Stu Pidass

Sproket: I must agree with Boa. This Marantz SR 8000 is one remarkable match for my Cornwalls. All hints of harshness are gone. The sound is warm, well defined and detailed. It has single handedly brought my Cornwalls back to life. Even at VERY VERY loud levels, this amp is a pleasure to listen to and cranks out any music style effortlessly. Bass is tight and well defined, human voices are believeable and real. Instruments sound clear without sharpness and piano is absolutely remarkable. Seperation and definition are superb. Detailing, realism and musicallity is very VERY impressive. Even during instumental "outbursts" individual instruments remain well defined (anything but chaoitic). Dimenionality (depth of soundstage) could be better, however, speaker placemnt and the listening environment have a dramatic effect on this. I found slight adjustments in spekaer placement made all the difference. Now I don't think Marantz holds a patent on good 2 channel audio and I'm sure there are other amps that are very fine matches for Cornwalls. The Combination of the Marantz SR 8000 and the Klipsch Cornwall is an a word "REMARKABLE".

I agree with Klipschguy about better bass when placed in a corner. Bass, however is not everything and even out of the corner, Cornwalls have enough, although somewhat less bass. Another thing to consider is soundstage & imaging. This to me is what makes two channel audio really come alive. Do a search on the topic and you'll find plenty of info and some excellant discussions. Basically, moving them in from the outside walls (two or three feet) and away from the rear walls (also about two or 3 feet) will vastly improve the soundstage and imaging. It has something to do with reducing the sound that bounces off the side walls. I'm no expert but this does work. However, the further they are out in the living space, the more bass reproduction is effected. Search for that happy medium (good soundstage & imaging without destroying bass reproduction). Play around with placement to see what sounds best for you in your listening environment. That's really the key. Even 6 inches one way or the other or toeing them in or out slightly can have dramatic effects on the soundstage, imaging and bass reproduction. Take an afternoon and experiment. Have fun.

OK this has tweeked my interest. Stupid question but, exactly how does one hook up the centre speaker? I mean there are no "Centre" binding posts. On another related topic, I remember way back in the early eighties reading an article on hooking up four speakers to in a "daisy chain" type of style. My memory is foggy about this but I seem to recall that article talking about some kind of "hidden" track that can be heard this way. Anyway, the trick was to have your left & right mains connected as normal. The other two speakers would be facing the listener from the sides just like surrounds do in a HT setup. Now here's were it got interesting. You hooked a speaker wire from the positive of the left main to the positive of the left surround and from the positive of the rt main to the positive of the right suround. With me so far? Now the odd thing (at least it seemed odd to me) was the negatives of the rt & lt surrounds were connected together. I remember needing to adjust the distance of the surrounds from my ears until all speakers were equal. When it was adjusted the sound was absolutely remarkable. That was my first "surround" experience.There was a term for this phenominum but I can't recall what it was called. Anyone know anything about it?

Geez. looks like I need a stell specker

James: I believe your correct about PWK and teh centre channel. I understand that's what he originally developed the Corwall for and that might explain why the Cornwall uses the same drivers as the KHorn.

The model's 3 digits each stand for something. The first character signifies the type of speaker (C=Cornwall, H=Heresy etc.) The secend digit signifies the type of wood (W=Walnut, B=Birch, O=Oak etc.). Finally the last digit signifies the type of finish (R=Raw, O=Oil, P=Paint etc.). There are actually two vintages of Cornwall 11's. The earlier 11's, which they stopped manufacturing in the early 1970's, differed from the Cornwall 1's only in that the tweeter & midrange were mounted vertically instead of horizontally. In the mid '80s Klipcsh changed the drivers in the cornwall from metal to plastic horns, changed the crossovers and mounted the drivers from the outside instead of the inside of the enclosure. These are generally what people are referring to when they talk about Cornwall ll's. You can tell what year they were manufactured by the serial number. That info along with the physical characteristics should make it easy to determine if they're Early Cornwall ll', Later Cornwall ll's or Cornwall 1's. The alpha character in the serial number denotes the year of manufacture and is as follows: 1962 A 1963 B 1964 C 1965 D 1966 E 1967 F 1968 G 1969 H 1970 I 1971 J 1972 K 1973 L 1974 M 1975 N 1976 P 1977 R 1978 S 1979 T 1980 U 1981 W 1982 X 1983 Y I believe that after 1983 the first two characters of the serial, which are numeric, define the year built. The Cornwall is argueably the best speaker Klipsch ever produced (for the money). Good bottom end and no restrictions on placement. It uses the same drivers as the flagship Klipshorn. Of course, as with any horn loaded speaker, they require proper amplification. If the amp is right, these are incredible speakers. If it's wrong they will sound harsh. IMHO, the KG4's simply are not in the same league. Keep in mind these are large heavy speakers (over 100 pounds each) and you won't want to put them in a bedroom or other small space. Cornwalls will make great mains in a HT setup. The Heresy is a perfect match for centre and surrounds. Cornwall ll's should go with heresy ll's and 1's with 1's to accomplish a near perfect tonal match (is tonal a word?). Cornwall l vs, Cornwall ll ('80's version)? Both are excellant. I'm biased towards the 1's with the metal drivers. Buy a set of Cornwalls and enjoy them for a lifetime. You can pass them on to your children and they can do the same. They are timeless kickass speakers. Have fun and good luck.

