Klipsch LaScalla II Now In! $8000 Per Pair (35 1/2h, 23 3/4w, 24 1/2d, 175 lbs)

Now that LaScalla II has arrived, we have all four models of the current Klipsch Heritage line on display. K has modernized four absolutely iconic speakers from yesteryear!

Current Models:

Heresy III $2000 Per Pair
Forte III $3600 Per Pair
Cornwall III $4400 Per Pair
LaScalla II $8000 Per Pair

 

Klipschorn

The famous top of the line Klipschorn is being revised and we’ll carry the new model in the fall or whenever it comes out. The new K-horn will be a different animal from its predecessor. It will not require corner placement. K has been working on this design for some years and we’re told the new model will be out before the end of 2018.

LaScalla II

LaScalla debuted in 1963. To my eyes, LaScalla has the coolest aesthetics of any vintage speaker! You look at LaScalla and think of great 60s-70s audio. More than one “mature” customer has asked me- “Isn’t that the speaker that comes with a Hammond organ?” Nope, it isn’t a Leslie. But you are excused for thinking they could be from the same family. Now that LaScalla has been technologically updated you can have your cake and eat it too!

A number of people have said they remember hearing Klipsch in the 60s-70s, but not since. We invite you to visit to hear for yourself, what new technology can do for classic designs. LaScalla uses a 15” folded horn woofer design, along with a horn midrange and tweeter.

The efficiency is 105dB on LaScalla. That means you can drive them with any amp on the market. Of course you are rewarded for using a great amp and source. But you don’t need loads of watts to drive them.

What will impress you IMMEDIATELY about LaScalla (and its brethren) is the enormous dynamic range. The difference between pianissimo and FORTE is astounding. The SPEED of response reveals the technique of a world class instrumentalist and the subtle nuances of great singers. The bottom line is that these speakers are as FUN to listen to as any speakers on the market!

Let me further point out that despite using horns, LaScalla is not BRIGHT sounding. When people read about horns they typically infer the sound will be harsh. But the top end of LaScalla is downright smooth, not the least bit biting.

Further, LaScalla’s bass is nicely controlled. It doesn’t produce FAT, muddled bass. Of course you can crank up the tone controls and make them heavy. But their endemic character is leaner than fatter. We know audiophiles sometimes turn their noses up at horns. Listen before you draw conclusions!

 

 

McIntosh MA-252 Integrated Amp $3500 (100×2)

Mac’s new hybrid integrated (tubes in the preamp section) is a good match for any speakers you might consider. But if you’re tempted by K’s vintage looks and sound, you simply can’t do better than MA-252. With a muscular Mac amp and mellow tube preamp in one package, it’s a synergy
with the K speakers above.

MA-252 runs four 12AU7s tubes. These aren’t high current tubes and will last for many years.
They’re not expensive either. Hence don’t be dissuaded by tubes in this application. By including tubes in the preamp section, MA-252 provides a warm preamp to mate with its solid state amp. The 100×2 power amp on board is a brute. This boy doesn’t use output transformers and has a big punch. While MA-252 will drive virtually any speakers well, it’s a synergy with the vintage looking but modern sounding Klipsch Heritage models.

 

 

Rolling Stone Writers Rate Top Bands In Live Performance

10 My Morning Jacket
9 Rage Against The Machine
8 Jack White
7 Radiohead
6 Jay Z
5 Neil Young
4 Arcade Fire
3 Rolling Stones
2 Prince
1 Bruce Springsteen

Klipsch Heritage Series Speakers

We all know about Klipsch and its iconic line of horn speakers. K has redesigned its entire line of Heritage speakers and most of the new models are here. There are four models in the Heritage Series. Each is a new design with modern components, housed in classic, vintage looking cabinets.
Klipsch still makes its top dogs, the Heritage Line, in Hope Arkansas. These are full figured speakers that deliver powerful bass, awesome dynamic range, and can be driven by ANY amp out there. Their cosmetics are VINTAGE GORGEOUS!
Klipsch Heritage is about dynamic range and power- even when being driven by garden variety amplifiers. Of course the speakers sound better as you drive them with better electronics. But because these boys are very efficient, they’re quite forgiving of old or low powered amps.

