PERFECTION IS OVERRATED - KLIPSCH LA SCALA REVIEW
KLIPSCH LA SCALA SPEAKER REVIEW BY ANDREW ROBINSON
PERFECT SPEAKERS ARE OVERRATED! KLIPSCH LA SCALA REVIEW
Imperfection. It’s what makes something unique, what makes it interesting. Imperfection can cause us to look closer, or listen more intently. Imperfection can be beautiful, inviting, even familiar because it is at the heart of everything -even us. What does this have to do with today’s review? Everything, because the La Scala loudspeaker from Klipsch isn’t perfect. Far from it. And yet, among a group of people, people who pride themselves on the pursuit of sonic perfection, the La Scala has endured. Why? That’s what we’re going to discuss today, so hit that like button and subscribe as we review the iconic La Scala loudspeaker from Klipsch.
HISTORY OF LA SCALA
Launched in 1963, the LaScala was designed in part to be a smaller Klipschorn-like speaker. One that could match up to the venerable Klipschorn, but with fewer restrictions and placement requirements. The LaScala is a true, three-way horn loaded loudspeaker, a distinction it shares only with the Klipschorn, and what separates it from other Heritage loudspeakers such as our reference Heresy IVs.
KLIPSCH LA SCALA SPECS
The LaScala is a large speaker, crafted by hand in the United States. Its 15 inch horn-loaded woofer, two-inch horn-loaded midrange and one-inch horn tweeter give it a reported frequency response of 51Hz to 20kHz with a sensitivity of 105dB into eight Ohms. This means that the LaScala can reach concert-like volumes with true to life dynamics with only a handful of watts at its disposal. But none of these specifications tell you anything about what the LaScala is like to live with and listen to.
KLIPSCH HERITAGE MATERIALS
The LaScala isn’t so much a loudspeaker as it is a statement. Its Klipsch Heritage materials and construction methods are old fashioned by today’s standards, and yet, it looks positively modern. It is a large loudspeaker, perhaps too large for most people. Our open concept living room is likely on the edge of what I would consider a good fit for these speakers. The finish -especially the American Walnut you see here -goes a long way in making a physically imposing speaker look at home. The attention to detail found throughout the construction is evident; every seam, joint and choice of material looks and feels organic and expertly hand-crafted. While there are speakers with arguably better build-quality, they often feel sterile whereas the LaScala feels alive.
That sense of a soul carries over to the speaker’s sound, which is something I know I’ve brought up on this channel before. As we work our way up the Klipsch family tree not only is the lineage between their speakers evident, but as you climb, the aural view you’re treated to only becomes clearer.
THE DRAWBACKS OF THE LA SCALA
Before I get into the emotional impact of this particular speaker’s sound, allow me to address the obvious drawbacks. It is true, despite having a 15 inch bass driver, the LaScala lacks a certain depth to its bass response. It is also true, that with a sensitivity in excess of a 100dB into eight Ohms, that it is very easy to drive and perhaps overdrive this loudspeaker -inducing such maladies as sibilance or a megaphone like effect in its midrange. I’m confident some will argue or question their sensitivity rating. And I’m sure there are those of you who have gone online and found frequency response curves that show peaks, valleys and notable resonances throughout that you’ll no doubt use as fodder for why the LaScala shouldn’t be considered a good speaker -let alone a great one. And I’m not going to argue any of these points. You aren’t wrong. BUT until you actually LISTEN to these speakers, I urge you to withhold judgement. Because WHEN you actually listen to this speaker - at least for me - all of these complaints and criticisms begin to melt away.
THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
Because no speaker that I’ve heard to date gets at the heart and the soul of some of my favorite artists and their music better than the La Scala. There is simply something intangible about the way music is allowed to unfold through a speaker such as this. To say it has a live sound would sell it short. The word “live” likely conjures up images of a up PA speaker -which the LaScala has been in the past- but you need to get thoughts of Guitar Center out of your head. Instead look at the LaScala the way you would a Stradivarius, as more of an instrument than an audio xerox machine.
