Klipsch La Scala replacement?

KLH?

Tekton makes very sensitive speakers but lack horns. 

Do you have corners available?  Corner horns will increase your bass and use spaces not usually used in living spaces.  On the used market they are a steal

If you like your La Scala I can’t imagine you being satisfied with B&W speakers.

I think you need to be looking for smaller horns, Klipsch Forte, would be my recommendation. Or take a look at the Volti Razz. Great speakers, possibly as good as the La Scala, and a smaller footprint.

Chorus ll blows the Forte's away in my system.

JBL.

Take a look @ the new Heresy IV and audition if possible.

I couldn't stand the older versions, but the new model sounds good in the following demo (prefer the Heresy and the La Scala in the sound demo - the Forte not so much).

I've seen B-Stock Heresy IV (free shipping) for around $2600/pair (don't know if that's still happening).

DeKay

Auditioning a speaker based on a YT video created under less than optimal conditions and played back on a different system with an altogether different set of strengths and weaknesses means absolutely nothing.

@ddd1 Wrote:

Auditioning a speaker based on a YT video created under less than optimal conditions and played back on a different system with an altogether different set of strengths and weaknesses means absolutely nothing.

I agree! 

I disagree if you are familiar (in person) with some of the speakers being compared.

I would not purchase speakers solely on a YT video, but do find  some of the videos to be helpful.

The last speakers I auditioned sounded better @ the dealer VS the 3 decent YT videos I listened to, but I found that I did not care for the way they looked up front and close.

I live in Los Angles so auditioning (aside from Covid) is not a big problem.

DeKay

If you really like your Lascalas, most other designs will fall short of the performance horns bring to the table. I’d suggest taking a look at the Forte IV.

Tocaro. Fast, sensitive, Ultra Musical. Enjoy

Wow! Thank you so much for everyone's suggestions!

My la scala are vintage, upgraded with Bob Crites crossover and tweeter.

I had fortes ii before and really liked them. Unfortunately I don't have corners available for Klipschorns. There's someone near me selling a pair of tekton speakers double impact. If I sell my la Scalas, I would not like to spend more than 3,200. If you have more recommendations please feel free to post it! I'm reading all you guys comments and doing my research about all the speakers that you guys recommended.

Thank you!

Edwin

I'd suggest going to hear the nearby Double Impacts. Don't know if they'll fully replace the LaScalas, but the DIs have a big, bold sound that may do the trick.

Lascalas are 24 inches wide. That is 4 ft of wall space needed for the two of them. What dimension ( s ) are the Lascala to large? Damp the horns, and they will be considerably cleaner. Other speakers ( B & W as an example), do not sound dynamic in the way the Lascala does, needs a beefier amp to get them going, and needs room around them to image / sound proper. I have installed Lascalas in many peoples homes, with excellent results. I am a Klipsch Heritage guy, and I can help you, if you have the 4 ft of wall space to place them. My best, MrD.

I have never owned La Scalas, but I love my Fortes… have III’s and IV’s.  The IV’s are a step up over the III’s imo, especially in the midrange. The Fortes sound excellent with tube and vintage SS. They are at a fair price point, although I believe Klipsch’s recent price increases are excessive, especially considering that some of their drivers are made inexpensively.

Hi, I have owned Klipsch and B&W 804s. In my taste, your are at the two extreems. Both great, but so different. Have you ever demoed Revels? But if you already like horns, stay with them. Fortes are great, I have a pair right now, and use them often...

Hood luck ob your search...

Heresy IIIs sound better to me having compared them to IVs in my system...the mid horn is far simpler (a complete re-design without the interesting horn throat design the IIIs have) in the IVs and has a plastic diaphragm instead of titanium. They're also cheaper if you can find them. 

What amp? 
get a pair of Amphion speakers they crush Klipsch and similar pricing

@tmccarthy if I decide to go with the tekton, I'm going to ask the owner if he can give me a demo before purchase.

@mrdecibel my problem is the la Scalas takes too much room in my new living room, everything just looks cramped.

@erock79 I'm also a Klipsch guy, since I started in the vinyl world, bookshelf speakers, fortes ii, La Scala.

@romano99998 that's what most likely I will do, although I'm open to trying new speakers.

@wolf_garcia Thanks for the tip! I will check on those!

@pennfootball71 I have a rogue tube amplifier, I will check those speakers as well.

Volti Audio! If you enjoyed the virtues of the La Scalas, look no further. The Volti Razz might do the trick & better than the Fortes in every way but the Rivals will be better than La Scalas! They’re a little more $, about $15K depending on cabinet finish reasonable sized footprint & very nice looking w/ a large variety of custom floors & finishes. They’re very efficient, (98 + db ), of course very dynamic, big, open sound, image great & not harsh at all.  They are built by Greg Roberts in TN w/ high quality pro drivers &  sound great at any volume from background to stupid loud concert levels. They are not the hyper detailed, etched sound like I think many high end speakers are but to me, sound more like live music than most other speakers I’ve heard including some very pricey ones! 
 

I’ve paired mitt Rivals w/ Rogers High Fidelity integrated amp & they sound great w/ any good tube amp & I’ve been told also great w/ Pass Labs too. Check them out!

