I loved the La Scalas but would have to say that the K-Horns win in this case/with this song -- they seem more clear, more present. However, check out the Sound Sommelier demo La Scalas doing Dire Straits "You and Your Friend" -- UN. F--ING. REAL. Cheers.
Agreed - as many other commenters below, the La Scala's sounded the best to me. However, I am very sure I could get used to Jubilees - they sounded very different and I'm sure that, the longer you listen to them, the more accurate and detailed they sound.
Not so much balance in my system. I thought what an improvement over the Heresy IV’s with PL evo 100 separates and happy for all of two months. Then fatigue started on marathon listening sessions. Just too balanced that at high volume 60% it gets messy sound for a medium room. Too much speaker for high level listening in smaller rooms as night time listening was as you all rave. But still, traded to Kantas No 1 and have never looked back. Till now. Damn it!
For the money: The Forte IV. Thanks for one of the best demo videos ever. Perfect musical selection for demo. Would love to hear equal demo with Paradigm Founder series speakers.
@stephenfletcher6801 That was my pick as well. In real life, I had come across the Forte a few times and I really like the sound from that speaker. It is what made Klipsh my favorite speaker. But I had been constantly informed about the Heresy and Khorns, but haven't heard those in person. I was warned about the Heresy and yes, I have to agree with those warnings and that was the only speaker in the lineup above that I was truly disappointed with. I have heard recording of the Khorns many times and yeah, they can sound much better than presented here. However, I had never heard it live. It is still something I have to do in my life, but I just don't know anyone (near me) that has them.
@@335ownrtxI have the CornWall 4’s & Heresy 4’s, Forte 4’s are next. They will be all running simultaneously and I can’t wait. If these had the NAD Amp with the graphic EQ then you’d be able to hear a lot more of what they can do.
In the last 47 years I have owned every model of Heritage Klipsch speaker (also 2 pair of full sets of MCM Concert Klipsch) … This demo was very swayed in that the Klipschorns were not set in a corner which makes a HUGE difference. In my last large home's Great Room I had two Klipschorns in corners running in Stereo and a Klipsch Belle running in mono in the dead center between the Klipschorns. The sound was to die for …. I died and went to heaven in a sonic bliss ….
Back in the late 1970s I heard that set up of corner horns and a Belle Klipsch center, driven by Luxman tube amps. It was a dealer up in Northern NJ. To this day I still dream back to that golden day of pure listening pleasure. You are “very fortunate “ to have that set up of a true wall of sound system !! So lucky !!
Mr. Paul set up the LaScala as the center speaker in his demonstration room. Fantastic! Proper placement in the corner horns is important. According to him, they provided the last eight feet of the 16 foot folded horn. I’ve experienced (ages ago) a sample of both setups and the corner placement is far better.
@@Justwantahover They sound like that even if you have them in the corners, just maybe not as much. The balance is obviously off. The classic metallic-sounding horn ringing is the price you pay for the efficiency. If you can hear it even on computer speakers, it's pretty bad, every Klipschorn setup I have ever heard is more-or-less like that to varying degrees. Hard to tell whether this is a fair test over a computer and Grado SR325s or what the mic setup is, but the overall impression is much what I heard in real life in live tests. McIntosh is less than ideal for this but I think any weakness in the amplifier is completely swamped by the speaker problems. The Jubilee sounds the best to me (less metallic-sounding honking), La Scala second, others are non-players. I cannot tolerate the coloration, it's a particular pet peeve. I think you can do A LOT better for far, far less money, like
The Jubilee presentation was in another league, another dimension, than all the other speakers. There were virtually no shortcomings in the presentation, no compromises that had to be made. If you wanted mid-range, it was there. If you wanted detailed highs, they were there. If you wanted authoritative bass, it was there . You could make an argument for certain aspects and qualities of all the other speakers, but none of them were even remotely close to the Jubilee and what it brought sonically.
I once had the opportunity to hear a pair of Klipschhorns in a room with walls filled with sand and steel-reinforced floor and ceiling with acoustic panels and treatment, all guided by the use of a real-time acoustic processing unit. The speakers were placed (as they should be) in the corners of the room (as the last half octave of the bass horn uses the corner of the room) and listened to them for as long as the owner would allow. He impressed me at one point by playing a frequency sweep off a CD and showed that the horns could reproduce to 5Hz and absolutely shake the room, even with that construction. Amazingly efficient and accurate. I was amazed at what I was hearing.
I have a pair of K Horns and had designed my home around them, with the speakers placed in reinforced plywood backed up by sand filled corners, and have a Mac environmental room equalizer that was set up using a pink noise generator. Currently do not have a space to house it so all equipment in storage.
I had Speakerlab Ks in the corners of my living room long wall. Have you heard these? To me with a 4 digit serial number Marantz 2270 they sounded great.
