EL34

Hi Johny, Yes they are in Roanoke VA and I am listening to them as I type. I have them connected to the following system: Rega Saturn CD player, Rogue Audio Perseus preamp, Rogue Audio Atlas power amp. They sound pretty nice. A little brash in the Klipsch fashion but nothing that really bothers me. They have a slight amunt of noise with the tube power amp connected but not bad at all really. The noise floor is low enough that it sounds very crisp and dynamic at even low levels and has a decnt and appropriate amount of bass; awesome with pipe organ. I haven't really cranked it yet but I might here in a bit just to chase off any mice that may have found their way into the building after the sudden drop in temperature ;-). Here is a photo of the set-up:

Hi Carl, I am speaking from direct experience here in this instance. I have many customers and I can also use their experiences as a matter of gauge to make for a broader base of information. When I say that "this is what I hear", then that is what I mean. I don't use others experience as a substitute for my own. That is indeed common on forums however. I can't say that everyone will feel the same way about every component or this would be a very boring world indeed. I mean where would we have fun without Bose lovers to marvel at?! I do know that tube components produce more noise than SS. It is both audible ans measurable no matter how you slice it. Once the music starts, you are obviously going to hear other things that come into play and some of those may outweigh noise for you. Hi Craig, I don't mean to be a prick, I just don't fancy people painting my products with such broad strokes. If you know from personal experience that you prefer one particular piece over another, it would be most helpful to be specific. My commects were about tube technology Vs SS, not about brands. As far as "easing my way in", I really don't mind the "torch bearing reception party". I am used to a lot of BS being thrown around and I just try to stay clear of it and keep my position above that by sticking to the facts. Actually I have not felt unwelcome here at all and no one seems to be offensive, perhaps opinionated, but not offensive. As far as my opinions go, well they are just that. I would like to think that my observations deserve the same respect as anyone's. After all I have been doing this for a very long time. It's nothing to get worked-up about, it's only speakers...

HA, Ha! I have heard most of the gear available and literally tons of vintage gear and I believe that I have made the best choices both for sound and pricing. In your other post you say that Klipsch speakers are "pesky" and benefit from modification. Neither the electronics or the speakers that we offer are pesky or need modification. The electronics work very well with all types of loudspeakers, some are just better suited to some than others. Just because I like some solid state products best for some applications is no indication of the quality of vacuum tube products of any brand. It is simply a technology issue. You are obviously promoting vacuum tubes. Let's not be vindictive simply because I point out a well known fact about the inherent superiority of solid state devices in both high gain and high efficiency circuits. -Bill

Hi, I can't agree about the distance or frequency points at all. I do agree about the pesky nature of them but they simply do not go very deep at all and they are way to large for anything but a 20' or so seating distance. The same is true with the big Altecs. I could never get used to these speakers at any distance much closer. I have a showroom where it is possible to get 50' away from a speaker and at that point, the frequencies from the drivers converge nicely but much closer and they beam and blare big time. Getting only 8' - 10' back or so like most rooms require and you are way off axis of the driver/s of your choice ;-). I have a customer who has a pair of smaller Altecs with a coxially mounted horn HF driver and those sound pretty nice at about 10' or so. Vintage response, but nice. My favorite higher efficiency speakers are Tannoy Dual Concentrics. No problems at all with integration. They can also be too big for some rooms but for another reason; they have serious bass! -Bill

Here is a closer look at the crossover in one of these units. Both are identical as these speakers are consecutive serial numbers. The drivers were produced in November of 1984 and the finished speakers left the assembly room in 1985 (my hunch is January but maybe someone else has a better guess). The large film and foil caps in these latest of B-3 x-overs are made by Aerovox, the same company that Klipsch bought their earlier oil filled caps used in the B and B-3 type x-overs from.

