triceratops

dndphishin- I know, it's kind of ridiculous for me to be thinking about these--I don't really have the ideal listening room and the Belles are working great (and the '68 verts are still cranking in the living room while I await DeanG's magic box). On the other hand, the Klipschorns are within driving distance for me. I went over and listened to them today. Nice folks. Of course this entry will bump the topic back up to the top and encourage more bidding competition but dat's life. Maybe I could sell my Belles on the forum and if these don't go too high... '58- I wonder about those sqwaker drivers too. They look more modern to me. The terminals are spring loaded. Cabinets are not actually mint, but are very good. I don't think most people know what "mint" means (other than the York candy). James Brown quote of the day: "...somebody help me!" Best in horns, triceratops

Yikes! Just when I start to get my Klipsch collection pared down something like this comes along. Must join a 12-step Klipsch-o-philiac self help group...must resist...must not contact seller... Who am I kidding? Portland here I come! Best in horns, triceratops

I'm really happy the Heresy speakers made it to Texas to eq_shadimar in fine shape. He was a real pleasure to deal with and it's always nice when someone appreciates my compulsive packing! Soon I'll be getting those Vert '68's to dndphishin in deang's super Cornwall box--it should arrive any day now. dndphishin and deang were kind enough to make those arrangements so I wouldn't have a nervous breakdown over boxing the Cornwalls. The last pair almost put me in the hospital! But eventually these speakers will all be redistributed and we can all kick back and enjoy some more sonic bliss. larryclare--thanks for the shipping suggestion--it may yet come on handy! best in horns, triceratops

Hi Tom, I have been away from the forum for a while and missed this whole development. Have a pair of 77 Belles in need of logos, so I would love to get one pair of pie slices if the supply has not already been exhausted. I will send you an Email. Best, Triceratops

Hi Tom, I have been away from the forum for a while and missed this whole development. Have a pait of 77 Belles in need of logos, so I would love to get one pair of pie slices if the supply has not already been exhausted. If I missed out on this run, maybe the next batch? I will send you an Email. Best, Triceratops

The Heresys are now sold! They are going to Forum member eq_shadimar. Thanks to the Forum for finding good homes for both the '68 Cornwalls and the '79 Heresys! Hopefully we'll get an update after the speakers are relocated and making music again! Best in horns, Triceratops

Thanks for your help Justin and Edster! Best, Triceratops

Hey Dean, Can you tell me the external and internal dimensions of the box? Thanks! Best in horns, Triceratops

The 1968 Cornwalls are spoken for, and they are going to a Forum member. I am shipping them, thanks to the generosity of DeanG who is loaning Ken's amazing sheet metal Cornwall shipping container to protect the '68s. I am once again reminded of what a great bunch of folks inhabit this forum! eq_shadimar, if you are interested in the Heresys, I'll get some photos to you. If you like what you see I'm willing to work out the shipping details with you. If you decide you want them, you're first in line. Can anyone help me post some pix of the Heresys on this thread? Justin? I tried but couldn't make it work... Best in horns, triceratops

Hey TC, Thanks for your detailed post. One of the things that definitely enters into this is your observation of the usage for center channel or mains. Looking forward to the various Forum denizens interpretations... Best, Triceratops

Actually it's not for trinket collectors but trinket destroyers...better known as Dr Evil's Knick-Knack Cyclotron. 1. Put the much despised object on the shelf. 2. Put on a generic "booty bass" hip-hop CD 3. Pump up the volume 4. Watch the Hummel figurine minuet across the room and explode into ceramic detritis! Yeah, Baby! Or maybe not... Best in horns, Triceratops

