Vandersteen 3A Sigs vs Klipsch Forte III

Actually, I just dropped into the website and it appears that the 3A Sigs are still being manufactured. $4795 the pair. Lots of upgrade paths for owners of all the models, too.  

I assumed that treating the Klipsch tweeter with dampening material meant on the exterior of the horn. (although I once stuffed the horn with small wads of packing foam to tame them).  All that did was...obvious.

When I opened my EPIC CF-3’s once I was surprised to discover that all the internal wiring was run-of-the-mill speaker wire, perhaps 14 gauge. 

The native efficiency of Klipsch does offer a degree of practicality in terms of finding a suitable amplifier - meaning that one doesn’t necessarily need “gobs” of power on tap to make them show their stuff.  I used a Cayin A35T integrated amp with mine for a while and that was a “mere” 35 watts in triode, 16 watts ultralinear - which I preferred to use 90% of the time. 

Now, along with tube amplification, class D offers considerable price/value sonics for any brand of speaker out there.  

MrD, crack me up. I would say it's never about me.....my wife would disagree !!  All good, banter is good and I'm picking up the morsels and digesting. 
Oblgny, thanks for checking on 3a's. Thot they were still making em. That's a good thing. Wonder if and when they would throw the carbon tweeter on it. But then they negate the Treo I guess because the 3a already has the woven mid cone like the Treo. 
Side note; as a kid, 8 years old, a bunch of years ago, I first heard LaScallas. The neighbor kids dad told us to stay away from them, righhhhht.....I was enthralled with them and the "big" sound they made. I remember laying in front of them and reaching in behind that cool "V" of wood to try and feel where that sound was coming from. After all, my dad's speakers had a big speaker (woofer) that I could see and touch. So, one day we went into the living room to check those treasure chests out and the kids dad had put pillows into the recesses of the bass chambers. I never knew what that was all about and till now, 50+ years later, have never asked anyone. So what gives?  Was he muffling the bass so as not to wake or disturb anyone? Or was it to artificially enhance or subdue an overbearing bass?  Maybe his wife was pissed at him for not mowing the lawn and stuck his pillows in there. 

My pillow needs 100 hours of run in to form and sing properly.... LaScala can do it in 20 hours with Burnin by Bob Marley....

it helps if you are also burnin.....

the punk/ Rockabilly band I mixed sound for had a stacked set for a PA

no pillow required !!!!!!

I have owned 2 Vandersteen speakers (3A and Quattro) and 2 Klipsch speakers ( RP-160M and La Scala II).  I am a subscriber to the philharmonic and use live classical music as my reference.  There is no comparison.  The La Scala hints at what the sound of live music sounds like.  It has a big dynamic sound similar to what I hear in the concert hall.  The Vandersteen is a pale and compressed imitation of the real thing.  It sounds OK but nothing like the live sound.  Even though I use classical music as my guide in evaluating audio gear, I do listen to all types of music as well.  Play Creedence's "Ramble Tamble" on both speakers.  The Vandersteen sounds flat and boring.  With the La Scala the band is in the room.

Phil, very interesting. I just saw a LaScalla II review, albeit by someone who sells them, and he commented that the II is much improved over previous. They are beasts and take a room that can accommodate. At least the top tweet and mid are removable from bottom cabinet for better handling. 
Phil, how do u assess their soundstage, imaging, depth, etc?