KLIPSCH La Scala AL5
Floorstanding loudspeakers
La Scala AL5 can be seen as an ‘affordable and modern’ version of classic Klipschhorn speakers. It is built like a piece of furniture, it looks like a piece of furniture and it’s as big as a piece of furniture. In the world of carbon, aluminum and high-performance composites the old-world approach is charming and brings back the memories of the forgotten loudspeaker building.
Function and form
Pictures are better than words and if a video is available it is even better. So please follow this link on YouTube to watch how the La Scala AL5 speakers are built. Plywood, MDF, wood veneers, and glue is what you will see; with a bit of skills and equipment a perfect candidate for DIY. However, the Klipsch is more than the cabinets, it is about horns.
All three drivers in the La Scala AL5 are horn-loaded. The La Scala’s tweeter has a 2.5cm polyimide diaphragm and remarkably high sensitivity, the midrange driver is a 5cm phenolic diaphragm compression driver in a high efficiency exponential horn, and the woofer is 38cm fiber composite. The AL5 is basically a two-way speaker sitting atop the large woofer cabinet. Both cabinets are connected with a cable. Klipsch pay a bigger than usual attention to crossover parts as well as to internal cabling – AudioQuest Type 4 cables are used for wiring the drivers. The La Scala AL5’s speaker terminals allow for bi-wiring; the terminals are on the upper module, however, so you’ll need extra length of a cable to reach them.
Despite its bulky appearance the Klipsch La Scala are not too big: they are only 1m tall with 60x60cm footprint and the selection of veneers (cherry, black ash and walnut) looks great in both modern and traditional interiors.
Bass management
Heritage speakers ask for heritage recordings. I reached for Masterpieces by Ellington (Analogue Productions) which is a real masterpiece in how the 70 years old recordings were extracted on to the SACD. It is mono, I mind you, but it does not rob the music of its aliveness and incredible depth. Mood Indigo was recorded in Columbia’s New York Studio that – not only back in 1950’s - was considered to be one of the finest sounding studios in the world. It was actually a rebuilt Presbytarian church and that explains generous footprint of 30 x 16m with a 15m high ceiling. Not only did the La Scala recreate the atmosphere and the ambience of the room where also Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue was recorded (and much later arrangements for The Wall by Pink Floyd) but it did so with incredible ease and openness. The sound was terrific through the Klipsch, saxophones, trumpets and trombones, supported by horn, were expected to be outstanding, however, I was taken aback by the voice of Yvonne Lanauze that was oh-so breathtakingly present even though I barely touched the volume knob. The expressiveness – and effortlessness at the same time – of the vocals was a polar opposite of your usual high-end speakers; there was absence of any push but there was absence of any pull either. The music as if existed rather than being generated by a pair of speakers.
Clarity & delicacy
The bass of the Klipsch La Scala AL5 is that of an analogue record – it is not as deep as we are quickly getting used to in the digital era. This is to say, diplomatically, that despite the La Scala system is the size of two refrigerators its bass output is shy and equals a good pair of stand-mounted speakers. When I listened to the Klipsch pushed back to the corners of the room the bass was reinforced by boundaries and have sufficient volume and good suppleness, however when I pulled the La Scalas into the room the balance shifted towards mids and highs. From the music lover’s point of view I had no complains and enjoyed my time with the Klipsch tremendously. In fact, once I stopped looking for the deep bass I started to appreciate the way the La Scalas communicated to me – they were uncomplicated, expressive, big and easy on ears. From the audio critic’s point of view I would expect more if I should live with two monsters in my living room, at least when I was listening to piano recordings that lacked bottom octave fullness. However, I understand that the La Scala AL5 was deliberately designed like that and the manufacturer is honestly declaring -4dB at 51Hz.
