Klipsch La Scala AL5 Review w/ Upscale Audio's Kevin Deal

upscaleaudio.c...
Inspired by some Status Quo (the band), Kevin grabbed the Klipsch La Scala AL5 for this great new video. He covers this striking model's history and technological development and also offers amp pairing advice and suggestions. Find out why this is the perfect speaker to feed with those classic recordings and hear them really breathe!

[@upscaleaudio]

OMG!!!! I LOVE you guys (and gals)!!! So many great ideas and songs that had spun off my brain's hard drive!!! Please keep them coming!!! - Kevin

[@isaacsykes3]

DREAMWEAVER/SEED OF LOVE - Little Boy Blue

[@barkatthemoonlunatic1715]

when you were listening to music in your car, what speakers were u listening too? which ones do you sell?

[@leeg7106]

Not sure if you still read this post, but here is 2 I love on my system: 1) The Damnation of Adam Blessing 1969, amazing melodical midrange vocals for their time, they do one of the most amazing versions of “Morning Dew”. 2) FAT 1970; Imagine taking Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam and transporting him out of the 90’s and into 1970. Progressive music, a treat with jazz-rock pieces, I love turning people onto this band they are always in amazement and love it.

[@hurkamur1]

Slip inside this house by the 13th floor elevators is the greatest psychedelic song of all time.

[@robertalker652]

The speaker featured could possibly be the best rendered cabinetry I've seen in any speaker. Having owned a pair in the early Eighties that raw, unfiinished and absolutely ravaging in sonic quality. The La Scala's reign supreme.

[@toddcovington1172]

Love Our Bar with its La Scallas! One of the regulars wife told him to get them out of her house as she was redecorating they had to go. So he brought them up to the bar and gave them to the owner. He figured he spent more time at the bar than at home with the wife anyway.

[@jesseroman3]

“Time has come today” by The Chambers Brothers…the LP version

[@hi-fihaven2257]

Astronomy Domine and Interstellar Overdrive 1967 Pink Floyd album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

[@kentonkirkpatrick5225]

Hi Kevin, psychedelic is my favorite. Some good ones: Journey to the center of your mind - Amboy Dukes (featuring Ted Nugent), Pretty Ballerina - The Left Banke, San-Fran band called Fever Tree. Their eponymous Album is great. Ten Years After's "Stonedhenge" (I know, the name is corny in this day-and-age) will knock the socks off. A two-man group called "Silver Apples" virtually started synth-psych music (again eponymous album). Any Moody Blues, Tool, Steppenwolf, etc.. And lest we forget Blue Cheer.

[@bryanpaulgilbert7308]

I absolutely love Klipsch heritage speakers! A couple of things that were game changers for me is the potential for placing them relatively close to a wall and unparalleled low volume listening✨

[@tuckerjeffrey]

I loved Pink Floyd in the late 70’s on my set of Klipschorns. I was stationed in Keflavik Iceland in the US Navy all iced down. I really want a brand new pair of Black LaScalas. It’s my 65th birthday!

[@Weisserdau]

Thanks Kevin for making a pair of Lascala's top of my bucket list. I have the Cornwall's and love them dearly!

[@mpi5850]

Great video and fabulous speakers. Would love a tour of your new listening room sometime. Merry Christmas to you, Kat and the rest of the team.

[@cap893x]

Kevin you are the best - I love your reviews - nobody can touch them.

[@damianzaninovich4900]

Great presentation on a beautiful pair of speakers. Love “Forever Changes” has been my favorite album for more than 40 yrs. “Your Mind and We Belong Together” from the same session is a must. I have a cd with only the Justin Hayward songs on it from The Moody Blues up to the early 70’s that’s another favorite for most of my life. The other members songs not really but Justin is one of the all time greats and comes through So Cal every year and still gives me a thrill.

