Pure Corn

I am using a stock SA-XR25 with my '89 CWIIs, and it sounds very good. The bass is deep and tight, the highs are very nice and the soundstage is giant. The mids are just ok, but liveable. I am have an expensive pair of Channel Islands Audio D-100 Monoblocks. Suprisingly, the panny stacks up well against them, but does lose in all areas (bigtime in the mids) but soundstage. It should lose, as the panny cost me $125 (w/out remote) and the monos $1600. However, one could live with the panny; the DAC is good and the amplifier is somewhat better than good; I'd say excellent.

Sold! Thanks.

Hello All, I have a pair of 2001 model Monarchy SE-100 Delux monoblocks for sale. They provide 100w into 8ohms and 200w into 4ohms; Class A. The have been modded with Black Gate caps throughout. I am asking $900 for the pair, shipped. Thanks.

---------------- On 2/23/2005 10:21:51 AM Frzninvt wrote: The CII's motorboard is also already interally braced by a nice strong piece of wood that runs front to back, no bracing should be necessary, damping the horns is a moot point as well since they are made of composite material. Get some acoustic panels from Bass Linear or Parts Express and cut and secure them with some Scotch 77 Spray Adhesive and rework the crossovers then just sit back and enjoy! This can easily be done through the woofer hole, I know I did it! Why in the world would you want to jigsaw the back of the cabinet off? You are going to jeapordize the integrity of the cabinet if you do that. In addition, it may be notched into the side walls. You have nothing to gain whatsoever by doing this! ---------------- Thanks. When you mention reworking the crossovers, do you mean design a new network or just replace the cheap components? The idea behind removing the back is to thicken the baffle. In the end, it would be 1.5" thick rather than the stock .75". Most high-end designs I've read about have thicker baffles. A new back would then be built that bolts on the outside of the cabinet, which would preserve the original volume. Maybe it would be better to just build custom cabinets...

---------------- On 2/23/2005 7:46:19 AM Frzninvt wrote: You are certainly not getting the back panel off a late model Cornwall II because they DO NOT come off! You can only access the interior cabinet via the woofer hole when you remove it. ---------------- No offense meant, but are you certain? I've looked inside and out, and believe that it can be "jigsawed" off without damaging the cabinet. The back is an individual piece that is glued to blocks mounted to the interior of the cabinet.

---------------- On 2/23/2005 8:18:14 AM colterphoto1 wrote: Does the CWII have different cabinet insulation? Why does everyone want to change it out? It was designed and tested that way for a purpose. You wouldn't restuff a RF7 box, would you? IS there some shortcoming to the CWII damping material? Michael ---------------- The CWII has NO cabinet insulation in stock form.

---------------- On 2/22/2005 8:09:37 PM jwcullison wrote: I'm wondering why you would use wood for your bracing. Have you considered using a piece of steel between the mid and the woofer. Maybe something "L" shaped. That way less volume is used by your brace and the steel may be more "durable". Also, why not use steel for your "4 wall" bracing. I would agree with you on the crossover out side the box. You could create a little "house" for it. Why change the inside lining? Is yours bad? The back wood. Are you going to replace it with one thicker piece or are you going to add to it to make it thicker. Are you doing any grill mods? jc ---------------- Funny you should mention steel. I considered it, but do not know enough to say whether or not it's the proper material. I would not use it for the baffle, because I'd be concerned about magnetic issues. Perhaps aluminum? I've just never seen a speaker with metal bracing, but can concieve of how it might work. The late model CWIIs have no stock interior lining. One of mine has some Dynamat haphazardly placed inside. The other is bare. The back will be one thicker piece; probably 1.5" MDF or birch plywood. No grill mods planned. Any suggestions?

All, I would like some opinions on my planned CWII modifications. I've dreamed these up over the past month or so, and believe they will do some good. Cabinet: Remove the back. Reinforce the baffel (interior) with 3/4" birch plywood. Line the interior of the cabinet with felt. Remove the stock brace and replace it with two rectangular braces that touch all four interior sides of the cabinet. Create a new back that bolts to the outside back of the speaker, such that the interior dimensions do not change due to the baffel mod. Damp the horns with some Dynmat I found in one of the speakers. Replace the crossover components with higher quality parts. I also plan to make the crossovers EXTERNAL. This would insulate the components from vibration. I will also make the speakers bi or perhaps tri-wireable. Your comments will be appreciated, Orson

---------------- On 2/22/2005 6:14:59 PM Speedball wrote: While I'm killing you with questions.. .....Do they run hot to the touch? ......Enjoy. ---------------- Not in the least, and that's amazing. They don't even get warm to the touch until I push them very, very hard. They also have never clipped. I've had my CWIIs playing loud as physically possible to withstand, and they just get warm. In contrast, I have a set of Monarchy Audio SE-100 Delux Class A monos (they sound great too) that get so hot you literally can't touch them. The 3BST gets hot as well. I had an Adcom GFA-535 that I could easily push into clipping, and it's rated at 60wpc.

