naimnut Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 Reading here has got my mouth watering for some big horns. But where to start? I don't have any corners to put k-horns in, and I'm pretty much a novice when it comes to these kinds of big speakers, but they sure sound like fun. Can anyone make some recommendations about what I should be watching for? Truly, I don't know the klipsch line very well and only have the vaguest notions about how everything fits in the line-up. Sign me, Looking in St. Louis. Markus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 If I were you, I'd make friends with Sheltie Dave from this Forum, in your town, and get advice from him. He might even have extra speakers. If not, he can point you to all the best dumpsters and pawn shops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 I'd start with a pair of Cornwalls, or if space was a limitation, Heresies. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Reading here has got my mouth watering for some big horns. But where to start? I don't have any corners to put k-horns in, and I'm pretty much a novice when it comes to these kinds of big speakers, but they sure sound like fun. Can anyone make some recommendations about what I should be watching for? Truly, I don't know the klipsch line very well and only have the vaguest notions about how everything fits in the line-up. Sign me, Looking in St. Louis. Markus Horns are great speakers. If you want fully horn loaded and no corners, the Belle or LaScala will fit the bill. Jmon has a pair in cherrywood for sale in LA. I have Walnut oil Belles for sale in Las Vegas. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Reading here has got my mouth watering for some big horns. But where to start? I don't have any corners to put k-horns in, and I'm pretty much a novice when it comes to these kinds of big speakers, but they sure sound like fun. Can anyone make some recommendations about what I should be watching for? Truly, I don't know the klipsch line very well and only have the vaguest notions about how everything fits in the line-up. Sign me, Looking in St. Louis. Markus if you have the space...look for a local set of lascala's if you want the sound of a fully horn loaded system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 I was in the same boat as you. I wanted Khorns but didn't have good corners and didn't know if I ever would. I always liked the looks of the Belle and finally got a pair two years ago and I have been extremely pleased. You can't beat the genius of Paul Klipsch bass horns. I would go for Belles because they look amazing but La Scalas can be had for a little cheaper and there isn't much difference in sound just price and footprint. Of course if you just gotta have big horns buy Khorns and get some false corners attached to them. They are mentioned in the heritage manual or try doing a search on this forum. If I would have known about false corners I may have khorns now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 What's your budget for this Markus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Blacksmith Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 I'd start with a pair of Cornwalls, or if space was a limitation, Heresies. Michael Don't forget the Fort'e (1 or 2), it is a great floorstanding speaker with only a slightly larger footprint than the Heresy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naimnut Posted June 14, 2006 Author Share Posted June 14, 2006 I actually need to do more research on this board, back on the older pages, to see what things are going for. Aren't Belles/lascalas selling for somewhere around $700 up to, say $1200? I'm truly guessing, based on very limited data. I think I'll need to either pick up a used tube amp/preamp or get new life breathed into my vintage (dead and retired) dynaco st 70. I can use my naim 135s but have been advised that they'll be too noisy for a highly efficient speaker. I see there is a pair of Altecs down in Florida for $1500. Those are tempting but the distance to StLouis is a bit of a downer. She who must be obeyed has recently undergone a change in perspective and I actually can spend, oh maybe up to 3-4k for all changes combined. If I did so I suppose I'd ultimately sell off my current system and money wise it would be a wash. Markus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 You are right on the price range for LaScalas. You can easily get a nice pair in your budget and it would be a fair guess that you could find a pair within reasonable distance of STL over the summer. The stock on Belle's has gone up considerably and they generally sell for about the same price as Khorns... $1800 plus. If you've got quiet transformers on your ST-70, it sure could be refreshed and put back in service. For a pre-amp, my personal experience with Juicy Music preamps has me pretty high on those little rascals. If you are looking for a line stage only, Peach or Merlin would be just the ticket. They come up used from time to time, or you might check with MarK Deneen on juicymusicaudio.com for the occasional demo/refurb unit that he has. Also, it might be