Tonal accuracy
The fact that the Klipsch La Scala AL5 are sensitive speakers (105dB) means very little demand for watts. I could get fantastic results with my friend’s Line Magnetic LM-805iA integrated amplifier that uses two 805 triodes in its output stage to deliver 2x45W of power. I suspect I was using less than 2 watts anyway and could play very loud. The La Scala are very dynamic and fast speakers with lightning fast transients which makes them a great companion for rhythm and upbeat tracks. They reignited my passion for Rush, Asia, Uriah Heep, Status Quo and other iconic albums that rested on a dusty shelf. The immediacy and scale of what I heard was arresting and all those non-hifi artifacts that we usually complain about when listening to those records were put aside by the verve of the La Scala’s presentation.
Spatial resolution
As imaging capabilities are closely connected to the upper half of the frequency response it was easy for horns of the Klipsch to precisely ‘lock’ images within the soundstage. Still, they are not analytic speakers so not expect hair-line imaging, rather expect something like live soundstage experience. The images were of appropriate size (or bigger) and they fill the room (or beyond). I mentioned Pink Floyd’s The Wall earlier in this review and the sound effects on the album (yes, the helicopter) were really enveloping me and I loved it.
To sum it up, the Klipsch La Scala AL5 are Klipsch speakers for Klipsch lovers. As such they would deserve its own category as it is not fair to put them against contemporary dynamic speaker designs. Properly framed in the context of their mission, there is nothing to complain about – they are fun to listen to and great to look at.
Recommended resellers
Manufacturer's website: http://www.klipsch.com
Associated components
- Sources: C.E.C. TL51XR
- Amplifiers: Mark Levinson No.526, Mark Levinson No. 432, Line Magnetic LM-805iA
- Interconnects and speaker cables: Kubala-Sosna Emotion
- Loudspeakers: Revel Ultima Studio2
- Power conditioning: IsoTek Titan, Nordost Qb8, Blackwater Continuum NST2
Gallery
ACOUSTIQUE QUALITY AQ Passion
Acoustique Quality has been around since early 90’s. The company’s loudspeakers were always close to what can be characterized a good value for money, with a bit of pre-2000 vibe. Speaker by speaker the guys in Acoustique Quality ...
Recommended resellers
AQ s.r.o., Červenka, tel. +420 585 342 232
ANTE Supersonic One
The Supersonics were visually inspired by Lamborghini Countach racer. The functional elegance of the Lamborghini does not come at budget costs and neither the Ante does. The price tag of €160,000 keeps the Supersonics in the company ...
Recommended resellers
Media Control, Bratislava, SK, +421 905 613 928
AQ Canto 5
An experience that moves your soul. This is how Czech loudspeaker manufacturer presents the brand-new Canto range. For the company, the Canto is a milestone, so important that they decided to dedicate a special website to it. The ...
Recommended resellers
AQ s.r.o., Červenka, tel. +420 585 342 232
AUDIO PHYSIC Avantera
The Audio Physic’s HHCM midrange drivers are fantastic. The realism of both male and female vocals through the Avanteras is nothing short of magic. The Avanteras skillfully blend a cocktail full of colors, sonority, textures, ...
Recommended resellers
CZ: High-End Audio Studio, Praha, tel. +420 224 256 844
SK: Platan Audio, Hlohovec / Bratislava, tel. +421 905 409 802
AUDIO PHYSIC Cardeas Plus+
Audio Physic's original Cardeas was like an album of a respected band that was recorded just because it had to be recorded due to a contract. Not like the album that was recorded because the band wanted to. I sighed with relief that ...
Recommended resellers
CZ: High-End Audio Studio, Praha, tel. +420 224 256 844
SK: Platan Audio, Hlohovec / Bratislava, tel. +421 905 409 802
AURUM CANTUS V6F
The Aurum Cantus V6Fs have the ability to dissapear from your ear-view - they move an orchestra to your living room instead and let you bathe in an expanding and transparent soundstage. After listening to the V6Fs you'll find ...
Recommended resellers
Hifi studio MeLissa, Brno, tel. +420 777 04 1313
AVANTGARDE ACOUSTIC Uno Fino
Should your priority is to blend the speakers with your interior and make them visually disappear, the Avantgarde Acoustic Uno Fino is not for you. I am not in favor of color lacquers on speakers and prefer natural veneers where ...
Recommended resellers
HI-FI studio TYKON, Ostrava, tel. +420 723 449 894