Heresy III $2000 Per Pair (23 7/8h, 15 1/2w, 13 1/4d, 44lbs)

A classic 12” 3-way with 2” Titanium horn mid and 1” Titanium horn tweet. 99dB SPL
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forte III $3600 Per Pair (36h, 16 1/2w, 13d, 72 lbs)

This 12” 3-way with 15” rear firing passive is the bargain in the line! Note this bad boy is only
13” deep and can BRING IT with the best of ‘em! 99dB SPL. At shallow depth- placement is easy. The new Forte is a dynamite value because it works well near a back wall and produces a truly prodigious sound!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cornwall III $4400 Per Pair (35 3/4h, 25 5/8w, 15 1/2d, 98lbs)

Cornwall is a 15” 3-way with 102dB SPL! Make no mistake, Cornwall is a heavy hitter with the classic 15. Even the smallest of amps can drive Cornwall with power.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LaScalla II $8000 Per Pair (38 1/2h, 24 1/4w, 25 1/4d, 175lbs)

Perhaps the most gorgeous loudspeaker ever built, now finished quite elegantly, LaScalla combines modern performance with a vintage aesthetic. LaScalla is a 15” 3-way (uses one 2.5” mid) with folded horn cabinet design. SPL is a rockin’ 105dB!! The 175 pound weight is ON PURPOSE. LaScalla is as bold and dynamic as any speaker on the market. Ya wanna hear dynamics?!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAD C268 Power Amp $800 (80×2 or 300×1 monoblock!)

Just out from NAD is a FABULOUS new power amp! The choices NAD made on C268 are so smart that I had to double check. Is this really just $800?
NAD is about power, AND PEAK POWER, first and foremost. While C268 is rated at 80×2, its peak power exceeds 300w! When you consider most 200×2 amps barely hit 200, you can begin to infer the value of NAD.
NAD uses its patented PowerDrive circuit to invert phase and cancel noise. The result is cleaner, less aggressive PUSH than “the other guys.”
You can run a single C268 at 80×2 with big peaks of 300w. Or, buy a second C268, now or later, and almost quadruple the power! How great to be able to do this in affordable steps! But since C268 is so CHEAP at $800, why not just buy two to begin with?!
Since you’ll have TWO C268s, each has its own dedicated power supply and the two channels don’t even share a transformer. Each amp is totally independent for the imaging and control we audio nuts crave.
C268 runs balanced or single ended. It has an input LEVEL CONTROL which is awesome for a handful of useful purposes. It’s nice to have this flexibility for:
-Running with a preamp with exceptionally high or low output
-Zone 2 (3&4 etc)
-Bi-amping
-Running a passive sub

C268 has a warmish, amber flavor to its sound. It doesn’t bite or sound shrill. Its flavor is musical and will remind you of tubes, without the hassle. C268 uses NAD’s proprietary Hybrid Digital technology. This differs from other D designs in that it uses analog switching technology and discrete output devices. The other guys DON’T.

NAD C368 Integrated Amp, $900 (80×2 or 300×1)

Are you thinking what I’m thinking?! Holy cow, what an upgrade path! You can buy the phenomenal C368 integrated and run 80×2. If you get the itch to upgrade… yup, just buy the C268 and all of a sudden your power is 300×2- for only the C268 investment of $800!
C368 is essentially a C268 with the preamp and DAC on the chassis. It is RIDICULOUS that
C368 only runs $900! Since C368 runs only $900, I’m not even going to push a separate NAD preamp. You have a terrific preamp with DAC, along with a C268 amp, on the C368 chassis already!
Hence, for $1700 in two boxes, you have 300×2 of NAD smooth propulsion, and a very fine
analog preamp with MM phono, and a dynamite DAC (2 OPT & 2 Coax), and Bluetooth! Is there a better $1700 value than this combo?!
While we’re talking… the C368 is so clean and quiet that it’s a great companion for the Klipsch models above.

What Else Are They Into?

Flea: Beekeeping
Roger Daltry: Trout Farming
Ellie Goulding: Avid Runner
Jack White: Upholsterer
Charlie Watts: Car Collector
Rod Stewart: Model Trains
Phil Collins: Historian
Alice Cooper: Golf
Ronnie Wood: Stamp Collecting