geoff.
-
Posts
1834 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Forums
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by geoff.
-
-
I seem to recall reading somewhere in this forum Mr. Crites stating he had difficulty hearing the difference between his Chorus 1's and his Cornwalls. That is a noteworthy observation. There are always compromises, but Cornwalls are as close as a speaker comes to doing it all.
I sold my Forte ii's shortly after landing my first pair of Cornwall's. The punch from the Cornwall's was missing in the Forte's. There is no replacement for displacement.
Now having said that, I recently replaced the mid horn (K601) in both my Cornwall 1's AND Cornwall 2's with the mid horn (K-61) used in the Forte ii entirely because I missed the "openess", greater detail, and to some degree imaging at CLOSER listening distance that marvelous tractrix mid provides.
I have since acquired a pair of walnut Forte ii's, just like yours, which I intend to have and hold, in sickness and in health...
Monogamy is not a practical approach to audio and we only miss something once it's gone. You will find the money to fund your Chorus project. But finding another pair of WALNUT Forte ii's tweaked like yours will be costly AND rare.
I would not consider myself an audiophile, but the performance of the Forte ii is head-spinning, in a GOOD way. Low, clean basslines, open midrange, and crisp highs in speaker almost half the size of a Cornwall.
Keep the Forte ii's.
-
3
-
-
Uncanny!
There is one of these about an hour and a half from me for pretty much the same cash (after exchange) that has caught my eye.
I had a 7240PE many moons ago that was no slouch and sounded impressive with a pair of PSB 800's. These models had "BASS EQ, and LOUDNESS" buttons to compensate for smaller speakers which really made a large pair of speakers pound.
This post has got me calculating again...
The road trip and the cash are not an issue, it is how to slide another piece of fine quality audio equipment past "she who must be obeyed!"
-
1
-
-
Alpha 220? Are you using the Nikko Alpha 220 to push your Cornwall's? Classic!
I too have a fantastic sounding pair (moreso now...) of '84 CW's with the B-3 crossover. They were my FIRST pair of Cornwall's and what a fantastic introduction. They changed my world. I sold pretty much everything else I had, even my Forte ii's - both pairs!
You don't "need" new crossovers, just new capacitors, and really only the two for the horns... I have not changed mine out yet, but it will happen. Soon.
I put the boards from Bob Crites in my CW II's only because I plan on re-using the re-capped originals in ANOTHER project, and the boards mine came with, as another poster described them, "looked like they were made by Playskool."
It was day and night with the same speakers. What could best be descibed as "tape hiss" or noise floor became subdued and imaging improved. It was that noticeable. And they too sounded amazing prior to the change.
I had a pair of walnut '79'CW's with the (just plain old) B crossover and the metal K600 horns. The person I bought them from used to DJ with them and he used a Nikko Alpha 220 in his "all Nikko" stack. If I didn't already own enough capable amps I would have bought it too. But compared to the '84 Cornwall's with the B-3 crossover and resin horns, the '79's were soon up for sale. They sold in a day, and the fellow I demo'd them for, and sold them to, already had RF7's. He too was smitten with their sound - go figure. The song that made him grin the most was Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music."
To me the '84's were even more "alive!"
New capacitors will take them "back" to the next level.
To the original poster, there is a B-2 crossover for your driver complement that WILL raise your eyebrows!
Cornwall's are worth the effort.
-
...a dual 15" woofer Chorus III, with ti mid and hf drivers, and real wood veneer!
I could settle for that!
-
Schu, if you have never owned a pair of Forte ii's you will ALWAYS wonder "what if" if you don't get them!
It is a horrible feeling...
I passed on a pair of Belle's, TWICE!
I can never tell my children this story...
-
1
-
-
Happy Father's Day indeed!
Got both of my sonically expanded Cornwall 2's on line today!
The K-61 tractrix midrange and K-107-ti tractrix tweeter image incredibly well in a short distance, in this case 6-8 feet works nicely. But the bass is travelling through me this close. Lol!
With a mild "house curve" on my DBX 1231 and about 11 o'clock on my 150 WPC NAD C372, Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak" is nothing short of a wall of sound. I could not even see the woofers moving at this volume. Tight, clear, and full of the punch only a 15" woofer (or maybe two 12's) can muster. The little EQ tweak on the low end makes the K-33 crisper. I don't think flush mounting hurts the low end either compared to the Cornwall 1's I modded first.
