Klipsch La Scala or Altec 838 speakers

What mrdecibel said.

Never klipsch 

I still find it remarkable that in answer to a simple either/or question all the “experts” come in out of the woodwork to recommend anything BUT the two choices given by the OP.

My vote is with LaScalas, but I’ve been a Klipsch fan since 1973-ish working in a music store and I’ve also owned Ohm Walsh 2’s and 3’s (sold recently).

I prefer the Klipsch Heresy IV’s but lately I’ve been using a pair of Ubiquitous V2 speakers and Subiguitous subs - I replaced the drivers and tweeters in the V2’s and will be listening to those for as long as I’m on the planet, or until I win the lottery and can afford a new set of something like German Physik omnis.

Get the LaScalas, if they don’t work for you I’m sure they’ll sell.

So have you heard a set of Carmels then?

I have had LaScala's, currently have Klipschorns and Altec 604E and Klipsch Heresy's.  My opinion is there are equally satisfying but in different ways. Properly set up the LaScala's are very good and I would vote for them.