[@thehambonios88]

I didn’t see your post until after I posted…

[@twtwtw1]

Blue Jays

[@SpencersStuffTV]

Great video! I can confirm after running these drivers for hundreds of hours, they smooth out a ton! I cannot wait to own some la scalas some day

[@dsm238945]

Kevin, I have the La Scala AL5s, and I agree they're so life like. They want to be played LOUD! I can listen to all kinds of music through them for hours. I agree that streaming with a good streamer and a great DAC is great. But better still is a great vinyl setup with a tube phone stage preamp. Maybe even better yet is to play SACDs taken from the master tapes and run through a top tier DAC. For your psychedelic song list don't forget "White Bird" by It's a Beautiful Day.

[@user-ex9zm7bg3x]

Dude I have AL5s and am constantly on guard that I haven't got them too loud. You don't freaking realize it because the normal indicators of high volume (distortion, compression) aren't there.

[@InPursuitOfLiberty]

I'm about to purchase LaScala AL5. I do like GoldenEar Reference but LaScala does something other spkrs don't. Will looking at the meters on my McIntosh help monitor the loudness? How else will you know if loud is too loud?

[@utoad9]

Vanilla Fudge- You Keep Me Hangin On

[@petesporsche8098]

I have had LaScalas for a LONG time and I always thought the same as you about positioning -- an inch could make all the difference. Recently, I tried PWK's recommendation and set them lined up at 45 degrees in the corners so that they crossed in front of my seat and I realized more of Klipsch's genius. The controlled directivity means that the speakers don't really interact with the walls behind them anymore. By simply setting out an isosceles right triangle and putting the speakers on the lines, they disappeared as completely as I had ever been able to achieve! I was able to tweek the distance out from the corners to smooth the bass response without losing the holographic quality. I had to rearrange the room treatment a bit -- the diffusers on the side walls now interact with the opposite speakers -- but the hours of painstaking trial and error of tiny changes was a waste of time,all because I misunderstood the recommendation. I had thought that the corners might be the best for bass response but to get them to image they had to be treated like any other speakers. It turns out that I was wrong. Pete

[@anthonygordon14]

Thanks Kevin. Just love your videos. I run my Klipsch Palladium P37F's with my Prima Luna EVO300 and love the sound. The Klipsch P-37Fs I acquired second hand from original owner who had hardly used them. Still don't think they are adequately run in yet but working on it :-) Cheers Tony

[@williamschaefer7399]

A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum. My first hifi speakers were La Scalas. Best rock speaker ever.

[@cthulhuismychild]

When it comes to psychedelic, I really lean towards Hawkwind. And 2 of their 50 years of songs that come to mind go back to the early 70s. "You Shouldn't do that" the first track on "In Search of Space" and a Lemmy's solo on the song "Time we left this world today" off of "Doremi Fasol Latido" even 45+ years since I've dropped acid, still can transport me to another place. Each very spacey sounding but not the fluff of Pink Floyd. It's very easy to hear the roots of Motorhead and even punk rock in these albums. Johnny Lydon (Rotten) often points to Hawkwind as a motivation for the Sex Pistols. There is also an odd connection to listing to Hawkwind with horns as Dikmik in the band played on stage with a horn on a gimble he could move around and see who he could cause to pass out by the sounds he was making. All the Klipsch full horn systems are made for Hawkwind

[@bradsage7027]

I totally agree, Hawkwind on Klipsch is great.

[@markmiddaugh9359]

I use a 10-watt tube amp (Audio Nirvana) and 1 watt is loud on the '81 Cornwall's I use. A song that sounds outstanding on the Cornwall's is 'Come Together' by The Beatles.

[@scottyo64]

Love come together on my Cornwalls

[@jamesschneider3828]

The best Beatles song ever.

[@jimmyBside]

Ohhhffff….Wow…’Come Together’ must sound epic, on that rig. Watched a vid on Ringo’s drumming, a while back…have a new found appreciation for him. 🍻

[@GIBKEL]

I’d really love to know what size of space you listen in. I wish I could make it to a stereo shop….so rural that even when I make it to the big shitty, one does not exist. Every town in Mt with 20,000 had a hi-fi shop in the 70/80’s. I’m so damn curious. Love my guitar tube amps and that’s lo-fi.