These are everything I missed about my Forte ii's and more. Clean basslines and sweet highs.
Listening to Steely Dan now at about half past seven on the volume dial and all of the dynamics are still there. Just softer, begging me to turn it up.
Everything I LOVED about Cornwall's from the get go,and more. I may like these better than my Cornscala's... which essentially these are.
-
Anyone heard this urban legend?
Chocolate milk, the pre-packaged stuff you buy from the dairies, is made from the milk that cannot be filtered white enough to be sold as "milk" so chocolate flavouring (colour) is added. More specifically, blood from the milking process not done properly.
I heard this decades ago working in a grocery store. I also heard Bitcoins were the wave of the future... LOL!
I haven't bought chocolate milk since then, or Bitcoins... sigh.
But I drink whole milk like water to this day.
-
Andy, if you have one k-53 already, grab another and you are set.
As for using a different driver, not necessarily a Klipsch, that is opening a can of worms best left closed (for now...). Impedance, SPL, and frequency response curve are going to vary from the original. Your existing crossover will not have taken those parameters into consideration during it's design.
You could do it, but now your x-overs just ain't right!
You will be peeling one big expensive onion that will change the recipe. Maybe better, but not the same. Fun food for thought nonetheless.
-
Oh, in the above post,
the k-57/K601 combo (separated) is on the left,
the k-61 tractrix horn and driver are on the right,
the diaphragms appear different because the k-61's got the Crites phenolics!
-
1
-
-
Hey Andy, I did some work on my Cornwall 2's today.... dropped the K-61 in place of the K-57/K601. A lot of finesse woodworking, sawdust, and woodsmoke...
But the long and the short of it is the two drivers are 100% identical, with the exception of the ink stamp on the back - lol!
That is the ONLY way I would be able to tell the two apart if crossed.
Buy a used PAIR off whatever your favourite market is and put your worries to rest. If they come with the horns attached the diaphragms and drivers won't pick up any ferrous debris, or be otherwise compromised in the process. Shipping may be higher, but, meh!
I also just re-aquired a pair of Forte ii's, this time in walnut to match my "Chor-wall 2's".
Forte ii's are worth whatever effort you put into them. I have a modest 1500 square foot house, and they shine in any room.
Welcome to a great forum!
-
I was so impressed with the converted Cornwall 1's that it was only a matter of time until my beloved Cornwall 2's came under the knife. I had to fight hard with my conscience on this one. There is no going back and the Cornwall 2 is a damn fine speaker as is! Re-sell value would be out the window, but sonically these can't help but shine!
This weekend I finally took the time to knock one out.
I don't have a router, or the know-how to use one, so it took an hour to Dremmel ONE flushmount cutout once the jigsaw had it's turn. Talk about therapeutic, the woodsmoke from the baltic birch plywood cabinets is better than any inscence I have ever experienced!
These Cornwall 2's already had K-107-ti tweeters so now it has a Tractrix horn for for the highs AND the mids!
The K-61's have new Crites phenolic diapraghms. The crossovers are also Bob's boards and I wired in the bandpass filters while I was at it so that down the road should I decide to go titanium on the mids it will just be a simple diaphragm swap. I can't help but think that having the mids cut out at 6 khz sharp, where it crosses to the tweeter, can only be a good thing in the meantime...
-
2
-
-
DizRotus is correct. And it is a heart-breaking lesson.
The "kid" I bought my CF-3's from said "I could have got more for them, but fast nickels are better than slow dimes." At 51 years old I had never heard that! First one past the gate wins or first come, first serve would be another way to put it.
The pair of Forte ii's I just picked up a week ago were "being held until Monday after work" for me. When I arrived after a two and a half hour drive, one way, the guy told me "someone was supposed to be there the day before, AND the other guy didn't show today." He told me upon arrival he had such a huge response he wasn't answering or returning calls. So I made a five hour road trip on faith and only fate provided a favourable outcome.
A lot of people are doing EMT's now, but sight unseen I am not a big fan of that.
I took an afternoon off work a year or so back to snag a pair of CW2's for a song that I knew would be gone regardless of any "assurance" from the seller. Once again, fate and fast action were the only two contributing factors to success.
Drove two hours for a gun collection a couple years back only to knock on the guys door and have him tell me it was sold. Had the same thing happen for a set of winter tires come to think of it...