Hi, I know a LOT of people who may be interested ;-). Thanks for the welcome! Here is a composite photo of their labels:

OK, fair enough; I don't claim to know it all either. I can just clarify what my examples are like and have some insight as to why from various other units and from manufacturing experience myself. I don't have any trouble believing that Klipsch phased in various materials as supplies allowed for various models. Mine certainly prove that and support your findings as well. The only thing that I can be sure about from 20 years ago production is the specs. As we have seen, certain serial number models had various construction during that transitional period. The specs for Cornwall II's lists MDF and most were in fact, at least the front and back panels. I guess your back panel is not removeable or is it screwed on like the version I? They could have made it either way at that point although there was no need for it if they front mounted the drivers. It simply makes it more convenient to get in there as you would not have to remove the woofer to access the x-over. I imagine they could not have lined the cabinet as neatly either if they only had access via the woofer cutout. The Version I units had very nice batting and installation methods. Anything that got more labor intensive would have been reduced or eliminated as time went on. -Bill

Hi, If you like the JD302 and I am assuming that you do, then you can get away with the JD100. I actually prefer the 640C myself so i would just stick with it or look into a Rega Apollo if you want the best of both. The bass will be a little more rounded with the Jolida player and the top end a little more smooth with the Rega. They are all very nice sounding machines. -Bill

Hi George, The Apollo is easily the single most analog sounding CD player that I have ever listened to. It is in no way bright at all. Those guys must have been listening to a tubed player and thought that a rolled-off high end was what was normal or perhaps they are smoking crack (or both ;-)! I actually find that some tube players have a brighter top end than the Apollo. Not many of them have the same HF extension, but they get more strident and punchy at those frequencies. They are just not as linear. If you look at the measurements in the Stereophile review, you will see that the response of the Apollo is almost ruler flat and that it actually has a very slight roll-off of the highs at about 18khz or so but only by around 1db if I recall correctly. in any case, it is as smooth as silk and has tons of information presented as well. It offers a very rare combination of high resolution and ease of listening. -Bill

I am a Jolida dealer and I find that the tubed CD players sound best in an other wise all solid state system and or with lower efficiency speakers. The problem with tubed Cd players and with most tubed preamps is that they color the sound at a very early stage and it just gets amplified from there on out. Also they have a higher noise floor and so the more efficient the speaker system, the more noise is noticed. The JD100 will revolutionize a receiver based system and also one that is based on most solid state integrated amp or budget separates. It just makes the bass sound fat and the top end duller, plus adds more noise on top due to tube rush. The AH ToeJam is no better in that regard. All tubed players do it to some extent and only a very few that cost like $3k or more can compete with a SS unit. I like the Jolida tube amps for the money and they are very quiet with most speakers. The LaScallas are not one of them ;-). I do have a customer who has a Jolida 202A and a pair of Hereseys and he loves the combo but is also picky about the tube noise. That is sort of a tough nut to crack. You either live with it or use a SS amp. It is tough finding a SS amp that sounds warm enough with them too but years ago I liked the Rega Brio best of any amp tried with the LaScalla. I will be trying the latest version with my Cornwalls today. You can also see my comments about the Rogue Audio amps and La Scallas, etc in another thread. I have not heard the Arcam directly compared to the Jolida but I have heard the units that we carry which include Cambridge Audio, Music Hall, and Rega. I think the Cambridge Audio is most similar to the Arcam sonically. We used to have NAD here also and they are most similar in construction and some in sound also. I like the Cambridge Audio for the money. The very best bang for the buck is the Rega Apollo. If you want to hear something spooky real in terms of how quiet it is, resolution and dynamics, then try out the new Cambridge 840C. It is amazing but is more expensive and also can be a little forward sounding. I like it in a tube system and we usually demo it with the Rogue Audio amps. It also has other features not found in other units such as the fastest converters on the planet (384khz sampling rate) and two digital inputs which allow you to connect two other sources and take advantage of the awesome DACs in it. -Bill

