jt1stcav
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Posts posted by jt1stcav
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I think you're right. Are your horns/woofer recessed onto the back of the baffle, or are they mounted by being screwed onto the front of the baffle instead? If I recall correctly, the former design are Cornwall I and the latter, Cornwall II.
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Chris, I can appreciate where you're coming from...no arguements from me! You make a valid point about, "When it comes to audio gear I like to listen. If a new technology will do a better job or last longer I'm all for it." It's all about listening, and after selling almost half of my audio gear, eliminating equipment that wasn't necessary, my system sounds better than it ever did!
I guess what it boils down to is that I'm scared to commit to a mod; what if I don't like it afterwards, then what do I do? Can it be changed back without messing it even more? And if I did the work, well...forget about it!
I guess for me, it's best not to jump on the modification "band-wagon" because others are doing it...my Cornwalls sound pretty damn good to my ears as they are right now, so why change that? When I had Kimber Kable 8TC speaker cables connected to my system, the CWs sounded thin and way too bright, so much so that at times I couldn't play even my favorite Direct-to-Disc LPs (I've got lots of vinyl; just need a preamp again to listen to them). Now that I replaced the 8TC with the Orbeck Stratti, what a world of difference! After a 100 hour burn-in period, the "in-your-face" horn presence is still there (which I love, it sounds more "live"), but the harshness and ear-splitting frequencies that were once present before are now totally elliminated. The highs are more natural, with lots of gusto when cymbals crash without piercing your ear drums!
This is the easy kind of mod I like.
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Chris, saw your system...VERY NICE! Westinghouse 300B bottleheads R 2 die 4! And your CW...BEAUTIFUL! This is proof that tastefully done modifications can be accomplished successfully!
I said earlier that I have nothing against mods, just make sure it's what you want to do. I've always believed in leaving well enough alone, especially if the engine/loudspeaker/antique (whatever) works perfectly as is. Maybe this is dumb one-sided mentality; I'm not mechanically inclined, so attempting any mods on my part is foolish, and I don't want to screw up a perfectly fine piece of equipment because I want "go-fasters" on it! My brother has modified every car he's ever owned...turbos to superchargers to 1000+ watt, 15 speaker audio systems, just to be different. My car still has the original boring 4-banger engine with its stock tuner/cassette/4 speaker system...it works for me. Sure, I'd like a fast, sporty car with a great audio system in it, if it's built that way, or available from the manufacturer/dealer. I had a tube preamp last year that I rolled the tubes, from the cheap Chinese valves to NOS JAN Philips, which did make a significant improvement in its sound quality. But I also have a mint 1933 Emerson broadcast band mantle radio with (according to an expert in the field who looked it over thoroughly) all original vacuum tubes and oil-filled capacitors still intact, along with all it's cloth-covered wiring, its 3" speaker/grill cloth, and Bakelite knobs. It still operates perfectly for a 70 year old radio, but when the parts do fail, I'd like to replace them with any NOS parts if possible, to keep it as original as possible. Sure, its inlaid wood cabinet could be stripped of its old shelack and refinished, but it's original finish is still remarkably in good condition, so I'll leave it alone.
See where I'm coming from with all this? That little mantle radio is worth over $400 in its original condition, blemishes and all. If I restored the cabinet to look like new, It may be worth about $200 tops! My original Cornwalls may be worth alot more someday if left in their original condition (they still look/sound as new as the day my dad bought them back in '79). I really wouldn't want to change them, but if I won a damaged pair on eBay for next to nothing, then I'd have the hell modified out of 'em! I'd commission you to do the mods (seeing what you can do with boring looking CWs) and I'd pay you handsomely for it!
The other day I came across a fully restored 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Ville convertible...FABULOUS! It looked just like my dad's car when I was 3; white with maroon interior and a black ragtop. I peeked inside through the rolled down drivers window; the odometer read 67,400 miles (original?). What I saw next was just sickening...a brand new Alpine tuner/CD player in the dash! I almost puked!
If that was my car, it would have it's original AM radio and single under-dash mounted speaker underneath its grill opening! End of discussion!Just my humble opinion, of course.
