Klipsch LaScala woofer reveal.

How to get to the Klipsch LaScala 15 inch woofer.

[@dawolyan13]

Nice video. This is definitely a case of the end result being far more than the sum total of the components!! Really nothing extraordinary about the components, but the design of the cabinet!! Beautiful!

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

I’m happy to say it’s been almost a year and a half since this video was published and the speakers remain original except for new ALK Engineering crossovers which sound amazing!

[@nomorokay]

I'm glad to hear that you left the woofers alone. Paul engineered the speakers to sound great with that woofer, and no other. Quite a few La Scala owners have thought they could upgrade their speakers with better and more expensive woofers, only to find that now they didn't sound as good. BTW, I hope you cleaned off the woofer cover and the bottom of the cabinet, and applied new weatherstrip on them to avoid any air leaks in or out of the doghouse. Naturally, the doghouse is where the woofer lives, lol. The paper cone works really well. Its full description is that it's a 15" doped-paper cone. The dope is the black sticky stuff around the edge of the cone. Its purpose is to keep the surround part of the cone, the part that flexes the most, flexible and not dried out. That's why Klipsch Heritage Series speaker almost never need to have their cones re-surrounded. They don't actually have separate surrounds, unlike most speakers that have foam or rubber surrounds, which dry out and crack after 15-20 years. My La Scalas were built in 1974 ("M" in the serial number), and they still sound great, with the original woofers. The woofers in these speakers aren't the usual hi-fi woofers. They're musical instrument woofers, which, as well as having extremely long lives, have slightly different audio characteristics from most speakers. With the stock driver, and the stock AA type crossover that you had, the combination is just right. Al Klappenberg has really studied Klipsch speakers, so his crossovers can keep the speakers sounding good, and if you like the way they sound with his crossovers, that's great. One variation that some people like is to lower the midrange output. This can reduce any tendency to "shoutyness" from the speakers. The ALK crossovers may have this tweak in their tuning, which might be part of what you're liking. Just a guess. Another thing to consider is replacing the stock K-77 tweeters with CT120 or CT125 tweeters from Bob Crites (RIP, sadly, but his son is keeping the company going), which reach higher notes, and are better matched to each other. If you check the output of your K-77 tweeters, you may find a difference in volume between them. That was why I replaced them with the CT125 tweeters (this was before the CT120 model was available), and I was very happy with the improved sound. Of course, I didn't throw out the old K-77 tweeters, in case some future buyer wants them. Anyway, happy listening!

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

I hate to disappoint you, but you really need to check out the rest of the videos on my channel. Thanks for the comment, I love hearing from other LaScala owners.

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

lol! Ha! That's funny!

[@rodrocketis]

You might want to replace the fibre washer that seals the k55... Driver with the K 400 midrange horn. The Driver is on a thread and is simply unscrewed. Bob Crites who supplied my crossover upgrade plus new Tweeters also supplied the new gasgets after recommending I change them due to age. My 1976 LaScala are awesome.

[@Tonetwisters]

The woofers are some of the best in the music business, and these weren't even the heaviest version they had (at least, in the early '80s)! I mean, you could use a pair of these to play live Jazz or Precision Bass through.

[@rodrocketis]

The ALK Crossovers are a highly respected update for the LaScala.

[@rodrocketis]

I did not read all the comments. Something of the highest importance is the 15inch K33 woofer is specifically matched to the horn by Paul Klipsch. It's light weight cone is a very important feature. You can swap it for alternate drivers which will also have the same cone weight and virtually the same design specifications. You cannot change to a kevlar cone an alloy cone or whatever else as it won't match with the very detailed mathematics Paul Klipsch used to specify the driver matching that specific horn design. It's a very precise process to design a Hornloaded speaker.

[@hi-fidude6670]

Good luck actually finding a better replacement for that exact type of enclosure. Paper/fiber drivers are incredible and have always been.

[@l.b.stringfellow2413]

I love your curiosity! Don’t listen to the haters on “if it ain’t broke” technology has come a LONG WAY since those were made. I get that a lot and been modifying Klipsch speakers for 20 plus years. You really aren’t doing the classics an injustice if it sounds better to YOU ! Keep all the original parts ( always hide from wife !!! ). Just stay with same basic specs and keep on upgrading!!