You have a NEW ROOM.  Your ROOM is as important as your speakers.  Find a dealer in your new town that will let you audition something IN YOUR ROOM before you buy.

Klipsch speakers have a very specific sound, which is not at all close to what the information on the recorded media is, so since you are used to listening to this sound, you need to be sure you are happy with whatever you buy.

I would suggest a "better" brand of speakers, but it really doesn't matter since you like the sound of Klipsch.  I am sure you will find something that fits your listening preferences once you get your room set.

Cheers!

If you can find klipsch EPIC CF4 your search will be over 

it’s one of the best speakers klipsch ever made period 

@jonwolfpell 

I was also going to suggest OP look to Volti. I've been busy saving for my own pair of RAZZ. Corresponded with Greg R. of Volti several times. He is a super nice guy, IMO represents the best of this awesome hobby of ours.  

@richopp thank you for your words, I had fortes ii before (Bob Crites upgraded) and I truly enjoyed! What better brand would you recommend? I couldn't afford 15k speakers set but definitely 3k.

Fyne are at least somewhat easy to drive and they now have a vintage series also, you may like their looks.

Try mine. I’ve spent the last three years working on this project. It’s called blueprintacoustic.com. One day I was on here reading some posts and somebody said” if you think it’s so easy then why don’t you start your own brand“ Well I did. They sound awesome and I’m very proud of them. If anyone out there would like to talk about maybe doing a review for me, let’s talk. Send me a PM.

@erivera1990  Thank-you for your comment.  I would need a LOT more information about your hardware, the size of your room, and your listening preferences before making a solid recommendation.  When I had my shop back in the Stone Age (1970's-80's) I spent A LOT of time with each  customer finding out this information.  Many times, I visited their home and inventoried their listening environment (room, listening position, etc.) before bringing something out for them to try.

As most on here know, I am an Audio Research/Magnepan bigot, but as I have stated in MANY posts, we sold 30+ different brands of speakers and many other brands of hardware, so only a FEW customers had the room and funds to get into that stuff.  Let us not forget that in those days, vinyl was the preferred source, and selling them a Thorens table for $260.00 was sometimes not in the cards.  (I laugh at the prices today for the same "jiggly" table, but I digress...).

I would suggest, again, that you find a local dealer, go in with a list of your components, your fav source material, and give a listen to some speakers he/she has on display.  THEY WILL NOT SOUND THE SAME as in your room, but at least you can get an idea of what you DON'T like, and go from there.  A GOOD dealer will work with you since you are now local and will be a forever customer.

Best of luck--and happy listening.  Remember, it is all about the MUSIC!

Cheers!

My first suggestion would be to try the Klipsch Forums.  

I have owned many Klipsch speakers that have a smaller footprint.  I currently have a pair of Chorus I and think they may be the Goldilocks speaker for me, but only if I can tame their brightness.  To that end, I recently replaced the tweeters and am waiting delivery of some Quicksilver Horn monoblock amps.  I think the tweeters are going to take some time to break in. 

Here is my list of Klipsch speakers I've owned in order of my preference.

KLF-30  Upgraded tweeters, mids, replaced crossovers, and glued the back of the box.  These were the easiest to listen to and could play to very loud levels without sounding bright.  The downside is that they are hard to find and the back panels often come unglued.  At high volumes, you'll hear some the box vibrating even after re-gluing them.  Some internal bracing might help this.  They are very large speakers, but have a smaller footprint than your La Scalas.

CF-3  I had Version 3, which are purported to be the "worst" of the 3 versions, with version 1 being hailed as the "best".  I upgraded the crossovers.  Theser are hard to find.  I regretted selling these.  They may have been better than the KLF-30.  I think they were built better and they sounded great.  

Chorus 1 These are a step up in build quality than the two previously mentioned.  I think they may sound closer to the La Scala, but with more bass.  I've heard La Scalas, but not in my room.  I liked them, but found them too bright.  If these match up well with the amps I ordered and I can tame the brightness, they will move to the top of the list.  

Quartet  I really like these and have kept them in my bedroom system.  They are easy to listen to but get a little compressed when pushed hard.  If you listen at moderate volumes, these may be perfect.  They are really easy to listen to and are at the top of my list in terms of being easy to listen to with no fatigue.  They sound fantastic with acoustic guitars and female vocals.  In many ways they are my favorites, but I like to turn things up once in a while and they fall short in my larger room where my main system is when played loud.  They are easy to place as the rear passive works with a wall to reinforce bass.

Heresy I  Also very nice, but too small for my tastes.  Definitely need help from a subwoofer.

RF-7 They played loud and looked more modern, but are more suited to home theater duty in my opinion.

@richopp my living room dimensions are 16x20.

I listen classic music, jazz, Frank Sinatra, 80s rock and pop.

As it right now I have Schiit Sol turntable, puffin preamp and rogue audio tube amplifier. Funny that you mentioned I have a set of Magnepan MG-1 restored they sound pretty good! I was thinking about selling it as well. I'm going to check if I can find a local dealer!

Cheers

@headphonedreams I will check those! Thank you!

