Cornwall IV vs LaScala AL5 - Another epic battle for the ages!! 

I owned Cornwalls for 10 years and recently became a Lascala Dad and the horn loaded woofer sounds much tighter. Do I miss the deeper bass yes but the huge midrange of the LS makes up for it. I’m officially hooked on horn loaded bass!

You guys have gone above and beyond! Love’n that La Scala! So cool of you guys doing all this work for us!

I can understand why some may want to level balance the speakers, so you don't equate "louder" with "better" but not balancing like you're doing also lets you experience the benefit of that additional sensitivity. That shouldn't be discounted, especially for people considering low power valve amps. I didn't realize they were so close in physical size. I knew the Cornwall was big, but I didn't realize it was so close in size to the LaScala.

As announced i got my pair of Cornwalls last tuesday. Combined with my new Denon PMA-A110 and a Bluesound Node 2i it is a dream that has come true and they instant blew me away. I couldn't be happier :)

They sound very different from each other, but where does it tell me which set is playing?

great job guys! thanks! lol Jason, the LS have been used in theaters for many years. IMHO when ppl think of live sound, they think of what they heard (unknowingly) through LS! I have both. When I want to be in the room with the musicians I listen to the LS. When I want to be int the studio with the engineer, I listen to the CW.

Cornwall sounds more balanced to me. La Scala sounds like the treble is boosted. Would need to listen in person but that’s what I got from the video.

I love the presence of the La Scala but really dig that bass extension on the Cornwall. If I'm paying the premium for the La Scala, I think I'd have to go that extra step and get Klipschorns (if I had proper corners for them, which I don't).

Thanks for the comparison. It is amazing to see how the tiers stack up. The Cornwall stomped the Fortes and here it sounded ”weaker”. Good bass though.

Thanks for doing these, fun to hear the difference even if on my end it's on my iPhone. 😀

Another great video comparison! I love my Cornwall IV's, but darn I may need a pair of La Scala's next!

Well, I’m not there obviously and I’m listening through my iPhone......I think Klipsch should make a LaCornwall !! Take the top of the LaScalla and the bottom of the Cornwall 😬 For the record, I just hauled a pair of Cornwall iv into my living room!!!😬 Thanks for what you do. Still want Heresy iv and subs vs Cornwall please!

Great video! I have heard both is these in the same room same system (McIntosh MA7200). Not switched back and forth like this. But for me the added deep bass of the Cornwall can not be over looked. I much preferred the Cornwall IV. Now if I were to add subs (and would as ALL systems need highpassed subs!) I would choose the La scala. But honesty both were a pass for me. At the same prices you can get a revel 226be and 228be which are on another level for me (more natural) Totally different but that is what this hobby is all about.

You have to listen to the La Scala s out doors to appreciate them.

I sold my La Scala twenty years ago (space constraints) . I wish I never did. Their price has gone through the roof, and I've yet to find a speaker I enjoyed more than those speakers.

Where can I hear "Distill - Everything"?

Even on RU-vid you can hear a substantial difference!

Great speakers, I’ll take the Cornwall’s because bass is the most important thing to me.

Thanks for the video. It's six of one and a half dozen of the other for me. They both have their strong points. And they're both impressive either way. Need to hear both with some Mötorhead and Slayer now.

LOL, opening guitar in the THIRD track sounded like it was playing through a LESLIE speaker in full stop mode !!

The folded horn makes all the difference on the bass IMO. The best bass guitar amp cabinet was the, sadly no longer produced Acoustic 301 cabinet back in the 1960s-1970s in California. 18" folded horn cabinet. LS Folded horn all the way. However, always subjective... Thanks Guys

Good head-to-head. It sounded to me (deep base notes aside) that the Cornwall was missing some key information in the music. I preferred the more raw/real? sounding La Scala.

Do any of you stay and watch the bloopers at the end?

It would be nice when you start your videos to let us know what speaker we are hearing. I’ve watched several and about 1/2 way thru seems like you do post what speaker is playing but at the onset it’s a guessing game to me and probably every one else. Thanks for all your effort

Really excellent comparison. Ty.

Back around 1980 I auditioned Heresy, Cornwall, La Scala and K-horn. I loved the K-horn but my house would not accommodate them. The Heresy was out of the question. I found the La Scala too harsh so I took home the Cornwalls. I currently own Forte 1 and Forte 2. I bought and sold Forte 3. My favorite speaker is my Forte I.

Plase talk with the artist to give streaming a GO. I can't seem to find them anywhere!

That's a night and day difference. I really adore my Cornwall IV but the La Scalas sound so much more open and clear. The CWIV sound compressed in comparison (though I know the absolutely do not). I will definitely own some La Scala in the future. It's a shame that Klipsch does not offer a matching sub.

