I would add that I'm also satisfied with the Skylan stands. They were shipped to me very rapidly. The packaging had a "Home made" quality to it but they made it to my place in perfect shape. The fit and finish are excellent and, once filled with sand, provide a heavy and stable platform for the speakers. I also like the fact that I could get the top plate cut at the same dimensions as the speakers. Having them flush to the speakers all around makes for a good look.
Also, I'd like to add the LaScalas have an addictive quality to them. The more I listen, the more I like. Or maybe they're still improving (breaking in), I don't know.
I’m sure I’d like the sound of the Red Wine audio gear with the LaScalas. I almost got a chance to listen to the combo at the “Salon son et image” in Montreal , right Vinnie?
A little more on the evaluation of the LaScalas, for those who care to read:
Just after I got them, a friend of mine, who has a recording studio with an acoustically treated room, offered to lend me a pair of the monitors he uses in his studio. They are PMCs, model IB1 and are in the same price range as the LaScalas. They are called monitors but weight in at 90 pounds each. They have this flat woofer in a transmission line enclosure. No need for a sub with these. The go down to 25 Hz and you can hear it. Anyway, they did sound better than my previous speakers (JMLab) with a very soft, non-aggressive sound while giving more detail. At first, with the first speaker placement I tried (the one that didn’t work well), I actually preferred them over the LaScalas, mainly ‘because they compensated for the lack of bass.
With the LaScalas now better positionned, there is no contest. The LaScalas are far superior, with much more detail and resolution. You can hear instrument textures with the LaScalas in a way that the PMCs just can’t match. Also, the PMCs really sound like a sub equipped system. There is that impression of the deep bass being detached from the rest of the sound. Maybe it’s a matter of timing, the bass having to go through a « maze » before it can come out from the front opening, might be arriving a bit later. Maybe it’s due to an uneven response with a bump around 40 Hz or so.
Anyway, I later invited this guy over with friends and had him sit down and listen the LaScalas. He was quite impressed. One of his friends likes to build CD transports, amplifiers and speakers and has, according to him, built a pretty good pair of speakers with ribbon tweeters. He said he’d like to put the LaScalas up against them and compare.
Also, before buying the LaScalas, I had a listen to a few other speakers in a nearby audio shop and wasn’t impressed. There was a pair of Thiel floor standers with an oval woofer, at 3 500.00$ if my memory serves me right. They didn’t do much for me. I like my music full range, with bass and all... I also listened to a pair of System Audio, worth around 4 500.00$. They are very narrow with an array of small woofers. They did have a fuller sound but the bass was boomy, without tone. All tracks seemed to have the same bass sound, probably the cabinet resonating. No need to say that the LaScalas beat them down in a big way.
Ok, that’s enough for today.
Happy listening!
Mario