The Tempest is a great sounding amp. I never have liked the LaScalla however. If you use a pair of powered subs with them, then they are more tolerable but they are overall way to big and "honky" sounding for my tastes. Even after modifying them, they just didn't do it for me. You have to have a HUGE room and sit miles back before they sound decent at all IMO and with the addition of the subs they become even more bulky and expensive. So they are not for everyone. They work best in full scale, commercial theaters, not for smaller rooms in the average home. The Tempest may be a little noisey on them also as those amps use 6SN7 tubes and I find that they all have some tube rush or develop it at some point if they don't have much when new. It is hard to find an amp that is not noisey on those speakers as they are just too loud in the upper mids. I guess you can tell that I really don't like the LaScallas, eh ;-)? I am a Rogue Audio dealer and so I have a lot of their gear here in the showroom. I don't have a Tempest at the moment but I do have a Perseus and Atlas combination which I really like and which is very similar to the Cronus. The Cronus is more affordable and should also be more more reliable than the Tempest as it has less parts and also uses more affordable tubes. I will try that with my Cornwalls and see how that pairs up. I suppose the Cornwalls could be seen as less efficient K-horns so they will be a bit fuller sounding than the LaScalla and also allow for closer seating. In the past, I have found the best sounding amplifier for the LaScalla to be a Rega Brio integrated amplifier. No noise and very sweet sounding with the best tonal balance possible. I have the latest version of that here and also one at home so I will try it with the Cornwall also. I may decide to keep the Cornwall pair if I can get them in the house and the wife doesn't shoot me. I don't really see that happening though. I lack about 4 feet on that wall to really make it a good fit. It's doable but there is a window there in the middle of the wall and I don't like the idea of having a corner of a speaker or of the stereo stand in front of it. Not that big of a deal really I guess. I will wait and see what I think of them here with the Brio first. If they sound good here, they will sound great there as the showroom doesn't allow for very good bass performance or a far enough listening distance. -Bill

Hi Bill, Evidently there is a lot that is not known about the Cornwall. Perhaps it is most correct to say that there is a lot that is assumed. I have searched for info on these and found loads of misinformation and even bickering between forum members here about crossovers and horn versions, etc. Just because a few guys have never seen a unit with a particular configuration does not mean it isn't stock. No offense, but you are not the only guy reading the forum and I know that there are many more who do not share your knowledge. That post was for them ;-). -Bill

No, I am definately the first one in there. Like I said, there is a lot of confusion about the Cornwall as it was made for many years. Quite a few different versions were made and improvements were made all along the path. Some people like to think of the older AlNiCo drivers as being the best but they are not as free from coloration as the later ceramic drivers up to a point where economy starts to cut into quality. The quality reduction did not start until after the Cornwall I series was run and really began with the Cornwall II. The drivers actually might be seen as superior even though they appear to be slightly smaller as the newer materials allow for more efficient design, again with lower sonic coloration. What got really cheap was the cabinet construction and the crossovers. The Cornwall III actually may have the best HF driver as they use the better diaphragms while retaining the nice phenolic horn. Not too sure about the woofer though on Cornwall II and later as it does not seem to be the same one used in the k-horn. The K-33-E which is what is in this pair is still used in the top of the line Klipschorns today. The mid squawker horns are definately stock and as I said, this is confirmed by Klipsch. The crossovers are also stock and have never even been removed. They have the original labels on them and everything is factory fresh. They do look upgraded because of the nice quality of the capacitors and both the quality and quantity of inductors is also nicer than most but this was what klipsch used in 1985 which was the very latest evolution of the Cornwalls before they were discontinued and repalced with the Cornwall II. The mid horns (squawkers) were upgraded to the more efficient K-57-K unit and as a result they also changed the B-3 crossover just a bit to suit it and create the most dynamic Cornwall ever. I especially liked to see them rid of the old motor run capacitors and was surprised to see the largest was a film and foil type. It would have made sense for them to have used a high quality cap like they have in these for the mid and highs for years prior as they are not so much more expensive, but the large cap really did cost them a bundle by comparison. I doubt that they made too many units in that last production run however so it probably didn't set them back too much really. You are correct about the lumbercore being used for the oak veneered portions. The birch ply is obvious on the back panel and the baffle as well as for structural braces throughout but on closer inspection, the sides, top, and bottom, and I suppose the risers also as they are oak, are all lumbercore. It was hard to see clearly as the edges are painted. I am 100% certain that these are stock. Rather than trying to second guess them, everyone here could use them as adding to the Klipsch knowledge base. I don't see any attempt to form a Cornwall production timeline which lists the various changes throughout the history. If anyone wants to take on that daunting task, they can use these as the starting point and work backwards! That would save a lot of confusion by having a table to point to as there is a lot of confusion as to which drivers were changed in which years and especially in the crossovers which changed in componentry even more often even when the basic design did not. These units do look exactly like the ones here on the outside except that the drivers are mounted on the inside as you can see from the actual photo that I took of the cabinet interior in my first post on this thread: After the last run of the Cornwall I, the cabinets were changed and they used MDF rather than ply and the back was no longer removable. They also changed the tweeter and the woofer and the x-over was seriously downgraded. -Bill