[@roberte.andrews4621]

Kevlar or any newer material for the woofer cone would not result in any demonstrable benefit. The small amplitude of excursion on this big driver cannot tax the material. The usual point of fatigue on a cone driver is the surround. Klipsch doesn't use porous sponge-like foam suspension, which are subject to degradation by ozone and other factors. Cone material like this will last 50 years and more - well beyond the time of ownership. I've never heard of anyone having to re-cone their transducers in Klipsch, unless there is impact damage or laceration from pet claws!

[@robertfullone9032]

Thank you. I'm researching klipschorns, and now Scalas. I plan on building a mini version with 6.5 woofers and 2 x 6 horn tweets.

[@remydebbaut1409]

have you got a build plan for this?

[@craigenputtock]

That woofer looks great still. I don't think you need to change it. And paper woofers (though they call them "fiber" now) are still among the best.

[@bigelile07]

But it's not a cast aluminum basket. It's stamped steel! Some people say that cast aluminum sounds better than stamped steel. I've never heard a difference. I've owned a lot of speakers, mostly Klipsch, but I've had many friends that owned speakers with cast aluminum and I didn't hear "better bass". I think the only speakers that I ever owned that had cast aluminum baskets were Cerwin Vegas. They had 12" cast aluminum baskets. Funny thing is, the CWs were known for their bass. I bought a pair of Klipsch Heresys (that weren't know for their bass) and not only did they sound better, but they had more bass although they were only rated at 50hz. The CWs were rated at 20hz...that was in the 80s where almost all speakers were rated 20Hz to 20kHz. So I think those specs were misleading. Bottom line, I don't think cast aluminum baskets sound any better than stamped steel baskets.

[@gerrypocha175]

@@bigelile07 Over time you will get flux leakage from stamped steel baskets this will not happen with cast aluminum baskets.Also Aluminum is much stiffer and has less flex.I doubt you can hear a differenc but really just a measure of Quality of construction i wager.

[@tarquineous]

A replacement driver would need to be the same efficiency, a very lightweight cone, and better material, if you can find one. Klipsch may have newer drivers, and maybe Volti Audio.

[@RichardTomkins]

Paper cone is the way it was engineered. Nothing else will sound the same.

[@mondoenterprises6710]

I just picked up a similar looking set for $1600. I'm figuring probably 70's with black klipsch faceplate AL5 with side handles. Nice to see what's inside.

[@loudguitar]

My band had a pair of La Scalas that we ran for our mains coupled with two 1x18 subwoofers crossed over at 100 hertz. $800 for the pair. The La Scalas were rough when we got them, but we refinished them and added aluminum channeling and corners. So efficient and sounded great. Stolen from our storage room.You used to be able to buy them unfinished and they even made an Industrial version for sound reinforcement. I cannot believe what a pair costs now.

[@nomorokay]

You can still find used La Scalas everywhere, and they still sound just as good. The capacitors in the crossovers should be replaced about every 25-30 years, but that’s about it for maintenance.

[@sammyboyee]

0:01 MJ Thriller album.. this is going to sound good. Sonically

[@wb5mgr]

Paper woofers or fiber as they’re sometimes called actually have the advantage of being much faster and tighter than other types of construction that are used for speakers. Because of all the different construction methods that were available back in the day they were the lightest weight. Nowadays you can find some really high and expensive drivers that are made from materials like carbon fiber but most speaker manufacturers are still not using materials like that. I am aware of only maybe a handful of subwoofer manufactures like rel that are using aluminum and carbon fiber drivers. I’m sure there are others. I would let that one be and if you want more base I would add a standalone subwoofer along with those units. They are only rated down to 50 Hz so they were never designed for that deep bass. That’s why the Khorns exist because they have more bass extension.

[@nomorokay]

The Khorns came first, in 1948, then the La Scalas were designed as PA speakers, in 1963, so they had to be portable, and deep bass was not needed. Later, it was found that they sounded great for music reproduction, so many were sold to hi-fi fans, in spite of the lack of deep bass. Later, subwoofers became widely available, and then the La Scala+sub combo was found to be even better than the Klipschorn, and it has more flexibility in positioning.