@@daviddrake6875I built mine in 1977 from the Speakerlab plans and never looked back. Over the years, I've probably cut the parts for 10 pair for friends. I made sure to wear hearing protection while I cut the wood so I wouldn't ruin my ears for the finished product! They are in the corners of the living room where they need to be and sound as good as the pair of real Klipschorns I first heard in a hi-fi showroom, but could only dream of owning. The bass drivers in mine are Electrovoice SP15s with Altec horns on the midrange and JBL tweeters for 5K and up. They've always been powered by a 100 w home built solid state power amplifier and I'm in the process of building a Mosfet amp based on a design from Elliot Sound Products in Australia. The best thing about horn designs is how efficient they are and it only takes a few watts to achieve incredibly clean and loud sound. My main sound source these days comes from a Wiim Pro Plus streamer with Schiit Modi DAC.
Wow I'm surprised how clearly the differences come through over this method of demo. The snare especially, you can tell right away. From a size and value perspective the Forte is very impressive.
@@sauleomarova7730 The K-Horns placed in corners and I prefer the older ones with the AA crossovers. It’s basically like the la Scala’s on steroids, much more and Awesome, tight base due to the larger folded horn. The laScala’s would be my second choice. Definitely worth the price!
To my ears the LaScala were the best by far. Highs Mids and lows performed equally well. Three times the prices of the other lower priced speakers but still better than the most expensive speakers. Could be the rooms or the RU-vid. Thanks for your work.
Agreed, at least with the setups presented. The LaScala presentation was clear, effortless, and of superb tonal balance, as presented. Tempting potential purchase, indeed!! However, in fairness, I do believe that both the Klipschorn and the Jubilee would benefit significantly with more space around them, especially so with the Jubilee, and in the corners of the room, which is especially so for the K-horns, as that is their intended room placement originally stated by the original designer Paul W Klipsch, himself. Corner placement, I suspect, would benefit the much newer Jubilee model mightily as well. As presented, though, that LaScala is amazing!! 😊👍🍺
The Khorns had the outer part of the bass cabinet closed off from the room , improperly . The La Scala's sound best in this video . They also sound most like my large open baffles
Favorite? Probably the Klipschorns. They all sounded really good, but I was surprised at how different they sounded from each other. The La Scalas are just silky smooth, but you could feel the Cornwalls move more air. The Hereseys (a pair of IVs I live with) sound like smaller speakers, but the family DNA is still there (and in smaller spaces, like my listening space, they fill it up just fine.) Bang for buck the Fortes might just get the nod. They sound bigger than they are. The Jubilees sounded a bit like the Klipschorns, but i wonder if in person the sense of scale is more apparent. It also dawned on me I would probably really enjoy living with McIntosh electronics! Thanks for doing this BTW. Yeah, you can't get 100% of the experience, but you can get 75-80% of it and there is something to be gained from it.
i agree--but i am bias-i own a set of 1977 klipschorn which i purchased new --a lot of people will only understand why the cult type following of these speakers after they experience them in a well set up environment.The way they can energise a room has to be experienced to fully appreciate their positive attributes.Sure they are not perfect ,but for me i wouldn't swap them for any other speaker and i have tried quite a few over the years--i will never sell them.The cost may seem high but they will be the last speakers you ever buy so are actually a bargain.
I like them for their use. La Scala-symphony, Cornwall-party, Heresy-small room Mighty Mouse, Forte-home theater, Klipschorn-warm & creamy ❤, Jubilee-the whole package & my favorite listening room monsters ❤️💕❤️. Loved your video!
La Scala definitely. It played the cleanest and sounded equally balanced. May be a touch on the bright side and slightly forward. But that’s ok! As amplifier power goes that’s not overkill, I’ll choose headroom and linearity every time no matter the loudspeaker because it does affect every listening experience and makes it just absolutely wonderful!
What a fun video. The Jubilees are in a different league. Aside from them the La Scala blew away the rest, especially with its midrange. I was surprised the Forte held their own even with the bigger ones. Nice job. Thanks for doing this.
@@SkyFiAudioexactly, to me considering budget and room size the winner is the Fortes, it’s the new musical warrior lol wasn’t overshadowed by their bigger brothers 🎸
Yes, the Jubilees have a pronounced and clean bass but the la scales were more natural overall. But that might have to do with the listening room. I expect in the right room with some DSP applied the Jubilees are superior.
Even through RU-vid and twenty years I immediately recognised the Klipsch sound. I was lucky enough to be in your position and work in a few London dealers for a few decades, we always had the Klipsch horns and for a while next to the Tannoy GRFs, Apogee Scintillas, big Maggies, Martin Logan CLS etc. Edit (these were just what popped in my mind...but) couldn't miss out the ProAc response 4s they were amazing! I will not say my favourite except to say I used the Quad ESL 57s at home for many years with various valve and turntable combinations. Watching this makes me hungry to play... You have a wonderful shop.