A LIVE SOUND
Lets then replace the word “live” with presence. The kind of presence that if you turn to your spouse or whomever you might be near and have a conversation, your brain knows that what is happening is live and in person. Now, imagine that person is Beth Hart or Elton John and they’re in the room. THAT is the kind of presence the LaScala’s bring and the same is true of instruments.
Because the methods used to translate that sound from the speaker to your ear are one in the same -in that both are horns -there’s this sense that nothing is lost in translation. Couple that with the sheer fact that it takes virtually no effort to breathe life into the La Scala and you quickly realize how veiled other loudspeakers truly are. You realize how difficult it is for your brain to suspend its disbelief when listening to other loudspeakers and why, other speakers NEVER sound like the real thing, and yet the La Scala arguably gets closer than anything else I’ve ever heard.
IS THE LA SCALA NEUTRAL?
The La Scala is not a neutral speaker, it definitely has color, a tone all its own. It’s timbre feels familiar, and it's somewhat born out of the materials Klipsch has used to construct the speaker itself. The La Scala while being mildly thin or light in the bass department still manages to sound warm-ish. More surprising is the fact that the LaScala is somewhat laid back at most volumes. Very little projects forward of the speaker’s front baffles, so despite its horn design, it is not a speaker that shouts at you -at least it tries not too. Your choice in recording or listening preferences will likely play a larger role in getting the LaScala to “misbehave” than it will on its own.
MIDRANGE & HIGH FREQUENCY
I wasn’t surprised by this, partially because of my prior experience with the Heresy IV. That speaker also has a horn midrange and tweeter, and like the LaScala, it is far more smooth sounding than shouty. It’s extension up top is especially natural and true to life -or true to the instrument. The La Scala is no different, only unlike the Heresy IV, the La Scala’s midrange and high frequency presentation seems completely unrestrained by the limitations of its physical size.
SETUP AND PLACEMENT
For such a large speaker, it’s rather shocking to discover just how “small” and delicate it can seem -or sound. It’s not impossible to get these speakers to aurally disappear, even though there is NO looking past them in your room. They’re also not too critical with respect to placement, though the strength of their center image and its focus does seem placement dependent. It is more about getting the ratio between your listening position and the distance between the speakers themselves correct rather than having to worry about things like toe-in, because when set up correctly, this speaker’s horizontal dispersion is room defying.
LA SCALA SOUNDSTAGE
These speakers can produce a room filling soundstage, one that feels appropriate to the source material be it a small jazz ensemble, large rock concert or orchestral work. The speaker is infinitely scalable, with zero sense of restraint as it relates to volume and dynamics. Tap on the skin of a snare with your finger and that is the sound you will hear through the La Scala. Grab a pair of sticks and hit that same snare with everything you have that too is what you will hear through the LaScalas. Put a mic on that same sound and amplify it by factor of 10 and -well you get the idea. What’s more, the flex, the texture and makeup of the snare itself can still be heard and resonates the way it does in real life through the LaScalas at any volume.
The soundstage is not laser etched, but rather one that feels aligned with the physical recording space. The La Scala’s are not monitor speakers. They sound nothing like what a producer or engineer may encounter in the control room. While some genres of music such as hard rock may require you to lean on a subwoofer or two, others like jazz and acoustic singer-songwriter fare will sound positively sublime through the LaScala’s on their own.
USING LA SCALA SPEAKERS FOR HOME THEATER
All of these traits and characteristics can also be experienced when relying on the La Scalas for home theater use. Even in stereo, they sound cinematic and make for an experience that is closer to attending a premier at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood than some run-of-the-mill home theater. In fact their dynamic envelope in these situations is beyond reproach. No speaker that we’ve enjoyed to date can touch what the La Scala can do as it relates to scale and dynamics.