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True, the Contour has been a good car, but I drive 100 miles a day to my job and back, and so my cars end up wearing out earlier than most. After 50,000 miles, the ABS system died, and after 93,000 miles, the tranny gave up the ghost (and I always maintain my cars religiously with their scheduled services). Right now, I'm up to 123,000 miles, and it's still going strong (and as well it should; I'm leaving for work again in a half hour...I hate working on Sundays).
That's a good question...with no real idependant models (did Mercury do away with the Cougar yet?), they're nothing but a Ford clone. Like Plymouth, if Ford Motor Corp. can't do anything to reguvenate Mercury's lineup, then they should ditch it completely and concentrate on improving their own models (at least Lincoln is starting to come back from the dead).
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KEEP THE CORNWALLS!
Go to Marriage Counceller with wife to persuade her that you need the Cornwalls for your HT. If she can't live with it, send her packing!
Seriously, don't go for Bose (that word's taboo on this Forum) or in-wall, you'll regret it in the end.
Take all the good advice you've received thus far, buy your wife some diamond earings (forget the CC for now), and...
KEEP THE CORNWALLS!
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----------------On 1/4/2003 5:00:40 PM TBrennan wrote:Are you having trouble attatching wire to the present terminals? Are they broken or something? Otherwise I see no reason to change them.It's possible to use crossovers that would change the voiceing of the speaker. Are you dissatisfied with the current voicing? Is different better or just different? Maybe PWK knew what he was doing? I dunno, but you gotta ask yourself these questions, the answers are your business.www.chicagohornspeakerclub.org----------------
I'm pretty much in agreement with TBrennan...if it ain't broke, don't fix it! PWK had an engineering degree, not me. He didn't just half-hazardly slap loudspeakers together hoping they'd sound good. Much R&D went into designing all his creations, and what mods were done by the company over the years was the result of even more R&D.
I've considered replacing the crossovers/wires/terminal strips for my Cornwalls, but I'm satisfied with the sound just the way they are. I'm not knocking modifications at all, but just make sure it's what you want.
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I never like auditioning loudspeakers in showrooms...you never hear what the speakers you're auditioning are truely capable of, plus equipment, showroom, and placement always changes the sound for the worse. Comparing loudspeakers side by side sucks...it's been my experience that the farthest loudspeakers sound the worse (placement problems, no sweet spot, etc.).
I'm not debating with anyone concerning the the sound of B&W and Dynaudio because I never seriously auditioned any of them before and I'm not familiar with their sonic characteristics...they're both great in my book.
I've been fortunant enough to be able to audition loudspeakers I was interested in at other people's homes instead. My first serious purchase was a pair of JBL L-112 Century II 3-way monitors in '81. I read up on these beforehand, and considered buying them. It just so happened that one of my dad's friends had a pair, so I was invited to audition them in his music room properly set up, with SAE amp/preamp, and sources from Nakamichi and Thorens...I loved the sound they produced in his room properly placed with good gear, so I bought 'em (I still own them today). Same situation for every other brand I've owned from Bose, BES, AR, and Magnepan...someone I knew already owned them, so I'd audition them at their homes. The Cornwalls belonged to my dad, so that was a given.
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----------------On 1/3/2003 10:14:46 PM NOS440 wrote:Boy I see everyone is really bored tonight !!----------------
Well yes, you can say that. I can't listen to my system because my brother is in the next room with his HT blarring "Gone in Sixty Seconds!"
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I'm under the assumption that you should have some headroom available for moments in musical passages that peak beyond a few watts...that's why I have a 50 WPC amp (before that I had a 200 WPC amp, but I guess that was overkill for my Cornwalls...that Mac MC7200 was originally for my Magnepans). But I'm no expert on these matters, so I'll let the pros on this forum help you out on this one.
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So that was it? The Cornwall test consisted of the Belgium Audio School's web site? Hell, I already knew that...I thought I somehow ended up on the wrong thread when I read about all the friendly banter between tube amps from Cary Audio and ASL (by the way, I like 'em both, but what do I know? I use SS)!
