Sean C Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I picked up a pair of Cornwall's about a month ago, and I'm trying to decide what to do with them. Cosmetically they are somewhat rough unstained plywood with crude black spraypaint on the motorboard. I supposed they were installed behind black cloth in their former life. From the combination of drivers present and flat front I think they are 1960 designers. One of the University K-55 mid drivers is open, and they can't be opened to replace the diaphram/voice coil. I replaced the old crossover's caps with Solen caps so I could at least hear what the one fully working Cornwall sounds like. The trebel improved dramatically, mids somewhat. As I've only got one fully working I've tried using it as a center channel (with totally mismatched speakers - not a fair test). My impressions so far: For movies, vocals are usually clear and well presented enought that I was happy. Sibilances and any kind of horn like blair is over emphasized though. With music, some sonic transitions produced a honky sound. As a center speaker, I'm looking straight down the mid horn. During some especially loud movie sounds the upper mid range was suddenly painfully loud. That was probably beaming, right? Overall, the upper bass/lower mids seem to be lacking. I'm trying to decide where to head with these speakers, and would like some advice. They are consecutive serial numbers, but are not mirror images of each other. Shouldn't the tweeters/mid be on opposite sides? Would this prevent them from ever imaging properly? The cabinet has no ports at all. Would I be helping, hurting or just changing the sound by cutting them in? Should I add ports? Were Corns with no ports somewhat common or are these possibly one ofs? Do I have to change the crossover if I add ports? As Corn verts, they have lots of open room on the motorboard over the woofer. There is lots of room to cut in a larger mid horn, especially a horizontal one. Would it be better to find a mid horn whose horizontal dispersion is similar to the tweeters vertical dispersion and make the speaker a vertical tweet/horizontal mid horn speaker? I've seen that there were several mid drivers, and that modfied Corns are being made with 2 inch driver horns now. Keeping in mind that these cabinets aren't gems, is it worthwhile to try and locate a matching replacement SAHF K-55 driver to make a matched pair (to control costs) or do I need to go with Atlas drivers or new 2 inch drivers to keep from wasting my time? Keeping in mind the K1000 mid horns, open K-55 and rough cabinet is it better to part these out? I followed recent auctions for the drivers, horns and k1000-5000 crossover and the total was $950 (!! - $400 for the Jensen woofers??!? Why?) I could replace the mid horn on one, entirely cover it with black cloth upholstery style and use it as a center channel. That would let me pass the other on to someone else for use as a Heritage center channel. Or update them to current Mod Cornwall/Cornscalla specs, possibly with one of the horn/driver pairs that would allow me to go 2-way so the current mid/tweeter orientation and lack of mirror image orientation wouldn't matter. More pictures of the crossover/drivers/serial # cards here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 can you post pics of both speakers in one shot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean C Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 Sure, here yah go. (excuse the mess, I'd stuffed the one with the dead mid driver into the corner and put my amp on it...) Now that I'm looking at it, it seems the bass driver is too close to the edge of the motorboard to add a port in the usual location. I guess if they pair gets split up to be center channels the ports could be on the left side, which would be the new bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Do those have Klipsch stickers on the backs? I really didn't think they made an un-ported Corwall. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean C Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 Do those have Klipsch stickers on the backs? I really didn't think they made an un-ported Corwall. Bruce Yes they do have labels, serial #s 169 and 170. Click this link to see pictures of all the tags, interior and crossover. I get the impression that customization was available special order, and that there was some experimentation with the first Cornwall verts. Anyone have any confirmation of that? I've read the Klipsch memo mentioning that the Verts were being developed as a better compromise for owners who were using horizontal Corns on their side to better work with the room's decore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panacea Engineering Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Sean, Don't yours have a vertical port on the rear? The two sets that I have. do. My serials are in the 120's and 140's. It runs from the top to bottom and has screen in it. W. C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean C Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 Sean, Don't yours have a vertical port on the rear? The two sets that I have. do. My serials are in the 120's and 140's. It runs from the top to bottom and has screen in it. W. C. I just looked. Yes they do! I didn't realize those were ports. Doh! I hadn't read about rear ported Cornwalls. Thanks! Do you know when yours were made? My guess is that mine are late '59 - early '61 based on the drivers they have. If you have a date for your 140s then I'll know mine were made later than that. With the 120's date maybe we could make a crude guess based on units made per month. Sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 what about the mirroring question... shouldn't they be mirrored? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean C Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 Also, anyone know if the vertical rear port tuned to a similar frequency as the later front port Corns? Sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 They're very cool! [Y] I'd not touch the cosmetics but get them operational. It'd be fun to see the surprise on the faces of the unitiated when they hear beautiful mnusic coming from those "old boxes." I'd keep the balancing networks as they are for historical value but build new ones for listening to music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Certainly what you have is the original Cornwall. An article about its development is here: http://community.klipsch.com/forums/p/104651/1056453.aspx#1056453 WMcD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panacea Engineering Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Sean, To try and answer your questions: 1. When these were made they were for mono play and usually sold as singles. Don't think stereo was around when these were manufactured, hence no mirror for the speakers until they came up with the front porting. 2.The port is approximately the same for front or rear. The rear port was predominantly for corner placement. When stereo became popular, they went to front port for more flexibility in room placement. 3. As far as the actual manufacture date, I have tried several times to cantact Klipsch as the serial numbers for the early models were kept in a log book of some type. Klipsch has never responded to the three emails I sent, as I was seeking informatio on some very early KHorns also, 56 and 57 models. Maybe they will get back to me one day. I am reasonably sure that my older set of Cornwalls were made in early 59. 4. Yours should have a large red arrow on the back indicating orentation. Both sets of mine are painted, not a paper tag. Hope this helps and please understand that I am certainly no expert on the Corns, this is just info that I have gathered over the years from others and there is NO guaranty to its accuracy. Maybe others with more knowledge will "chim" in. W. C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean C Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 Certainly what you have is the original Cornwall. An article about its development is here: http://community.klipsch.com/forums/p/104651/1056453.aspx#1056453 WMcD Very slick! That was a great read. Interesting that the Cornwall was timbre and sensitivity matched with the Korns. 1. When these were made they were for mono play and usually sold as singles. Don't think stereo was around when these were manufactured, hence no mirror for the speakers until they came up with the front porting. Ahh, that would explain it. At 41, it's been awhile since I've run across something where being too young to know was a problem! 3. As far as the actual manufacture date, I have tried several times to cantact Klipsch as the serial numbers for the early models were kept in a log book of some type. Klipsch has never responded to the three emails I sent, as I was seeking informatio on some very early KHorns also, 56 and 57 models. Maybe they will get back to me one day. I am reasonably sure that my older set of Cornwalls were made in early 59. I suppose that still makes '60 a reasonable guess for mine. 4. Yours should have a large red arrow on the back indicating orentation. Both sets of mine are painted, not a paper tag. I don't see an arrow. What would it be indicating the orientation of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panacea Engineering Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Sean, It indicates which way they would be turned for the Horinzontal position, so that when you lay them on their side, they would not be upside down. Tthe tweeter and swaker should be on the high side of the cabinet rather than on the bottom side. Hope that makes sense. W. C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Mono eh... sell me one for my 78 collection Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean C Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 Well, I've already re-capped the old crossovers. Given the improvement, they needed it. I've kept the old caps and didn't really molest anything so it could be restored to original. I suppose I need to make a call on any mid horn changes before I build a steep slope crossover. I wonder if I could raid one of the local alternator repair places for cheap magnet wire to use for inductors... If I keep them, I've considered covering the cabinets in cloth upholstery style. I think if I remove the horns, cloth cover the motorboard with cutouts for the horns and then remount the horns on the outside I wouldn't have to worry about a stand-off for the grill cloth. Now to haunt Craigslist looking for another pair to so I can use one of these as a mid. My living room is laid out poorly for speaker placement so I can't use Korns... Sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 You might consider picking up a University SAHF on eBay, they show up every now and again, $30~$50. ********************************************************************************************************************* Great seller, thank you! Buyer: Member id too_many_fans ( Feedback Score Of 285) Mar-04-11 00:51 University SAHF Driver (#110651511793) US $25.00 View Item Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Don't mix up the old caps as Klipsch wrote the actual tested values on them with crayon and their exact position on the board. Of course if they ain't no good why keep them? JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean C Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 You might consider picking up a University SAHF on eBay, they show up every now and again, $30~$50. There is one listed now that I'm going to try for. Don't mix up the old caps as Klipsch wrote the actual tested values on them with crayon and their exact position on the board. Of course if they ain't no good why keep them? JJK These caps have no markings other than the stamped specs. Some people prize unmolested originality. I kept the caps since it costs me nothing to do so and I can return the crossovers to as found condition if I pass them on to someone who wants that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Do you use bid sniping? If not, you should consider it. Send an email or PM if you want details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.