Upgraded from Klipsch Corwnwall IV's to La Scala AL5's

[PerfectCircles]

Hi Guys,

So a few weeks back I upgraded from the Cornwall's to the La Scala's.

The Corwnall's were very good speakers. The La Scala's though are a whole different level.

I will say the Corwall's are an easier speaker to actually live with: It can be placed closer to the rear wall than the La Scala's, it is a fuller sounding speaker overall, and it's tougher to integrate a sub with the La Scala's horn loaded woofer than it is with the Cornwall's.

Do I regret upgrading? No way.

I power them with either my Luxman 509x or LX-380 tube integrated. They both sound great, but the Luxman LX-380 with the La Scala's is quite magical.

I put together a quick fun video of them delivering and setting them up at almost 200 lbs each! I'm going to have a more formal fun video of them soon.

 

[Vinylleroy]

looks great, and I do believe that it can sound magical.
Wouldn't it be of great benefit when the speakers would be more apart from eachother? I can imagine it creating a much bigger wall of sound.

Enjoy the LaScala's!

 

[PerfectCircles]

looks great, and I do believe that it can sound magical.
Wouldn't it be of great benefit when the speakers would be more apart from eachother? I can imagine it creating a much bigger wall of sound.

Enjoy the LaScala's!

For sure! I mention in the vid why they are where they are.

 

[Vinylleroy]

For sure! I mention in the vid why they are where they are.

Ah oke, I'm sorry, I missed that.

Have a nice day!

 

[PerfectCircles]

Ah oke, I'm sorry, I missed that.

Have a nice day!

Thanks! Yeah - I put them on furniture sliders to experiment what was the right spacing from the wall as they are 201 pounds each! LOL

 

[germinal]

Congratz !

I was actually about to post a new topic.. which I probably should still do…

I really like the/my Cornwall IV ( basically my first good speaker ) but was thinking.. which speaker takes it a step further ? Does the things the Cornwall does well ( dynamics ) but then just.. “better”

to the OP : was there anything else you considered than the Lascala ? What I ve read is you need subs with te Lascala.. not so much the Cornwall.. ofcourse you don’t get the 20-40hz with the Cornwall…

 

[PerfectCircles]

Congratz !

I was actually about to post a new topic.. which I probably should still do…

I really like the/my Cornwall IV ( basically my first good speaker ) but was thinking.. which speaker takes it a step further ? Does the things the Cornwall does well ( dynamics ) but then just.. “better”

to the OP : was there anything else you considered than the Lascala ? What I ve read is you need subs with te Lascala.. not so much the Cornwall.. ofcourse you don’t get the 20-40hz with the Cornwall…

Hello!

So the CW's and the LS's are VERY different speakers. And if you are info mid-fi it's an easy jump. But if you are into high-resolution systems with higher end cables and components, it's a more challenging jump. Let me explain:

The CW's are fantastic all around speakers. The front firing direct radiating woofer makes them easy to place in a room and against the back wall. They were also easy to blend with my SVS sub. The sounded great, and honestly would have been fine. But me being me, and always wanting more in hi-fi, I went with the LS's.

I hod done my research and I knew the LS's would have less bass and such, but to be honest I wan't sure just how much less. I can't imaging (IMO) owning them without a sub.

The LS's are also more sensitive to placement in a room relative to distance from the rear wall to get their magic. And blending with a sub....well....that is much more challenging with their fully horn loaded woofer to get just right.

Having said all that, the purity of the sound coming from the LS's, especially on vocal's, is two steps up from the CW's. My ears are very sensitive to compression, and while the CW's were very good with lack of compression, the LS's are seemingly completely effortless at all volume levels. Note: when the wife is out I do like to relive my rave days so listening levels can get very loud. But the LS's never, ever, ever break their stride. Not that I thought the CW's did, but in comparison the LS's are truly effortless.

So you'll need to decide what is important to you. Yes the LS's in my mind have some better traits, they don't come without their compromises.

Hope that helps! I'll have a video review of them on my channel soon, so be sure you are subscribed to get notified when it posts.

 

[germinal]

Thanks but I don’t get your distinction between mid-fi and high resolution systems… you mention cables etc…

my current amp costs about 4-5 times the price of the CW’s… but I find that that has been a foolish purchase..

I have auditioned speakers costing up to 3-4 times the price of admission of the CW’s but found them rather lacking and plain compared to the cheap(er) CW’s.

In general I find the idea that better equals more expensive in audio-land to be nonsense… certainly when you start about cables…

but that’s a bit off topic… I don’t get why you say the upgrade is easy in mid-fi territory but not in hi-fi terms…

I know a shop where they have both so I ll try to have a listen

 

[PerfectCircles]

Thanks but I don’t get your distinction between mid-fi and high resolution systems… you mention cables etc…

my current amp costs about 4-5 times the price of the CW’s… but I find that that has been a foolish purchase..

I have auditioned speakers costing up to 3-4 times the price of admission of the CW’s but found them rather lacking and plain compared to the cheap(er) CW’s.