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----------------On 1/3/2003 8:16:06 PM Allan Songer wrote:"Nobody's mentioned the fabulous Phase Linear 400 combined with the equally awesome model 4000 preamp. I think this would be the ULTIMATE combonation with K-Horns (or any super high-efficiency speaker)..."----------------
Allen,
Before I had the Mac amp, I owned a Carver TFM-35x amp and a Carver C-4000 preamp working their magic through my Cornwalls. The very first time I heard two pairs of Klipschorns back in '80, the pairs were powered by two Carver M-500t power amps and the C-4000 preamp...that, too, was a sweet combo! Now that I think about it, I wonder why I ever sold that equipment in the first place (I wanted something different, but I should've kept what I had...it was perfectly fine and sounded fantastic)!
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Congrats on the fabulous Klipschorns!
I am very impressed that AI from ALK recommended the McIntosh MC250...it's the very SS amp I drive my Cornwalls with, and does so beautifully! This amp is the most tube-like SS amp I've ever heard, and I'm totally satisfied with this combo.
Unfortunantly, I'm still new to the valve magic...I owned an AMC CVT1030s vacuum tube preamp which sounded damn good to my ears; made all my sources sound lush and warm, full-bodied without being tubby (property taxes forced me to sell it and other components). With my tube preamp, background was totally black and silent (no hum), and that was with a pair of 12AU7 and 12AX7WA bottleheads!
I agree, you definately need a tube amp (someday I'll go that route as well), but I'm not qualified to assist you on that subject just yet...I'll leave that to the pros on this forum.
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And now, almost 30 years later, what do the skilled craftsmen/women from Klipsch's golden years look like? What are they up to now? Do they miss not working for Klipsch?
This is what every Klipschan wants to know...
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sj993, I wish I could afford that dream, too. But I can't, so I drive a '98 Ford Contour SE (it wasn't my choice, it was my dad's car...my old car crapped out, so my dad bought a new car and let me take over the payments on this one).
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jtkinney,
Thanks for that tid-bit of advice...if you've read my other posts recently, you'd know I love Jack (not that way, please) and coke (sippin' on a tall glass right now; I still haven't recovered from 1/1/03). It's been 3 years since I was in TN (passin' through)...the next time I'm up that way (hopefully soon), I'll stop by for the tour and tell 'em you said "HI".
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jt1stcav
Nice.... Very Nice!
Thanks, mOOn. Just tryin' to help!
Hope I didn't offend too many Klipschans out there. For that, I am sorry!
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Graduated in '81...been such a long time since I heard that word...can't recall what it means...what is "school?"
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It's not the most musical of instruments, and it's range is quite limited, but when played upon by a professional (female, preferably...they know just how to wrap their lips upon its head-piece to produce the right tones), and by gently squeezing the bellow-sacks while fingering the shaft of the skin flute, a deeper, much fuller musical experience can thus be achieved. Tones produced by a well-tempered skin flute can range anywhere from very subtle smacking sounds made from the player's wet lips upon its head-piece, to crescendos of wet, schloshing, sometimes very rapid appeggios of gurggling effects, often accompanied by a climatic tutti (or full organ, as organists often refer to it as...that's true). The climax of the skin flute is always produced by overblowing the instrument.
Much like a tuba or other blown instrument, a large amount of creamy sedement and other vile fluids will build up on the entire skin flute, most notably on top of its head-piece opening and along its shaft. To rid the delicate instrument of this thick sludge, the performer will have to administer a little preventative maintenance service on it by grasping firmly and pulling on both bellow-sacks to drain the skin flute of all discharge.
Washing the skin flute thoroughly between each performance is essencial for the longevity of the instrument to perform at its very best.
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I don't know...like politics, choosing a car today is also a touchy subject.
Everyone here makes valid points (regardless to what others may think)...buy American; support the UAW; but Hondas and Toyotas are made in the USA by Americans, but the $$ go to their headquarters in Tokyo; European makes are the best; but they also break down (Jaguar and VW come to mind, but so have M-B and BMW), don't buy Japanese or German automobiles for what happened over 50 years ago, etc., etc.
