Audiophiles have always had rather strong views when it comes to Klipsch; there is a segment of the community that will never like what they offer, and there is a much larger number who have enjoyed their loudspeakers for decades and have zero interest changing to anything else. The “house” sound is hard to miss and for those who love the tone, presence, and room-filling energy that they can deliver — there are few things better than a pair of Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 or La Scala AL6 loudspeakers.
Founded in 1946 by Paul W Klipsch, elements of Klipsch engineering have filtered down through the decades to an expanded speaker line-up. However, the original core design philosophy remains intact in their Heritage Speaker line, most notably with the Klipschorn and La Scala.
Making changes to the Klipschorn and La Scala are not taken lightly by Klipsch, but the decision has been made to implement some tweaks that are intended to push the boundaries of performance that were not previously implemented.
Three-way, Horn-Loaded Design
The Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 and La Scala’s three-way horn-loaded designs are known for their efficiency. It takes very little power to drive them (you can drive a Klipschorn with as little as 5 watts).
Each driver in a Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 and La Scala AL6 speaker is coupled to a precisely engineered horn and optimized for one of three passbands. This configuration supports greater acoustic power from lower-wattage amplifiers resulting in a crystal-clear sound with minimal distortion across the frequency spectrum.
Wide-Dispersion Phase Plug for Exceptional Highs
To optimize high-frequency performance, Klipsch is using a K-771 compression driver paired with a patented, wide-dispersion extended phase plug. This minimizes cancellations and equalizes wavelengths, providing a wider, more consistent soundstage. This allows the Klipschorn and La Scala to deliver greater clarity and coverage than ever before.
New Compression Driver Pumps Up the Power
The newly designed 3-inch KT-1133-HP midrange compression driver is now an inch longer than those used in previous Klipsch versions. The larger compression area maximizes energy so that the driver doesn’t have to work as hard to increase the sound pressure to the horn’s throat.
Spreading the Soundstage with Tractrix and Mumps Technology
The Klipschorn AK7 and La Scala AL6 include Klipsch’s classic Tractrix technology for even greater acoustic precision. The patented K-406M modified Tractrix mid-range horn features a shorter 2-inch throat that improves time alignment by bringing the exit point of the driver closer to the other. Additionally, Klipsch’s Mumps technology improves coverage across all drive units, integrating small contours to help maintain an even frequency response to the horn’s edge. The result is a more natural, immersive sound experience.
La Scala’s New Vented Design for Deeper, Richer Bass
For the first time, Kipsch is upgrading the La Scala to a patented horn-loaded, vented system, maximizing efficiency, extending output, and lowering distortion – realizing the benefits of both a horn-loaded system and a bass reflex system. The K-281 12-inch woofer with a folded horn is seated in the new enclosure with the end result being a more robust and tighter sounding bass range.
Active Crossover Extends Performance
The new Klipschorn AK7 and La Scala AL6 models feature new modified Tractrix midrange horns, updated compression drivers, stunning new finish, and, for the first time, allow users to add an optional external Heritage Active Crossover, designed by Klipsch’s VP of Technology and Innovation, Matt Spitznagle, and tuned by acoustician Roy Delgado
From Roy “Chief Bonehead” Delgado, Jr., Klipsch’s principal engineer and protege of Paul W. Klipsch: “We are always looking to improve performance even on these iconic designs. You can’t stop a creative mind and as PWK used to say, ‘You can’t time creativity,’…In 1999, I began experimenting with active crossovers after witnessing their remarkable performance in cinema applications. When PWK first heard my prototype, he turned to me and asked, ‘What did you do to that speaker?’ He was struck by its musicality, its purity. Sadly, he passed away before he could see a finished design.”
The project ended up on the back seat for several years, but the idea never faded. In 2022, Klipsch brought PWK’s vision to life with the release of the flagship Jubilee. Its reception was so overwhelmingly positive that Delgado and his team decided to take it further.
From Roy Delgado: “The team felt it was imperative to offer Klipsch fans a choice, so as we set to incorporate the active crossover on the Klipschorn and La Scala, we were inspired to boost the passive performance with key upgrades. With over two years of development, we built upon the legacy—not just honoring the past but carrying it into the future…While we are thrilled with the performance of the passive crossover. The Heritage Active Crossover unlocks performance enhancements that are simply unattainable with a passive design,…While the crossover frequencies remain fixed, users can adjust the gain of the LF and HF sections of the DSP active unit in order to compensate for input sensitivities of different types of amplifiers.”