Great share! My wife and I did this for real back in 2019. We spent 6 months visiting and revisiting a high end store bringing our own music, changing out DAC's, TT's, tube and solid state amps, and CD players. This video is spot on. They ALL sound different. Of course, the Jubilees weren't in the game at that time. It always comes down to personal hearing and asking the question do you hear a +/- $4000 difference in sound as you climb the ladder in their inventory. We purchased a pair (built to order), and we have listened to them here in the house for several years with an integrated EVO 300 PrimaLuna tube amplifier. We felt that tube amplification was a must have for the Klipsch sound. Again, that's personal taste. If you like the Klipsch sound as we do, you will love your choice. They're keepers. We will never move on from these speakers. We will continue to demo higher end tube amplification and front end sources seeking an even greater sound. The Klipsch speakers definitely reveal every component in the chain of equipment. I cannot say that for speaker wire or interconnects. For us, good was good enough. We simply didn't detect any real change. You do hear a difference when you swap in different components. The Klipsch speakers also reveal great recordings and lousy recordings. This is particularly true with albums. Hiss, clicks and pops are immediately heard and become quite distracting. CD's vary in brightness as well as a foggy background versus a clean, dark background. Most CD's are dead silent between songs. Album s range a lot.
What a treat. From 1975 to 1985 I sold Klipch ,Acoustat,Mission,Dalquist and numerous other loud speakers and Amps I always used Dire Straits first Album to demo on an Oracle with a mission 774 arm and a high output MC cartridge I ended up buying a pair of Klipsch Speakers in 1976 Just sold them last year Loved the trip down memory lane
This is THE comparison I've been looking for. Thanks for taking the time to set all of this up. I've always had my heart set on acquiring the Cornwalls (of course, which I can't afford). Then after reviewing this "rough" comparison, the clear winner to me were definitely the La Scalas. I was amazed at the punch, clarity and overall range. Now I pine for speakers which I can so NOT afford even more. But, this helps me with the technical decision. Can't wait to hear these in person. Thanks, again!
What a stunner! I wasn’t expecting much since I was on my iPhone but my goodness, the Fortes were my clear favorite. They seemed the most balanced as well as the most comfortably listenable.
As impressive as the jubilees are, im still so impressed with the LaScalas. Im a Magnapan fan. They are my end game speakers. Since ive had my vintage MGllas ive been happier than i have ever been. Belive me, ive yried dozens of speakers in my long life, but the only thing i would ever give them up for would be a pair of LaScalas. Never going to happen on my fixed income, but its always nice to dream!! Thank you so much for doing this! It only setves to reinforce my idea. Thank you again!
As a Maggie fan, may I ask your opinion? I'd like to get Magnepan 1.7i or 3.7i but a few Maggie lovers have warned me that my room is TOO big. It's 26 x 22 x 15 ft high. My listening triangle would have 8 ft open space to the left, 10 ft to the right, and 9 ft above. Even with a good high current amp, some say the absence of boundary walls to act as the "enclosure" will kill the Maggies and make them sound tinny. In your experience, is this a legitimate worry. Btw, the reason I'm here is that these same people suggested I go for Klipsch Cornwalls instead. But I don't like their hornish sonority.
@@issadad I think there is reason for feeling that your room is too large...part of the magic of Maggie's is the fact that the sound comes from all sides...that transparent sound that we all love could be dimished somewhat by the large room. I have seen a friend offset this somewhat by using screens to set up a false wall nearer the sides of the speakers. They can't be the fabric type, moreso a solid surface. Plus the accordion type effect of the folding joints makes a reflective surface that breaks up the sound a little. All I can tell you is that for me, I can't imagine life without mine. Listening position is important, of course, with any speakers and Maggie's are no different. They need to be pulled out at least 3 feet into the room(mine are about 5 feet) It's hard to have them in a traditional "living room" because they dominate the space, but to me that's part of the draw. Mine are oak and fabric and though dated, I still find them very attractive. Just my experience.
@@stephenstevens6573 Thank you. Hearing from real users is invaluable, especially living in Maine without dealers. If your friend actually has similar spatial concerns, sufficient to require setting up false walls, then, sadly, I must look elsewhere -- because I also have a huge chunk of space ABOVE my speakers (whatever I choose). Klipsch Cornwall IV's were recommended, as I mentioned, but they're not Maggies. I do like the open baffle speakers from Spatial Audio Labs and GR Research -- ever heard those? If you couldn't have your Maggies because you had a huge room, where would you turn?
Forte IV. Awesome for the price. As far as comparing by listening on my vans speakers. Thank you for doing this comparison video. It is very helpful. I’m looking for new good speakers.😉
The new Cornwall had the best overall sound...Impact...bass punch...dynamics...midrange/vocal presence...and treble smoothness/clarity. A VERY solid presentation. I am a synesthete. I have the ability to "see" music in abstract forms in my mind's eye. So, the Cornwall had the best "visual" presentation. Thanks so much for the videoof the loudspeakers! Peace!!!
