sprocket

Hi Gregorius I find my Decware se84cs shines nicely with the cormwall I's ('84) I've been using since the mid summer. The Decware amp however will not power my B&W 805's. Perhaps I don't listen to music as loudly as you do Randy. Having said that I must report that I have needed to turn down the volume from my normal listening levels to have a conversation. I also report that at other times I have wished for a squeak more volume. Some material just must rock. Also I'm more likely to listen to sergeant pepper than chilly pepper but I like them both. Jazz and classical, a fair amount of rock (not too hard) and an occasional little girl with a guitar round out my listening. It's unfortunate Steve D used 5 watts to discribe power output. He has been rightfully been beaten up badly on the Audio Asylum BB for that statement. I think he has pointed out he didn't mean 5 watts "RMS". Power ratings can be measured many ways. Someone may have tested the little amp and recorded 1.8 watts rms BTY. But let's get past this point. All will agree the decware amp is flea power at best. Correct me if you like Randy, I do not want to put words in your mouth but even you have reported the amp sounds sweet or some other possitive sounding discription. It just wouldn't go loud enough. On this other point I agree. Gregorius just must look at the Bottlehead gear or some other 2A3 based amp. I know I have. I've heard the Paramour several times but mostly with Bottlehead straight 8 speakers. I'm mot sure about the speakers but that amps are yummy. Many users offer easy upgrade tip on Bottlehead's BB. Thanks for listening..

Hi CJK I think you'll be tickled with your new corns. I'm using my cornwall I's with a single decware se84cs (no preamp). I've tried the corns with my Acurus A150 and RL11, but like the decware better. Someday I'll get my Bottlehead forplay preamp kit together and again try the A150 amp. I've always wanted to try a second decware amp however,and if anyone has one in my area they are invited to stop by for a biamp listen. don't forget to report what ya learn.

Another Look at age and the appreciation of music... Those of us who have seen a few extra years slip by, may have experienced some changes in our hearing ability. But also we have watched our music system change and mature. We may have been exposed to a wider spectrum of music through the years and have spent more time perfecting our listening skills. I remenber a visit to an art museum. As I studied the paintings and felt enriched by the expreience, I began to wonder about the other people attending the museum that day. Were they equally inpressed or perhaps expreiencing a different kind of connection to the artwork that I might be missing. As I watched them, I discoveded that some seemed more at home than I. More fimiliar with that which was less obvious to me in the paintings. Those who have taken an art history/appreciation course may see what I'm getting at. Music enjoyment like the enjoyment of art may have many levels. Some may come only with experience and exposure to an ever changing music system and spectrum of music taste. That may take time. This is just 2 cents from a guy who's a doubble nickel.

Hi Tubenube I've been using the little Decware se83cs with Cornwalls for a few months and I'm mostly happy with the combination (see "new cornwalls on the block" in tech questions back a few months). The amp cann't go to party level but then I can no longer reach that level either. At times I have thought a second decware amp would be good to try. I recommend you try this combination (decware and corns)very sweet, they work for me. If its not your cup of tea, then dump em. Then e-mail me if ya want to sell your amp. Sprocket

Very well said Coiln.. I'll add this one thing. When you ask your friends to close their eyes and try to point to the location of speakers, I wagering they can not. The soundstage spreading out in front of them holds only the location of the instruments and Diana Krall. The speakers have disappeared and the MAGIC of the soundstage has them open mouthed with their chin on the floor, Embarrassed Diana will see them that way. I have several sets of speakers. Among the horns are the Klipsch speakers, Corns and ksf 8.5's. They both disappear so nicely with my flea powered tube amp. This magic just never as good with my solidstate stuff.

It's great that so many audio enthusiasts can have such different requirements for "their" most important musical building block in the art of reproduced music, big bass, liquid mids, shimmering highs, vast soundstage, godlike dynamics ect ect. Understanding the interplay of the systems components somtimes complementing, somtimes reenforcing a strength or masking a weakness of an upstream or downstream components is the joy of this journey. Sometimes failing one group of components and working well with another. It's the great fun of this hobby (or madness) that we share. Lets remenber that the matching of components to each other has some relevance here. It ok to ask: do these horn speakers soundstage well?. An answer can be given. Asking what amp, cables, preamp, ect work well with these speakers to help produce this soundstage may be more relevent and may maximize what your looking for... Some say that tube amps do soundstage a little better than solidstate. This is my experience and if we look at Colins's system (2A3 tube amp) he articulates well his experience and I think his preference for good soundstage. High sensitivity speakers are a prerequisite for tube amps and Klipsch speakers fill this requirement very well. Some solidstate amps work well to produce soundstage as well but some are weak in this area. I hopeful this will help. Most of all have fun with the journey...