On the other hand, I have held an item, in this case a JVC RC M90 (the holy grail of boomboxes) for a "kid" who maintained constant communication with me for two weeks. He drove two and a half hours each way with his mother along for the ride to pick up his prize. I know what it means to realize a dream and wanted to share that.
I have been burnt by no-shows, but I still honour the first to commit to buy.
It sits better with what is left of my conscious.
Effective, and constant, communication is a game changer. Talk in person, make the call, right up until the sale is complete.
-
3
-
-
What an incredibly stimulating conversation! Real estate is done for now (or is it?)
Just to clear things up...
So is a bitcoin worth its weight in gold?
When bitcoins start to slide is it time to buy gold again?
How many bitcoins does a pair of Jubilee's cost?
-
These caught my eye too!
$15.00 shipping from China? Seller is in U.S.A.?
Big red flag.
Caveat emptor.
-
I havent hooked up my digital crossover yet, but it may be worth looking into.
...unless your one of THOSE people that are happy with things just the way they are - forever... LOL!
Some folks on here with way more experience and knowledge than myself have made some very convincing points for them.
You can change the crossover points, the slope of each crossover, and eq the signal.
You will need more amps, one for each driver or section, but that too is inevitable.
I know just enough about myself that I will always wonder "what if" until I try it. And that my preferences change, and then change back, and then change again... (sigh)
So many variables can be tuned. Kid in a candy store comes to mind.
-
Congratulations!
Cornwall's, the ii's especially, are a game changer.
It may take weeks to get that smile off your face!
-
Pzannucci, I am trying to figure out why anyone would sell a pair of perfectly good Cornwall 2's! Retirement? Downsizing? Permanent hearing loss...
Up here a "fair" condition pair of Cornwall 1's would be gone in a day at 1000 bucks. I know, because that is exactly how long it took to clear mine out when I landed a pair of Cornwall 2's.
Cornwall 2's are very scarce around these parts and well worth the price difference. I would expect at least 200 bucks more for a good pair, probably more.
But we have now crossed into hesitant buyer territory. They know they want them the minute they see them, yet they pray someone else will buy them before they convince themselves to take a kick at the can.
Given the difference in currencies, I would be hard pressed to ask less than a grand (USD). And whomever buys them will have no problem reselling them for the same price, or more!
List them for a weekend at the price you WANT and if they don't sell pull the ad and try again in a week or two.
They are NOT going to depreciate. Cornwall 3's are not cheap, nothing new is.
-
2
-
-
Replace the k-601's with k-61's in your CW2's and you probably won't want to sell them anymore!
Lower bass than the Chorus II's and no passive to fuss up placement.
I did it to a pair of beat up CW1's that fell into my life and fully intend to cut my pristine WO CW2's and do the same. The CW1's (B-3 crossover), even with the recessed k-77 and k-33 sound so incredible I can't wait to see how the modified FLUSH mounted CW2's sound.
That tractrix midrange improves imaging and detail so drastically it is hard to fathom how they weren't the squaker used in the CW3. No disrespect intended...
The pencil outline around the k-77 in the picture of the modded CW1's is where a k-79 (or k-107-ti) would slot right in. But the CW2's already HAVE the k-79!
With titanium drivers available for both the mids and tweeters, and the addition of a bandpass filter I would think they will be a tough act to follow.
...Until Klipsch produces a dual 15" 2-way using the k-510 in a tower!
-
1
-
-
Thanks for the tip!
Stacked in the rack the hum is only noticeable up close, when I am changing discs for instance.
In fact I only noticed it last night again when I switched it off.
When my mandatory degree of OCD gets to me I have a workable option now.
That has me thinking, has anyone ever tried expanding, or non-expanding, foam on their horns to damp them? It wouldn't be pretty, that's for sure.
-
That's what I am shooting for!
I will likely wind up replacing the K-33's in mine with Eminence Kappa 15C's flush mounted.
I just picked up an Ashly Protea 3.6 to replace the passive crossover and set the PEQ(s). I have no idea yet how I will accomplish this, but every time I put the cart before the horse the job gets done. It has too!
None of it would have transpired without the feedback and sharing on this forum.
Let's rock!
-
I am using this first on my 2-way Cornscala's. They are in current rotation. Lol.
Using my existing cables with the el cheapo adapters I get ZERO NOISE. That is comforting because the power switch on the DBX 1231 is on the back and when I first clicked it on the transformer hum had me worried. The engineers at DBX likely weren't when they designed this professional unit...