@big_greg you're right! I have account on a Klipsch forum. I will check!

Thank you!

If you are looking for a similar sound, you’ll probably want something from Klipsch. Your listening room will have a lot to say about what works best. I’d default with a Chorus I (or a KP-301 if you can find it---and if you can live with its industrial design.). Both of these are front ported, so they don’t need accommodations for the passive radiator that’s at the rear of the Quartet, any of the Fortés, or the Chorus II.

Placement is important and the Chorus I / KP-301 can go most anywhere. Your La Scalas have a big sound and are very sensitive / efficient. So are the Chorus Is.

Here’s a link to a review of the Chorus Is: https://www.hifi-classic.net/review/klipsch-chorus-418.html

Here’s a link to a review of the La Scala I, which likely represents what you have:

FWIW, I own LS, Chorus I, and KP-301. The Chorus and LPs get the most use. I also like the Fortés and the Quartets.  The Quartets are the least common and least appreciated of these, but they are superb in a smaller room if placed correctly.  A small weight on the passive radiator extends the bass.  It has the same tweeter and squawker as its contemporary larger cousins.  Paul Klipsch kept a set of Fortés in his office.  You wouldn't go wrong with any of these.

 Volti Razz owner here. I really enjoy them in my. 11 x 20 x 12 (h) room.  I can confirm  Greg Roberts is great to work with and makes an excellent product.

@erivera1990  Thank-you for that information.  Your room is large enough to handle the Maggies you have even though they are the shorter version.  Here is a nice report you might enjoy:

He compares them to one of the Klipsch models.  Given your hardware, you might enjoy moving on to the MGII (used) or one of their newer models, which are very affordable.  I would suggest the model that meets your budget--i.e., get the most expensive model you can afford.  Their top-end models are very expensive these days.  I would DEFINITELY give them a try in your new room as it is large enough to handle them.

I am not familiar with your hardware, but a good tube amp is always a good choice for Maggies, IMO.  As for a pre-amp, you might want to try a used ARC one if you can.  FYI, I still have Magneplaner I-C speakers and an ARC 6-B pre-amp after all these years and, while they might not compare to some of the newer stuff, the system is as good as it was 40 years ago.

Best of luck with your auditioning; it will be interesting to see what you finally end up with!

Cheers!

@outrider 

I’d hardly call that a review.

@Ozzy62… since the OP knows his La Scalas well, a full review seems unnecessary, but the specs from the linked source are relevant. 

The other link goes to a proper review of the Chorus I, which is a well regarded alternative to a La Scala, especially if lack of floor space is a concern.

Just thinking out loud here but if you are accustomed to the Klipsch sound, I believe that Klipsch heritage has a general character of high efficiency, high dynamics, which leads to a "live" sound signature. Probably bc the mid range is so good on those things(la scalas).  I own zu speakers and that is the kind of sound you get from them as well. Sure it is a scaled down from the la scala, but so is your new room.  Well within your budget too.  Dirty Weekend is what I have but my room recently moved to a bigger room, so now I may be parting with them.  After running the zu's for years I picked up a pair of Vandersteen 2 sig 3's and it took awhile to get used to the opposite side of sound signature(low efficiency, lower dynamics, etc)  I no longer have the "live" sound especially at low volume like the zu's did.  Now I have a smooth musical sound.  Both good but very different.

I elevated the Klipsch Heresy 4’s to TV Tray height… they have the same midrange horns and crossovers as the La Scalas … teamed up with the SVS Micro 3000, and my Cary Tube Amp. There’s just nowhere higher to go, for me. 

I love my Zu Audio Soul Supreme.

Look good not too big.

Horns…

bent

Check out the Klipsch KLF-20 speakers in the Klipsch Legend line.

The Forte II would also be a great replacement. 

@richopp I follow that person on YT, that's how I found out about Magnepan, he has a video how to restore them, I will give it a shot as soon as I get my living room setup.

@outrider thank you for that Information! 

@aubbrin570 that's what I started leaning towards, there's someone near me selling a pair of Fortes ii, great shape and Bob Crites upgraded. Although I'm going to read about those Zu speakers.

@moose89 I'm glad you enjoyed! I have had Klipsch since day 0.

@michaellent reading about Zu speakers now. Thank you!

@vintage1 thank you for your recommendation!

I also vote for JBL, especially the synthesis line. I went from Cornwall's to JBL 4367 and they are better in every way, in my opinion. Much more refined but still give you that live, dynamic and present feeling that I got from Klipsch.  I feel that the JBL's are smoother and less peaky while still giving you all of the beauty of a big 15 inch woofer and monster waveguide. Merry Christmas to all of my fellow music lovers!

Volti Audio Razz horn speaker - high sensitivity, fantastic reviews, and seemingly more neutral/linear than the Klipsch lower models.  Heard them at AXPONA - sounded terrific.  If you really love the La Scala's horn presentation, the Volti Razz may be your ideal downsize choice.

@moose89 just as an fyi : The Heresy IV does not use the same midrange and crossover as the Lascala. I am glad their elevation has improved the enjoyment for you. I always preferred Heresys when they are elevated. Enjoy !