Dflip

I have read many acticles and comments in this forum over the past three months on tube amps, preamps and the modifications that people have made to them. I have learned a lot and have a large binder full of comments and advice I check regularly. Given that many here have changed capacitors, wiring, and transformers on their existing tube amps to "improve" the quality of the sound, would the same thing work for a ss amp or preamp? Is it worth considering, or is the gain limited to a 88 - 89 improvement (not a lot of bang for the buck).? If this is a resonable fix, improvement vs. $, what would be the best change for an SS amp/preamp? I have an Acurus A-150 amp and an Acurus RL-11 preamp. Any opinions/recommendations/comments based on past experience? Don

Mace: Is the application of the window caulk reversable? i.e., if I apply some to the squaker and tweeter can I easily remove it without leaving marks? Not a problem. I put on three packages and found it too subdued, so i removed two thin ropes and have a sound more to my liking. Easy to do and reversible. I also tried it on the tweeters, but it dulled them beyond belief, at least for my ears. Don

Congratulations on your purchase, you have a great pair of speakers. If the drivers are in good working condition, there is no need to replace them. My 1977 originals are working fine. You may want to consider replacing the capacitors and inductors in the crossovers. The cheaper route is a 2.0 uF (Hovland is the best $22 (US), but more expensive, Solen fastcap($3-5) will work) and a 4.0 uF (you can economize here, Solen fastcap). For the inductor, a Solen solid wire inductor, 12 gauge is best, 14 is ok. Or you can go the whole hog and get the ALK versions of the crossovers by Al K. There are many reviews on line here that rave about them. The above recommendations for replacing the capacitors and inductors were provided to me by Al. He is extremely helpful. The polypropylene caps (Hovland or Solen) will improve the dynamics and soundstage. The inductors will greatly increase the tightness and intensity of the bass. Both options will take a lot of "burning in", I would say 100 to 200 hours to get all of the benefits. Some rope caulk on the throat of the mid-range squawker also tunes down some ringing or harshness from this speaker. I found two packs at Home Depot, $2-3 each (Cdn) did the trick. At a certain point they take away too much and it will require a little experimenting to find the right amount. Of course, others will recommend getting yourself a tube amp and preamp, or an integrated tube amp. If you have the money, great advice. You are just getting started. Enjoy. Don

I have installed the 12 awg Solen solid wire inductors and have been listening to them for about a month now. They give a greater soundstage and brought the sound more to the front. It was a little too much with my Accurus amp and preamp, especially in the midrange, so I decided to do some damping to the squawker. I started with one layer of rope caulk, 3 packs per speaker from Home Depot. I damped them too much and reduced it to two packs (12" long and two inches wide). What I am left with is great sounding base and wonderful definition from the squawker. The Cornwalls sound the best they have in 25 years. Now, the only debate is should I try a tube preamp? I have been looking.

After all of this, is there anything else that I can upgrade to improve the sound of my Heresy's? Take a look at the capacitor changes thread further down on page 1 of updating older speakers. You might like to look into also changing the inductors. If you know the type of network, it is written on or above the terminal strip, it will help when asking for help. Al Klappenberger (he builds ALK networks) can probably provide you with the mH for replacing the inductor and the uF for the capacitors. The advice I got was change the inductor and the tweeter capacitor, if you are changing capacitors. If there are two, change the one around 2 uF or so with a good cap. Hovlands are also great, but very expensive. Solen Fast caps are a lot less expensive and almost as good. Use the better cap for the lower value and the Solens for the higher value cap. I have just changed the 2.4 mH inductors on my Cornwalls. Solen (www.solen.ca) sells the 12 gauge solid wire, part S122.4 for $46.44 Cdn each and the 14 gauge, S142.4 for $28.16. If you go to the archives and check out E or E2 networks, they also mention switching wire locations on the transformer to improve/modify the midrange and tweeters, which can be a little harsh on the ears. This is a easier switch with a soldering iron and not a lot of technical skill. With a lot of questions on this forum, I got enough advice to make my changes and did the work myself. I do not know the difference between mH and uF, but I can solder wires. Good luck

Would it be better to use 10 awg wire? Al K. suggested using the best wire possible. 14 awg was the minimum with a preference for 12 gauge. The difference in cost between the two is rather significant, so I would assume it would increase at the same ratio for 10 gauge. That is a lot of coin, especially in Cdn $. Somebody else on this forum might have the answer for you.

Here is a summary of what I have learned about my requests: Klipsch Cornwall, B network. Thanks to Al K. and others for their input and advice. 1) Hovland music caps have a higher level of tolerance, but may not be that much better than Solen fast caps,. They are a lot more money. They may be worth using for the upper value, 2.0 uF if money is an issue. 2) The general advice for the best bang for the buck is to replace the inductor(s) in the speakers. For the B network, this is a 2.4 mHy inductor made of 12 awg solid wire. Litz wire is used only for the inductor that is connected to the squawker and tweeter(not in the B networks). Solen sells the 12 gauge solid wire, part S122.4 for $46.44 Cdn each and the 14 gauge, S142.4 for $28.16. ----Solen Inc.----- -4470 Thibault Ave. --St-Hubert, Qc---- --Canada J3Y 7T9--- Phone: 450-656-2759 -Fax: 450-443-4949- www.solen.ca solen@solen.ca 3) If you replace the internal wiring within the speaker, you should use the same wire as you have from the amp to the speakers. This will make a change, but it is not major and probably not the first step because it is very expensive with the distances travelled inside a pair of Cornwalls, 18 feet.