The Klipschhorns are the clear winner! Most if any online reviewers review these fantastic speakers, so I think for some here, bias may be afoot with regard to the as many have reviewed and raved about them. My system is very revealing and reaches down below 30hz. In clear second place are the Forte IV. It’s no wonder they are the best seller in the Heritage line, having a smaller footprint and costing less than half of its bigger siblings. The LaScala lacked the midrange and upper resolution of both the Klipschhorns and the Forte IV. The Lascala, while huge in scale, place the listener in larger venue, on row fifty. The Jubilees do the same but with less mid and upper resolution than the Lascala. The Cornwalls bass was sloppy, and I’ll get back to that in a moment. The Heresy, in this test are in last place and almost misplaced in this group, lacking in every aspect compared to the others. For some reason, most by default, always pair these speakers with tubes, which I feel is not he best for speakers that already sound warm and more “recessed” with their large Horn Implementation. The Cornwalls don’t need Tube amplification. And that’s where, as all of these speakers were driven by tubes, the Klipschhorns stood out from pack, being driven by tubes. It was by far the more balanced sounding of the group, bringing you closer to the performance. Which is why the Forte’s would be my choice out of the bunch for my home….they come very close for a fraction of the cost. Best sound, Klipschhorns. Best Value, Forte IV.
That‘s hands down the best comparison available in the net! Thank you! I was really surprised about the big differences and how bad the boxy speakers sound after the La Scala. Each for itself very good, but compared to the La Scalas not so great anymore. From boxy ones the Forty four was the best to my ears. Add one or two very good subs to the La Scalas and they run circles around the Jubilee. At least to my ears and in this comparison. This being said, I am now listening to brothers in arms on my set up and am also so very impressed and would love to compare it here and now to the La Scalas :D (canton reference 5k, Yamaha A-S3200, Denafrips Pontus II, via Quobuzplus a well measured in SVS closed sub)
On paper the La Scalas read like they need a sub but be sure to listen to them first in person, they have tons of believable and impactful bass. I have never felt they need a sub. Just my 2 cents.
As a hi-fi dealer you probably know what I am about to say but many don't know or have forgotten that back in the day Hi-fi usually included a pre-amp and the amp as separates, this allowed one to run the amp wide open and the volume was controlled by the pre-amp, this allowed for maximum dynamics. In todays world with integrated amps this is not always possible as the amps volume knob is often the main volume control, however one day I realized that I have a pre-amp, in that I can control all my volume with my tv's remote, so I turned down my Tv's volume and cranked my integrated amps volume to almost wide open, then slowly raised the Tv's volume, wow, what a difference, now all that bass showed up that I didn't know I was missing. What prompted this was listening to those Jubilees, that is some smooth bass. Thanks for the demo.
Going to have to pick the jubilee as my favorite, big warm sound. My first pair of speakers were Fortes that I purchased right out of high school in the early 80s. When I bought them I heard a set of Khorns and fell in love. Could never afford them but always remembered them. In the early 2000s I started hanging out on the Klipsch forums and started seeing people talking about building their own Khorns so for about 3 years I gathered plans, educated myself, collected every photo I could find, got all the drivers, built the crossovers and even built the speakers in a CAD program. I finally built them for real in 2011 I think it was and they turned out fantastic. I posted a whole thread on the forum with the process and pictures. I still listen to them regularly and use the Fortes as surrounds in an AV setup. Klipsch fan for life.
whatever electronics you are using must be absolutely fantastic. I was able to hear clear and obvious differences in the audio as each speaker changed. The first and the last was to my mind the best.
Thank you so much for putting this great video together. It's greatly appreciated. I currently own Forte Ones which I love. Here is my list. 1. Klipschorn 2. Jubilees 3. La Scala 4. Fortes 5. Cornwall 6. Heresy
Great experiment. Grew up with Chorus's as a child, Belle's through my 20s, and Crites Cornscalas for 10 years now. Easily the Cornwalls have the best bass in most rooms with excellent midrange. KHorns, if put in corner traps, in the right shaped room, outperform all others. Stereo image is better with LaScala and KHorn. Jubilee is awesome but DSP makes it a non contender. The 3rd gen Cornwall makes major improvements in midrange, bringing it to an almost match to Cornscalas from Crites (Cornscala= Lascala mid and high + Cornwall bass). Heresy is a very good speaker for its size. All Klipsch have excellent clarity and excel in being versatile enough to be acceptable in most rooms, with excellent efficiency allowing most amplifiers room to breath. Low wattage requirements and high power capabilities generally do not go hand in hand but with Klipsch they do, and they sound fantastic. Taking all in to account i believe the Forte is the best balance and imaging and tone with its excellent passive radiator. Chorus is the same design with a larger enclosure and bass driver. Curious if Klipsch with bring the Forte's big brother back. Love what yoll got goin on in Glen Rock
@gotham61 Ive got 3 decades experience with all these speakers including owning 3 models. Im not referring to how they sound on RU-vid. Im referring to experience.