Fact of the matter is, all automobile manufacturers are prone to producing a lemon. Granted, it's a fact that alot of European and Japanese manufacturers do build a solid, reliable car (not always, but most of the time). America once did too, then in the late '50's all through the '70's, American cars steadily began to decline in reliability and resale value (and some were just plain junk). Nowadays, Ford, GM, and D-C have done a fairly good job in catching up with the rest of the world in providing safe, yet fun-to-drive cars (American trucks are still the best in my opinion). They still have a ways to go, but they have improved tremendously.
And talk about improving, take a look at Hyundai Motor Company in Seoul, for example...their lil' '86 Excel was the biggest piece of crap on the market (Yugos and Le Cars were better). In the mid '90's, the Scoup showed the world that they were beginning to listen to their customers, but they still had reliability issues! Now in the 21st Century, Accents are used by the Hyundai Castrol World Rally Team, and Elantras and Tiburons used by the Hyundai Rally Team USA, and all are winning events throughout the world! The new Sonata and the XG350 are just about as reliable as an Accord or Camry (the XG350 equalled the Lexus with its 5 MPH bumper test), and their 10 year/100,000 mile warranty is considered one of the best in the industry! I'm no spokesman for Hyundai...I don't even own one, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Hyundai has finally joined the ranks with other leading auto manufacturers in building safe and durable cars. Maybe my opinions are somewhat biased; my brother owned a Mazda RX7, Volkswagen Golf GTI, Pontiac Trans Am GTA, and a Nissan 200SX SE-R. All these cars were new and alot of fun to drive, but every single one of them had major mechanical failure and were unreliable! He now owns a 2002 Hyundai Sonata GLS fully loaded, and hasn't had a single problem yet; it's performance is supurb!
All in all, it's just my opinion. Getting back to the issue at hand, both Mercedes-Benz and BMW build fantastic cars. I've noticed that the M-B are a bit more refined and polished, but still fast and fun to drive. The BMW on the other hand may not be as suave or smooth, but is even more fun to drive! If I want the ultimate in luxury with performance, I'd pick the Benz as the better car. If I want "the ultimate driving machine" with a little less ponasch, I'd pick the Bimmer.
So in conclusion, I'd pick them both! And depending on how I feel on any particular day, I'd drive either one or the other. IMHO, I don't think one is better over the other...they just have different personalities, like me with my different mood swings. But I can change my mood; the cars can't.
Does any of this make any sense?
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HDBRbuilder, I would love nothing better than to get away from Florida for awhile, take a 4 day weekend, and visit the BMW plant in Spartanburg. I remember driving on the autobahn in a friend's '84 Saab 900S Turbo right past the BMW plant there in the old country, but I can't recall the region.
While stationed in Ludwigsburg with the 51st Signal Bn., another ol' Army bud of mine owned a really clean 1976 BMW 2002 in fire engine neon yellow (golf, in Germany). It had the smoothest 4 speed tranny and clutch of any old car I had ever driven (it was 7 years old, after all), and it still handled like "the ultimate driving machine" that it was! And it would haul *** when reved up and go around corners on two wheels, hugging the cobblestone roads all the way! Driving that BMW was the closest thing to sex! A year later he sold it to another GI from Robbinson Barracks in Stuttgart right before transfering back to the states...I never saw the 2002 again, and I still miss that car today!
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...unless of course, your girlfriend/wife/mistress/hooker will lend you a hand, in which case I don't mind, really. In fact, it's kinda fun!
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Not only is my girlfriend an accomplished skin flutist, but she's also a virtuoso pump organist as well. I'm still trying to master the fingering technique when playing her virginal, but she's a great instructor!
Vir*gin*al (vur'je'nel) n. A small, legless, rectangular harpsichord popular in the 16th and 17th centuries: A pair of virginals. <[VIRGIN, from it being played by young girls.>
And you thought I was talking about the vagin...
