Using PA Speakers In A Home "Audiophile" Application!

I’ve read of Crown amps driving in-home hifi speakers to the owner’s taste, but not the reverse PA-hifi match.

The variable to consider for PA speakers in-home is not just how they are designed for power-over-fidelity, but what you’d be playing through them. You’ve heard PA speakers play live music, which is generally less dynamically compressed than highly manicured recorded studio music in pretty much any genre.
 

Have you listened to studio music on any PA kit? In my anecdotal take, I always thought the recorded popular tracks played while the techs set up the stage before a band sounded, well, very much less-than-great even before live shows that were fantastic. So the potential difference in compression (or other elements) between live vs. recorded music is likely no small factor in predicting how PA will work in-home.

I don't know about these particular speakers, but in the inexpensive but very good, with pro like features have you seen the Hsu satellites?

When Paul Klipsch designed / introduced the Lascala, it was for PA use. I was the 1st in Brooklyn to have a pair for home use...going back a ways.

I’m a pro concert sound "person" (!), and a long time pro musician. Most home listening areas won’t abide Clair Brothers boxes or even La Scalas, but I use a pair of original series Mackie 350s (10" woofer) with a 92 lb Mackie woofer in my music studio (along with other small near field things) and they’re great. Titanium horn loaded tweeters and a very strong woofer. Note that most well designed pro stuff is far more efficient and tougher than nearly any home audio items. Put an uncompressed kick drum through a PA speaker and it works...put it through some home audio speakers and they’ll explode. The pro stuff is generally far less expensive also. I run clean stereo recordings through live show systems before soundcheck and just sit in the middle and note how great it sounds.

Not many speakers can output ’ what I want, and expect ’, out of a speaker. Every time I listen, I am truly blown away by the " experience ". Listening through my Lascalas, at the decibels I enjoy, it IS an experience. Let me just say....I use an AL crossover, because it suits me best, and I have tried several. I have spent time on damping everything within the Lascala, which ime, are some of the most vibrational and resonant designs ever. I have damped many things, and colorations of that nature, really bother me. Last but not least, is the ability to ’ let go ’ of any compression in our recordings. My Signet 280 EX floor standers, are amazing, dynamically.......to a point......as most. I played " Rockin Gypsies " from ’Willie and Lobo’, and no system I have heard, expresses this recording the way my system does. Give it a whirl, and turn it up. If you get to a point the spls are hurting your ears....think about this. Is it the volume itself, or are you hearing nasties based on your system ( speakers ) giving up ? Part of any music is the ’ dynamic shadings ’ ( usually spoken about by reviewers as micro and macro ). As pointed out by wolf, other speakers can / will fall apart. Sorry for my attitude, as my gummy kicked in. Go ahead...play that Rockin Gypsies. OH ! and they are so amplifier friendly. Enjoy ! My best, MrD.