The serial number indicates these are 1968 vintage which would make them Cornwall 1's. The Cornwall ll with plastic horns and outside mounted drivers wasn't produced until the mid '80s. These are very very fine speakers from the heritage line. Some would argue the best Klipsch speaker ever for the money. Somebody has to grab these timeless gems. Drive them with a warm amp (Marantz SR 8000 is VERY fine) and you won't be sorry. Great two channel speakers or mains for a home theatre setup.

Although no expert on what you suggest, I personally would go to great lengths to get two seperated speakers in each living area. It seems to me that's the only way you'll get and any kind of meaningful left right seperation and resulting soundstage or imageing. Stereo without seperation and soundtage seems kinda pointless to me. Having said that maybe other more knowledgable posters have other opinions.

I can't comment on the latest Klipsch line as all I've ever heard is the heritage series. For my money the Cornwall is VERY hard to beat at any price with any speaker. That is, of course, with proper amplification. The wrong amp = harsh upper end, the correct amp (Marantz SR 8000) is magic (pure magic). It seems to me the Denon line might also be a very fine match but I can't say that from experience. Cornwalls will give you that dynamic lively soundstage with miniscule amounts of power, are versatile for placement and have a very capable lower end unlike the LaScala which requires a sub (a very fine speaker none the less). Do the research prior to making a move and if possible try to hear a good setup. This will be difficult as the cornwall was discontinued some years ago. The sound is truly timeless. They are, however, quite large and heavy so you'll need a decent sized room and be prepared for the shipping charges. Have fun & good luck.

Here's an image of the serial number.I hope this works.

Thanks Klipschguy. No these say exactly what I indicated "model H.DR.12" (hand written) . They appear to be a finished hardwood of some kind. The unfinished back appears to be fir plywood. I still can't figure out the "DR.12" in the model number though. Anybody???

That's funny. I found myself secretly scouting corners for my own Cornwalls. Of course the reasons I didn't liek a perticular house were always conveyed as something else.

I would think a Heresy 1 would be a better match than a Heresy 11 as the drivers should be identical (except the woofer). Am I missing something here? Regards, Stu

On a previous post the following info was given for identifying Klipsch speakers: 1st letter = model: H=Heresy/ B=Belle Klipsch/ C=Cornwall/ LS=Lascala/ K=Klipschorn 2nd letter = veneer: B=Birch/ O=Oak/ W=Walnut/ M=Mahogany etc 3rd letter = finish: R=Raw/ O=Oil/ L=Lacquer/ B=Black paint I'm currently looking at purchasing a Heresy with a label showing "Type H.DR.12" and Serial Number 6L743. I realize these are from 1973 but the model number has me sctratching my head. Can anyone help??? Regards, Stu

I've been running '81 Cornwalls since new with a Technics New Class A 70 watt amp from the same vintage. In the past while I've noticed crackling noises intermittantly from each speaker. Prior to trying diaphram replacements among other suggestions from the BB I hooked up my new Marantz SR 8000 A/V reciever. To my amazement all hints of this problem are gone. Also gone is the harsh top end. It's been replaced with a warm tube-like sound. The soundstage and imaging are vastly improved. Marantz SR 8000 and Vintage Klipsch speakers are a match made in heaven. I am stunned and find myself loving two channel audio more than ever. Anyone considering a new amplifier running vintage Klipsch owes it to themselves to give Marantz a shot. You won't be sorry.