[@ryanstratton1925]

I bought a beat up pair of 1978 La Scalas just for fun. Put them in the shop and was really surprised by how much I was liking them so I grabbed a dolly and wheeled them in the house and put them down in front on my Cornwall IV. They really shook my hifi world up. They have replaced my Cornwalls which replaced some really higher end stuff like Kef Bland and Revel Salon 2. I wonder how much better the newer versions are? Many guys say not much difference. I put new veneer on my pair and they are great looking now in birch. I really wonder how much more I would get with the AL5 or even the AK6

[@HailKingCeezer]

I once had 5 la scalas in a 5.1 set up, miss them, then i had Khorns with moded crossovers, miss them most. I now use the cf-4 v.1. Just easier to live with and they sound great/different than typical klipsch

[@MrRourk]

I knew a couple that had 4 Voice of the Theater speakers for their home theater system. It was insane the way you felt the sounds in movies.

[@AYouTubeUser12345]

Great presentation. I'd like to offer Country Joe and the Fish: "Electric Music for the Mind and Body" as an extremely fine psychedelic album worth listening to. Also, some very early Pink Floyd. And of course Cream's "Disraeli Gears" is a classic album.

[@buddyjenkins7188]

I love my La Scalas. I have purchased an Eames Lounge chair and it puts my ears right at the perfect level with the Midrange and twetter. I can sit there for hours listening to these speakers . They are fantastic for every type of music, but really shine with female vocals, acoustic, jazz, etx.

[@李乐-p6y]

你是用什么低音炮来解决超低音不足的？我还没有用。

[@joewillie5800]

WOW KEVIN: How about Vanilla Fudge, of the Velvet Underground, Moby Grape, In A Goda Da Vida!!! There are so many!!!! You rock man, love your channel and the truth that flows from your old Hippie lips!!!! Sorry about the old, I am older than you my friend!!!! Keep Rockin!!! Oh and dont forget The Grateful Dead!!!!

[@efrainpedroza6624]

Iron butterfly! In tha gadda vidda!

[@donaldscheer5206]

That Is One Beautiful Speaker!!

[@terrywho22]

Ok, JA's White Rabbit and Donovan's Wear Your Love Like Heaven are at or near the top for me, but what about Eric Burdon's San Franciscan Nights or Lay Down from Melanie & The Edwin Hawkins Singers. Then there is Love's Alone Again Or... and who could forget Harry Nilsson 's Jump into the Fire?? Don't get me started Kevin, I'll be here all night!!!!

[@carmenandthedevil2804]

"Itchycoo Park", "Lazy Sunday", Small Face's. "Meet Me On the Corner" Lindisfarne. "If Six Were Nine" Hendrix. "Lucy In the Sky" Beatles, "Magic Carpet Ride" Steppenwolf.

[@CreamyBone]

I can drive my Cornwalls to a low but enjoyable casual listening level from the 3.5mm output jack of my old iphone 6. These La Scalas would be even better 😊

[@nonahyobusiness8063]

The first two Strawberry Alarm Clock albums. Totally oozing and dripping with psychedelia. Get really high when you listen to them, Kevin :👍

[@Purplexi]

Kevin(?) You are my hero. I won't bore you with MY psychedelic list because it would be too long. Those speakers are much like the old Altec Voice Of The Theatre, IMO THANKS!!

[@jedpetersen3806]

You folks are awesome!

[@robertfair1770]

Songs > The 13th floor Elevators " Your gonna miss me " The Seeds "Your pushing too hard" The Zombies "tell her no!"

[@ericgeyer2034]

I know I listened to a lot of Pink Floyd (and still do) back in the stoner time. The 2018 Animals remaster is excellent, both on vinyl and various digital formats. And I listen on Heresy's.

[@AudioElectronicsChicago]

Great speakers, part of the HiFi history

[@2ridiculous41]

I'm thinking SONGS not 20 minute workouts from The Grateful Dead. And I am trying to think of things out of the ordinary as I am sure others will pick Tomorrow Never Knows... The Misunderstood: Children Of The Sun. The Yardbirds: Happenings Ten Years Time Ago. Love: She Comes In Colours (always seems to have the British spelling). Incredible String Band: Three Is A Green Crown. Two absolutely essential compilations are The Psychedelic Years & The Psychedelic Years Revisited, both originally 3xCD sets. They are listed on Discogs as originally released on Knight Records.