This EQ replaces a BBE Sonic Maximizer 422 I have had for years. A club I service had two of them and a Hafler DH 120 on the trash pile one day as I was leaving. I have enjoyed them DAILY ever since. Almost hurts to listen to my tunes with the 422 bypassed.
This "curve" tightens the bass, softens the sometimes harsh midrange (entirely dependent on the recording - ANY Dire Straights recording sounds perfect) and puts a sharpness in the cymbals that the simple bass and treble controls (+/- 5db in this case) couldn't quite etch, even with the Sonic Maximizer "in".
And Steve, I use this through the tape loop. This preamp has two if I ever want to use a tape player again - LOL!
I have never used a 31 band EQ before. Adjusting one slider ONLY with all the others flat hardly registers to me. I will be toying with this for a while.
Another feature of this EQ is the "15 or 6 db" button. I found it easier to come up with a better curve in the 15db setting. Less is more, but more sounds better at moderate levels. I guess at club levels you might punch it down to 6db of plus or minus gain from the sliders to keep drivers/amps from frying. I had managed to "Xmax" my woofers last week listening to one particularly serious bass riff CRANKED BRIEFLY to about 11 o'clock. I was pushing it hard and had my hand on the volume dial before they crackled a second time. The square magnet K-33-E's in my Cornscala's were otherwise unscathed by my riding the gain, this time...
I can't believe I wouldn't have stumbled into 31 band equalizer by now. All this purist pretention... for what? Sub par sound? I have read it hear now many times, our individual rooms account for huge variances in perceived sound.
You can also use 1/4 Phono to RCA adapters on the DBX, but I WILL be taking the Ashly Protea 3.6 for a ride soon enough so I needed the XLR adapters anyway.
Steve, go,for it!
-
1
-
-
Steve, I just picked up DBX 1231 pretty cheap off Ebay to fine tune my Cornwall's and Cornscala's. People are dumping their analog stuff it seems to go with digital signal processors. Kind of like film cameras with the proliferation of DSLR's...
There is an electronics chain down here called Sayal and the XLR to RCA adapters are about six bucks a pop. Then you can use your existing cables.
I have read if you keep the run short you should not pick up any interference. I will find out when it arrives in the next day or two.
I ALSO just snagged an Ashly Protea 3.6 ( 500 bucks on kijiji) to play around with my 2-way Cornscala's.
Both acquisitions are a direct result of the feedback on this forum! (Special thanks to Chris A. and Mark 1101)
Same XLR to RCA adapters will work with it.
The Ashly has the ability to be used as a 31 band EQ, and SO much more. It will take a little more effort to dial it in, for sure, but I would wind up there sooner or later. Just like Lascala's or the like are an eventuallity!
The musician I bought the Ashly from just bought a Behringer X32. I have seen Electrovoice DX38's for around the same price as the Ashly - used, but in conversation after the purchase he mentioned he had used both and found the Ashly to sound better which is why he had originally bought IT.
Twenty years ago there would have been an equalizer in ANY system I was using. Loud or soft, you can make your speakers sing. I tried the purist approach and it fell short. If using an EQ means I am not an "audiophile" I can live with that.
-
1
-
-
I regret selling my soul to the devil to pursue my addiction for better audio!
...on second thought, I don't regret that...
-
I HAD Quartets, I also had Forte ii's, Heresy's and Heresy 2's.
I started selling off everything else once I got my FIRST pair of Cornwall's.
The Quartets were the last of the lot to be sold. When I demo'ed them for the new owner I was actually surprised how GOOD they sounded for such a neat little package.
Anyone out there considering Heresy's for 2 channel SHOULD (a word we should never use... lol) really consider Quartet's.
The tractrix midrange and lower bass are high points.
Value of Belles - 1st Generation, In Rough Shape
in General Klipsch Info
Posted · Edited by geoff.
Photo removed at request of seller
Came across these yesterday and made the 3 hour round trip to have a look.
The pictures don't do them justice, they were in need of serious help.
The cabinets were the least of it and they require refinishing. Beautiful walnut tops were completely scuffed.
Type AA crossovers had aftermarket capacitors from 30 years ago dangling from the leads and the silver k-55(?) midrange. Until now I wasn't aware of a first generation Belle.
The grills had been used as scrathing posts for a family of felines.
I couldn't bring myself to offer the seller what I thought they might be worth, 800 bucks.
What would you offer for these, assuming you would want a pair of walnut Belles?