lastchancerecords Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I first heard a pair of Cornwalls in 1984 when my dad took me to a high end audio shop while shopping for a stereo. Long story short he ended up getting a cheaper Pioneer system and I've longed for these speakers ever since. I finally am in the position to have the space and means and ended up buying a pair of Cornwalls this weekend. According to the serial they were manufactured in September of 1976. I'm a total newbie so forgive my ignorance but after looking through some of the forums I've narrowed a list of potential amps to the following and would like input: Marantz 2230, Marantz 2252B, Marantz 250M, Nakamichi TA 2A Long term I'd love to move into the world of McIntosh but don't have the means to afford it at this point. I'm primarily listening to vinyl on a Pro-Ject Debut III. Any and all input, opinions, or suggestions are greatly appreciated! Travis Hill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muel Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Congratulations! You waited a LONG time! Welcome to the fun [Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwander Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I have '84 CW's hooked to a Nakamichi SR-4A that sound really nice to me. I tried TA-4A on the CW's also but the SR-4A had a little more detail. I could only tell through an A/B switch. So I would think the TA-2A would sound really sweet also. 50w is more than enough for the CW's. I had a Marantz 2250 that crashed before I had the CW's so wasn't able to try out that combo. I prefer the Nak sound. It seemed a more dynamic sound. The Marantz sounded a little softer. The TA-2A would be around $100 through CL, higher on eBay. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lastchancerecords Posted April 18, 2012 Author Share Posted April 18, 2012 Thanks for the input. With the prices so low I'm leaning toward Nakamichi but may pick up one of each to try out and then resell the other. I'm pretty sure this is the start of my descent into pursuing the elusive perfect system. It's a sickness I can finally pursue! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkalsi Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 I used my Nakamichi TA-4A with my Cornwalls for a really long time and absolutely loved that combination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 I used my Nakamichi TA-4A with my Cornwalls for a really long time and absolutely loved that combination. I also recommend the Nak STASIS line of receivers to drive Heritage.....good solid state solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwander Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 Another item I like on the TA-2A & 4A is the loudness control. It's nice to dial in the loudness to suit the volume level. Better than just a switch. It may not be audiophile but it sures sounds good at lower volumes. Try using "SearchTempest" to find the equipment. By the way, I have family in Little Rock. I'm afraid they are not into the audio scene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juniper8 Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 I am suprised to hear this, I ABed a Ta series integrated against a vintage technics sa-700 with some suprising results. I found the TA to be overly warm,and lacked upper end detail and separation and had week bloomy bass. The build quality I was not overly impressed with either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.H.E. Droid Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 It's hard to beat classic vintage Marantz. I have a 2235 which is more than enough power to drive any of my speakers, and it has a good damping factor which helps keep the bass from getting flabby on Cornwalls. You might be able to locate some Mcintosh power if you are patient. There's a mac 2100 that's up for sale on the detroit craigslist for $500 which would be a good amp for Cornwalls, but you'd need to drive it with the preamp section of a Marantz, or find another preamp. The main difference between something like the 2100 and most other solid state will be the output drive via transformers. I'm currently using a Cambridge Audio 840a integrated amp, which really drives everything I have very well, and also has a balanced input stage which is nice for something in the price range, but lacks a phono input. (to stay with cambridge you need to buy their matching phono preamp.) The important thing to remember is that Cornwalls are very easy to drive and don't require huge power inputs, so it boils down to whether you want a lot of modern conveniences like remote controls and electronic switching or don't mind a vintage system. My Cornwalls were also very fond of my Adcom 5500, and there are a number of Adcom separates with a bit lower power that are readily available used and have excellent performance. (and many with remotes and phono stages.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwander Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Travis, If you're ever in Hot Springs, there's a store that have Klipsch Heritage on display. LS, CW and Heresy but no Khorns. Solutions Home Entertainment. There are very eager to demo the Heritage line. Most of their Klipsch is HT. I was visiting family at the time in LR. Did you ever get your amp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiet_Hollow Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 There's a couple of Bedini BA-801's on eBay right now. Spendy and would require a Bedini pre-amp too, but buy once cry once. -QH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 There's a couple of Bedini BA-801's on eBay right now. Spendy and would require a Bedini pre-amp too, but buy once cry once. -QH Yeah but if you're gonna get spendy, then you might as well drive the Heritage the way they are meant to be driven - with vacuum tubes[H] Solid State can provide respectable cost effective solutions, but when the budget allows, tubes will be recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lastchancerecords Posted June 1, 2012 Author Share Posted June 1, 2012 Much appreciated info. I have a friend who is going to let me use a ss McIntosh until I decide what tube amp setup to go with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MechMan Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Much appreciated info. I have a friend who is going to let me use a ss McIntosh until I decide what tube amp setup to go with. I can tell you this...you just may find yourself taking your sweet time looking for your tube setup with a nice Mc to tide you over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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