LaScalla "horn" sound compared to "maggie" sound

cedargrover,

I had read that lots of people like tubes with the Heritage Klipsch speakers.  I would be willing to go with a little tuber if it came to it. The LaScallas are super efficient and can be powered, I have read, with low power amps like a SET.   I would be curious to hear what the sound would be like with the Bryston and the Herron, which is a tube pre.

Please keep us updated if you end up taking the plunge.

You are talking about radically different sound qualities from what you have now.  I suspect you would find the La Scalas very bright in your rig, perhaps to the point of being unlistenable.  300W is far too much for that design, IMO.  The stories you've heard about the old school Klipsch speakers liking tubes is true; having heard Klipschorns, La Scalas in both home and pro versions, home Cornwalls and both home and pro Heresys in several different environments, every time I heard them with tubes, they just sounded more natural.  Solid state amps tended to make them bright to the point of brash.  Bass never seemed to be lacking to me; all of them were fitted with comparatively large woofers.

If you can get a good deal on the La Scalas, you might find it fun to experiment with tube power.  That would be for your budget to decide.  Being totally objective however, unless you really, really want a completely different sound, you should probably pass.  La Scalas are very large, heavy and don't take kindly to cramped spaces, low ceilings or hard floors.  They were designed at a time when amplifiers didn't have much power, so Paul Klipsch designed them to be hyper-efficient and handle up to 100W continuous.  I believe he was quoted as saying "Now if only someone would make a decent 100W amp..."

Your call either way.  Good luck & happy listening!

Magneplanar wants you to avoid using subs with their speakers (tho many people do).

If you like the 1.7, you might want to try the 3.7i (which is acoustically smaller than the 1.7s).  You can reinforce the bass with their DWM panels also (these can be disguised as coffee tables too as long as they are as far away as the speakers).

Then there are the 20s....

How large is your room?

effischer,

Thanks, that's the kind of info I'm looking for.

randy-11,

I am very satisfied with the sound of the 1.7s and have not intention of replacing them.  I'm just looking for something different and wondered about the sound of the LaScalas.