In general I find the idea that better equals more expensive in audio-land to be nonsense… certainly when you start about cables…

but that’s a bit off topic… I don’t get why you say the upgrade is easy in mid-fi territory but not in hi-fi terms…

I know a shop where they have both so I ll try to have a listen

Sorry - it appears I've upset you and I won't be able to help you. Good luck.

 

[Flevoman]

@PerfectCircles
I am in the same position as you, upgrading from my CW4 to the Lascala al-5.
I would love to hear more about you findings comparing the CW4 vs the AL-5
Besides more bass, is there anything else what's better on the CW4 for example?
Can you describe a bit more what kind of difference you could hear?
And can the lascala be played without a sub or will the lack of bass be to much?

Greetings Flevoman

 

[Flevoman]

I took the plunge and switched from the Cornwall 4 to the LaScala AL5. I was alternating between two amplifiers with the CW4, the Decware Zen Triode and the Willsenton R300. Both sounded very pleasant in my setup, but I preferred the Decware. I was actually quite satisfied with how my setup sounded, but there's always the desire for something better, hence the LS AL5.

They've only just been placed in the living room, but I'm finding these speakers difficult to position properly. While my CW speakers could create a beautiful soundstage with vocals and instruments detached from the speakers, it seems like the sound from the LS speakers is really coming out of the speakers. The voice is in the middle , but immediately after that, it's clearly the left and right speakers playing.
If anyone has tips on how to improve this, I'd love to hear them.

Another thing I've noticed is that the CW sounds fresher and more open. The LS has a somewhat colored sound. Maybe it's just a matter of getting used to it, but for now, I find it bothersome. If I had a treble knob, I would use it, so to speak.

Although it may not come across that way, I'm still happy with the purchase. I can hear that these speakers have more quality to offer. The speed is truly impressive. The low end is fuller and warmer with the CW, but my goodness, the low end on the LS has such punch and detail.

I'll still be fine-tuning for a while, but if I achieve the sound I'm expecting, it will definitely be an improvement.

I welcome any tips

 

[MrDecibel]

You need to allow plenty of break in time with the LS. IMO, they are in another league over the CW. I have been a LS fan since their 1960s introduction, and with a few tweaks, they can be amazing. The mid horns would easily benefit from an ample layer of Dynamat. The crossover would also benefit from creating a layer of Dynamat between it and the cabinet. The bracket holding the back of the horn to the box is very noisy ( resonant ), so adding damping material to the bracket and the area below it is also very beneficial. These are amazing tweaks, especially when you let them rip ( play loud ). I do not know of a speaker in it's price range, that does more right, than wrong. It is very difficult to match a subwoofer ( multiple, preferably ) to them, but is possible. Enjoy ! Always, MrD.

 

[Flevoman]

You need to allow plenty of break in time with the LS. IMO, they are in another league over the CW. I have been a LS fan since their 1960s introduction, and with a few tweaks, they can be amazing. The mid horns would easily benefit from an ample layer of Dynamat. The crossover would also benefit from creating a layer of Dynamat between it and the cabinet. The bracket holding the back of the horn to the box is very noisy ( resonant ), so adding damping material to the bracket and the area below it is also very beneficial. These are amazing tweaks, especially when you let them rip ( play loud ). I do not know of a speaker in it's price range, that does more right, than wrong. It is very difficult to match a subwoofer ( multiple, preferably ) to them, but is possible. Enjoy ! Always, MrD.

But I think you are talking about the old lascala, correct?
I don't think the new lascala II or AL-5 need those damping materials?

 

[MrDecibel]

But I think you are talking about the old lascala, correct?
I don't think the new lascala II or AL-5 need those damping materials?

It has been my experience that the newer units will be enhanced with these damping upgrades, and my customers hear the improvements. My best, MrD.

 

[Flevoman]

It has been my experience that the newer units will be enhanced with these damping upgrades, and my customers hear the improvements. My best, MrD.

I happen to have this damping material at home. I had actually planned to do the same with my Chorus 1 that I had. However, I never ended up doing it, so I still have these mats lying around.
But won't this tweak diminish the lively character of the speaker and make the liveliness in the music disappear?

 

[MrDecibel]

I happen to have this damping material at home. I had actually planned to do the same with my Chorus 1 that I had. However, I never ended up doing it, so I still have these mats lying around.
But won't this tweak diminish the lively character of the speaker and make the liveliness in the music disappear?

The older horns were of a metallic material, which constituted ringing. Back then, we used Mortite to dampen this ringing. The newer elasto polymer ( whatever ) materials, have resonance issues, and ime, creates a dirty environment for the driver. This is more obvious to the ear as the volume increases. Although I have had less than a hand full of customers / acquaintances say they heard very little to no difference from these mods, everyone else were / are quite pleased with the results, describing things as being smoother, and more realistic ( whatever this means, as we are listening to recordings, after all ). Based on my recommendation, " The Boston Audiophile ", on YT, did these mods on his CW IVs, and shows the process, and discusses his thoughts on the finished project.....I suggest watch it. My best. Always, MrD.