It's not that I absolutely won't pack them for shipping, but I'd like to avoid it. On the second pair that I sold, the buyer and I agreed to have them professionally packed for shipment to the East Coast. I took the speakers to a local moving company who had assured me they had packed valuable antiques for shipment all over the country. The manager assured me that he would personally handle the job. I was very specific about double boxing the cabinets with 2" of styrofoam or similar insulation between. I came back to inspect the work a day later, only to find the speakers had been boxed by an unskilled part time worker, using a single thin layer of bubble-wrap and a patchwork of small boxes. Honestly, they wouldn't have made it across town, let alone across the country! The moving company told me that the packing was complete and they stopped working after one layer of boxing because the labor bill was already over the estimate they had given me. Needless to say, I about blew a fuse. I took the boxes home and built an outer box around each package using appliance cardboard, high strength architectural styrofoam, protective corner rails from appliance packaging, and about 20 miles of shipping tape. It took hours just to round up the materials and many additional hours putting it all together, with a fairly significant amount of disruption to our living room. The results were excellent and the speakers made the trip fine. I paid for the additional materials myself--not that the buyer didn't offer to help out, but I didn't think it would be right for him to pay for my mistake. I'm trying to avoid getting myself in the same situation again. However if a Forum member in another state has a plan to have the speakers boxed, I'm happy to transport them to a major city like Portland, etc. to have the job done. I think m00n has his hands full with the Belles right now, but I'm sure there are some other Klipschers in the neighborhood. If I have to box the speakers to travel I will. I'd rather do it myself than use amateur packers who call themselves professionals. Best in horns, Triceratops

Not that anyone has been keeping score, but I am about to sell my third and last pair of Cornwalls. These are all original 1968 matched pair with vertical horns. They are Walnut cabinets with optional risers. Alnico mids and tweeters and cane grilles with Pieslice logo. A few dings and scratches but overall in excellent shape. I am the second owner. Looking for about $1000. I don't want to get involved in boxing them (been there, done that) so would prefer local sale in Oregon, etc. Also have a nice pair of 1979 Heresys in Birch Raw all original (and still unfinishes) with Alnico mids and tweeters (ceramic tweeters started at the end of 1979). Looking for about $450. I don't want to pack them... I can take photos this weekend if there is interest... If I sell these, I'll still have my '77 Belles and '85 kg-4s to keep me entertained. Best in horns, Triceratops

Congrats TOC_op! Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Catching the auction just before the close and the speakers of your dreams are 15 minutes away--those Cornwalls obviously had your name on them! After you've got them settled in, let us know how you like the sound... Best in horns, Triceratops

Thanks for reprinting the above 1973 info, Edster! Well the aforementioned auction closed at $710--I hope someone from the Forum got these! That was a major score '72 Vert Cornwalls in excellent shape! I think these went so cheaply because the auction was listed as "Cornwalls" rather than "Cornwall". My usual search of "Klipsch + Cornwall" missed these--I wouldn't have seen them if it wasn't for the Forum. Best, Triceratops

On 4/13/2003 8:37:04 PM Terry N. Cruse wrote: ...I was not aware that the vert horn placement had been designed to do anything other than lay on their sides...I am skeptical. Does anyone else have factory units with vert horns and risers on the short side?...I thought that I had seen them all. The CW with vert horns were designed to be placed long side down, making the horns horizontal. Anyone? Andy? Terry- I am not an authority on this one, but I think the vast majority of Cornwalls with vertical horns that also have risers have those risers mounted on the short side. The long side risers are more the exception and are very rare. It was felt that with Cornwalls, the horns have better dispersion characteristics when mounted vertically. This required the cabinets to be manufactured in two configurations and to ship and sell matched pairs together. This added to the cost of the Cornwalls and became an option in the 1960's rather than standard and later was discontinued entirely. As I understand it, when the vertical horns were an option, the Cornwall II was not meant to represent a "2" but was a diagramatic illustration of the side-by-side vertically mounted horns. These Cornwalls are especially sought after by Klipsch enthusiasts, who usually position them with the horns mounted vertically. You can also position these on their sides because it doesn't place the horns too low (as it does on the horizontal cabinets). The vertical horn configuration was not done on the larger Klipsch speakers at the time due size and shape constraints, but they fit pretty neatly into the Cornwall format. Best in horns, Triceratops

Hi Moon, Again, Congrats on a great score! I have black grilles on my 1977 oiled walnut Belles. You are welcome to check out how that looks if you pay a visit to my place in Eugene (you are always welcome). I have actually been thinking of going to Cane cloth (no longer available from Klipsch--Dang!) instead of the black cloth to go for a "lighter" appearance. If you decide to go with tube gear in the future (in addition to hanging out with the Triode Society) you could start keeping an eye on the local hi-fi stores that specialize in used gear. An excellent shop in Portland is Echo Audio and they frequently have used high-quality tube gear for sale. Maybe you could arrange an audition period... Drop me an Email if you want to visit or if you want my phone number: pieboy@att.net Best regards, Triceratops aka John Derven Eugene, OR