[@l.b.stringfellow2413]

Have you guys seen prices on a “rugged” old LaScalla wow. Talk about resale value. So long as that holly grail folded bass horn is intact you have the basic building blocks for a nice refurb.

[@Stelios.Posantzis]

That's a useful video. I'm not sure there are any showing the La Scala construction. I cannot tell whether this is 9-ply plywood - can you remember? Your crossover looks upgraded but the drivers look like those of the late '70s versions. If it were late '80s I think you would have a different tweeter (square magnet), possibly a ferrite midrange driver (not the Atlas one) etc. although you can never be exactly sure as there were so many versions over the years. You should have taken a photo of the woofer magnet's back: it has a date on it so that you can tell what the earliest possible date this speaker could have been made is. The woofer looks naff with the square magnet and stamped steel frame but be advised, it is what makes the sound. You have to be very careful in selecting an alternative i.e. you have to spend months on research because it is not necessary that you can find an alternative out there with the correct specs. Now there is/was alternative manufacturers that offer replacement drivers for Klipsch La Scala/Klipschorn but they usually do not publish their specs (why would they?). The woofer is paper because this is the strongest material from which you can make a cost-effective woofer. Kevlar is flexible so it is not appropriate here. PVC or any other plastic would have a different sound and would be less strong. It would also be much heavier so that would mean that the whole speaker would have to be redesigned. In order for the woofer cone to be strong enough for horn loading, it has to have straight sides,, i.e. no curved cone profile woofer is suitable here - be warned. All in all, leave it as it is - you get all the originality value as well as the original sound. The crossover upgrade to ALK is a good move but keep the original ones as well, just in case you ever need to return it to original condition. The ALK crossovers have much better components so should make a huge improvement. If you want better drivers, go to earlier versions of La Scala/Klipschorn. Unfortunately, these usually come with other issues and could be very expensive. It is also hard to find identical pairs. All in all, you have probably the best version of La Scala you can hope for, for the money, and with upgraded crossovers, you have probably maxxed out it's sonic potential. Any more than that, you are getting into serious mods territory and frankly I'm not sure it is worth the investment in time and money as well as the risk and possible frustrations which will inevitably ensue. Oh, one thing that may or may not have any significance would be the internal cabling. Another would be to check all the screws are tight (but careful not to overtighten and strip the wood threads!) and that the seal is not compromised after opening the case. That's it!

[@jdrissel]

I would not mess with that woofer unless it is rattling or something. That relatively small voice coil and large magnet is part of how they got such high sensitivity. Sure you could put a driver in there with neo magnets and a larger, longer voice coil and redesign the woofer crossover to suit... But I bet you would not even get 6 Db more output and if you did you would have to re-design mid-range, tweeter and their crossovers. If you really want it louder, use an electronic crossover and a sub. Sparing that 15 from the bottom octave of it's range will let you push it just a little harder without damaging it and something like a Rythmic sub could fill in all the way down past 20hz.

[@LatinPerspective.]

In my opinion any upgrades to a klipsch makes them a klipsch only in name. The sound of these Klipsch LaScala were approved by the ears of Paul W Klipsch.

[@TOM-C.]

Call Klipsch as the LaScalla is in new production with improved drivers.

[@tomgoffnett5624]

Thank you for the video. I got to tell you, that speakers done 42 years, it's protected in the cabinet, it will probably do 42 more.

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

Tom, Thanks so much for the comment. You're absolutely right, which is why I've left it exactly as PWK made it. I did however upgrade my crossovers with ALK engineering's crossovers. The catch with that is that I traded in the original AA's to keep the cost down. They sound great though. With the trade I only paid $99, without would have been $365 for the universal economy crossovers I bought. The extreme slope crossover would have been much more. Check out Al's site for more info on ALK. alkeng.com

[@tomgoffnett5624]

@@mogdimitysplitz3216 I book marked ALK website. Thank you very much. I absolutely believe you made the best choices. I wish I could hear the speakers. One day I will hopefully have a pair. I had a pair of Klipsch Heresy's in the late 80's to mid 90's. I was going to get another pair but then kept hearing people speak so highly of the mids the LaScala's present, so I'm holding off until I can afford a used set. I have a pair of Klipsch RP-600M bookshelf speakers to keep me happy for now :) Have a great weekend Joseph.