[@antonyharding5360]

I Appreciate your vids Kevin. Wish you and your staff/ family a safe and happy Christmas.. Regards Antony Warrington Cheshire England..

[@lonnieelliott504]

I bought a pair in 1984 in the Canex of Base Baden in Germany. One birch plywood box and no packing boxes. Paul Klipsh was on sight sponsoring his company for an afternoon. Speaking with him he orginally built this for his daughters wedding in La Escalla spain, his words. Paul looked like a mad scientist wearing 3 writs watches. I pushed them with a quad amp/preamp which is all I could afford and which I had purchased on sale. It was loud enough to get me kicked out of 3 apartments. I had them for 30 years till they died in a house fire. Now at a price at $17000 cdn tears run down my face.

[@williamcampbell3868]

New colony 6, things I like to say/ Moody Blues,Tuesday afternoon

[@jaw3410]

no question.....Dark Star is THE KING of all psychedelic songs

[@mikejames-drummerreginacan1386]

I appreciate your enthusiasm ....thanks from Canada.

[@sux2bu883]

I don't know if these are psychedelic or not. Two of my favorite seventies tunes are Baby Batter by Harvey Mandel and Goodbye Pork Pie Hat by Jeff Beck. I've been a Klipsch fan since mid seventies. I currently own a pair of Chorus I the first edition and they have been played very hard and have not given one bit of resistance. Like most of the Heritage Line they are very efficient 101db

[@ThousandThrills]

The Doors of course... The End ... live at the Hollywood Bowl he was dancing like a God on Robby's guitar...Not to touch the earth....best band ever Try The Doors in Concert on your la scala's, must be great!have a great day sir.

[@garyhilbolt4363]

Time has come today by the Chambers Brothers

[@RichardFieg]

Michael Quattro Paintings, Two Mile Pike Barefoot Jerry, Switch on Gershwin Rapsody in Blue & Mahogany Rush Land. of a Thousand Nights. These songs sure worked well with my Khorns and Belle Klipsch in a 25-foot spread room!

[@rickhewitt8588]

Buffalo Springfield. For what it’s worth Ringo to ya!

[@MrRourk]

I've seen LaScala's powered with 5watts of SET Tubes. 7w of 300b is where they really start to come alive. 12Watts of 6c33c-b will overpower most people with volume & sound. 18watts of GM70 your neighbors and their neighbors are enjoying the music with you. :)

[@brianmoss5483]

Used those for p.a. Speakers back in The day.

[@rickmathis8590]

Interstellar Overdrive by Pink Floyd

[@TheJohnniegolden]

Got me drooling Kevin. That (Walnut?) finish is what I would choose. A Zen Torii from Decware or an Air Tight ATM 300 is what I would power them with. Maybe a Pass X30.8 at the cottage. Just waiting on that ship to come in...

[@user-ex9zm7bg3x]

or an XA25

[@louielouieb333]

I've got the 25 paired with yamaha C5000 preamp and considering trading in my double Impacts, m3 sapphires + $4k for lascalas. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

[@jasonsmith9845]

Tomorrow Never Knows, Somebody to Love, Manic Depression, Eight Miles High... I could go on. I'll have to stick with my inherited 1981 Cornwalls that I recently renewed with new caps and Crites drivers, but I sure would love the La Scalas if I were starting from scratch.

[@donaldscheer5206]

Chrismon & Clover

[@redstarwraith]

My favourite psychedelic tunes: The Beatles,, It's All Too Much. The Stones, Child of the Moon, Pink Floyd, Lucifer Sam...

[@jakep8484]

Steppenwolf the pusher, The Byrds 5D, a bunch of Grateful Dead...

[@mkfmkf55]

Rolling Stones, 2000 Light years from home

[@6doublefive3two1]

Love - A House Is Not a Motel The Cure - A Short Term Effect Smashing Pumpkins - Siva

[@lamarschoell7827]

my favorite Pink Floyd Echoes from the Metal album

[@a990dna]

'Time' by Pink Floyd. Been listening to Floyd on my Cornwall IIs since 1980.