I can't say for certain but typically material changes in tubes are to increase tube life and structural changes are to alter performance such as dissipation, output and consequently, sonics. Material selection is very important to tube life and perhaps they can get more hours out of them. Considering how much a 300B costs, getting a set that lasts longer without degraded performance would be worth a slighty greater investment. -Bill

I am surprised that no one has mentioned the Antique Sound Lab Tulip. It sounds great and is dead quiet. I was never really keen on recommending them to people as a couple of other guys here have "hinted ;-)" that they all run out of steam before you can really crank up anything other than a small acoustic ensemble. You would be OK with a big set of Klipsch and the Tulip though. Another problem with any tube amp on high efficiency speakers is noise but these amps are designed to be very quiet and are some of the most quiet that I have heard. They have interstage transformers that may be the reason they are so quiet when not amplifying signal. Since you seem to like the Rogue Audio gear, you might also consider their Atlas or Cronus if you change your mind about 3 watts being "all that". I havene't tried these on Klipsch speakers yet although I should as I have a couple of sets here. These produce 55 watts and are exceptionally well made. Neither of these suggestions are terribly expensive either. Not cheap, but they shouldn't put you in the poor house either. -Bill

I have a pair of oiled oak, Cornwall I loudspeakers with the risers for sale. They are in very nice condition and have only a few minor finish blemishes. I am going to buff those out and re-oil the cabinets unless someone can't wait for that. These seem to be somewhat rare as I read a lot of confused posts about various earlier versions of these. These are definately bone stock and I am obviously the first person to open the backs since they left Arkansas. I just inspected them, toof a couple of photos, tightened the connections and closed 'em back up. The cabinets appear to be 3/4" birch ply with the sides other than the back being veneered with real golden oak. The grills have been replaced with original Klipsch grills a few years ago so they look great. They are '85 models, just before they discontinued them and started making the cheaper (quality anyway) Cornwall II models. These have the following drivers and parts in them: K-33-E woofers, K-57-K squawker horns, K-77-M tweeters (these are labled just K-77, but they have the square magnets and are the latest versions before they went to the front mounted types.), Type B-3 crossovers with very nice film and foil caps. The components inside are super clean with all steniciling in place, no oxidation on anything. The squawker horn is phenolic and has ribbed gussets, so it probably doesn't even need to be dampened like the older metal ones or the ones on the LaScallas that would resonate. The x-overs are way nicer and better designed than either the older or the newer types so I got lucky there. They have three iron core chokes and one air core, one huge film and foil cap (no old motor starting stuff) and two smaller film types in phenolic epoxy cans. No real reason to upgrade anything although I thought initially about a bypass on the smaller caps, perhaps just for the HF unit. They sound fine as they are but I haven't really adopted them yet and thrown a bunch of amps and CD players, etc at them. Very well balanced and like the k-horns in a smaller package. These are actually very much just that as they use the same woofers and the mids and HF units are more efficient than the older versions, making this set about 101db/w/m even though they are still Cornwall I spec. This info came directly from Klipsch. They are warmer sounding and go deeper than Belles or LaScallas (which I don't care for - sorry) and don't have room boundry limitations like the k-horns as they are loaded with front slots at their base and don't need to see a korner (sic ;-) for their bass extension. They go down to 38hz but just don't play peaks quite as loud, as the k-horns have about another 2 or 3db on them. I will take more photos when I get time but here is one of the open backs showing the components: http://www.uptownaudio.com/images/corn2.jpg'> I am still working on the price for these but I think they should sell for at least $800 at first glance (that is if I can bare to part with them!) I don't think I have room for them at my crib anyway but they are tempting as they are the only Klipsch speakers other than the k-horns that I have really liked in most situations and certainly my favorites of all of the years and models produced. -Bill

Hi, Do as Ben suggested and use the standby switch. That's what it is there for. Most hi-fi amps have relays that automatically allow the timed heater warm-up before the B+ high voltage kicks in. More simple amps will have a standby switch or just "bang on" if the voltage is not radical. -Bill