Living in Canada, I've had to purchase from the USA using Ebay due to the larger availability of items listed there. This despite the exchange rate and shipping costs. Currently I have pair of Heresy's on route from California to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (yes that's correct SASKATOON Laugh on. The Fedex charge was $80 and UPS only $56. Based on these prices, which included insurance, I don't see shipping as a major drawback. My option is to order a new one from the local dealer for a price of about $850 Canadian plus applicable taxes. OUCH!! I know the heritage speakers are as good or better than the new ones so paying a good buck for a 70's or 80's vintage Klipsch heresy in good working order is NO problem for me. Those unfarmiliar with Klipsch look at me sideways when I tell them what I paid for a 20 or 25 year old speaker. I want to see their jaw drop when they hear the majic of a Marantz SR 8000 driving 3 Heresys and Two vintage Cornwalls. Boy they're sweet!!! KLIPSCH RULES

Before proceeding with an overhaul of my drivers I thought I'd try my new A/V receiver. Received it Friday and had it ready for a test later that day. To my pleasant surprise, all hints of crackling drivers has dissapeared at any sound level. My Cornwalls have been given new life thanks to the Marantz SR-8000. WOW what a beautiful warm sound this amp puts out. An absolutely perfect match for heritage Klipsch speakers.

Thanks for all the great advise guys. Is anyone able to advise ow I check teh crossovers? I have no clue. Regards, Stu

Thanks for all the advse guys. I'm not sure ow to check the crossovers though. Can anyone help? Regards, Stu

Does anyone have detailed instructions on how to replace tweeter & midrange diaprams on a Cornwall? It would sure be a valuable post for me. I have a tweeter & a midrange that "crackle" on occasion but scratch my head on how to replace these.

First of all you need to decide how large is too large for your room. A 60 T.V. is a very poor choice if your viewing distance is less than 15 feet. If it's 10 feet or less, definitely stick with the smaller picture of the Wega tube. Overpriced, but an excellant TV. If, however, you want and have the viewing area for a "Big Screen" then Sony is OK but they're certainly not the leader in RPTV. Give Hitachi's top of the line models a view. Regardless of price tay are incredible to say the least. The Ultravision 53" not only is the best in it's line, it is not the most expensive. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing Sony. Just take the blinders off so you can at least consider other brands. Toshiba and the Panasonic Elite Series are also contenders in RPTV. Sony rules the tube market while Hitachi rules RPTV. It's that simple. Good luck in your shopping and have fun.

This may not be the forum for this so please accept my appologise to anyone I offend. I'm looking for a single Heresy for a centre channel between my Cornwalls. Preferably a Heresy 1 as I think it would be a better match for the Cornwall 1's. Just got sniped on Ebay at the last second. ^%$^%$%$##@. I'd sure appreciate any leads. Thanks. Stu

If your looking at spending $4,500 on the 53" Sony that keith suggests, why not add another 10% and be TRULY satisfied! BTW this is Hitachi's 1999 model. The 2001 model has improved. It's HDTV with 16:9 ratio. The Sony, although nice, simply can't compare. http://www.hitachi.com/products/consumer/audiovisual/digitaltv/dtvhdtv/halp-ZZZRAZ0Z5YB.html

Some people are STUCK on a brand name or image while foresaking all else. I know people who refuse to purchase anything but Chevrolet vehicles. For some reason the name means it all........DUH remember the Vega! Now I certainly don't want to suggest that Sony is a bad TV. They make some fine products and for all intents and purposes rule the tube TV market (and have for decades). Having said that, don't buy a Sony just because it's a Sony. Hitachi dominates the RPTV market similar to how Sony dominates the tube market. I've also seen glowing testimonials on Toshiba RPTV as well as Panasonic. My personal experience lead me to purchase the Hitachi 53SBX59B. The alignment problem that TalkToKeith has on his Sony is a non-issue with Hitachi's "Magic Focus" feature. Click a button and sit back and watch it "do it's thing". It works absolutely perfectly without fail. Not only does it (IMO) surpass any analogue RPTV on the market, but it does it at a fraction of the $3300 your looking at for the Sony. You should attempt to view them side by side and remember that a proper setup will effect the picture in a big way. Hopefully the shop your at will have them both "properly" setup and ideally you could experiment with the settings as everyone has their own preferences for brightness, colour etc.. The Hitachi has an unbelievable picture and the 3D comb filter does a GREAT job on even "regular cable" signals. Add to that 60 watts of audio power (with built-in surround sound) and the best lamps in the market. I understand Hitachi supplies most other manufacturers with lamps. Do you think they might keep the best ones for themselves?? Hmmmm.

jhawk92- I haven't had the opportunity to view them both at the same store. The Pionneer Elite series, by all reports, is a fine television. Some would argue it's among the top 3 (for its day). I'm not sure when this model was introduced and please correct me if I'm wrong but I think it was '98. Truth is, there's really not much seperating the "top" RPTV from the next two or three in line. It comes down to a matter of personal preference and $$$$$. The Elite series in '98 retailed for about $4,000. Many would find that to be cost prohibitive. I purchased my Hitachi in 2000 for a mere $1,825 and it includes built-in prologic surround sound with 60 watts of power. In fairness, like most mass produced equipment, there is a tendancy for prices to drop as the market matures, expands and production techniques improve.