The VMB-1s are almost noiseless. Very "black." This is one of the reasons they appeal to me. I'm finding my tastes lean towards transparent equipment as opposed to equipment that sweetens the sound. The VPC-1 and VMB-1 combo excells in the transparency dept. They are noticably better than the Adcom GFP-750 and Bryston 3BST combo I recently sold. Less $$$ too, though less flexible. The 100w amps you refer to are the D-100s. They are Class-D switching amplifiers. I've considered trying them, but am happy with what I have. The 40wpc rating of the VMB-1s is very conservative. They drive my CWIIs good as the 3BST.

Hello All, After many purchases and subsequent sales, my quest for gear is finally over. I've settled on the following Channel Islands Audio components: VPC-1 Passive Preamp. Really just a volume control with two unbalanced inputs. VMB-1 Monoblocks. 40wpc semiconductor "chip" amps. VPP-1 Phono Preamp. VDA-1 DAC. VAC-1 Power Supply. These components work very well together, and the monoblock "chip" amps / passive preamp combination is fantastic. I've found midrange sweetness on par with the Cary stuff I have and bass that matches Bryston SS gear. Anyone one in the market for components that work well with Heritage Klipsch speakers could not go wrong by taking advantage of the 30-day in-home demo offered by CIAudio (www.ciaudio.com). Regards, Orson

G-ear A-cquisition S-yndrome: "An obsessive-compulsive disorder in which the afflicted buys audio equipment in a quest for sonic nirvana." Sells all home theater gear. Buys Cornwalls, buys Cornwall IIs, sells Cornwalls. Buys a Dared VP-16, sounds nice; asks, "I wonder what these tubes would sound like?" Buys tubes and tubes and tubes. The Jolida 1301A might be perfect, buys. Auditions; not! Wow, a Bryston B60 at a good deal! Upon first listen, asks, "did I ever hear THAT before?" Sells Bryston B60, buys Bryston B60; justifies, "I need to hear the SST ouput devices in a B60." What's this, an SLI-30 at a great deal? Buys. Wow, the VP-16 was not so good after all. Sells tubes and tubes and tubes. Buys tubes and tubes and tubes. "Gee, the Svetlana EL-34s sound nice." Reads a review on the Adcom GFP-750, buys GFP-750. Buys Bryston 3B-ST. Buys balanced interconnects; justifies "can't really tell how good it is without balanced cables." Auditions; "now, that's really a "black" silence." Oooh, Monarchy SE-100 Delux, Class "A" Solid State, "that sounds perfect"; buys. Auditions; that is good, but begins feels out of touch with something (reality?). IS THERE A PILL TO CURE MY AILMENT? Now, needs a DAC, DIP, er, what else starts with "D"? Oh, yeah, DIGITAL power amp? ARGH! Current inventory: Dared VP-16 Bryston B60 Adcom GFP-750 Bryston 3B-ST Monarchy SE-100 Delux Mono Blocks Cary SLI-30 Jolida 1301 Music Hall MMF-5 Modded Toshiba SD-3960 TRYING TO QUIT!

Hello All, I recently purchased a Bryston B60 and am amazed by the sound quality; it works very well with my second gen. Cornwall IIs. The bass resolution and soundtage depth are particularly good. I have a low-end tube integrated that has a midrange sound that is as good. My question is can the B60 be improved upon with any tube or solidstate gear for $900 or less? Thanks.

Yes, I did, but wanted to try a set of IIs. This pair is rough, but came in at a pretty good deal. Once restored, I'll have about the same $$ in them as my Is, perhaps a bit less. I prefer a walnut or birch finish.