[@jorgeboardman]

The woofer Q is matched with the resonance chamber, it should be replaced but for a exact match woofer.

[@wa4aos]

Good deal.. I wonder if the drivers are still accessible in the new generations of the Heritage line. I have loved the La Scala's since the 70's. They are efficient, detailed and do most all music very well. I had the K Horns briefly but they proved to be just TOO much for our living room. If I could have pushed them back another 10 feet, I would still have them. Paul Klipsch was once asked about what amp to run with the K Horn.. He said, "what the world needs is a good 5 watt amp and his K Horn." I agree !!

[@nomorokay]

As long as the first few watts are clean and quiet, you can power La Scalas with amplifiers from 5 watts to 500 watts, and they’ll sound really good. The only rule is “Keep the drunk away from the volume knob.” That’s because anyone sober would be driven out of the room by the extreme volume, long before a big amplifier could be rolled up to full power, but a drunk person could be oblivious to the sounds of speakers in distress. As with any speaker, if it starts making funny noises, turn the volume down right away. The La Scalas are extremely sensitive, so they can produce lots of volume while being driven by surprisingly small amounts of power. That’s great, because you don’t need to buy a monster amp to drive them. As well, that’s why they’re able to show you the finest details in your recordings or streamed music. Along with musical details, if you have any noisy components in the signal path, like the amp or preamp, you’ll hear that noise, too, so don’t cheap out on your electronics, because you will hear the difference.

[@OscarSanchez-tk3hx]

It's like revealing the great Pharaoh from the tumb live it the way it is and intended to be

[@michaelmouton53]

Please don't change the woofer, I'll give you two BIG reasons... 1) the paper cone contributes to its high efficiency, so if you change that you're going to have a less 'revealing' system 2) due to the fact that it's soooo efficient, you really don't need a woofer with higher power handling or excursion.

[@DannerPlace]

Very cool speaker.

[@chrispicquet733]

I always,always change out the woofers in every Klipsch Heritage speakers I have ever owned..reason: the stamped frame CTS,or whatever they are using now does not the efficiency as the original cast frame EV's that were in the Early Klipsch stuff.I found that cast frame Alnico JBL Woofers are the perfect match for upgrading Klipsch Heritage speakers.using those drivers put to rest the complaints that the big Klipsch's lack bass.

[@JosePereira-cc1ju]

do not change anything please!.. that box is bautiful just like it is.

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

Yes it is,but please watch all my videos for the rest of the story. 😎 🎼🎧

[@mikejohns3104]

If you change the woofer, you wont have a LaScala anymore. The way they work together with the cabinet is what makes the magic.

[@keneken110]

thanks man! I was always curious about that!

[@Justwantahover]

25 grand for speakers with stamped frame woofers. Old school 50s tech.

[@LILRIPPER71]

I took my La Scalas apart also. I was amazed at the low quality of the raw Frame woofer itself when comparing it to a JBL OR AN ALTEC.I guess the earlier Kilpsch used the big electro-voice woofers. Still even with this cheap reproducer, it gives an amazing bass performance due to the cabinet design. Imagine what it could sound like with an Altec 515 B w/ the 5 lb alnico magnet, flat copper wire voice coil and a gauess rating of 14,500.

[@nomorokay]

The La Scalas were built around those drivers, matched to the drivers, and the crossovers were matched to the driver and cabinet combination. Installing different and more expensive woofers will usually make La Scalas sound worse, not better. As for bass performance, the La Scala bass horn is undersized, in order to keep the cabinets down to a reasonable and sort of portable size. That's why the bass starts to roll off at 100 Hz, and there's not much left by 50 Hz. That's okay, the mid-bass and upper bass sound great, and you just need to add a subwoofer or two to fill in the deep bass. The La Scala and subwoofer combination is considered by many people to sound better than Klipschorns, which are the top of the Heritage Series lineup. Happy listening to your La Scalas!

[@mikejohns3104]

@@nomorokay You got this right💯

[@raduflorin6154]

LOL ,if anyone knows anything about speaker chassis you can spot it in a second ,that is nothing but a low end steel framed Eminence guitar speaker !!

