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Lets replace my Klipsch La Scala Speakers

So after 2 years of trying to make them work, they just aren't the speaker for me. Here is some detail so you can help me decide what to move to next.

My room is untreated and 12X13X12
Sources: Vinyl and Dac both tube driven
Preamp and amps are all Tube Driven
Amps are: SET 7 watt and 2 different push pulls 20 watts from one and 60ish from the other
Music : Blues,Classic Rock, Indie, Some modern, some heavier rock ,and just discovering how good Jazz can be

I have tried:
solid state amps,crites crossovers, ALK corn-scal-wall crossovers, svs subs added,horn loaded subs added, Schiit Loki in line, toed in toed out. Corner loaded, pushed together, I even moved my room 90 degres to try and get a better sound out of them. Trust me I have tried it all.

Here is what I liked:
Huge soundstage 
You are there live at times when listening
Love being able to hear the detail they offer
Love the bass when present

Here is what I disliked:
They can get shrill quick 
They are so revealing music can sound just bad (I realize that should be a positive, but it isn't)
Very bass shy
They aren't "warm" at all. There is no real thickness to the mids. Detail, but not thick.

We are going to sell this house eventually so I do not want to invest a bunch on treatments for the room. I have 2 other speakers that can be run. Some older Polk Monitor 7A that are actually pretty impressive, and could have the crossovers updated and a few other things to really make them shine if I wanted to. I realize they aren't a Hi-Fi speaker but they are balanced and warm/musical. The other option is the Decware DM947 speaker system. It's good and fairly new to me so I haven't decided to keep or move them down the road. So far they are laid back with some nice sparkle. They image really well and are very forgiving of the room and the recording I am listening to. 

So let's hear it! What did you replace your Klipsch speakers with, or what are you using that matches what I am after. 


128x128pioneerhip
s2000cr
34 posts
 
" 12X13X12 "
Your room is tiny for those speakers. For my Klipschorns I needed a minimum of 30x40x35. Wilsons had the "hole in the middle" issue. Horns are auditorium speakers (not to be mistaken with home theatre). Yes, home auditorium.

Unless you have a room that size or preferably larger. You are wasting your time.

Get something that is more suited for smaller rooms like Wilsons. With Wilsons one is listening to the drivers. They are all like giant "headphones."

"Voicing" is one of the most difficult challenges. It is the reason why I have Klipschorns in one room, Martin Logans in another, and I am in the market for Wilson Alexandrias in my home office.

Best of luck. 
richdirector's avatar
richdirector
269 posts
 
Tannoy prestige or legacy - everything you mention in your wish list is there.
also you can get sound boards / scatter and bass traps on moveable stands and as pictures which you can take to new house. I had some made up with images I took when filming in Rwanda that is nicer than plain ...
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,184 posts
 
One thing very important is your cabling ,the quality and type all silver can be bright ,also the quality of the cable , and quality power cords ,how about line conditioning ? All these things can
make a substantial difference.
andy8400
58 posts
 
TNK1998, I would agree with an earlier responder in that you might try an equalizer. It is more to correct the room than the speaker. You don't want to lose that "live sound" quality but want to temper the shrill. Use it judiciously. Try a 31 band model if you are concerned about the broad brushes of wider bandwidth (fewer bands) models.

I have done this with a room that is much smaller - 12x9x7 - (although not with horn speakers) and with a few subtle adjustments the balance improvement is night and day. And... way less than $2,500! It really depends on how much you love and want to keep your Klipsch speakers. Good luck!

dmdalton
4 posts
 
I had a similar problem with the Cornscalas I built. I couldn’t really enjoy them until I moved a few years ago and now have a 14’x22’ listening room. What worked well in my previous small 12’x12’ listening room was Decware ERRx’s. They are a radial full range speaker with a nice ribbon tweeter and no crossover other than a resistor to tame the tweeter. They sound best to me out in the room a little and have enough bass that I don’t wish for a subwoofer. 
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