On 3/2/2003 8:31:12 PM dndphishin wrote: >Triceratops, it's all about the Terminator Stout Yeah, that is great stuff! I'm just really stuck on the IPA thing right now--guess I'm just a hopeless hopshead!! Swimming in Super Suds and Sweet Potato Fries, Triceratops

On 3/2/2003 6:46:47 PM bkrop wrote: Triceratops> How woefully inadequate did the KG-4's compare to the cornwalls? You know, I am very impressed by those little KG-4's. They're so good for a small speaker that it makes me curious about the whole generation of square footprint, passive radiator speakers that took over the Klipsch catalog after the Cornwalls (Choruses, Quartets, KG-4s, etc). They're so good that I've thought about scaling back to the KG-4s and not having a pair of "big boxes" around. But then I hook up the Cornwalls and shake off that thought. Even so, I really like the KG-4's--they obviously don't have as much bass response as the Cornwall. But they are still real efficient speakers (94 dB @ 1 w/m) with a very dynamic, lifelike sound--and they are only a little bigger than a Heresy. Cornwall owners are known for having a soft spot for Heresys, and if I ever get a chance to buy a pair I probably will...but it seems to me that like the Heresys the KG-4 (or a pair of Quartets--although I've never heard those) would be a very reasonable step down from the Cornwalls if size or cost is an issue. I think the old 80/20 rule applies here: I have a pair of KG-4s that cost me about 20% of what my used Cornwalls cost (I admit I got a killer deal on the KG-4s--probably about half the going rate) and I think the KG-4s take up about 20% of the space of Cornwalls, but I think the KG-4s deliver about 80% of the performance of the Cornwalls! Key your eyes peeled for those little rascals! You can always use them as spares... Best, Triceratops

On 3/2/2003 4:36:40 PM dndphishin wrote: ...I just brought home the most awesome 1976 Cornwalls I've ever seen. Congrats dndphishin! Sounds like you made a great score! I'm glad you didn't have to go halfway across the country to get them. Would love to hear about the new '76's and also hear about the Horn Society meeting after things settle down. Best in Horns, Triceratops

At the time I write this, the auction has about three hours to go. The reserve has been met, so it looks like the Cornwalls will have a new owner tonight... That Horny Ol' Dinosaur, Triceratops

On 3/2/2003 1:23:30 PM jt1stcav wrote: If you don't mind me buttin' in...I'm curious about the sound differences you heard between your three pairs of Cornwalls. My all-original '79 Cornwalls sound fabulous to my ears, and I've noticed you kept the '68 pair (with verticle horns?)...you must have preferred these above all the others. Is there any major difference in sound quality? Were your Cornwalls all original, or modified in any way? Hi jt1stcav, I should have anticipated someone would ask me this, and I'd like to say I can provide an authoritative answer, but I really can't. The short answer is that my listening set up wasn't good enough for me to have an actual preference between the characteristics of these three pairs speakers. As you might suspect they all sounded very similar--NOT identical--but VERY similar. They all also sounded great, really an embarrassment of riches. Shall we drive the Lambourghini or the Ferrari tonight, Ursula? I would compare it to microbrew beer (here's where my Northwest regionalism shows--substitute your own favorite brands of beer, sausages, potato chips, whatever). Bridgeport IPA, Pyramid IPA, and Deschutes Mirror Pond are all excellent beers. One might be a little more hoppy, another a little more floral, another more bitter, but you could live with any of them for years and be a real happy camper. It's tough for me to have a clear favorite in that elite company. My decisions on which speakers to sell first were based on much more mundane considerations: the 1985's went first because they were oak and my wife doesn't like oak; the 1977's were next in line because they have black grilles and my wife prefers the cane grilles on the 1968's (couldn't swap grilles because of vertical horns on the 1968s). I even bought a number of tube amps to see if there might be some obvious quirks in sound that would haunt me later. The main variable in this assortment of speakers on my listening set up is the horns with the rope caulk (in the 1977 pair) sounded the best to me--smoother, not as harsh, less ringing. But anyone can make that mod to any Klipsch product in a few hours! Folks might assume the 1985 Cornies must have been inferior because I sold them first. Not so! Those speakers sound fantastic--I think the plastic horns have less tendency to ring than the metal ones so the plastic horns don't need caulk. It's like getting pre-caulked horns. By the way, all the drivers, crossovers, and wiring appears to be original in all the speakers. None of them were "Animal House" speakers (note that film was shot in Eugene). From the looks of the cabinets and the insides, I don't think any of them were ridden hard and put away wet. Even so, all the speakers could have been made even better. Given the time and resources I could have optimized the listening comparison with new internal wiring, better terminals, careful cleaning of all contact lugs on the crossovers, using high-end speaker wire from the amp (I've got garden variety stuff), using an SET power amp and low coloration preamp, getting a badass turntable that looks like a piece of NASA gear (I've got an old B&O) and playing a pristine set of new virgin reissued limited edition serialized pressing super heirloom quality vinyl LPs in an audio engineer-designed listening room. I don't doubt that if you did all that and had a pair of more sophisticated ears making the assessment, that one of the pairs might be the clear winner. The question comes down to which of these great speakers was my favorite? The answer for me was that I didn't care because they were all so much better than the rest of my listening set up that I looked at other considerations that were not sound related. Hopefully, someone on the Board will be able to do a more authoritative comparison some day... Happy Horns, Triceratops