that the Merlin would be in your budget new. It is a simpler circuit than Peach, but I suspect that there are very few people who could discern the difference between the two. I owned both, and I couldn't tell the difference in the sound. You've got lots of options for very good sound. I'm sure some others will chime in with favorites as well. one more thought... Sheltie Dave is a forum member in STL. He'd be a good contact to keep an eye out for Heritage speakers in driving distance of STL. He seems to have a knack for running across good deals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Welcome to the club. Adding to the above: The Klipsch products with bass horns are mostly the LaScala, Belle, and K-Horn. Some others are the long out of production Shorthorn/Rebel and the mostly for theater MCM 1900 and Jubilee. Then there is the Valerie which was never in production. The LaScala is pretty much the most cost and size effective. Many of them have seen duty in bars and small theaters. These go on sale used at good prices, but they are sometimes generally beat up physically. The Belle might well be the most pretty speaker Klipsch produced. They are also a bit rare. So they might be out of your price range right now. I wouldn't rule out K-Horns entirely. People build false corners. You might also look at the information about the the 60th Anniversary version which has a back screwed on. It certainly would be difficult to duplicate that. (I did something like it years ago with some home builts.) Also, K-Horns have been around for a long time and tens of thousands have been made. There are various styles. Overall you'll find some that are just about "mint" and others which are in dire need of some TLC . . . like the bar LaScalas. The good news is that the speakers generally hold their value. Unless you get taken, you can generally buy, keep them for a couple of years, and then sell them for the same price. The bad news is that shipping costs can eat into this. So people often travel cross country and call it a good time road trip. Smile. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Welcome to the club. Adding to the above: The Klipsch products with bass horns are mostly the LaScala, Belle, and K-Horn. Some others are the long out of production Shorthorn/Rebel and the mostly for theater MCM 1900 and Jubilee. Then there is the Valerie which was never in production. Gil Gil, You always seem to have a suprise for us what is a Valerie? Do you have any pics or documents regarding this speaker? Thanks, Seti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwinr Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 La Scalas are the most cost effective 'big horn' option for anyone who has limited funds and wants decent speakers. Even fairly beat up pairs can be restored to pristine condition for very little money. I've seen La Scalas with the most beat up appearance you could imagine and with a lick of matt black paint and clear finish - they look a million dollars. You really don't have to veneer the things. Look at what Wilson Audio has done with their speakers... Wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 To answer Seti: PWK came up with the bass horn shown in U.S. Patent 4,138,594. There is a post of the drawings in the LaScala Horn thread which is active these days. Rumor is that PWK wanted to name it after his second wife Valerie. She apparently declined or something or other happened. The folks in the shop found it difficult to make and thus called it the Little Bastard. I don't know the order of these events. Actually there are two patents which are alike except for the claims. One goes to the bass horn. The other goes to the tweeter crossover which uses an autotransformer to increase the output. There was an example of this unit a showroom at Indy. There must be a few more around because the woodworking guys apparently got enough experience to form an opinion. I point out these other bass horn for the sake of accuracy. Maybe some homebuilders will be inspired. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 To answer Seti: PWK came up with the bass horn shown in U.S. Patent 4,138,594. There is a post of the drawings in the LaScala Horn thread which is active these days. Rumor is that PWK wanted to name it after his second wife Valerie. She apparently declined or something or other happened. The folks in the shop found it difficult to make and thus called it the Little Bastard. I don't know the order of these events. Actually there are two patents which are alike except for the claims. One goes to the bass horn. The other goes to the tweeter crossover which uses an autotransformer to increase the output. There was an example of this unit a showroom at Indy. There must be a few more around because the woodworking guys apparently got enough experience to form an opinion. I point out these other bass horn for the sake of accuracy. Maybe some homebuilders will be inspired. Gil rumor i heard was the belle's were named after his wife who hated the looks of the lascala. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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