Hey guys ! I’ve been a Klipsch soldier for nearly 45 years my first pair were Heresy’s in 1977 I was 15 years old , the next set were industrial Lascala’s a few years later my junior year high school and then I got married and had family and let them go for diapers and a station wagon… but I found a set of Cornwallis that I still have and a few stimulus checks back I picked up another set of industrial Lascala’s except they came with added Base bins with no drivers in them , the full set are original in great condition and I’ve been looking for matching drivers but they are hard to find , however I did find a set of Jensen 4 ohm that someone recommended I’m currently bi amping using my old crown xls602 for the main and a set of D150’s bridge mono with the bins and I use the a crown DC300 on the Cornwalls . My question is does Klipsch use the same ohm drivers in the base bins and could there be daisy chained on there own channel right left channel and would you wire the bin off of the low feq main crossover ? As of now I use a beringer ultra graph that has a build in low sub input/out to 25hz . They sound good but … I would like to get a trusted option on the best practices and optimize the sound . Also this is just my personal listening system I’m lucky we are in the middle of 160 acre vineyard and I have a old barn renovated for AV and this year we would like to add projection outside of barn with a mini amphitheater for entertainment with friends and family ? Thank for all the great content Allen S Yakima Valley Wa

There's a clear sound difference, however you don't specify which one is playing so I don't know which speaker is my favorite now of the two 🤷

I spent 2 years and 12 thousand dollars designing and building my own speakers. I use a Bob Carver Sunfire I had refurbished by Sunfire Bill. The woofer is a Scanspeak 13" Revelator, the midrange is a Morel 6" TSCM Titanium, and the tweeters are the Raal Originals. I got all silver, gold, and oil caps, copper foil coils, really went all out. They're pretty mindblowing. But I just have to have that dream set, the corner horns, so these will probably just end up being a center channel speaker and a spare.

You logic does not compute reference not balancing output. Once you get a speaker home, you are going to play it at the volume you prefer. If you prefer the LOUDER AL5 you will prefer the AL5. If you prefer the CW IV slightly less loud sound, you will prefer the CW IV. To compare speakers the output level must be balanced. Otherwise the louder speaker will almost always win out, especially if they are very similar in sound to begin with. Imagine comparing a Celestion SL6 to a Klipsch horn without balancing the levels between a 82 dB speaker and a 106 dB speaker, the Celestion would not stand a chance in hell. And yet if you matched the levels some might greatly prefer the Celestion SL6. One needs a 200 watt amp for the Celestion and a 5 watt amp for the K-horns.

Using a pair of AL-3s as my L&R in a 5.1.2 isn't easy when the other speakers are all reference series, but it's not absolutely horrible. Some level balancing had to be done of course. I might try and go with 5 Heresy II's as my C, SL, SR, and atmos. 🤔 Prop two Heresy's up on the La Scalas like atmos modules... 🤣 No no.

I like my Cornwall IVs but the Lascala with subs would be nuts!

Is Matt Sommers available anywhere? Can’t find it on Apple Music only on his site for streaming.

Thanks for the video. Awaiting delivery of my Cornwall IV, but now having LaScala envy.. pairing the CW with some Mac gear so I’m still confident they will sound amazing.

When I came to pick up my heresys at PHT as I was leaving I was offered to demo anything. I decided to check out the Cornwall IVs, after loving the sound and all then me and my gf were scared these small Heresys weren’t gonna do it anymore. Were we wrong… Honestly comparing the demo area to our small living room also probably did it because to us, the heresys just sounded as amazing. We are no audiophiles so we can’t speak what small details were better or not, but we are loving our heresys so much on our small home. Thanks PHT!

I miss the pop up on the screen where it says which speaker is playing

No volume level balance? Interesting approach.

When is Klipsch going to come out with a true Heritage subwoofer?

I really like your videos comparing speakers, no blushit, just honest information from serious professionals that really know what they talk about. Maybe it would be interesting to use some classical music in future videos. After all, we know that Paul Klipsch originally designed his speakers to enjoy his classical music and jazz music. A personal favorite of mine is “The Battle” from Hans Zimmer. This is not only an awesome song but also very well recorded.

The La Scalas sound so much clearer!

It looks like you have each pair of speakers spaced 4 feet apart. I recall the LS manual recommended a longer minimum distance? have a 22’ x 14’ room, but doorways on either of the shorter sides gives me 10’ wall space. Would the 10’ wall be too narrow for La Scala?

"You need to get something labeled home theater." Ha ha That was good, and it points out how silly some ideas are. If you want the best sound, get the best speakers.

Hmm hard to say, they are different for sure. Although through this audio the Cornwall sounds like the sound is coming from a box and the La Scala just sounds much more open and effortless.

hmm...didn't know which was which when you guys were switching...?

I'm halfway through and so far you are switching back and forth and NOT telling me which speaker is being played.

Is there added distortion when you use the computer volume? I've always kept it at max(dac as well-or fixed) and use the volume level at preamp only. I'm honestly asking because there are a lot of sweet vintage preamps i want to try that have no remotes and i have always needed my remote even if it's only volume up and down on the remote(like a vtl tube integrated). If i can use the windows volume without adding distortion, it opens up a lot of my options for preamps without remote controls.

Convinced to go with the LaScalas but here’s my question. Macintosh MA 9500 or Hegel 590 for the amplifier?

Shouldn’t the computer volume either up all the way, or even completely out of the picture if you’re (hopefully) bypassing the computer’s gain or signal?