[@nomorokay]

@@raduflorin6154 Yes, you’re right. They do use Eminence musical instrument amplifier woofers. So why does Klipsch choose musical instrument drivers for their speakers? Because they’re available in the quantities that Klipsch needs, year after year. The Klipschorns have been in production for 74 years and the La Scalas have been around for 59 years. Sure, parts have been upgraded and updated during that time, but not every company can supply drivers with a consistent sound, decade after decade. Then Klipsch can design crossovers that make the best use of those drivers, producing excellent results. What else? Well, those musical instrument speakers have doped paper surrounds. In this case, “dope” is the sticky black substance that keeps the driver surrounds from ever drying out and cracking. Most other companies use drivers that have foam or rubber surrounds, which last 15-20 years max, before they start falling apart and need to be either re-surrounded or scrapped. In my case, my first Klipsch speakers were a pair of 32-year-old La Scalas. They sounded great at the time, and they’re now 47 years old. I haven’t even looked at the woofers, but they still sound great. That would be simply impossible with the usual “hi-fi” drivers. Paul Klipsch was a complete engineer. Not only could he design speakers with high performance in the customer’s home, they also performed well in the factory, in that the prices were kept under control, so that in spite of all the engineering that goes into Heritage Series speakers, they’re still less expensive than other speakers of similar performance. And they hold their value over the long or very long run. My 1974 La Scalas sold for $1050 USD when they were new. In 2006, I paid $1200 CAD for them, and considered that to be a good deal. How many other speakers can say that they’ve maintained both their value and their high-quality sound over a period as long as that? It would be a very very short list, if such a list could even be made.

[@raduflorin6154]

@@nomorokay ,you are missing the point !! Fyi ,ANY pa speaker hooked to a hi-fi amplifier WILL BLOW YOUR MIND IN EVERY WAY !! (Try a simple Electrovoice SX300 next to it (that's right ,the plastic made one , and i bet it sounds better ) , or wven an old pair of Yamaha PA speakers ( which use the same eminence drivers, by the way ) So ,what i do not agree , and will never agree with, is , paying that amount , for a 200 USD worth of drivers in a crate !! There's a video with a guy that shows the insides of Cornwall 4's (and we are not talking about any horns or any box design)!! Same 100 USD eminence stamped steel chassis woofer (with a round magnet this time ) And two virtually the cheapest that you an find Celestion compression driver for the midrange, and a celestion tweeter (which is hooked on a P-Audio branded 7 dollars horn) , so in my opinion, i think they are just a ripoff of people's money!

[@johnhodgson5313]

I looked up your serial #, it is a 1976 model. Mine are a year newer and not as good a shape.

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

Cool, I was very fortunate. The guy I bought these from had them in his basement taking up space and doing much of nothing. They use to be his Fathers and he needed to retrieve some space in his townhouse. A win for me.

[@ivayloipetkov]

Dude, if you change the woofer and its not 105db efficiency it will sound worse. The reason is because the midhorn and the twitter will have less resistance and they will play louder than the new woofer. So you will get less bass. Think a little before you spend money

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

Really? That's good info and it makes sense when I think about. It was actually only a wild thought. I never really wanted to lose the speakers authenticity. The crossover replacement is really enough of a modification. They actually sound great now. I've changed placement and tweaked the axis. Next plan is an amplifier to improve driving power.

[@ivayloipetkov]

@@mogdimitysplitz3216 I drive mine with a tube amp ( la scalas love tubes) based on a 2A3 tubes. The amp is rated at only 2.7 watt per chanel and is more than enough to fill 42m2 room. I listen at 83 db usually.

[@marcump]

Don’t forget about sensitivity rating

[@michijimc9753]

That looks like one of the woofers CTS built for a number of folded horn manufacturers. Do not change the woofers out unless they are broken beyond repair. You’ll loose much of the value of the speakers.

[@mkshffr4936]

Looks like a real bite to get to the top screws on that woofer. No No, stick with paper for natural sound.

[@David-ik8wj]

dont change the woofer. paper is best in that application and that driver is really efficient and is specified for that application. if you want improvement use better speaker wire. that lamp cord is not delivering what those speakers are capable of reproducing. i sold my high end cables after purchasing a product called Anticables. they are awesome and will not brak the bank.