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----------------On 1/2/2003 11:50:18 PM prodj101 wrote:"Keep up the good work my young patawan and someday you may be as good as your master "umm, personaly, I don't like to do it with other people. lol----------------
...unless of course, your girlfriend/wife/mistress/hooker will lend you a hand, in which case I don't mind, really. In fact, it's kinda fun!
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Dammit...I just had a premature ejaculation in my boxers!
HDBRbuilder, thanks for making me soil my britches! I still think she looks hot, even in her early 50's(?). She may not be able to reach all the high notes like she used to, and her voice may be a bit grittier at times, but she still has her signature fast vibrato in her singing (you either love it or hate it...I'll vote for the former!
Every time I see that particular photo of Stevie, I wonder where her elusive nipple went to?
I only saw her in concert once, back in August 31st, 1983, at the UT campus at Austin. Not only was her performance spectacular, but so was all the costume changes she made. Gotta love her look...high hair (typical '80's, yuck...maybe not), low V-neck collars, see-through scarfs, and "Kiss"-like elevator boots with 6" heels!
Thanks for the Amazon.com search for the "Buckingham Nicks" albums. I want the sealed/never been played LP so bad, but I can't justify spending over $180 for it right now, so it'll have to wait for the time being. Hope at least one of them will still be available by the time I have some spare change lying around.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go clean myself up and change my shorts...
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On 1/2/2003 9:05:48 PM JasN00b wrote:
"heh, we have a 6" grand paino, i forget the type and dont wanna run upstairs..."
Man, I've seen 6' grand pianos before, but the 6incher must be like one of those toy baby grands that Mini-Me was playing in "The Spy Who Shagged Me!" LOL
JasN00b, just playin' with ya...but seriously, I wish I could play the guitar like you. One of my ol' Army buddies back in '81 was the lead singer/guitarist to a punk band called "The Digital Delinquents" out of Atlanta (now defunkt)
. Anyhow, I remember him telling me about his "Squire Strat" by Fender(?). It was a beginners guitar, I remember him saying, but it was all he could afford then. The finish was peeling off and the controls were flakey, but he liked the overall tone only because he had obtained his uncle's expensive vintage Marshall tube amp! Back in the early '60's when I was a young lad, my dad played alot of old country/bluegrass tunes on an old 6-string Gibson acoustic he had as a boy...unfortunantly, he lost interest in guitars before I knew any better, and sold the Gibson in '67 when he went off to 'Nam. If he had kept it and encouraged me to play it, maybe today I'd be "pickin' and grinnin'" instead of "tickling the ivories" (which I can't do all that well anyways, but it's fun).
If that was my car, it would have it's original AM radio and single under-dash mounted speaker underneath its grill opening! End of discussion!
![2.gif]](http://forums.klipsch.com/idealbb/images/smilies/2.gif%5D)
cornwall upgrades
in Technical/Restorations
Posted
donvanbc...Sorry I got off your topic a little back there, but it does help to get opinions from all sides; that's how I learn!
I haven't auditioned any of the new upgraded Heritage Series, but I think that Klipsch did replace the original terminal strip for a modern 4 gold-plated binding posts for biwiring...if so, go ahead and replace it if convenience is important to you.
When I purchased the Orbeck Stratti from AudiogoN.com, they came with large gold-plated lugs which looked great, but would not even come close to fitting the terminal strips on my Cornwalls, nor to my McIntosh amp's strip (both amp/loudspeakers are of the same generation B.M.C. and 16 to 18 AWG lamp cord was used exclusively for speaker cables). I ended up removing all the twist/lock lugs from the Stratti cables and just twisted the 11 AWG bare wire together to connect to the CW/Mac, which still wasn't easy due to all the wire! All that twisted wire is probably putting a strain on the terminal strips, so I'll most likely buy some crimp-on/twist gold pins (from www.partsexpress.com) big enough to accept 11 AWG wire...pins are slender enough for the short screws to tighten down on.
I'm not qualified to answer your capacitor question, but there are others on this forum that can. If you can't find an answer on this particular thread, you can do a search through the Technical Forum, or ask your question there.
Good luck with your future mods!