I like my Klipsch La Scalas AL5 very much. Recent convert to horns after 35 years of listening to electrostatics. Mostly listen to classical music and jazz. Choral music and chamber music I dig a lot. But the La Scalas can belt out Mahler at 120 dB if that’s your thing. Large scale opera? No sweat. Buckner 9th? Will the full brass going fortissimo? No sweat.
I still own three pairs of Quads (57s, 2805s, 2905s), and a Harbeth Monitir 40.1. The Harbeth is in my kitchen pantry, till I decide if I want to sell them. The 2905s are in my dining room used for mono jazz only from the 1930s-50s with a Garrard 301. The 2805s in my guest bedroom. The 57s I can’t bear to sell. But the La Scalas is what I listen to most now. All you need is 2 watts or do to make them sing. And they don‘t look hideous. Their wood finish blends in with my living room decor. Granted, they’re large, but not hugely tall. They’re not as hideous looking as the Avante Garde monsters. They disappear in ways surprising for a refrigerator sized 200 pound behemoth. Remarkable that you can drive them with a flea sized amplifier. Like a tube amplifier you can pick up with one hand and runs cooler than most solid state amplifiers. I think my 45 tube amplifier puts out 10-20 milliwatts driving my La Scalas. Power is not the issue. Quality is. When your speaker is 105 dB efficient, you quickly realize how noisy solid state amplifiers are! They tend to hiss like a snake! You want the highest quality SET tube with 2 watts at most.
