rockanroller Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 Hello Looking at purchasing either Cornwall II , or KLF 20 . They will be paired with SS amps . What is the difference? I know it might sound like a stupid question, but I feel I should ask.... Any comments are welcome. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockanroller Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Hello Looking at purchasing either Cornwall II , or KLF 20 . They will be paired with SS amps . What is the difference? I know it might sound like a stupid question, but I feel I should ask.... Any comments are welcome. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twk123 Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 Both speakers are 3 way with direct radiating woofers and mid and tweeter horns. The KLF 20 is more of a 'modern' shape for a speaker and may fit into smaller rooms better. What year are the Cornwalls? That will indicate if you will need to have the capacitors replaced. Anyway, I have heard great things about both speakers here but I would say go with the Cornwalls if you have the room for the true Heritage sound, upgrade options and resale value. Here is a similar thread comparing the two from members with greater experience: https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/148078-cornwall-vs-klf-20/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 (edited) Welcome to the forum. There is no such thing as a stupid question. A KLF20 has dual ten inch woofers. Two tens will push the same amount of air as 1 1/2 twelve inch woofers. The KLF30 has dual twelves and two twelves will push the same amount of air as 1 1/2 fifteen inch woofers. The KLF (both models) will play lower in frequency than the Cornwall does. The KLF mid horn is a wider bandwidth and a lower distortion horn than the K600/601. Now which speaker you like better will be up to you and your equipment. The KLF like/need more power than a Cornwall. So the easy answer to your question is to go listen. I like them all but my personal choice is the KLF20. Go find some and listen with your amplifiers and source. Hope that helps you. Best regards Moray James. PS: I should have mentioned that different size woofers sound different. There is a reason why bass players have a love relationship with the four ten cabinet. So you should listen to some tens and some twelves and some fifteens find out what size woofer that you prefer. As I said I like the sound of tens but my second choice would be a fifteen. PPs: I should have mentioned the stock tweeter diaphragm in a KLF20/30 is the thin black poly diaphragm which is in my estimation the worst ever made by Klipsch. The driver is a K79 and you can install a phenolic diaphragm if that is your cup of tea or you can install the Bob Crites titanium diaphragm which is my preferred choice. I should also say that I modify all my drivers and horns I don't uses any of them stock. PPPs: one last comment I would suggest you look to Cornwall and Cornwall ll NOT the CW3. The CW3 uses a K701 mid horn and that is a real step backwards. You can rebuild a Cornwall ll with all ti diaphragms and you can even build a new baffle to raise the woofer up higher which is a good idea. A Cornwall or a Cornwall ll will also cost you a lot less money than a CW3. And don't feel like you got second best with respect to tweeters. Bob Crites has drop in replacements for the K77 and the K79 with the ti diaphragm is a fine sounding tweeter. I own bot the H3 tweeter in two sets of Heresy 3 and I have switched to the K79 in both of them that way the profiles match between the mid and hi horns. Both sound good I just have a preference for the K79. (remember I modify all my drivers). Edited October 26, 2015 by moray james Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cantilope Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 Cornwalls. I have the KLF-30s and CWs and I like them better, but that is me. My wife likes the 30's... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusaDude Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 I've owned Cornwall I's and KLF-20's and I'd go with the KLF's. The big tractrix midrange on the KLF's makes the most difference in my opinion, with a better, smoother "soundstage presentation". The midrange and tweeter also sit slightly higher up in the KLF which also helps (in my opinion). Spec wise they're pretty close, but the bass is just a bit better in the KLF along with the power handling. The footprint of the KLF also makes placement a lot easier. Having said all that, your ears and personal preference are probably going to make the most difference in your room. Besides, you can't really go wrong with either... so you'll be splitting hairs and opinions trying to decide. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JiminSTL Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 Good question to ask, and good "problem" to work toward resolution. I have and use all 3 (the KLF-30s, the 20s, and the 10s). Disclaimer: they all are going up for sale. Not because of ANY dissatisfaction with any of them (truth is two fold: I LOVE THE SOUND THEY PUT OUT--hype and standard stuff aside, they are ASTOUNDING), and I want to put the $ toward a pending wedding of my daughter). So, while I am not saying there are not other speakers just as good as the KLF series, you must identify them, test them, convince yourself that your analysis is sound, and then successfully negotiate their purchase. The KLF series does eliminate most of that effort and activity. And (personal opinion), they simply look good with their very stolid, masculine appearance. What the heck, my wife likes the sound they produce, too! Good luck with your endeavor! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzannucci Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 The KLFs, as stated earlier, will sound more open in the mids though almost the exact same driver. The horn here makes a difference. Tweeter ditto. The KLFs will have a tighter, maybe more thin bass compared to the Cornwall IIs since the the Cornwall IIs will sound a little more round (hard to explain, maybe more tubby and less tight). A lot of folks like that type of bass. The KLFs will require better feeding (high current amplifier). The better the amp you use, the more you will be satisfied with the KLFs. The Cornwalls are not quite as picky so you can get away with less push if you choose to go that way. Also the ports on the back of the KLF require the speaker to be a foot or so off the wall minimum. Cornwalls are front ported so they can get closer to the wall. That said, they are both great speakers and your ears will be the deciding factor. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzannucci Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 Hello Looking at purchasing either Cornwall II , or KLF 20 . They will be paired with SS amps . What is the difference? I know it might sound like a stupid question, but I feel I should ask.... Any comments are welcome. Thank you. A double Post doesn't help you get answers here. Per my post in the other thread: The KLFs, as stated earlier, will sound more open in the mids though almost the exact same driver. The horn here makes a difference. Tweeter ditto. The KLFs will have a tighter, maybe more thin bass compared to the Cornwall IIs since the the Cornwall IIs will sound a little more round (hard to explain, maybe more tubby and less tight). A lot of folks like that type of bass. The KLFs will require better feeding (high current amplifier). The better the amp you use, the more you will be satisfied with the KLFs (Moray James is quite correct here). The Cornwalls are not quite as picky so you can get away with less push if you choose to go that way. Also the ports on the back of the KLF require the speaker to be a foot or so off the wall minimum. Cornwalls are front ported so they can get closer to the wall. That said, they are both great speakers and your ears will be the deciding factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckAb3 Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 There are no stupid questions imo and happy to respond. I generally agree with what has been said and would add a few subjective observations. We have an all-KLF home theater anchored with KLF-30's and a fairly high powered Marantz multi-channel power amp. Great stuff. Also have a separate 2 channel aud. io system with Cornwall III's. To my ears, the Cornwall has a more 'refined' sound for music listening and I like it best for music. I think that is generally the case for the Heritage series of speakers. On the other hand, the KLF series, while fine for music, gives a huge kick and is best for home theater applications. Others may well disagree with me and my opinion is highly subjective. Ya gotta listen to both speakers and make up your own mind. Best of luck in your adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingman Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 I feel the need to mention that most KLF-20 have the "loose baffle due to improper glue compound". Google it and you'll find alot of info. That being said, I have a set of KLF-20's that I'll (probably) never, ever let go. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 The Bigger, the Better! Big Ole Horn loudspeakers are amazingly efficient. While the large woofer can make use of a solid-state amplifier, their incredible efficiency really calls for low wattage, low distortion amplifiers for the mid-range and tweeter horns. Big Ole Horn loudspeakers change everything you know about bass, dynamics, efficiency, wind instruments, percussion, sensitivity, total harmonic distortion, impedance, imaging, soundstage, separation, tubes and amplifiers. You will be playing music and movies all the time. You will wonder why other tweaking audiophiles are never happy. You will see that they just don’t get it. Their loudspeakers don’t make music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 The KLFs, as stated earlier, will sound more open in the mids though almost the exact same driver. The horn here makes a difference. Tweeter ditto. The KLFs will have a tighter, maybe more thin bass compared to the Cornwall IIs since the the Cornwall IIs will sound a little more round (hard to explain, maybe more tubby and less tight). A lot of folks like that type of bass. The KLFs will require better feeding (high current amplifier). The better the amp you use, the more you will be satisfied with the KLFs. The Cornwalls are not quite as picky so you can get away with less push if you choose to go that