Sitting at home I know we hear things way different. Which speakers are playing when you hit the remote on the left? It sounds more open and blended from my seat.

I heard both of these in the showrooms and the La Scala is cleaner mid to high. Missing some bottom end but not by much to the Cornwalls. The Cornwalls are good but the La Scalas seem much better in complex music. I'd buy the La Scalas with a good sub and never look back.

Thanks for the experiment! I'm contemplating getting Cornwall IV. Can you give me some advice on room placement, here is my situation. The only place I can put them is in the middle of my basement, there would not be any walls or corners within 8-10 feet of the speakers in all directions. Additionally the widest I can space them is 8 feet. Additionally the listening couch must be 9 feet in front of the speakers. Am I to tight? Behind the couch the nearest wall is 8 feet away. Behind the speakers the nearest wall is 8 feet away. To the left/right nearest walls are 10 feet away. Basically the basement has other things going on with all the walls so the Cornwalls must occupy the room middle. Is this ok?

I have a couple of Rel T/7x Subs lying around, any comments on using these as high pass subs for the Cornwalls?

Please do comparison in hometheater/movies nextime.... thanks in advance !

I listened to the AL5s live with a Copland 408. a lot of stuff, a record realism. for me a step above Cornwall .. you are told by someone who has had Cornwall for 5 years

Question. Like a few here I actually prefer the bass extension on the CW but I plan on using a sub. Just a bass guy! Wonder if that changes the game with a sub & then which one?

What are the amp preferences that you think work well with each?

LS 'S ARE LIKE A CLEAR SUNNY DAY!!!!!!!

Well it sounded pretty cool on my 4 cerwin vega speakers anyways

I love deep bass so I wonder how I would react to the two designs.

La Scala sounds hornier

Great comparison. BUt as athers pointed out, you should really equalize the level to better appreciate the differences in tonal presentation. Your argument that sort of "you get what you get", doesn't hold. If one is used to 85 dB speakers, when he buys a new pair with 105dB, he won't listen with the volume in the same position be assured, unless he wants his ears to bleed... same goes for 3 dB difference, or less.

I own Cornwall iii and it would help if you guys played all types of music because the songs you are playing do not work those speakers and truly bring them out.

How do you record the sound? Everything sounds like crap!

what are you using to record the sound on your vids?

I think the Cornwall sounds better all the way 🤷‍♂️ But hey, I am a bass head 🤪 Both sound great, and if one could get the bottomend from the Cornwall in the LaScalas, that would be perfect 😊

You finally redeemed yourself with the Trey Johnson tune, and the guitar sounded thinner and wimpier on that track on the Cornwall. The La Scala is the only speaker on earth that can compare to the King Klipschorn

The reason the Heresy is called that is because any speaker without a folded horn isn't a true Klipsch, in Paul's mind, lol

Cornwalls will sound like more bass inside a room but Not as much bass out doors. The opposite is also true.

No captions when you switch on that remote...how should we know what speaker you are playing on..holy crap.

Cymbals is not through the tweeter.

La scala sounds like half a speaker

Great speakers playing trash music.

The Cornwalls sound like a cereal box by comparison 😂

It would be GREAT if you would choose REAL ROCK like Boston..Zeppelin...Greta Van Fleet...Van halen...Aldo Nova....Journey etc....rather than that primitive "metal"

LaScala takes it, is more alive.

Bear in mind that I’m here on an iPad, but it’s a win for the Lascalas once again. If the difference is that big on an iPad, it must really be something in person. Lascalas are always gonna win in this matchup!

is that Trevor from GTA5?

C.O.R.N.W.A.L.L.S.!!!!!!

the difference is more apparent than I expected... one of these, my guess the C-IV, sounds nasally and scooped.

Great video! The La Scala is more spaced out more airy a little bit more forward but more detailed better detail retrieval better separation but you lose a little bit of the bottom end sickness and depth as Cornwall but they are very expensive speakers to La Scala but if I had to choose which one sounded better obviously I would go with La Scala coming from a guy that already owns cornwall Iv damn but that price though $$$$ fuck that I’ll keep cornwall or if I want even better detail retrieval better clarity and details I mean I do use a pair of focal Aria 948 pretty different sounding speakers because they’re not horns but more smooth top and more clarity more detail more separation wow that one has the best details of all of them. That’s my opinion! Would be so bad ass if you guys did a review of the Aria 948 versus cornwall for but I mean two different speakers but it would be fun. 🙏🤘🥇

Few dollars more lol, more like twice the price

Why don't you say WHICH SPEAKER IS PLAYING? What a waste of time.

I own both speakers, you have to match the db to review. Full stop. Most of your viewers are equating volume with better. Bummer.

You guys listen to really uninspiring music.

Great idea comparing those two speakers, BUT you definitely should have played some famous songs that everyone knows. Also, you never mentioned which speakers you were playing. Lastly, whatever you’re recording on for your listeners sounds like complete crap.

La Scala all the way! There's no comparison! The Cornwall has that small midrange horn like a Heresy

Terrible video, which speaker is which?

It is absolutely galactically MORONIC to switch the speakers, and not show us which is which!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, what could you be thinking????????