Thanks Stu P and B-12 for your advise.. I'm not up to speed on the Marantz sr-8000 but will check it out when I can. I think my next move however (kinda busy this week) will be to try another solid-state amp I have on hand (because afterall I have it on hand). Also I must revisit the cute little Zen amp. Remember it gives good sound-stage, real good with the corns and also I experienced the warm emotional stuff with that combo till I tried to go for the BIG BASS with the sant

Hello again Boa 12 . Here's some fun. Today I swaped my solid-state amp for some giggles (next best thing to a powered sub I figured). Well "slam my foot in the car door and drive up town"... I Spun some Erica Badu, Sleeping dragon-squatting tiger, Pink Floyd, Boney James, Aerosmith, Turrentine and Davis on and on. I couldn't stop. "Ay Captin Kirk, There Be Wales (Of Bass) Down Here". Musical bass, powerfull bass. It was great fun. But here's the rub: sound-stage somewhat collapsed and a sometimes annoying shrillness at the high end of the mids (esp with vocals). What gives? How do I have my cake and well, you know eat it too.

Thanks for your response Colin Well yes I kinda have a sub but it's from the early days I mean years of the audio illness that has stricken me . It's a passive sub that hasn't been used since, well I don't remember.I Should have thrown it away years ago but part of the illness, as you may know is that old members of ones audio system can not be thrown away, only put into some closet or retired to the garage ect. So anyway as a passive sub uses the amps power (flea power in this case) it will not work. Colin, this brings up a good point to talk about anyway. The point being that I like the bass performance of this speaker for its ability to follow many different textures of low frequency notes. Some speakers seem to just have one low frequency kind of sound regardless of what CD you listen to. Granted this Zen amp has not been able to give me more than a polite bass volume but it is very tunefull with this speaker, rich in texture and personality respective of the percussion instrument used. Do ya think the construction of the bass driver cone has some responsibilty here. It does not have a typical surroud (foam, rubber) but instead the outter area of the cone is corrugated to provide flexibility. The problem of foam deterioration is absent in this speaker and therefore these old speakers can perform so well even in their old age. What do ya think? Do others find this speakers bass yummy as I do?

Hey thanks Boa....good point This message has been edited by sprocket on 08-10-2001 at 08:57 PM

Thanks for your reply Randy. Some say the Zen has aprox 1.8 watts (still painfully low output I agree). However it can energize my 13x24' room to levels that match my taste (allways more is still better) and it is sweet sounding. Any thoughts about Bottlehead amps. I'm just now building their Foreplay preamp. I plan to try it with my solid-state Acurus amp but I hear good stuff about thier power amps also but I don't think they have any 8 watt amps anylonger, I'll double check. On a secondary matter: The grills on these Cornwalls are a "cane like" material. The grills are in great shape, however some of the velcro has remained stuck to the front of the speaker (detached from the back of the grill). I've been thinking some epoxy might be a good choice to secure them back to the rear of the grills. Any thoughts on this. I bet this is a common problem and would think many have experienced success with a fix. Let me know what works. Thanks.

Hello all. I've been reading this BB for a time now and looking for some more efficient speakers to try with my Decware Zen se84cs amp. So when a pair of Cornwall's became available in my area I decided to give them a try. I've been listening for about a week. From reading this great BB I surmise them to be Cornwall I's from 1984. They're very pretty and astonishingly large. Now I know the Zen amp is of very low power output. It was not able to drive my B&W 805's above a wisper (my acrus A150 performs high caliber work in this regard). The Zen sing sweetly with the Cornwalls however and goes to remarkable volume levels. If others are using this speaker/amp combo, I'd like to hear your comments and if anyone has tried 2 Zens in a mono block arrangment with cormwalls, please report also. My take on the Cornwall/Zen combo is very very pleasant. Dynamics are the clear winner on the plus list even when played at low volume. I'll happily list more: velvet vocals, tuneful bass, soundstage that spins my head. The speakers disappear nicely and never seem to strain with the volume pumped. So all and all I can report a massive release of serotonin (look it up) and big warm smiles. I'm thankful for all the info avalible on this forum and for all the enthusiasm. I suspect with time I may find a small fault or compromise (audio is full of compromise) and may ask for help from this fine forum membership. Thanks for listening...