Great First Impression
John from Kansas on 2/20/2025
These speakers are large as you will read in every review, but the beautiful walnut finish allow them to blend in like fine pieces of furniture in our room. They sound good right out of the box, but I've only had them for a couple weeks so I'm still experimenting with amplification and placement which I'm sure will make them sound amazing!
Pros: Beautiful Wood Finish Good Sound Easy to Power
Cons: Large Quite expensive
2 of 2 found this helpful
joy in sound
Marcus from Hewitt, TX on 7/16/2024
So glad these are in my home. Music and movies are amazing now. My review cannot do these speakers justice. I have a higher level of wellness. These speakers make my house a home. My wife and children are in awe.
Pros:
Cons:
15 of 18 found this helpful
My Lifetime Icon
Stephen from Acton, MA on 12/29/2022
After hearing Roy Delgado in a Klipsch museum talk echo what I had known since the 80s that large horns in small rooms was the key to great sound, I wanted a bigger horn than my extremely flat and rich sounding Choruses. Directivity has its merits seeing the 64 horns at the local Grand DLX movie theater. But if you have ever heard a large horn up close, not painfully loud, it's just pure magic. But honestly Andrew Robinson's review of the AL5s pushed me over the edge. I knew from his words exactly how they used to sound, and he reignited those old memories. Since I was a kid I stared at the folded horn in countless venues and wondered what was inside. My imagination looked to the depths of the darkness like any animal looks at the mouth of an apex predator. Holding acoustic guitar strings lightly and strumming as in Alabama 5 reveals what the cabinet size and the wood is all about. The speaker is an instrument. LaScala AL5s deliver larger than life sound, as if you are right next to or inside that wooden guitar. And you only know what I'm talking about if you yourself have put your ear to various instruments. That's what I want to hear, and I am happy as a Klipsch klam. Note: I use the Yamaha RX-A8A PEQ to +6Db 66Hz down all the full range speakers and have a pier and beam wood floor. I am into house shaking bass at low volume with no boom. Everything else is flat except a treble boost on center and surround backs for intelligibility.
Pros: Incredible sensitivity and dynamic range across the audible spectrum. Finish is beautiful and veneer wrap technology is top notch. Bass is more than the reviews lead one to believe but I do use an old and a new Klipsch 15" sub for EDM and movies. I would not like a speaker that forced excessive bass on me 24x7. All told I run six 15" woofers and two 15" subs on 11 channels. On two channel recordings straight I often have to remind myself that only the La Scalas are playing.
Cons: Physics doesn't care about about space utilization so don't blame the size. I have a fear of friends wanting to use the top for drinks. Mass, sharp edges and fine finish are polar opposites. Don't cry with the first nick. It will happen.
48 of 52 found this helpful
The legend continues
Gary from Macon, GA on 10/10/2022
I've owned a pair of Klipschorns since 1983. However, they were sold along with my house recently and I'm now in an apartment for work. I already had a Klipsch subwoofer to complement some borrowed bookshelf speakers and so now I wanted speakers that didn't require corner placement but have the accurate, open sound of Klipsch. They're gorgeous, still quite heavy (200lbs each) and sound fantastic even with my 30 year old preamp and amp. I use the sub on it's lowest possible crossover level to just add the final 20-30 Hz to the bottom of the bass without getting "boomy." Looking forward to the next 30 years!
Pros: Kipsch legendary sound in a more compact format. Well constructed no detail ignored. They're absolutely fun and capable for all musical genres - Sinatra/Basie, female vocals, symphony, Star Wars soundtrack and everything in between.
Cons: Still heavy but the boxes make it easy to unpack with graphics to assist. I would add a subwoofer to open up that last little bit of bass.
22 of 25 found this helpful
Klipsch Heritage La Scala AL5
Brian from Lima, OH on 6/28/2022
Wonderful room filling sound. Wide soundstage. Solid construction.
Pros:
Cons:
15 of 17 found this helpful
Great Speaker all around
Bill from Bridgeport, NY on 3/10/2022
One of the best home loud speakers you can buy, I bought mine back in 1986, I've never had a problem with them at all, I used to DJ indoors & outdoors and the sound was like you were at a concert, all ranges are crystal clear, very deep bass and the mids as well as the highs are impeccable. I listen to all kinds of music from oldies to country (old & new) as well as some classical, perfection, even at lower volumes. Best investment I've ever made!!
Pros: Very little power need to drive these speakers, great sound.
Cons: Big
26 of 31 found this helpful
Klipsch Heritage La Scala AL5
Guest from Norcross, GA on 6/30/2021
When you want it loud! There is no such thing as a good AND loud speaker (though the IRS did a pretty good job of both). I have Magneplanar 3.7i's for 90% of my progressive rock, classical, jazz and blues listening. But for the 10% that I want to jam to System of a Down or Pantera, these are hard to beat!
Pros:
Cons:
23 of 52 found this helpful