@keithwiebe1787 Perhaps...maybe....probably.....horns would benefit from DSP. Im not prepared to make that decades old argument. DSP takes the Jubilees out of the apple to apple comparison because the DSP obviously is another factor that is meant to improve sound, but it can also degrade from the sound, making comparisons difficult. That aside the Jubilee out excels the other examples.
Here is my list from best to worst. Which I'm sure some of you will disagree with. 1. Jubiless (If you have the space) 2. LaScala (Prefer the openness of the bass sound vs Klipshorn) 3. Forte (Very balanced sound) 4. Klipschorn (Good mids and highs but the bass makes it sound shut in) 5. Cornwall (More dynamic and larger sound than Forte but bass sounds too bloated and overall a boxy sound) 6. Heresy (Balanced but just less of everything the others have)
You are hearing the differences through a microphone, which even the absolute best is not a good representation. Personally, I liked the Jubilee, Forte, Cornwall, Klipschorn, Heresy. But I know from actual listening It would be almost in order of price except swapping Cornwall for LaScala. I own Cornwalls so I could be biased. But I know that hereys rock.
I attended college in Nashville. When the Opryland Amusement Park went out of business, our fraternity purchased a used pair of klipschorn speakers ($200) that the amusement park had used in one of their venues. Our fraternity had the best sound system of any frat in North America and, much to the dismay of Dean Potter, we blasted high fidelity music across the campus. I wonder what became of those speakers
First time 'hearing' Klipsch speakers and even through RU-vid the Cornwall's sounded fantastic to me. The others had either a bloom or a flatness that took away from the realism of the music. They had cohesion and unforced detail that made the whole presentation really enjoyable.
Those Klipscorns sound so full and well balanced I'm in love. I know what I want for Christmas. They sounded that beautiful and they weren't even in the corners. Amazing. Thank you for this sound comparison Fernando. It was tremendously helpful.
Wow! What a great demo. You could really hear the difference which is amazing on a RU-vid video. Overall winner for me were the Jubilee, followed by Klipschorn and LaScalla. However, bang for the buck has to go to the Forte IV. Thank you for creating this video and for the fun quotient
Its because most of what we are hearing is the room. The jubilees were clearly in better treated room. The showroom sounds like a disaster in this video.
I don’t know if it was the change of room but in my opinion the Klipschorn was the most superior speaker of the group. They had a true life like studio sound to them, the music came alive in a natural, smooth, mellifluous way. The La Scala’s are a close second. The worst were the Jubilees, very muffled and artificially forced.
The Cornwalls sounded the best to my ears. Each pair had a different strengths, but I definitely liked the Cornwalls the best. I guess it also depended on the equipment we were listening with.
I had a set of Belles that I brought back from Okinawa when I was stationed there, got married and moved into a new house, sold my Belles because she didn't appreciate audio like I did... Eventually I got rid of her after 6 yrs and I've cried more about losing my Belles than losing her!!! They were spectacular and all of my buddies in Service were jealous of how incredible they sounded... Side note, Dire Straights was one of my favs to play, and there is just no comparison from being right in the sweet spot listening to that album!!! Ahhh memories...
I had the privilege to listen to a pair of La Scalas when I was a teenager. My parents were renting a house from a family friend and he left the La Scalas there. I first had them hooked up to a cheap JVC system. Later I had them hooked up to a Pioneer receiver and they sounded so good! I'd love to have the room and the budget to own a pair someday!
I am not sure if one can judge speakers on RU-vid. However, based on what I've heard, my choice is Cornwall. The depth and clarity. Especially the depth of the sound that seems to come from the back of the speaker. Clean and true representation of live music and voice without too much mid and bass heard from the other larger speakers. Even from my cheap TV speaker, the depth and clarity came through above the other speakers. The speakers should not be judged based on bass alone. The speakers job is to recreate live music and voice best as possible. There were couple others that were close. But, the Cornwall stood out. Many voted La Scala. I think this was based on its popularity, familiarity and design with this model. I am sure all the speakers sound great in its set up location. Also, this Dire Straits, Brothers in Arm album is one of the best album for a speaker test. Along with Norah Jones 1st. album., come Away with me. Ty. for taking me back to my college days.
Khorn, La Scala have very similar sound signatures. Jubilee and Forte sounds signature are alike and Cornwall and Heresy are similar with Cornwall’s base is smoother. Of the 3 groups, I like Jubilee and Forte the most, live with composure and smooth. Cornwall and Heresy the second but not as smooth at the low. The LaScale and KHorn are the most exciting of the brunch but does feels like screaming, more than in a live concert. My reference… Heresy IV at home and a few very good experiences at live concerts under my belt. Great comparison BTW!