[@Appicerocks]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! :)

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

but it if it is, do.

[@harryconover289]

To be so limited is sad

[@harryconover289]

The woofer is not the limit the midrange driver is a phenolic type is very rugged you have head them a lot on police cards pa this is what there were made for phenolic is wether proof too and at that time it was the-only driver that would go down to800 Hz so it could be used in train stations and factories but there robust construction caused sound quality limits any of the new type titanium drivers are a vast improvement on the Oder of ten times the improvements the new caps gave you

[@williamblackwell9558]

What is the price of those speakers? They use the cheapest speaker that they could possibly get away with. I mean even a pair of 1983 Cerwin vegas have cast aluminum 15in drivers. Imagine how good they would sound if they actually used Hi End drivers and crossovers......lol

[@SerafinTirado471]

If it works as design why change it. You may upset its universe.

[@josephsansom3383]

Guy knows what he’s talking about

[@thomasschafer7268]

Haha. Are you driving a 70 s Ford?

[@l.b.stringfellow2413]

The Crites Xovers are true to PWK original design, just better quality same spec parts.

[@gene8933]

you cant just stick any woofer you want in their it has to have specific parameters for horn loaded cabinet if you want to upgrade contact wwwcritesspeakerscom

[@nicetna2010]

Sure you can, as long as the replacement driver is the same size and efficiency. There will undoubtedly be a miniscule difference in sound between different drivers of equal size and efficiency, but the overall sound quality should be virtually identical.

[@gene8933]

@@nicetna2010 Technically you are correct you can screw anything in their even a pie tin but it is not going to give you a response optimized for the horn. Klipsch loudspeaker models . Understand that these bass horns are fairly complex, not the least of which is the relative area of the compression slot and the geometries of the horn folds QTS in bass horn loaded cabs?? QTS .3 or lower but not too low is best suited for horn loading. High EBP and low Q in a low Fs driver go hand in hand, you can't have the one without the other. Ideal EBP for a bass horn is in the vicinity of 100. If you don't believe me ask a expert Bill Fitzmaurice

[@nicetna2010]

@@gene8933 The three distinguishing factors that would dictate proper and similar sound qualities would be the size of the driver, sensitivity (efficiency) and impedance. Long as those three criteria are met, most any speaker can be hot rodded, save for the planar speakers. Like I said, there would obviously be subtle differences between the oem and replacement drivers, but the overall sound quality should be relatively similar. I've swapped out the oem woofers from my K-horns and installed Pyle 15" woofers. You wouldn't believe the difference, and the specs weren't even identical.

[@stevenphillips6849]

that's a crites crossover in there it appears...so the man knows

[@gene8933]

@@stevenphillips6849 a ultimax woofer would not be recommended. the recommended woofers are CW1526 Crites Woofer, K-33-E/B (Klipsch Square Magnet) K-33-E (Klipsch Round Magnet) or similar specs.a horn is a physically controlled bandpass you only can get so much low end out of it with that size horn mouth.

[@PrinceWesterburg]

Oh God - DO NOT CHANGE THAT DRIVER!!! What you'll find with paper cone, paper edged speakers is a very rapid transport, they articulate up into the lower mids. If you put some dumb ass 10,000w sub driver in then you'll maybe get up to 300Hz out of it and have not only a collossal gap before the midrange horn starts but also it will be very lacking in bass due to its low sensitivity, in fact around 1/4 the volume of the horns.

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

No fear. First, thank you for watching my video, but this was a few years ago. If you'll watch the rest of my videos on this series you'll see that I have changed both drivers for my LaScalla's. they were direct replacement paper cones and the distortion I initially heard around 60-80Hz that started all of this is completely gone. Infact I've been listening lately in two channel with paired subs and they sound incredible. soundstage is huge and bass response and integration is smooooth. I'm completely happy with the result. I've changed my room around a few times now, Iwish you all could coem by and listen for yourself. I'll try to do some new videos soon, but youtube really doesn't do it any justice and I need much better recording equipment. I'm sorry about the long reply. Thanks again for watching!