[@thehambonios88]

Forever Changes (the entire album) by Love

[@mrg1911]

Great Video! "DREAMS" by The Allman Brothers Band.....1min 40sec Duane Allman starts solo.

[@wizardmix]

Black Moth Super Rainbow (went to high school with them) / Boards of Canada / Aphex Twin / King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

[@wizardmix]

PS and of course I know the originals but you wanted to be turned on to new ones, there they are. BMSR's Dandelion Gum is particularly amazing. Boards of Canada are the masters of psychoactive music. Geogaddi is a good start, so is Tomorrow's Harvest. Aphex Twin is a bit harsh but very amazing. The Gizzz is very eclectic but they do some amazing tracks

[@JeffAdairKTM530]

pink floyd -all dayyyy

[@srpsrp3649]

Fun speaker for sure. I rotate mine in and out with some Maggies. Horns and dipoles, for me. La scalas are keepers

[@garysmith8455]

Nice, I rotate Forte'4's with Martin Logan Classic 9's................We're on a similar path 🙂

[@maxbouvatte]

I think piper at the gates of dawn is a core psych record. Just a side note- I think the doors music scared most hippies at that time. probably too aggressive and dark. But the doors are one of my favorites, I just don’t personally feel it’s psychedelic… anyways thanks for the vid

[@billsmith8739]

2000 Light Years From Home - Rolling Stones | Acapulco Gold & Silver-Live 1968 - Quicksilver Messenger Service I Strawberry Alarm Clock - Incense and Peppermints | IRON BUTTERFLY - IN A GADDA DA VIDA

[@lydiapawlak8564]

I heard these at a store and they had the clearest fastest bass I have ever heard. Need to damp that metal horn with dynamat or roof flashing sticky asphalt. I would dance to my favorite music is I had a house with a very large living room..

[@ericfarr2195]

STRANGE BREW, CREAM

[@stillastillsfan]

The La Scala was always a superior speaker to the Belle, and I think Roy realized this early on. It was about time that they finally gave it a beautiful cabinet for home application.

[@eliwhitney3505]

Don, not sure how you come to such a bold conclusion...always superior in what way? Virtually identical drivers and crossovers. The Belle's cabinet is a bit wider. The LaScala is a bit deeper affording a longer midrange horn. I lived with both back in the day and listened to them using the same components. I preferred the Belle's but wouldn't claim that they were superior. Just sounded better to my ears.

[@李乐-p6y]

@@eliwhitney3505 一定是有一定理由的，虽然khorn 史卡拉 belle都拥有几乎一样的三单元，但是如果像你说的，就没有任何必要买khorn，因为它更贵。

[@stillastillsfan]

I came to this conclusion by listening to both speakers in the 1980s. The Belle is I believe no longer available.

[@dtracy03ss]

Don't forget to put King Crimson in the Mix 21st Century Schizoid Man! Surely Kevin you have heard That one, but they have lots of Awesome Tracks!

[@chuopskivlog]

The legendary pink dots

[@jackfalco5351]

Think about it by the Yardbirds

[@baronofgreymatter14]

I could imagine kevin having some how having La Scalas in his car

[@jamesschneider3828]

Symphonic/rock fusion, Nights in White Satin, by the Moody Blues.

[@dotaclubDiculesti]

O just found out about some amazing speakers and a comment section full with psychedelic tracks.great

[@glennanderson6052]

White bird by it’s a beautiful day

[@stevelunz756]

My favorite psychedelic song is Incense and Peppermints by the Strawberry Alarm Clock.

[@ianmedium]

The Doors, the end, Mello Yello Donovan, Scott McKenzie San Francisco , MacArthur Park, Richard Harris, Autumn Stone, Small Faces, nights in white satin, moody blues,

[@scanman84]

The Jimi Hendrix are you Experienced. Rare Earth, Get Ready.