I love the La Scala’s. I got to say I thought the Corner horns had a great cense of space between the sounds. I have a pair of Heresy’s and a pair of Fortes. I don’t think my rooms are large enough for the La Scala’s but maybe I’ll do it anyway. And Finally, Heresy’s rock! Great bang for the buck. Anyone out there looking to get into the Heritage line at a lower price, get a pair of Heresy’s, they deliver!! Get Fernando to hook you up, you won’t regret it. Go Fernando! Another great video. Thanks
First of all, congratulations. What a nice idea. Even though the session is "in" RU-vid environment, it is possible to capture the personality of each pair of speakers. And they are all quality ones.😊 My vote goes to La Scala.
I am surprised at how well I can hear the character of these speakers through my headphone system. Great job! I choose the La Scala first, Forte second. Thanks!
PPS Blimey what a surprise at the end!!! They are amazing! If you have a spare 35 grand, that is the pair. They are miles ahead. The La Scalas are the best value / performance model for me. Edit Like the Maxell ad pic.
The Jubilees have wider sound stage but the Klipschorns seem to have more control.. However I like the Forte's for an overall sound detail.. Thanks for posting..
1. Forte IV, 2. Klipschorn AK6...only two I'd own. I'm guessing the abundance of bass on the Cornwalls could be adjusted based on positioning of the speaker in the room.
Klipshorn, La Scala, Forte (which I own a set of original IIs). Happy to see that the ones I have fared so well to my taste! Many thanks for the comparo.
LaScala and Forte did it for me. Given the price difference I would go with the Forte. I’m glad you did this and I’ll add your site to my list of favorites. BTW, we’re the Forte IV or III? I’m new at this audiophile thing and don’t know if I could tell a discernible difference between the two. What amp and DAC would you recommend for the Forte that would keep my budget around $10,000? Thanks!
I had some Klipschorns in about 1980. Bought them because they sounded so good in the store but I could never get them to sound right at home. I suspect the Jubilees are better in that respect. They sounded the best on this.
Those early khorns needed 10db of boost at 30 hz and than you would get somewhere. Easily doable though. Also decrease the 125 hz output by 3-5db helped tremendously too. Nowadays just hook them up to a home theatre receiver and let the built in dsp solve their shortcomings. Running them straight is not how to enjoy them the most.
I was surprised that the first set of speakers sounded almost exactly the same as my own, but had a touch less base. That's uplifting, since I built them myself back in 1978. They each have one 15" woofer, 2 dome mid-range drivers, and 4 dome tweeters. The key is that the band sounds like they are right there in your room. The remainders sounded radically different.
Neat comparison; I used to have a pair of Cornwall's and to be they still give the best definition of all of them. Probably not a good comparison listening on a Klipsch computer set but I thought it was fun and informative. Good work
No daubt for me: la scalas are outstanding and beating all of them easiley...all others way too shouty.....klipschhorn dissapointing, because la scala on similar level... but of course your room accoustics are tough! Thanks a lot, la scala are on my listening list! 😊
It all has to do with midbass response. The La Scalas have more oomph in the 80 hz compared to khorns but khorns go lower. I'm surprised at the difference in voicing though. I have homebuilt khorns from 35 years ago and still enjoy them. Running through a dsp on Yamaha receiver and that helps tremendously with the midrange and upper end responses (using 6.5 Audax midrange driver with tractrix horn and EV35 tweeter). Many different crossover's have been used in the khorn over the years to tame the 125 hz boost they naturally have. Some do better than others. I would definitely build my own or buy a used pair before spending 15k on new ones.
Jubilee has to be the most balanced with the widest range... which is odd given the huge huge horn. I didn't use my in ear monitors, but with comparison with the same listening criteria, I can see why these are the most expensive. I feel like other brands will blow them out of the water with less space for the same expense though.
Listened with good headphones. The Cornwalls and the Jubilees were the standouts to my ears; they allowed me to hear further into the mix than any of the others. The K-horns and the Fortes had a hard, glassy sound to the mid and top that bordered on congested.
Fernando, awesome video. I really got to get a feel of the difference of the sounds of each speaker. The K-horns and the Jubilees sounded like I was in the venue listening to the band live, definitely impressed by them. I was disappointed with the sound of the LaScala's (I really wanted to like them), they sounded like the band was in the far end of a tunnel to me and there was something about the sound of the piano that just wasn't right to me (Occurs at 4:40 on the video). I wasn't noticing it on the other speakers. I enjoyed the Cornwalls, Heresy's and Forte's but of those three I enjoyed the Forte's the most. I will definitely keep you in mind for a purchase once we have moved next year and get settled in our new home.