[@teknisimugen8747]

Good

[@axlrose7668]

Why put a short throw woofer in a design where low frequency depends on the amount of air it can push through indirect area?

[@glennewdick]

They use the size 15" and the horn loading to get the base, the short throw gives you speed, dynamics and efficiency. its much more expensive to make a high efficiency driver then a lower efficiency one by the way ( much smaller air gaps in the voice coil on high effic drivers). long throws tend to be in servo controlled or small ported designs where the efficiency drops significantly. these are 105db efficient, average ported designs are around 88db.

[@Boudas72]

At this price point the cabinet construction is not decent. It's just a wooden box and it's a shame because these units inside a better cabinet could perform much better. Start shooting but i think that I'm not wrong.

[@newpath.newpath2010]

Stamped steel frame for a unit that expensive?

[@l.b.stringfellow2413]

Agree w Tom !

[@peterjmcgee4680]

I don't know if you did anything to it but if I were you I just leave it alone those speakers are gorgeous the way they are I would have checked to see if the woofer surround area are still intact I don't know if that used any sort of surround material back in the day when they were made you know suspension material I know they didn't use foam in those days but they may have used a cloth material take it down make sure it's intact make sure it's not brittle if it's not and it's okay put it back and don't change it leave it alone though speakers sound great the way they are please leave it alone because the only thing you got to do by changing the speaker's is you going to devalue the piece itself you're going to make it less where the hell am I going to explain how am I to explain this you going to do value the peace by changing the speaker they're worth more money in the original state that they are that's what I can see they're all completely original except that you've changed the Crossovers which I would have done myself because this capacitors in the air from that age they go bad and you better watch changing them at upgrade the Crossovers no problem leave the speakers alone

[@stiffmeister0hYeah]

HS-24 and Klipsch La Scala are you Charles?

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

No Sorry, I'm just your average every day Joe.

[@keithwiebe1787]

Open up the cabinet to top. Seal it up and add the right size ports and you gain deep bass.

[@keithwiebe1787]

@Larry Niles What's wrong? Gaining deeper bass? LOL! These need all the help they can get. Heck, my khorns needed 12db of boost at 30 hz to get any low bass out of them. That's just the way they are.

[@johto]

@@keithwiebe1787 Stupid thing to do. Better to integrate subwoofer to support that that last octave of 20-40hz.

[@duaneyoutbe]

Thanks for your contribution.

[@peterjmcgee4680]

My friend has Altec Lansing voice of the theaters and he changed out the woofers on the map and he lost over a third of the value because they would no longer original and like an idiot he sold the original walkers where if he had Captain them he would have not lost any money but that usually make mistakes when it comes to these vintage pieces I restore vintage audio equipment whatever you do do not change those speakers I do receivers and I do amplifiers the only thing I do is I change out anything that is going bad when it comes to amplifiers and receivers I do not change anything else if the stuff is still showing good I leave it alone

[@joelrunyan1608]

Do NOT change that woofer away from paper. Itll ruin the speaker

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

LOL!! You guys are soo passionate about Klipsch! Well I am too.. The paper remains, but I di change the woofer with a direct replacement and it sounds amazing! Keep watching my videos and you'll see. Thanks for watching!!!

[@joelrunyan1608]

@@mogdimitysplitz3216 well. Big box store klipsch speakers are kinda crappy.. but these? Are some of the best ever made

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

@@joelrunyan1608 Yes, I agree with you. Although I am considering getting a pair of RF7 III for my LCRs to match my RC 7 MK III Center channel and using the LaScala's strictly for two Channel listening. Thanks again for viewing my channel. I really appreciate it!

[@Nevin_Tom_Philip]

Which is your center channel bro

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

My home theater center channel is the Klipsch RF7III .

[@mikegoppert4177]

Imagine if Klipsch could make a descent cabinet what they would sound like.

[@Arvidien]

What would you do different?

