CO1 Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Just got a pair of Cornwalls and would like to know what could/should be upgraded.Thanks. Crossovers - B3 Tweeters - K77M square magnet Mids - K57K Woofer - K33P square magnet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Contact Bob Crites . He will steer you straight on what to get. He does excellent Crossovers.......... http://forums.klipsch.com/members/BEC.aspx http://www.critesspeakers.com/ EDIT: As Michael pointed out...........listen before you do anything............Excellent Point ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 listen for 30 days prior to touching anything that's not broken please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MechMan Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I second Bill's recommendation. I have dealt with Bob and his support is top notch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest David H Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 If you have an older pair of Cornwalls, I would investigate upgrading the crossover caps if they haven't been done. I also agree with the general concensus of contacting Crites for info and upgrades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 My advice about listening first is so that you will have an accurate representation of the loudspeaker BEFORE you modify it. No, it's not like it just left PWK's hands, but how on earth are you going to know if your dollars are well spent unless you get accustomed to the speaker, modify ONE, listen to the BOTH side by side, mono, same source, same acoustic space. MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION about your modification, then proceed. I'm tired of hearing all the amateur advice on here about what to do and how much better it sounds. I'm not pointing the finger at any one person, and there's plenty of good solid advice and help available here. That being said, make up your own mind but do any procedure in a methodical manner. Nothing like buying a classic loudspeaker, then whip out the soldering iron and start swapping drivers without a game plan. JUST STOP IT PEOPLE. Yes, I'll agree that in some cases the capacitors do gain resistance over time. I have heard and corrected this. But in all cases, do one and test against the other to see what change has been made. Spend some time with it, then move on. Once you've changed the sound of a Klipsch speaker, it's no longer really a Klipsch speaker now, is it? I'm not saying stay strictly with OEM parts or don't modify under pain of death, but know what you're doing and slow down. Or by all means, just start throwing money around if you're certain that you're better than Klipsch engineers and have a test facility in your back room. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I'm with ole Colter, just listen to the things for awhile. One assumes you bought them because you like the way they sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest David H Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 JUST STOP IT PEOPLE. Yes, I'll agree that in some cases the capacitors do gain resistance over time. I have heard and corrected this. But in all cases, do one and test against the other to see what change has been made. Michael, you need not get excited, everyone has an opinion. I simply dont think I would need to listen to speaker for a month to hear a signifigant improvement. Especially when a member asked "Just got a pair of Cornwalls and would like to know what could/should be upgraded." With 380 posts, this member is not exactly a newbie and he can think for himself. Sincerely: DHarris Amateur advice giver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CO1 Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 From what I've been told the crossovers have been done so they don't need to be replaced. If you look at the other components I don't think they are stock for a pr of 84 Cornwalls. The K-57-K mids were stock on Cornwall II's. Were the square magnets on the tweeters and woofers stock on 84's? The previous owner said he spent a lot of time trying different components to get the sound he wanted so I'm more curious about what he has done rather than upgrading them. He got rid of these to make room for his khorns which I know he also tinkered with and used the same K-33-P square magnet woofers. I picked these up for $597 and I love the sound but I am not opposed to trying things to make them better. I'd like to know if any of these compomnents are consider inferior so down the road I can replace them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 when you say 'done' what exactly was modified in the networks. The 'balancing networks' as they were originally called, not only split the frequencies between the three drivers at appropriate points, but also balance the relative volume of them, usually by decreasing the output to the more efficient tweeter and midrange relative to the woofer. There is also the issue of the Cornwall 1.5 (as I've dubbed it) where a seemingly odd set of components were assembled during the days when the design was changing over. The shape of the woofer magnet is of little to no consequence, as is the point of origin (P = Paducah Kentucky). K57K is a designation for the K600 horn and the K52 driver in combination, so you really have K52 mid driver there. Usually I'd say in such cases, let's find out which network topology you have and decide what the original components from the factory should have been, then discuss it from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 From what I've been told the crossovers have been done so they don't need to be replaced. If you look