As a recent Forte owner,= powered by an MC 352, I have my prejudices naturally. But to be brutally honest, those LaScalas seem the best and brightest of the bunch. The Fotes came in a close second for their overall crispness and balanced tone. Im a retired broadcaster and used to hifi --the good stuff--all of my life; growing up in (nearby)Paterson NJ. , where my father had Les Pauls's audio guy build our HIFI Room--i kid you not! . I might consider trading up for the LaScalas.. maybe even take a drive to my old stomping grounds(from Kansas now).
I purchased a pair of Cornwalls in 1977. I now own Altec Lansing model 17’s pushing them with stereo tube pre amp and a separate stereo tube power amp made in 1959 from Stromberg Carlson 100 % satisfaction so airy, superb imaging, outstanding instrument voicing performance 15 watts total a side: 117 dbl 1 watt at 4 meters. I believe Cornwalls were the best flawless speakers for their size back in 1977. Try Dire Straits “You and your friend” or “Fade to black”with zero bass zero treble with a bit more volume.
On the first pass I thought I preferred the sound of the Cornwall, which I was very happy to discover, since I’ve considered ordering a pair one day. But then I went back and forth with the LaScala and they really won me over. I also loved the Jubilee.
thank you for doing this comparison. La Scala gets my vote... Open midrange with great full bass extension. vocals very clear... all a bit forward but not tiring for the length of this sound track...Loved them....hard to beat Brothers in Arms as well.
La Scala is the cleanest, most balanced of them all for my ears and sound style. They’re all quite excellent, but I could see enjoying the LaScalas every day with all music genres and sounds. Thank you for this very special and semi-private demo. Excellent presentation.
The sound of klipschorn recorded is so different from the real thing. The sound of klipschorn is the sound of the radio. Be good at recording! I've been using klipschorn speakers for 30 years, and I'll be with them for the rest of my life.
When I was in college, LSU, mid '70's, LSU Tiger football stadium was also a dorm, the ceilings in the dorm rooms was the stadium steps and it was not air-conditioned. So in the Louisiana fall heat, when we would stand in line waiting to get into the football games, all of the dorm windows were open, the residents were drunk as shit, smell of weed coming out the windows along with the stereo sounds, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Molly Hatchet, Marshall Tucker....Saw a lot of Klipsch speakers in the windows.
Fortunately I have had a chance to hear earlier versions of these in person - demonstrated in the presence of Paul Klipsch many years ago (early-mid 1980s). He came to Germany and appeared at the old Stuttgart PX , which at that time was the size of a shopping mall (Robinson Barracks) and was the largest military exchange in the world. What I remember of the demo was how efficient the horns were in producing sound compared to conventional speakers. I also got to take Music Appreciation class in college where the classroom was equipped with the commercial version of the LaScala. They really performed well with the classical and jazz music that was much of our in class listening. It is nice to see that Audiovox has continued to make these in Hope Arkansas. If placed properly the Klipschorn is undoubtedly the king of the line but the LaScala/Belle Kilipsch for most would be best.
I bought a new pair of Klipsch Cornwall II's on Dec 11, 1986 from Read Brothers Wholesale Dept. in Charleston, S.C. via mail order. They cost $1184 a pair and the riser bases were an additional $32. Shipping was free. (to Pennsylvania). They are still in use today and still sound great. When first purchased, I powered them with a Pioneer SX-1980 Receiver. (270 watts / ch). It only took a couple watts to fill the room with sound since they are so sensitive. I still have the original receipt and manuals. They never needed service and the cabinets are almost mint (after 3 moves). The only other speaker that came close was the Cerwin Vega 316R which had almost identical sensitivity. I used those as rear speakers (in A/B Stereo mode)
LaScalas by a long way. Of course room and placement may play a big role in listening. In person may play a big role. But this is what I remember the performance of laScala speakers sounding like. I've only heard them once in person and the album was the rolling stones. Angie sounded awesome, but every song sounded awesome. I wasn't a stones fan, but after hearing them on the LaScalas, I became a fan. The placement in the room didn't seem to be of any concern to the sound. This was 1975 to 78 somewhere around then. Never have forgotten how great the sound was. They filled the room without over powering at a reasonable level. When turned up it was incredible. Super clear clean crisp with plenty of base.
Don't yell at me, but I liked the Cornwalls. Sounded more like being in the studio with them and piano had more punch. Just a very overall enjoyable sound.
Oh, the first setup is like the PA setup we had in the end of the 70's, we made from Fane speakers and draws, finally the same looks...I like the sound of these Klipsch.
I’ve seen rave reviews for each of these speakers but I think the right ones for me are the Fortes. I’ll definitely contact you when my budget catches up to my taste!
I done heard all the $10k-$15k speakers out there and I’m just happy with my RP-8000’s and the up firing Atmos. My subwoofer helps out with extra bass and it sounds beautiful every time.