[@mikegoppert4177]

@@Arvidien To start, I apologize for being negative. That's usually not my style. I'm a fan of the modern Klipsch sound (Heritage line, specifically the Cornwall IV), but they are pretty well known for cutting corners in their builds. To be honest this speaker from the 70s appears to be better built than the modern stuff. This speaker appears to have some form of bracing with the inner cabinet within the main cabinet as shown. The modern speakers I've seen (Cornwall IV and Forte III) are sadly underbuilt. I can't tell from the video, but that looks like plywood. I would expect baltic birch or high-grade HDF. There is absolutely no damping material used anywhere. Now to be fair, we can't see what is between the outer and inner cabinet in this case. I would expect a speaker of this magnitude to have the minimal expected materials and build quality to minimize "any and all" cabinet resonance. Take a look at how they fastened the driver to the cabinet by only using every other screw hole and the use of cheap screws instead of hex screws. All of this is pretty sad for a speaker at this price point. On a side note, that stamped basket on the woofer is also a potential resonance issue. Paper cone drivers are fine and can produce outstanding sound quality. Without seeing the crossover and inner cabinet design, I can't comment on anything else here. With all that said, I want to leave on a positive note. If you listen to them and you can justify the cost (knowing the build quality is subpar) for what you hear, then that's what counts. You can always upgrade the cabinet and crossover (voiding your warranty) like so many others do and get them to the next level.

[@Dixler683]

@@mikegoppert4177 you said a lot of words but to sum it up you said NOTHING. Do you frequently speak just to hear yourself talk?

[@nomorokay]

@@mikegoppert4177 First, the La Scala woofer is attached using 4 screws because some of the screw positions are inaccessible, so it makes no sense to install only 5 or 6 screws. Using 4 screws is a common practice among speaker manufacturers, and doesn't cause any problems. As for the perceived quality of the woofers in the Scalas, the speakers are designed around those drivers. Installing more expensive woofers usually degrades the sound of the speakers, because then they've lost the synergy of the drivers, cabinet, and crossover. The capacitors do usually need to be replaced after 20 years or so, but it's important to use the same value capacitors as the crossover came with. When I replaced the 32-year-old caps in my crossovers, the sound did improve, becoming more clear, and restoring the original sound of the speakers.

[@blakedmc1989RaveHD]

i wished more home speakers came with no less than 15" woofers

[@dontcare563]

Big woofers aren't really desirable any more. The construction of modern woofers is much better than the 60's and 70's and they can get good bass out of much smaller woofers!

[@blakedmc1989RaveHD]

@@dontcare563 not really! i've tested all tha modern smaller woofer and put them beside my Technics and my Technics with 2 15" woofers, and my old faithful Technics extremely overpowered tha smaller Woofers lol so u say they can get as good as much bass as bigger older ones, i'm here to tell ya from somebody who has tested both kinds, u're very wrong

[@dontcare563]

@@blakedmc1989RaveHD That hasn't been my observation over the years but your entitled to your opinion!

[@blakedmc1989RaveHD]

@@dontcare563 dude i'm someone who is a speaker enthusiast who actually does test out sound for years and even today, small woofers suck and weak

[@dontcare563]

@@blakedmc1989RaveHD You were testing the wrong ones then. The quality of the speakers now with much better and larger voice coils and magnets and longer excursions make some of the newer woofers superior. This is one reason many manufacturers no longer use 15 inch woofers but use multiples of smaller woofers. Looking at some of those magnet structures and voice coils on those huge old woofers sometimes makes me laugh. I guess even you can learn new things!

[@cool555breeze]

Yea, you are going to fuck them up replacing the woofer... They ain't $4,000 speakers for nothing.

[@lorenzeman6544]

If it's not broke don't touch it

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

Too Late! Please watch the rest of my videos to see how the story developed. Thanks for watching this one.

[@tottimejdi5820]

repair it don t lose the original diver

[@powersonic6255]

Good job .

[@basschink]

paper is more musical.

[@fabricegrard1001]

it's not slow motion = seasick

[@ytwhite5930]

If you MUST change the woofers out,talk to Bob Crites first.Just throwing in carbon fiber replacements without doing your homework is almost a guaranteed disappointment of the worst kind...Don't do it!

[@mogdimitysplitz3216]

Thank you for the comment. Please review my newer videos, these woofers have already been replaced. Unfortunately Bob passed this year. R.I.P Bob Crites and Thank you.

[@johnroberts4571]

Eminence 4ohm....

[@mrsoul9013]

sexual perversions can take many shapes.