backwards? How would you improve the egg to make it contemporary and better than it currently is? Seems to me that once someone gets it "RIGHT", then they are in fact done from a mechanical design perspective. (you can always change the colors) AFter you get it "right", then mechanical changes are from a purely marketing standpoint. I noticed a package just other day "NEW design...same great taste" or something stupid like that. I'd say that's the strength of the Khorn/LaScala in particular... they're designed "right" from the beginning and about the only thing left is to change their cosmetics (note current models) just my .02 [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAD Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 IndyKlipschFan Wow! That is quite a system you have. I am surprised I have not heard you playing it as I only live about 50 mile north of you in Kokomo. Let me know next time you fire it up and I will go outside to see if I can hear it! Enjoy! RAD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skrapid3 Posted April 28, 2006 Author Share Posted April 28, 2006 I think when "god" would have stayed with his first (draft) design for an egg just because it was somewhat "right" and worked it wouldn`t have become so popular... -> its called evolution. But I take it that you were not serious about your "argument". I think ANYONE can see that the Klipschorn (designed for large cinemas when we just had tubes with a few watts output) and La Scala (designed for Winthrop Rockefeller's election campaigns if I recall it right) in particular are not "right" for the market as it is. They never were intended to. They are as much of a niche product as anything out there. What puzzles me is that Klipsch has a whole lot of mainstream products - and then there is that heritage niche. But there is nothing in between. And performance wise I just cannot accept that 60 (!!!) years of technological progress, experience and development work have passed and many/most of us still consider Klipschorn and La Scala Klipsch's finest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 The last time I measured my classic Klipsch Khorn loudspeakers, they went fairly flat down to 30Hz in my listening room quick, name one speaker under $10K that reaches 30Hz, and is at least 100db/w/m efficient. BTW, my car still has four wheels and a gasoline combustion engine, even though it is a really, really old design. [H] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSport Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 "limited frequency response"...and I thought the wider the numbers in the frequency response meant that it had a wider frequency response...perhaps you meant limited in that it is limited to somewhere between those two numbers??? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skrapid3 Posted April 28, 2006 Author Share Posted April 28, 2006 La Scala is limited to 15-17 khz usable (+/- 3 db) upper frequency. 20 khz usually is -20db... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardhead Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 skrapid3-- "But you guys will admit that there are 'some' reasons to not put a 'wooden box' like that into your HT or living room for that matter . . . ." As opposed to a "plastic box," do you mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steamer Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 La Scala is limited to 15-17 khz usable (+/- 3 db) upper frequency. 20 khz usually is -20db... Actually I dont think I can hear above 15k. I will admit that the heritage line cant do 20hz to 20khz,that is why I use a sub with my Scala's.Hey it works for me. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 Update your K-77/K-77M tweeters to Bob C.'s CT-125's, refresh or replace the aging caps in the crossover networks and you will easily reach 17.5Khz or beyond. Using the superior solder terminal K-55V's with the dual phase plugs helps too! Effortless dynamics, and finite detail is what they are capable of, I up until recently was running an all horn loaded Klipsch HT and nothing I have heard in my area has come even remotely close. Not to mention distortion free playback into the 125db range. Put a couple of 15" Velodyne Servo Subwoofers into the mix and look out. The opening scene from "Saving Private Ryan" will have you hiding under the coffee table. I'll take the old school speakers thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.