I know understand why the ALK networks cost what they do. I priced two, Solen litz 14 awg inductors and 4 Hovland Music caps and they came to a "reasonable" price in US funds, but when converted to the Canadian peso + tax, the bill is $198.44 + shipping. Don

Al, you are amazing! The store I got the caps from only had the 4.7 uF, so I may have to source a more appropriate 4.0 cap. I will investigate the Hovland music caps later. I assume from your website and other instructions, that I would want to use #14 AWG Solen Hepta-Litz inductor if I am only replacing the one inductor in each speaker. I guess the Hepta-litz is of a higher quality than the Solen solid inductors. I have greatly improved the soundstage and overall sound quality with 3 wire braided silver interconnects and the Black Diamond Racing Cones and Things. The bass is tighter and deeper, with greater sound stage. I have heard a pair of 8 wire braided silver interconnects on a pair of bi-wired Totem Model One signatures and they made the 3 wires sound like lamp cord. I'm sure a tube amp/preamp would be a great addition, but that is another project. Budget constraints, one small step at a time. Thanks again. Don

Al/Klipschguy: Thanks for the response. I will reconsider rewiring them, especially since it was going to be costly and not worth the money, $150. The Cornwalls are serial #'s 12R487 and 10P028. I don't know if that makes them I's or II's. What is the benefit of the 1.8 uF in parallel to the 2.2 uF for the uninitiated? Currently the 2.2 uF is wired to the tweeter on the terminal strip and the other sider is to the T21 2110A (inductor?) Where does the 1.8 go, connected to the 2.2 and then the 1.8 wired to the tweeter and terminal strip, or are both wired together, or between the 2.2 and the inductor? If I make this change, should I also change the 4.7 uF to a 4 uF? As I said, I am not an electrician, but can figure stuff out with detailed instructions and trial and error. What brand, mHy and AWG wire of inductors would you recommend if I want the best bang for the buck? Thanks again, Don

I am not an electronics wizzard, but I do love my Cornwalls and have had them now for 25 years. I have a couple of questions that I thought one of the resident experts might be able to assist me with. I have made copies of many of the points made here and in the two channel section. A few months back two of the capacitors gave way on my old pair of Cornwalls. I replaced the two metal caps with polypropolene ones. The 4.0 uF was replaced with a 4.7 and the 2.0 with a 2.2 uF. How does the difference in values effect the sound? Would I be better off replacing them with Hovland Music Caps? I want to rewire the inside of the speakers as well. Should I replace the internal wiring with the same quality of speaker wire I am currently using, van den Hul cs-122 (12.5 awg)? Should this wire be used only from the soldered, gold plated binding posts on the back to the output connectors, or also to the woofer, midrange and tweeter? The connections for the midrange and tweeter seem to want a thinner wire (anyone with any recommendations as to gauge)? Thanks in advance, Dflip

I have a pair of Cornwall 1's for the last 25 years. I have slowly upgraded the stereo equipment and wiring over the years and am quite happy, but I still have some questions. I have an Acurus amp and preamp powering the system and it delivers a fair bit of punch. I have replaced the speaker wire, good quality van de wul wire, the cables between the components is now braided silver wire (it improved the sound quality immensely), I replaced the posts at the back of the cabinent and I had to replace the capacitors in both speakers. The old ones were distorting and there are now polypropolene ones in there. They brightened the sound stage up quiet a bit. I have moved the cabinets out from the wall, 2 feet and placed the speakers on Target spiked feet. Both of these improved the soundstage and the bass response. I have also placed two pairs of Totem beaks (http://www.totemacoustic.com/NewFiles/beak.html#Anchor-33869) on the top of each speaker. They capture the vibrations of the cabinet and reduce the buzzing due to the large cabinet and vibration. Moving the beaks around produces a change in the soundstage and a change in the bass response. I didn't believe it until I actually tried it and at least I can hear the difference. A 1/4" change can make a significant difference. Questions: 1) Would the Hovland musicaps sound better than the polypropolene ones I installed? If so why and subjectively, is it a significant change? 2) If I get a sub, I can move the speakers out from the wall further, improving the soundstage, but losing some bass response. What type of sub would you recommend for a reasonable price? (not real cheap, but not $2000 either) Al might have an opinion on the caps. I know replacing the whole crossover section would be the best bet, but 3) Would replacing the existing inductors with new ones from Solen be an improvemen?. Currently there are two inductors and they are old. Thanks for any suggestions. Don

I changed the connections several years ago to accommodate thicker speaker wire. It was fairly easy and worked well. I replaced the old connections with gold plated ones. I would also recommend replacing the wire from the new connectors to the 8 post terminal the is near the capacitors. The current wire is a thinner grade and there are better products on the market today. Don