Hey mOOn, The website for Oregon Triode Society is: http://oregon-triode.org Also note that the club is currently involved in a project to help the members collaborate on designing and building a high-quality power amplifier with 300B tubes. You can check out the progress so far at this site. (You can also jump on the bandwagon if the project is of interest to you): http://oregon-triode.org/seminar/ Look forward to hearing from you soon in regards to a trip to Eugene. If you win the auction I could probably deliver the Cornwalls to you if that helps. Then I could bring the Belles into the house and you could come down to Eugene to have a listen of them and other pair of Cornwalls. Best of luck on the auction! Horns to You, Triceratops

Hey mOOn, Oregon Triode Society (OTS) is a club of tube amplifier enthusiasts in Portland. There are everything from high-powered engineers who design boutique audio products for a living, to wacky geniuses who fool around with gear in new and creative ways, to modestly knowledgable audio hobbyists who want to learn more about tube amps from the others. Not surprisingly there are a number of folks in this group who have Klipsch speakers, and I suspect there are a few sets of Belles or Khorns among them (I know there are several Cornwall owners). They meet on the first and third Wednesday evening each month (unless cancelled for holidays, etc) at Portland Brewing. It's a very cool group, but it's hard for me to get up there often (a 4-hour round trip from Eugene after a day's worth of work and sometimes a lot more driving can be a little rough). If I lived in Portland I'd be a regular though! They have a website--let me know if you're interested. Best, Triceratops

My wife has been remarkably tolerant of my little hobby. I sold my Klipschorns when we moved to smaller quarters a few years back, then I bought a pair of Maggie SMGa's--but I missed the Klipsch magic. So in the following year I purchased three pairs of Cornwalls (circa 1985, 1977, 1968) as they came up for sale, and a pair of KG-4s. Why did I need three pairs of Cornwalls? Mostly because one pair got bought out from under me so I adopted a policy of "buy first think about it later." I thought it might be worthwhile to compare Cornwalls of different vintage to listen for some of the things people talk about on this board. I figured if I bought stuff in good shape and treated it well, I could probably get most of my money back when I sold it. I look at it as money spent on my audio education. Even so, my wife has felt that I was taking up a lot of space and tying up a lot of money with my little adventure. Then a pair of Belles came up locally, and I started to wonder if I might be pressing my luck, since they are even bigger than the Cornwalls, and by this time we were having trouble moving around in the house between the two of us, two kids and a dog. So I bought the Belles and resolved to thin out the herd of speakers before I brought the Belles into the house. After these cornies go I'll be down to just the Belles and 1968 Cornwalls. I'll have a listen-off between two of those and see if I can get myself pared down to one pair of big speakers. Wish me luck. Best in Horns, Triceratops