I'm listening on the Klipsch ProMedia Heritage 2.1 which is connected to the Sound Blaster AE-9 with high-end RCA cables. I've had this speaker system since last March, and during that time I have carefully compensated for the lack of clarity and crispness with a graphic equalizer to the point that I consider to be sublime perfection. I also have premium 16 AWG oxygen-free copper speaker cables so that I can get the best possible sound out of my satellites (the stock wires are 22 AWG aluminum wires). I like to keep the subwoofer up fairly high too. So, with all that in mind, I'll start with my rating: 1. Klipschorn 2. La Scala 3. Cornwall 4. Forte 5. Heresy The Jubilees are in a different room with very different acoustics, so the acoustics are very different and therefore I can't include them in my comparison. The Klipschorns are easily the best ones for me, and it's because of the sound of the drums. The Klipschorns are the only ones that accurately reproduced the true (and full) deep sound of the bass drum. I've heard this song possibly thousands of times, but I've never known the bass drum had this beautiful long and deep sound to it. As soon as the drums started, my jaw dropped. All the other speakers make the bass drum sound like it just has a short punchy sound to it. The bass drum needs this longer sound to fit this song appropriately because it helps fill more space in this slower song, and that deep full sound helps fill out the bottom end it helps carry or deliver the weight of the song. So I'm feeling the emotion and meaning of this song the most from the Klipschorns. Overall, they have all the the crispness and clarity and deep bass that I could ever want. So if I could afford to buy them, I'd be placing an order right now. If the Klipschorns weren't in this video, then it's a toss-up for me between the La Scalas and Cornwalls; I go back and forth between leaning toward the La Scalas for their overall balance and the Cornwalls for their impressively powerful concert PA-like sound (the Cornwalls made me sit up and take notice) The Heresy's sound as small as they look to me while the Fortes have a bigger sound but a bit too mid-rangy for me, at least in this video. The Jubilees are a little harder for me to judge since the room's acoustics are almost the exact opposite of the other room. The room the Jubilees are in is much smaller, it's carpeted and it has a lower ceiling with what look like very nice acoustic tiles. I think the walls are made to have good acoustics as well (I'm guessing this is a special listening room or a little movie theater). Even so, these speakers seem to have the absolute best sound overall (it's the most pleasing sound overall for me), but they don't produce the full deep sound of the bass drum. Even on these speakers, the bass drum is nothing more than a standard very short punch. The quality of the low-end overall though is above the other speakers for sure, at least in that room. The same is true for the full spectrum of sound, which is why I said they are the most pleasing sound overall for me, but I'd need to hear them in the other room to know for sure how I feel about their sound. For now, let's say the Jubilees would be #2 behind the Klipschorns which moves everything else down. So then it would be this: 1. Klipschorn 2. Jubilee 3. La Scala 4. Cornwalls 5. Forte 6. Heresy Of course, if I could only afford the Heresy's, then I'd be absolutely stoked to have them because they're still far better than what I have now (which, again, is the ProMedia Heritage 2.1). I can't afford to buy ANY of these speakers though, so I'm just having some fun. 😊If I could have any of these though, then I'd choose the Klipschorns based on how they reproduced the bass drum and because they have very pleasing mids and highs to my ears (I didn't feel that way at first though). The Jubilees are better overall though because of the mids and highs, but I would never be 100% happy with them because I'd always be wondering if there's an aspect to the sound I'm missing (like the full bass drum sound in this song). So based on this video, my perfect speakers would have the low-end reproduction of the Klipschorns with the mids and highs of the Jubilees. I found this video because I got bored and searched RU-vid for "Klipsch ProMedia Heritage 2.1" (because this speaker system continues to blow me away and sometimes I love watching others talk about it).
My own system: Computer with Analog output through a Realtek driver and 1/8" Stereo plug to an Outlaw Audio Preamp, and then a Rotel 150 Watt Stereo AMP, and finally through MIT2 Terminator Stereo leads to speakers where the upper end of the MIT Terminators is plugged into Klipsch Heresy Model 1's (from 1980) and a pair of Klipsch RP-3s, and the lower end of the MIT Terminator 2's is plugged into the lower end of the Klipsch RP-3s. To me, this system sounds slightly similar to my older setup with terribly normal cabeling from the computer to an NAD Preamp/Amp combo driving a pair of Infinity RS 2.5s (yes some clarity differences in favor of the Infinity system). To me, the Cornwalls are always a magic sounding speaker. The Klupschorns are always a speaker that refines bass backgound versus the entirety of the rest of the recorded range. The KG-4s/Fortes were always a crazy speaker that with the correct room, could embarrass the entirety of the rest of the Klipsch line. Now there is the Jubilees which are entirely too large for most room (especially the one in this video). Incredible as the Jubilees are, in my opinion for most people, the Cornwalls will be THE Klipsch speaker that most people will gravitate to.