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03/28/24 at 21:32:37 




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For Klipsch La Scala owners (Read 5001 times)
nico
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Posts: 94
For Klipsch La Scala owners
08/06/11 at 10:28:42
 
One of the most talked-about loudspeakers amongst horns....it seems either you love them, or hate them.
I'm in the first category and own mine for more than 20 years now.
Seeing an add in the newspaper [yes, they used to sell stuff that way in the old days], made my heart miss a few beats. After making a appointment for the next day and arranging a car big enough to transport them I did not sleep that night.
Next day after a 1,5 hour drive I arrived, listened and simply payed what the man asked for them. He was the first owner and almost changed his mind about selling before he accepted my money.
With one of the cabinets sticking a bit out of the back of the car [God they are big and SQUARE].. they came into my life and never went.
Now comes the funny part; I never realized how good they were until I joined the Klipsch forum and started to read more about them.
The history, and the mods people tried out to make them sound better without loosing the qualities they are known for got my interest.
After reading A LOT and learning I decided it was time to give it a try.
I would only make mods that would be reversible and keep the stock parts. One-step-at-a-time I exchanged.....well about everything.
Starting with a CT125 tweeter, new diafragm for the middriver, then Al Klappenberg crossover, Trachorn midrange, die-cast replacement woofer, custom [self-made] silver wire and later the bass-section mods.
I don't know about you guys owning them, but for me these changes step-by-step brought them to produce a more natural reproduction of the real thing; LIVE SOUND.
Ofcourse this process took time, time and some more time.... and the help of my listening-friends who regularly helped me from going crazy determening what-did-what.
At this point they remain as they are, simply because I feel there is nothing more to be done to make them better.
I dare to invite everybody who says that horns are not capable of producing accurate music-reproduction to come over, listen and then decide again. [Not doing so because you're on the other side of the pond  ;D] We live in a relatively small village close to Amsterdam, and numerous people found their way to our house to have a listen; funny how words spread amongst audio-lovers....it brought me some special friends for life.
Anyway; I have lots and lots of pics of the steps taken, along with detailed info about the changes in sound plus how-to-do them.
I used my scoop, soundgenerator and RTA analyzer to back me up, but in the end....my ears decided!
Feel free to contact me if you'd like to comment or chat about these wonderfull monsters.
Nico
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DirtDawg
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Re: For Klipsch La Scala owners
Reply #1 - 03/03/22 at 18:13:35
 
Kind of surpised that this thread start did not go anywhere.

Many years ago I leased twelve La Skala cabinerts to use for when I needed to set up a distributed sound system, like for smallish bluegrass festivals. I had gotten tired of trying to lug bi-amped JBL 4560 cabs with two Crowns and related electronics bolted to the backs through the trees in hilly park venues.

Being a loudspeaker design with very high sensitivity, I might have thought there would be more interest in making the La Scalas sound better, especially on a forum supporting a 2W amplifier.

I kept a pair of them that I honestly fell out of love with over time. I sold them to a buddy for $400 and when he died a couple of years ago, I found out that he had told his wife that they were to be given back to me.  She did and I have not even plugged them in, yet.

I would love to learn more about making them sound better, but my interests have been so scattered lately. Like Bilbo's simile of butter spread over too much bread, if you know what I mean.

After one festival season, I eventually went back to dragging my bi-amped 4560s through the muddy hills of Tennessee, Missouri, the Virginias and Kentucky. I knew how to make decent distributed concert sound with those. Didn't even need much EQ with the JBLs, but the La Scallas were touchy and skiddish as a wild pony. Sounded good when I had time to get things right, but you still had to "ride the board" rather tightly.

Anyone else have a pair of late '70s La Scalas?
I have seen upgrades offered on the Klipsch website. We are talking mid four figures to start, but it comes with a re-newed warranty. We have to manage our own trade-offs.
Grin


... or did I just explain to myself why there is no interest?
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