Klipsch La Scala Project

Skratch

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OMG.... You did not just say that on here !!!! LOL.... I'm not even gonna start !!!!! But !!!! That to me would be even more of a reason to build some !!!!! Put so many speakers in that room that she has to use the back door to get in the house !!!!! That's just my thinking !!!!!
I agree with Kevin
 

Northwinds

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Seperation/Divorce is a bitch to go through. Hang in there Brother and don't let her take you to the cleaners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. When I went through mine, I put a lot of stuff in my sister's name long before I actually started the legal proceedings. Saved me a lot of hassle
 

orange

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Hopefully not like THIS...

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/U-p0zn3PijY?rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Hang in there, Sutton.
 

R1200S

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Local La Scalas

Many years ago when I was going thru my divorce, I heard a couple of morning DJ's in Charlotte talking about divorce. One asks the other, "Do you know why divorce costs so much money?" "Because it's worth it!" Truer words were never spoken!

Back on topic now..... I have no experience with anything Klipsch so far. I've had JBLs, Allisons, Polks, Snells, B&Ws, Magnaplaners.... but no Klipsch. I have a shot at a pair of La Scalas in a couple of weeks but I've no idea what they'd be worth. As near as I can figure, they're 1964 or 1965 models. Someone has covered the cabinets with a 1/4" thick strips of light mahogany, about 4" wide. Not my favorite look but they haven't been abused. The drivers and crossovers look original and untouched. Seller is asking $1350 and claims they work perfectly. The price feels high to me.

Can anyone give me some pointers on pricing and whether I'm nuts to consider going down this road for 50 years old speakers? I'm certain some or all of the drivers will need work and definitely the crossovers.
My common sense tells me to take this money and go the Magnaplaner route. I know I'll get crap about there being no bass to them but when set up right the damn things are magical. REALLY power hungry too!!

Thanks

Randy
 

laatsch55

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If you are serious about a Klipsch, save your shekels for some Kornerhorns, their magical set up right also.....
 

MarkWComer

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Seller is asking $1350 and claims they work perfectly. The price feels high to me.
New LaScalas ordered from Klipsch are $3500 each. Yeah, they're expensive, used ones go for premium prices, too.

I have the plans to make the cabinets for the LaScala, Klipschorn plans are floating around the web. The LaScala plans are pretty simple, but when you get into the compression drivers, horns, and "balance" networks (what Klipsch calls a crossover) the cost mounts. DIY KHorn plans are more complex, the waveguides in the cabinets will require more skill to cut and assemble. All in all, you can build your own based on Klipsch design for half the cost.

I'd like to try...

BUT: Horn loaded drivers can tend to be a bit directional, the sound may change as you move about the room. A few of the crossovers have attenuators built in to adjust for brightness of sound, but not the directional nature of the horns. Horn loaded squawkers and tweeters (Klipsch calls the midrange drivers "squawkers") can also tend to be a bit on the bright side. The woofers in themselves can also require that you put your speaker systems in the corners of a room, the corners being an extension of the horn loaded woofer. LaScala is less picky on placement.

BENEFIT: Higher efficiency! You can get more volume per watt with horn loaded systems. I've never heard a pair of Klipsch, but I've also never heard of anyone complaining about the sound they produce- it seems that the people who have them like them.
 

laatsch55

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Mark, I have the same set of plans I built in 1986, even have in a pdf. PM your e-mail and I'll send you a set..
 

ksrigg

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Mark,

If you have to choose, go for the Klipschorns. The La Scalas are really good, but do not hold a candle to the KHorns. In comparison, well there really is no comparison. The La Scalas sound a little honky or boxy where the KHorns just disappear. I know you could build them, or have them built. You will never want another pair of speakers.. I know Lee gets full range out of his.....straight from Kevin's mouth. But he nor I do. We both have a very excellent sub which we built using what is now the Acoustic Elegance Lambda Series TD15 driver, and with a well constructed enclosure..gets into the single digit hertz...Most subwoofer drivers are not nearly as fast as these, so they play well with the Klipsch.
 

R1200S

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Well, not exactly definitive answers but I got what I needed. Basically.... GO BIG OR GO HOME.
I'll hold off and get my 400 and 700 reworked and keep my eyes open.

Thanks for the input.
 

ksrigg

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You should be able to find a pair of Klipschorns for around $2,000.00 or maybe less. I kept my eyes open for over a year, until a pair showed up locally and I snagged them at a great price. If you search ....you will find..... The La Scalas I rebuilt, by the time I bought all the components, and the cabinets, probably cost about the same, or maybe even a little more. The difference is quality is unmistakable. The specs show about 20 hz more of the low end of the FR, but there is more to the sound than just the numbers...
 
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