[@Tnapvrvideo]

From your extensive listening experiences with many different speakers and front end systems, ca you please share your observations on this question. We have a pair of AL5 LaScalas driven by a Primaluna EVO 300 integrated. It sounds wonderful to us (sound is highly subjective), and we have a rather nice, large, well appointed listening room. My question has to do with the soundstage and imaging. Our set-up as described centers the sound nicely between the two speakers. However, we don't get the instrument separation that we read about from other systems (or stated in magazine reviews of other high end components). We get beautiful detail and excellent, single note identification from different instruments and superb voice articulation, but everyone playing in the band is merely somewhere in the centered soundstage. We don't identify a guitar here and a bass over there, etc. Is this something that is simply NOT possible from the LaScalas or any horn speaker? Or, is this a limitation of the EVO 300? I read a glowing review about the AirTight 300R. If we swapped out the Primaluna EVO 300 for an AirTight 300R or a BAT tube amplifier (a super high end tube amp), would we hear the stunning separation of individual instruments this reviewer talked about where he even went on to say that with his eyes closed he felt like he could walk around the stage in and out of the musicians and the singer. We would love to get that listening experience if the LaScalas and a high end tube amplifier can make that happen. Or, is that not possible with the AL5 LaScalas? Many Thanks!

[@joejaenisch5839]

Iron butterfly inagoddavidia

[@borigodofo]

Old school psychedelic = It's All Too Much (Beatles). Some modern psychedelia, I recommend: Head On/Pill (King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard)

[@boyeblochhansen]

Hi Kevin I have a question to the new al5 klipsch la scala speakers will i destroy the sound if i buy the new Naim uniti nova pe streaming amp filter to run them i just want to play my music through Spotify or Bluetooth am i way out or do you think it will be a great match Kevin i really would be so happy if you could help me out best regards and i love seeing your videos Boye Hansen Denmark

[@fakeklg]

13th Floor Elevators - you’re gonna miss me

[@TriAmpHiFi]

Do you think the bass cabinet has a purposeful resonance? Acoustic upright bass reproduction seems uniquely true on the LaScala. 🔈🔉🔊

[@doctorpatient519]

the psychedelic catalog is rich with gems, but for me, the best example is the Rolling Stones' "2000 Light Years From Home" ... Keith's guitar solo is brilliant ... that entire album *reeked* of acid

[@DannerPlace]

Steppenwolf Live album, circa 1970, sounds fabulous on my Cornwall III's, the LaScala would be even better, I am sure.

[@luisdiego22002]

Incense and peppermint by the Strawberry Alarm Clock, Fire by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown and anything by Roky and the 13th floor Elevator.

[@carewser]

5:44 Instead of calling it the LaScala Klipsch should have called it the Longhorn The LaScala's have always amazed me in how Klipsch was unable to get deep bass out of an enormous, heavy cabinet with 15" woofers yet somehow their bass doesn't even rival my desktop/bookshelf speakers with 5" woofers. It's incredible

[@davevolz6138]

The Beamydryhorn would be fitting too. Heresy should be the Deafsy lol

[@wetcat833]

Warrior at the edge of time - Hawkwind

[@davidmcdermott949]

The 13th Floor Elevators, Austin, TX, You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone.

[@davidmartin1455]

How do the Belle Klipsch compare to the La Scala?

[@SuperKilcline]

Can’t leave out 13th Floor Elevators 😵‍💫

[@s7evendwn]

Donavon, season of the witch

[@dimitridjuric3886]

Hi Kevin, you should make Uplcale Audio spotify playlists!

[@a-tg-c1024]

I'm setting up a 2 channel and can't decide on the amp. I've demoed the LaScala's with a Mac 8950, but would love your thoughts on a Hegel 590 or NAD C399. THANKS.

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

"Incense and Peppermints"- Strawberry Alarm Clock

[@tuckerjeffrey]

What would be some great recommendations to power these with and would it be Tubes? I’m ready to procure.

[@annemickelson2621]

Trout Mask Replica?

[@fattnersgeekfile5478]

music i listen to believe it or not Frank , Dean ,Sammy Davis jr on my La Scalas II , i got rid of my Mac Intosh stuff cause was done with being over analyzing my system ….So i purchased musical Fidelity M5si …..wow …. what do you think of the musical Fidelity M series integrate amp ?