triceratops

Randy, On the Klipsch forum we typically celebrate when someone decides to keep their Klipsch speakers instead of selling them. Instead you suggest that this owner shouldn't keep, but should dismantle an intact, vintage pair Klipsch speakers in order to part them out to sell them for maximum return. I'm confused. Is this the Klipsch forum or the Flipper forum?

I think monastery policy comes from the Vatican school 😇 Isn't AutoCorrect great? 🤣

If they are from 1975, these probably would have come with the original pie slice badges, usually in a plastic envelope stapled to the back of the cabinet. The idea was that owners might want to install the badges in mirror image position, or symmetrically, or centrally, or not at all. Some people never opened the envelope and don't even know what's in there. I have no idea if these Klipschorns have uninstalled badges, but if they do it's another plus.

Chris, My hat is off to you! You are a true pillar of the Klipsch community, and I'm glad to see you're still around. triceratops

Local pickup only depresses bidding, too.

You know there was a reserve, right?

Nobody bid and it's over!

If he's right, Shiva's got better vision than me. The CF-4's that were posted previously did not have the faded numbers that these do. In any case, the one number shown does not match the Craig's List speakers and does not appear to be 1994. The ones on Craig's List were 1994. This auction closes in 5 minutes!

Looking good! Nice score, SOJ!

Oops, 1969--thanks, Budman!

Yeah, it was my failed attempt at converting a hi-fi amp into a guitar rig. Conrad Sundholm (Sunn amplifiers) did it successfully with Dynaco tube gear, but by using a Southwest Technical Products solid-state power amp kit, I bet on the wrong pony.

I don't know if it's the case with this 1968 pair, but on some of these earlier Cornwalls the grille is not on a separate board held on with velcro. Instead the material is wrapped around the motorboard, so you can't easily pop it off for a photo. You can see the outlines of the vertical horns if you enlarge the photos. Of course, you'll see a lot more by taking off the backs.

If I remember correctly, Klipsch originally had a policy of replacing tweeters under warranty for customers that torched them. But that changed in the 1970's with the availability of Phase (Flame) Linear and other high-powered solid-state amps with destructive tendencies. I personally melted the voice coil of an Electro-Voice SRO 12" musical instrument speaker (the predecessor of the EVM) in the early 70's, not because of the volume level, but because the amp I was using actually burst into flames. The amp (from SWTPC) was dumpster food after that, but I sent the SRO back to E-V and they rebuilt and returned it to me at no charge with no questions asked. I loved the sound of those speakers, but if you hauled your own gear they were ball-busters.

Yes, the "collector" referred to them as 2's in the CL ad, but they are really II's--as in a representation of the horns being vertical

I love the look of "ribbon" mahogany! I think someone (T.M.?) has a pair of 1960 Khorns with that veneer. Nice to see a more recent example from Klipsch. Stunning!

Wow, incredibly beautiful! Thanks, hanksjim1!!

I do think there is educational value in preserving intact, functional historical pieces rather than gutting them to sell the parts on ebay. There are plenty of trashed pieces out there for organ donors.

Here's a little more info on 50's/60's Jensen home-built cabinet plans for those interested in historical stuff: http://www.dcaudiodiy.com/jensen_imperial/jensen_imperial.html The seller has updated the original ad to include the price of $1250 / OBO They have also been more clear about what is being offered: one large speaker cabinet and two lowboys. I will now speculate on what they haven't explained. The tall cabinet is a Jensen Imperial. There is only one of these instead of a pair, because it was probably built in 1957 (woofer date code) when two-channel hi-fi was still a work in progress. By 1962 (other woofer date code), stereo was becoming fashionable, so the builder opted to make two Jensen (Triplex?) lowboy cabinets instead of constructing a mate for the Imperial. He also built a matching lowboy cabinet to store all his gear, which is open to negotiation (per the revised ad). Looking at the photos, I suspect the Imperial cabinet may be "veneered" with wood-grain formica. This was considered both practical and futuristic back in the day--rather than tacky. I remember the first time I saw "boomerang pattern" formica on a kitchen counter in my childhood and I thought it was unbelievably cool. I guess I still do, but I don't think the wood-grain stuff evokes quite the same reaction. One more thing: an Imperial is not a Klipschorn design although outwardly it may look somewhat similar and Jensen describes it as a folded horn.

You bought an iconic set of used Klipsch speakers and definitely saved some money. As you found out during your search, used LaScala II's are few and far between! Don't feel bad about the tweeters. Many of us have bought used Klipsch speakers over the years, only to find that one or both of the K-77's were blown. More often than not, the owners have no idea. The problem is if someone hooks up the speakers to a distorted signal or noise, it can send non-reproducible hash to the tweeters and fry them. It's easy to miss a blown tweeter in an audition, especially if the other tweeter is still working. I've taken to carrying a cardboard cylinder from a paper towel roll with me to a listening session. I use it to direct the sound to one ear from each of the drivers individually to quickly identify a blown one. Congratulations and enjoy your LS II's! triceratops

I haven't heard the Cornwall IV, but I had LaScala II's for several years. I bought them new and of the many Klipsch speakers I have owned, they were my favorites. My advice is buy those, and don't be stupid like me--don't ever sell them!

Years ago, I owned a pair of black 1970's LaScala's that were in great shape, except that the previous owner had lightly sanded a few small spots in preparation for touch up. He never got around to touching them up before he passed away. I didn't think it would be too hard to match the black finish. I was wrong. There seem to be infinite variations of hue and shine between flat black and gloss black paint. I enlisted the help of a professional bike painter, but we never succeeded in touching up those spots to my satisfaction. In my experience, it is a far more difficult task than spot-detailing a walnut oil finish. Maybe other folks with more skill have figured it out, but I failed completely. However, the LaScala paint did not show the grain like your CF-4's, so that could make it a different story. I'm sure we could have refinished the entire cabinets (or just specific panels) with great results, but I was opposed to that. Like many accumulators of old speakers, or guitars, or bicycles, I decided to leave it alone and call it patina.

There is a pair on feeBay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Klipsch-Heresy-OEM-Original-FLAT-Risers/224360575195?hash=item343ceeb0db:g:-LQAAOSwKcZf08Za

Hey MAGRF7, Indyklotz built some stands for his CF-3's that have worked out really well for him. You can find his comments in the Klipsch Epic Owners Group thread in 2-Channel. CF-3's are very close in size and weight to CF-4's. I didn't quite post this link correctly, but if you click on the arrow in the right corner below and then scroll up on that page you'll see his posts. @MAGRF7 -triceratops

I don't have any direct experience with CF-4 upgrades, but on the Klipsch Epic owners group thread (in 2-Channel Home Audio) some people have talked about upgrading the horn driver to an Electro-Voice DH-1506, extending the ports to 5-inches in v2 and v3, replacing the woofers with CIARE woofers, rebuilding the crossovers, reinforcing the cabinets, and damping the frame structure of woofers and horns with silicone or dynamat. Probably some other things, too. I'll let the folks who have real world experience with those changes fill in the details. If you do decide to change out your woofers and you are sure they are v2 (v2 woofers are supposedly the same as v1), I might be interested in buying them because mine are v3 (which has a lighter cone, said to be inferior to the originals). You can't buy the original woofers anymore, so I'm real curious about how they would sound in my CF-4's. In any case, good luck with your upgrade project!

Hi Shelby, Welcome to the forum! Because CF-4's are monsters to ship, I would suggest you post the city and state where you are located. It is a long shot but it is possible someone in your area might offer speakers that have not been posted for sale. Good luck with your search!