Decware Zen
THE BEST AMPLIFIER FOR KLIPSCH LA SCALA
The real trick to unlocking the LaScala’s potential comes down to your choice in amplifier. While the speaker itself requires almost no power to come alive, choosing the right Watts are of paramount importance. While we connected all the usual suspects with respect to amplifiers and integrated amplifiers to the LaScalas, the ones that fared best were not what we were expecting. So what is the best amplifier for the La Scalas?
Arguably, the two best amplifiers we tested on the La Scalas were the Decware Zen, and our recently restored and modified (vintage) Pioneer SX-780. Both amplifiers breathed real life into the LaScalas in ways our other reference amplifiers couldn’t quite match. Also, given their insanely high sensitivity, you need to make sure your amplifiers are on the quieter side with respect to background noise or hum. You may think your amp is quiet through your existing speakers, but you may be in for a rude awakening upon connecting them to a speaker such as the LaScala.
DOES ALL MUSIC SOUND GOOD WITH KLIPSCH?
Even with the right amplifier, not every genre of music is going to be at its best through the LaScalas. While I thoroughly enjoyed almost everything we listened to through these beautiful speakers, I will admit that without some help in the bass department, certain tracks from the likes of Metallica or Rage Against the Machine, did not sound their best. This can be remedied with a subwoofer, so worry not, and I will take this opportunity to once more implore Klipsch to make a subwoofer that matches the construction, look and feel of your Heritage products. Please.
Klipsch Heresy IV speakers in our Austin home
HERESY IV VS LA SCALA
I’ve commented on more than one occasion that listening to music through a pair of Klipsch loudspeakers just hits differently. And the La Scala is the embodiment of that statement, as virtually nothing we’ve demoed on this channel sounds anything remotely like it. The closest is obviously our Heresy IVs which you know by now we love. And in many respects the Heresy IV DOES sound like a scaled down version of the LaScala -it even manages to produce arguably deeper feeling bass. But, the Heresy doesn’t quite match the transparency of the LaScala, nor does it quite have its absolute sense of effortlessness, especially at all volumes.
KLIPSCH VS BOWERS AND WILKINS
The Bower and Wilkins 702 Signature, one of our speakers of the year in 2020, is like the LaScala in that it is a speaker that is very amplifier dependent, only instead they require far more power as well as it being “the right power”. When the stars align, the Signatures are hifi treat with arguably more detail, deeper and more impactful bass and a more refined top end at the extremes. That said - they don’t come close to having the soulful presence of the LaScala. I could argue that at almost twice the price, you may end up spending less on a LaScala set up than you will once everything is said and done with the perfect B&W set up.
KLIPSCH VS EVERYONE ELSE
And as for the rest, it’s just not even a comparison. And not because the La Scala is just THAT much better or superior, but rather because other speakers simply are not the same. I love a lot of speakers, I own a few of them, and will even admit to you that subjectively many are better than the LaScala. The Concept 300s have better bass on their own, the LS50 Meta is more finely detailed, the vastly more affordable 8000F -another Klipsch speaker -are better for hard rock or hip-hop in comparison to the LaScala. Every speaker is going to have its strengths and its weaknesses, as no speaker is going to be perfect for every one or every situation.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Which brings me back to imperfection. The La Scala isn’t perfect -sonically or practically and to be honest, it’s not hard to find fault with them. Even dismiss it, or make an argument for why you shouldn’t consider it. And that’s before even needing to weaponize its price tag. BUT...there’s just something about it. Much like trying to put your love for another into words but feeling like you come up short; you keep trying, but at the end of the day, it is just a feeling, a knowing that sustains you. That’s the best way to describe how I feel about the La Scala. I don’t know if I can adequately put into words why I feel the way that I do about or if it is entirely the speaker that makes me feel this way -but I CAN tell you that it makes me feel something beyond just listening. And it is that feeling that makes me not want to let it go.