at the other components I don't think they are stock for a pr of 84 Cornwalls. The K-57-K mids were stock on Cornwall II's. Were the square magnets on the tweeters and woofers stock on 84's? The previous owner said he spent a lot of time trying different components to get the sound he wanted so I'm more curious about what he has done rather than upgrading them. He got rid of these to make room for his khorns which I know he also tinkered with and used the same K-33-P square magnet woofers. I picked these up for $597 and I love the sound but I am not opposed to trying things to make them better. I'd like to know if any of these compomnents are consider inferior so down the road I can replace them. my point EXACTLY, due to someone elses' meddling, you've just spent $597 on something that may or may not sound like a Cornwall. It will take some investigation to sort it out unless you can get the story from the previous owner. This is why the advice around here is generally to retain any parts that have been changed out so you can return the speakers to 'stock' if requested at the time of a sale. I'm not saying that why he did sounds bad or was wrong, but we don't know exactly where to start now, do we? So what do the networks say and does it appear that only capacitors were changed? A photo would go a long way here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I'm with ole Colter, just listen to the things for awhile. One assumes you bought them because you like the way they sound. great, I turn 50 and now it's 'ole' Colter LOL, I still have some sense of humour. Just relax and give them several listening sessions with a variety of musics. Give us your thoughts on what you like/don't like about the sound. If you LOVE them, no point on changing anything right away now, is there? [Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 We have aroused the sleeping dragon!!! (or the dragon building his workshop!!!)[][] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Oh... by the way, here's the link to everything related to the Cornwalls (and the other Heritage "beastie boys"): http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/p/103886/1048788.aspx#1048788 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I would say that based on this bunch of components, that if these were untouched they appear to be Cornwall 1.5's. However your story is more in line with them beginning life as true Cornwalls and then with the mid driver and crossover updated (you would do both at the same time so the mid and network matched) This was an official Klipsch-authorized update path. I have a letter stating so in exact terms. This was the last incarnation of the much loved Cornwall before the cabinet and tweeter changed. They should sound killer as is, possibly better yet if someone has taken care with any capacitor upgrade. How do you like them so far? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Here's the inportant sections from the Cornwall History, originally written by Mark Kauffman. Mar 1983: The B-3 network and the K-52 midrange driver starts to be used in this model. Componentdesignations were: Woofer Eminence K-33-E, Midrange K-57-K (K-600Aluminum horn and K-52-K driver with the threaded snout), TweeterK-77-M and B-3 network. Jan1986: The Cornwall II is introduced featuring front mounted drivers toreduce baffle induced diffraction effects. Component designations were:Woofer Eminence K-34-E (K-33-E with a dressy pad ring), Midrange K-57-K(K-601 plastic horn and K-52-K driver), Tweeter K-79-K (K-75-K horn andK-79 driver) and CW II network. Your CW's could have left the Klipsch factory with exactly the complement of components you describe and be perfectly fine and within tolerances today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CO1 Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 I don't know what was done with the networks. I inquired about them because I was wondering if they need to be replaced & he said he had already had them done..whatever that means. I took a bunch of pics last night but my wife went out of town today with the camera for a week. The only pic I have is the one below but it's not very good. I'll post more pics when she gets back. Take it for want it's worth but I was told one of his friends was amazed at how good these sounded compared to his khorns. I'm no audiophile and I don't have Cornwalls to compare these to but they sound way better than my RF3's. Duh!!! lol I know that's not exactly an amazing feat but it is the only comparison I can make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 looks pretty original to me. Leave em alone. Those type of capacitors don't have the issues that the older types do. How do you like the sound of them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Obviously defective!!!! You need to send them to me... immediately!!! LOLOLOL!!! [][] Seriously, They certainly look nice and clean inside, etc. From a "let's do some maintenance" point of view, I would loosen each crossover screw and driver connection (that is not soldered...) clean them with some "deoixit" etc and re-seat them. That will also make sure that any light corrosion, dirt etc. is off the connections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 looks pretty original to me. Leave em alone. Those type of capacitors don't have the issues that the older types do. How do you like the sound of them? Colter, If anyone should know its you. Are those the original Klipsch Caps or are they teh replacemtns that Bob Crites sells. I only ask because they are white. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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