Hello All, I am selling my Cornwall I speakers. I've found a pair of IIs locally that, while not nearly as clean, will do for a restore. All I want is what I paid, which is $700. They are almost perfect, with only one small blemish that is not noticeable from two feet. This blemish is a very small nick in the veneer, eight inches from the bottom on the front right-hand side. Here are some images: If any of you are interested, let me know and I'll email you my phone number. The offer is good for three days, then I go to eBay. Thanks, Orson

Hello All, and Happy New Year, Can anyone explain the audible differences between the Cornwall and Cornwall II speaker? I understand the technical differences. I've heard that the Cornwall II is smoother on the high-side, or at least more forgiving. I am happy with the Cornwalls I have, but could pick up a set of birch IIs locally, in my same zip code even! The IIs are not pretty as my COOs, but would do. Thanks.

Found the Virgil Fox CD on eBay; 8 bucks shipped!

Hello All, Well, I bought my first tube amp, a Dared VP-16. Picked it up off Audiogon for $325. It's the newer version with Auricaps. My first impression (you've probably heard this many times) was smoother treble with no loss of detail. Other impressions include a less, but better defined bass compared to my GFA-535 and GFP-565. The amp had some "clicking" type noises emanating from the Cornwalls that settled into a buzz from the horns and a hum from the woofer. I replaced the power tubes with an Electro-Harmonix matched quad sourced from a local guitar shop. The noise, though still present, is less apparent, and the amp sounds smoother still. The tubes that come with the VP-16 are definitely garbage. I've ordered a NOS pair of TungSol (circa 1943) 6SL7s to try. My philosophy on tubes, gained from my experience with guitar amps (Fender Bassman), is that spoiling yourself with NOS power tubes is a poor idea. Preamp tubes are another matter, because they last much longer. Anyway, I like the VP-16, but will likely start a DIY project based on some Hagerman stuff I read about recently. I am also looking at a Jolida JD-1301A. As an empiricist and a tweaker, I like to A/B equipment.

Hello All, Life with the Cornwalls has been more than pleasant so far. My room is probably too small for them, but they don't mind L = 15'8" W = 15', 9'8" center to center between the Cornwalls. I have them positioned as so: rears of speakers are 15" from the back wall. Outer edges of speakers are 12" from the sidewalls. This makes the fronts of the speakers ~13'8" from the listening position. The imaging is great, but the soundstage seems a bit constrained. I'd like to move them away from the walls more, but am concerned that the soundstage would shrink. Any recommendations? (except a new house). P.S. The ceiling slopes from 8'4" to 9'4".

"PureCorn... you know that CD that jtscav1 was speaking of earlier... the Virgil Fox CD?" No, I have not heard this performance. I am going to look for it, however.

---------------- On 12/19/2004 5:50:39 PM middlecreekguy wrote: Those are very nice for the price. Congrats. And I`m assuming you did not have to pay for shipping. I notice both you and the seller live in Arizona. ---------------- NO SHIPPING! This was the clincher. 200 miles round-trip, that's it. I've been listening every spare minute since noon yesterday; more impressed with each hour.

"Sorry for hijacking this thread...carry on with these "new" Cornwalls." No apologies necessary. I mentioned BWV 565; one of my favorites!

Forrest, I read that review last night just before "pulling the trigger." What a great write-up; scientific and unbiased.

Tocatta and Fugue just brought tears to my eyes...

Hello All, First, I'd like to thank everyone who replied to my post: "KG4s v. Cornwalls" ; your comments persuaded me to make a once in a lifetime purchasing decision. There exists no better home audio value than a pair of mint Cornwall loudspeakers for $700.00. Second, thanks to Rod in Phoenix, Arizona for the opportunity to acquire the Cornwalls. I have been listening for a few hours now, and the quality of sound is difficult to describe. I expect that one would have to hear to understand thoroughly. The Cornwalls particulary like piano; Schubert, Chopin and Mozart. Violin laden baroque period works such as Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" are also sensational. Female vocals, like those found on the Norah Jones work "Come Away With Me" are great, as are hard rock standards like Led Zeppelin . My current, and admittedly modest, setup includes: -Adcom GFP-565 preamplifier -Adcom GFA-535 amplifier -Adcom GCD-575 cd player -Music Hall MMF-5 turntable. I also have an old NAD 1020 preamp that is nearly good as the GFP-565; I actually prefer the phono section. I have a Dared VP-16 on the way, even though opinions seem to be split on quality. The GFA-535 has no problem pushing the Cornwalls. In fact, it does a better job with them than it did with the KG4s. Here are some images: Thanks again to everyone for the insight, Orson