Redesigned Input/Output
The newly designed I/O panel on both the new Klipschorn and new La Scala models now includes passive and active inputs and a passive output. Both speakers will be available with the passive crossover network installed; the new panel design makes it easy to switch between passive and active configurations, accommodating the Heritage Active Crossover for a plug-and-play setup.
New American Auburn Finish Option
In addition to the improvements implemented in the Klipschorn and La Scala, Klipsch is also debuting a new finish for the Heritage Series. American Auburn replaces the longstanding Natural Cherry. This rich, deep hue sits perfectly between Black Ash and American Walnut, designed to offer a new bold and timeless look to the Heritage lineup.
Klipsch is continuing its well-regarded veneer finish process. Each veneer leaf is sliced from premium timber before being joined to provide a mirror image of the wood grain across two speakers. This gives a consistent appearance between both units, like the two visible pages of an opened book. Even the low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) cabinets are matched for continuous grain and color.
A Legacy of Excellence, Built In Hope
Klipsch designs and engineers the Heritage Series speakers at its original location Hope, Arkansas. The Heritage Series embodies Paul W Klipsch’s legacy of offering exceptionally crafted horn-loaded loudspeakers, built upon the four core principles that are the hallmarks of his designs:
- High efficiency with low distortion
- Controlled directivity
- Wide dynamic range
- Flat frequency response
The Klipschorn has the distinction as the oldest loudspeaker in production worldwide. The La Scala, originally designed as a public address speaker, made its debut in 1963.
Klipschorn Comparison
| Klipschorn Model | AK6 (2018) | AK7 (2025) |
| Price/pair | $16,498 | $17,998 |
| High-Frequency Driver (HF) | K-771 Compression Driver | K-771 Compression Driver with new extended phase plug |
| Mid-Frequency Driver (MF) | K-55-x 2-inch Compression Driver | K-1133 3-inch Compression Driver |
| Mid-Frequency Horn | K-401 Exponential Horn | K-406 Exponential Horn Tractrix Horn with MUMPS |
| Low-Frequency Horn | K-33-E 15-inch with Folded Horn | K-33-E 15-inch with Folded Horn |
| Input | Standard | New Design |
| Crossover | Passive Internal | Passive Internal with Active Crossover Option |
| Finish Options | American Walnut Black Ash Natural Cherry | American Walnut Black Ash American Auburn |
La Scala Comparison
| La Scala Model | AL5 (2018) | AL6 (2025) |
| Price/pair | $12,998 | $14,998 |
| High-Frequency Driver (HF) | K-771 Compression Driver | K-771 Compression Driver with new extended phase plug |
| Mid-Frequency Driver (MF) | K-55-x 2-inch Compression Driver | K-1133 3-inch Compression Driver |
| Mid-Frequency Horn | K-401 Exponential Horn | K-406 Exponential Horn Tractrix Horn with MUMPS |
| Low-Frequency Horn | K-33-E 15-inch with Folded Horn | K-281 12-inch with Folded Horn |
| Input | Standard | New Design |
| Crossover | Passive Internal | Passive Internal with Active Crossover Option |
| Finish | American Walnut Black Ash Natural Cherry | American Walnut Black Ash American Auburn |
The Bottom Line
Klipsch has a special place in audio history, and the legacy of Paul W. Klipsch is still alive and thriving with the Klipschorn, La Scala, and other models in the Klipsch lineup.
That being said, not everyone warms to the Klipsch sound, but for those of us who have listened to Klipsch speakers, their horn-based technology provides the efficiency and sound quality that we appreciate.
As a result, unlike many speaker companies, Klipsch doesn’t release new models every year or change its design formula to meet a trend; it steadfastly holds to the basics and makes incremental changes only when it results in significant improvement.
When Klipsch was sold to Voxx International in 2011, and then became a part of the Voxx sale to Gentex in 2024, many of us were concerned that the “magic formula” might change for the worse, but with the introduction of the Jubilee in 2022 and the announcement of the latest improvements in both Klipschorn and La Scala over their 2018 editions, we can see that this has not been the case and it looks like under the design leadership of Roy Delgado, that Klipsch will be with us for decades to come.
We look forward to hearing the results of Klipsch’s latest improvements in the Klipshorn and La Scala.
Pricing & Availability
All models are available for order from authorized Heritage retailers, visit www.klipsch.com for more information.
- Klipschorn AK7: $17,998 per pair
- Available in American Walnut, Black Ash, American Auburn
- La Scala AL6: $14,998 per pair
- Available in American Walnut, Black Ash, American Auburn
- Klipschorn & La Scala Active Crossover: $3,499 each
- Available in Black Ash
Related Reading
