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Has anyone built a Cornwall clone without using expensive drivers and crossovers?


kozalmighty

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I am sure I am going to be beaten down on this subject. I want to build a Cornwall cabinet  and use lower end drivers and crossovers. Like Eminence or Dayton. I know it wont sound like the original. I know that I am on a Klipsch forum. There has got to be a way that a blue collar guy with blue collar wages and some basic speaker building skills can have a nice set of hand made speakers to sit back and enjoy. I have all the plans and step buy step photos of the clone build. Why cant I use a Dayton and find a 3 way crossover and horns that are near spec? I am no audiophile, I just like my tunes. I made a pair of MTM's last year. EH, they sound good but lack that big speaker look and feel I remember for when I was a child. I posted to forums then while I was building the cabs and I was torn to shreds because I wasnt following the rules. Well, my windows rattle and everything from Meddle, to Random Access Memories sounds crisp and clear. This was using Dayton drivers for the MTM and GRS for my subs. I will probably do it anyway but It would be appreciated if someone knew what would work together. I am unfamiliar with horns but I really want some.  Please someone offer up some suggestions. 

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Could I make a suggestion?  Take a close look at what ALL of the materials are going to cost you, cabinet, drivers, wires, screws, everything.  Compare to what a used pair of Cornwalls would cost you, even some that might a little refinishing work....I'd venture to say that the amounts would be quite close.

 

Or, build your own cabinets, and buy used genuine Klipsch drivers and other components.  Again, might be a wash.

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I considered about that and I still am adding everything up. Thank you for not being condescending.  I have looked locally and I haven't found anything for sale. Really I just want to build something and I choose this speaker as the one. 

Edited by kozalmighty
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Dayton drivers are a good budget choice. I have built 2 pairs of cornscalas and the advice above is correct!! Cost more to build than buying used. I do understand the need to build I have a bad case of it!!!! Your money but imho used will be the cheapest route but building by far the most fun!!!

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I feel like I can recommend the DIYSoundgroup.com because it is not a direct competitor for a Klipsch product.  Klipsch has a high-quality completely finished speaker which will hold its value when you sell it.  With rare exception there is no DIY speaker kit that will compare to the Klipsch when all aspects of the speaker are considered, which includes warranty and service.

 

DIYSG has an extensive line of Do It Yourself speaker kits, and it is not run as a profit making entity, it is a service for the DIY community.  There is a huge amount of proven designs that will give you outstanding sound for very minimal outlay of cash.  It is run by one guy, Erich, who is a national treasure for us DIY guys.

 

Most of their designs are 2-way and are high efficiency horn driven designs, just like Klipsch.  I have some outstanding Klipsch speakers, and some DIY Soundgroup speakers that will stay right with the Klipsch in terms of sound quality and efficiency.

 

On the site AVSforums.com there is a very active DIY community for exactly what you are trying to accomplish.  I think you could go there and repeat post #1 but that is what I would NOT do.  I suggest you post there, state your desire for a BIG horn driven sound, and then answer these questions:

 

1. Budget

2. Purpose - (music, home theater, all of the above)

3. How many speakers (2.0, 2.1, 5.1, 7.1, etc.)

4. Listening environment (man cave, living room, theater room, computer speakers, etc)

 

Let the very experienced and knowledgeable people there guide you and help you figure out how to get the best bang for your buck.  There are many people on Klipsch.com who are also members on AVSForums.com.

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/155-diy-speakers-subs/

 

I already have some guesses what might work for you, but I'll stop here while you ponder your next move.

Edited by wvu80
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I actually accidentally did this one time. I had EVM-15L woofers, 1828 mid drivers/8HD horns, and EVT35 tweeters from some old pro monitors. Before even buying my first Klipsch speakers (which were Cornwalls) I followed the chart in a pretty basic book about Building Loudpspeaker Cabinets, and lo and behold, ended up with a cabinet that looked remarkably like a Cornwall, even down to the size of the port dimensions!  WIsh I had photos of them. They've now been cobbled into TL606 bins for the 15" drivers alone. 

 

I have the EV 1829/ 8HD horns that I'd sell if the OP were interested. Or some K601/K53 actual Cornwall horn/driver combos (which they haven't made for ages). PM me if interested. 

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You are welcome.  There are many, many years of experience here, not just with Klipsch products, but with amplifiers, tubes, woodworking, etc.  Just look down through some of the sub forums here to get an idea.  Cmon' back when you've got your plan nailed down....

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I actually had enough spare parts lying around my house to build a pair of Cornwalls/Chorus and still ended up just buying a pair... time and resale value were the 2 biggest factors in my decision.

 

I would also note that you really aren't going to save that much trying to go with "cheaper" parts... If you do go DIY just be patient and you can find almost everything for your project on this site or ebay.

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I am sure I am going to be beaten down on this subject. I want to build a Cornwall cabinet  and use lower end drivers and crossovers. Like Eminence or Dayton. I know it wont sound like the original. I know that I am on a Klipsch forum. There has got to be a way that a blue collar guy with blue collar wages and some basic speaker building skills can have a nice set of hand made speakers to sit back and enjoy. I have all the plans and step buy step photos of the clone build. Why cant I use a Dayton and find a 3 way crossover and horns that are near spec? I am no audiophile, I just like my tunes. I made a pair of MTM's last year. EH, they sound good but lack that big speaker look and feel I remember for when I was a child. I posted to forums then while I was building the cabs and I was torn to shreds because I wasnt following the rules. Well, my windows rattle and everything from Meddle, to Random Access Memories sounds crisp and clear. This was using Dayton drivers for the MTM and GRS for my subs. I will probably do it anyway but It would be appreciated if someone knew what would work together. I am unfamiliar with horns but I really want some.  Please someone offer up some suggestions. 

Sounds like a Cornscala build to me  ;)  :rolleyes:  :)

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when I first caught the klipsch bug, I thought the same......hey, I bet I could build the same thing for less!!!!

 

nope, wrong again! got my cw's for $650, can't beat that.

 

as I've said many times, as I've built heresys from an empty cabinet on up, they are a labor of love, could never build them cheaper and get close to the original sound.

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I made a Cornwall clone also. I used JBL D140 15 inch woofer, Selenium D250X midrange drivers and Selenium D220Ti for tweeters.. Horns are a dime a dozen ( choose what best suites your needs and room specs ) for both mid at tweeters. Crossover can be made from blue collar cash. These sound better than my Cornwall II's.

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  • 2 months later...

Maybe kind of a "bump". Wondering if you've made any decisions.

Can't see selling my own Cornies but I also should say they're not even wired-up (EV Georgian khorn clones have the wires).

I think that wvu80 had a very good take and I'd encourage you to investigate. If you repackage the bass unit (or add a sub), you can end-up with quite fine sound for a small-ish outlay. Then, you can just watch and wait for some Cornwalls (and have some fine sound while you wait) or take your time on a Cornscala project or whatever else.

Good luck and keep us posted.

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Maybe kind of a "bump". Wondering if you've made any decisions.

Can't see selling my own Cornies but I also should say they're not even wired-up (EV Georgian khorn clones have the wires).

I think that wvu80 had a very good take and I'd encourage you to investigate. If you repackage the bass unit (or add a sub), you can end-up with quite fine sound for a small-ish outlay. Then, you can just watch and wait for some Cornwalls (and have some fine sound while you wait) or take your time on a Cornscala project or whatever else.

Good luck and keep us posted.

I had to put it on hold for the moment. I haven't given up on the idea yet.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

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