way. Also the ports on the back of the KLF require the speaker to be a foot or so off the wall minimum. Cornwalls are front ported so they can get closer to the wall. That said, they are both great speakers and your ears will be the deciding factor. Just in case the OP is interested I did re position the rear vents on the pair of Oak KLF20 I rebuilt for my daughter. At the time she was still in university and in smaller quarters so I figured that having the vents on the front of the cabinet would let he place them closer to the walls in her small rooms. You can look at the photos of the conversion at the supplied link. There you can also see a much better internal brace job done on my Quartet loudspeakers. Hope this is of interest. Best regards Moray James. http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/starting-to-mod-klf-20-cabinet-crossover.372783/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 (edited) Let me praise the tractrix horn too. It's first appearance was when Klipsch added it to the Forte to create the Forte II, along with a bigger bass passive radiator. Now it is used on many Klipsch products. They must like it a whole lot. I like my Forte II and Quartets with the tractrix. The Cornwall II uses an exponential mid horn similar to the one in the Forte (I). This use in the Cornwall II probably arises out of commitment to keep the Cornwall series pretty much the same. The Cornwall series gets high marks of course but in my view the tractrix midrange tips the scales to the KLF. On esthetics, the KLF is far more "modern" and you might like that. WMcD Edited October 26, 2015 by William F. Gil McDermott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 I posted the article by the Klipsch people on the original tractrix. https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/44607-article-re-tractrix-horn/?hl=tractrix At frame 50 one of our members (MAS) posted the same in a single .pdf rather than my series of single pages. You'll see my annotations there. And this gave rise to much conversation. The "tratrix in the KLF is another generation of the horn I believe. I'll trust that Klipsch was yet again improving things. WMcD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cantilope Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Tweeter ditto. The KLFs will have a tighter, maybe more thin bass compared to the Cornwall IIs since the the Cornwall IIs will sound a little more round (hard to explain, maybe more tubby and less tight). A lot of folks like that type of bass. That Tweeter diaphragm is a plastic POS and has no right being used in a Klipsch speaker. That is a pretty big negative to the KLF add that to the possible glue issue and out of the box the KLF needs work. I do agree with every statement here about the tractrix, but something about an electric guitar or a cymbal crash on the Cornwall that sounds better to me. I do agree that the mid-horn on the CW is its Achilles heal, but as a whole the CW is a better balanced speaker in my very humble opinion, I'll take round as a good thing and agree that is a good description. I also believe a LaScala, Belle, Khorn also sound better than the KLF for some of the very same reasons. The KLF is a very good speaker especially once the glued box and tweeter have been dealt with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzannucci Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Tweeter ditto. The KLFs will have a tighter, maybe more thin bass compared to the Cornwall IIs since the the Cornwall IIs will sound a little more round (hard to explain, maybe more tubby and less tight). A lot of folks like that type of bass. That Tweeter diaphragm is a plastic POS and has no right being used in a Klipsch speaker. I also believe a LaScala, Belle, Khorn also sound better than the KLF for some of the very same reasons. The KLF is a very good speaker especially once the glued box and tweeter have been dealt with. Too bad Klipsch started using the poly dome on most speakers in the II's referenced era, like the Heresy II. I myself kept the KLF-30s over La Scalas because of the K400 nasal sound and screechy highs from the k-77. In my room, the KLF-30s compared very favorable to my Khorns which were sitting right behind them. The KLF-20 woofers do sound better in some ways to the KLF-30s but there is a much less nasal or screech sound from them due to the horns and balance. Bass from Cornwalls is more tubby. A lot of people like that though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Merged topics 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdfanfl Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 I've had my klf20's for 16 years now. I would not get rid of them for any reason! The best i've ever heard 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stump Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I just got a pair of KLF 20's and will compare them to my Chorus 2's, which are essentially a modern CW, as soon as I have a chance to hook them up. I did hear them at the previous owner's house and they sounded great, I don't think you'll be disappointed by the KLF, CW or any other Klipsch speaker in this class, Heritage/Modified Heritage. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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