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Cornwall I or II


Sprogk

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I have the opportunity to buy a pair of Cornwall.

 

Both are relatively close to go pick up and price is similar. (Both pairs are in good condition)

 

My question which is better and why? Somebody told me that they use different horns when they made the II’s.

 

 

Apologies is this has been discussed before.

Appreciate any feedback.

 

 

 

 

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Cornwall II

 

UNLESS your plan down the road is too make it part of 5.1 or some such system with LaScalas or Khorns... then all your tweeters and drivers (K-77 and K-55) will have the same “timbre” using Cornwall 1’s.

 

The horns AND drivers are different in the two models. Not better or worse, just different. The mounting of the horns and drivers is different too. Flush mounted (CW2) as opposed to behind the motorboard (CW1).

 

I have owned four different pairs of Cornwalls over the years and still have a pair of ‘85’s (last year of the CW1’s) in the bedroom.

 

The difference sound-wise between the last few years of the CW1 and the CW2 are pretty negligible due to the (I think) better crossver (B-3) in the last few years of the CW1.

 

I prefer flush-mounted drivers over those behind the motorboard (as with the CW1), but with the grilles on it lessens the sonic benefits of flush mounted. Grilles are for aesthetics...

 

Listen to them both if you can and go with YOUR ears.

 

 

 

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I have the opportunity to buy a pair of Cornwall.
 
Both are relatively close to go pick up and price is similar. (Both pairs are in good condition)
 
My question which is better and why? Somebody told me that they use different horns when they made the II’s.
 
 
Apologies is this has been discussed before.
Appreciate any feedback.
 
 
 
 
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I have updated I’s with Crites supplied crossover parts and mid diaphragms, along with binding posted for bi-wiring or bi-amping. I also have II’s that are completely stock. Both sets sound fantastic and i can’t say either is better. For me, the finish and grills dictated which pair went where. So, easy decision: buy both pairs!! [emoji56]


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I had both for several years, but I sold the CWIIs.  I still have the CWI's in my 5.1 set up (three CWI's in front, Heresys in the rear).

 

The CW IIs were in a 2-channel set up and sounded great.  They went to the garage system for a couple of years when I bought Khorns, but I ultimately sold them (they were really too big for my garage).

 

Of course I had to keep the CWIs in my HT for the proper timbre match. 

 

I did a lot of A/B comparisons of the CWIs and CWIIs in a 2-channel set up while I had them both.  If I had to choose (without regard to the timbre match) it would have been a tough decision.  The presentation is a little different.  IMO, the CWIIs are a little more "forward" sounding, not brighter, but a little more "in your face".  At the same time, the tweeter is a little smoother in the CWII.  Ironically, the CWIs sounded a little more "refined" to me.  I don't know if the presentation difference is in part because of the speaker batting used in the CWIs (my CWIIs had no batting, basically an empty box with drivers installed).  I cannot say one is better than the other, just slightly different. 

 

I will also say that I was comparing the stock 1988 CWIIs with my 1979 CWIs that have "P-traps" installed in the networks to kill the 9kHz bump in the K55Vs, and the cast aluminum mid horns are dampened using rope caulk.  IMO those are very subtle improvements in the CWI sound.

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6 hours ago, Sprogk said:

 

I have the opportunity to buy a pair of Cornwall.

 

Both are relatively close to go pick up and price is similar. (Both pairs are in good condition)

 

My question which is better and why? Somebody told me that they use different horns when they made the II’s.

 

Do you have pics of the labels on the backs of these Cornwall II's?  Or pics of the backs themselves?  Because there are big differences between the ORIGINAL Cornwall II models and the later Cornwall II models....the year of manufacture will tell the story on which version they are.  It is pretty difficult to advise you if we can't see what we are giving advice about.

 

The original version of "Cornwall II" speakers have the same drivers as what is being referred to as Cornwall I speakers, and they have screwed-on back panels. 

 

It is the latter version of the "Cornwall II" speaker which has the drivers mounted from the face of the motorboard instead of to the inside of the motorboard.

 

The pics will answer the question of which version of "Cornwall II" the speakers are, and THEN we can give good advice.

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I owned CW2s for a number of years and have heard CW1s on many occasions.

They both sound great. If there is any weakness, Cornwalls in general have a slight "nasal" quality. That deficit was partially solved in the CW2's. The difference is not "night and day" and I could certainly be very happy with either model.

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1 hour ago, Sprogk said:

Ok so CW I then. Here are the pics of the CW I’s back....seems serials are not sequential.

Probably a dealer thing for non-sequential serial numbers, because at the plant shipping department they ATTEMPTED to pair up the birch raw speakers as best they could, but some of the dealers tended to view the birch raw speakers in the same way as the old "D" style decorators and made no attempt to pull them from stock as a pair with sequential serial numbers. 

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