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Vintage Klipsch Cornwall


Mostec

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Hi to all, I'm new here on Klipsch community and thanks for let me in. 

 

I have a chance to buy Klipsch Cornwall speakers from late 70's but I'm confused because of K-33-E black color and K-33-B bronze color driver?!?! One speaker is with K33E black, other K33B driver, one horn is K-77, and middle K-55-M. The speaker serial number continues. Avoid them or buy them? Price is 800€ for pair.

Edited by Mostec
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A sun faded woofer with a light grey color is common, but K-55-Ms began in 1982.  It sounds like you have a mash-up of parts.  What are the serial numbers?  I think I remember K-33-Es and -Bs were interchangeablely for a while but a real -B should not be "bronze". 

 

The K-55-M squawker is a good driver, but should not be in 70s Cornwalls. 

 

I'd offer 500 Euros knowing some things will need to be restored. 

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OK, the bronze frame color is normal.  Since you didn't state where it was bronze, I assumed it was the cone.  With pics, it is clear the squawkers were most likely upgraded from K-55-Vs.  Not a bad thing.  K-55-Ms were first put in La Scalas in 1982.  Perhaps Mr. Hunter will chime in with the date they were first used in Cornwalls. 

 

1979 was the last year for AlNiCo magnet K-77s. 

 

The insides look nice, so I rescind my low price recommendation. 

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2 hours ago, Frzninvt said:

The will be slightly off balance since the K-55M's are about 1.5db more efficient than the K-55V's unless they changed the capacitor values in the network to compensate for the increased efficiency.

 

Sorry man, you're freezin' there!  Caps change frequency, resistors change output.  :D 

 

I have wondered about the -M's output,  Al K made no allowance for that in his Universal network (but included adjustment for taste). 

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21 hours ago, JohnA said:

 

Sorry man, you're freezin' there!  Caps change frequency, resistors change output.  :D 

 

I have wondered about the -M's output,  Al K made no allowance for that in his Universal network (but included adjustment for taste). 

 

Is there a detailed primer somewhere on loudspeaker XOs? I know nothing about specific XO components and their function, but would like to learn. I understand what a XO does, splits the music signal to the appropriate transducers ( ie highs, mids, and low freq), but just how a cap or resistor or coil do it.

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21 hours ago, Mostec said:

Can you write more about this? Thank you in advance.

 

I was the primary builder of Cornwalls when yours were built.  Stand behind the speakers, looking at the rear edge of the side panel to your left...about an inch or slightly less further down from the top...there should be letters stamped in there...two sets, one above the other.  What letters do you see?  Note: There should NORMALLY be pairs of letters side-by-side in each set.  If one of those pairs of letters has "A" in it, I built it.  Cornwalls were most often built by two builders in those days...one on each side of the worktable.  The primary builder normally worked from front while the helper worked from the rear...as the cabinet was being built.  One set of the stamped-in letters are the builder code...the other set is who sanded them.  Since yours are CBR's I may have build them with no helper at all!...if that is the case, then the "A" will be just a single letter instead of a pair of letters.

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How cool is this! To get input/comments from the potential builder of your 40 year old Cornwalls. CWs that ended up in Europe to boot.

 

Who else in America builds home loudspeakers still rockin it 40 years later?

 

That's just bad to da bone!

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2 hours ago, HDBRbuilder said:

I was the primary builder of Cornwalls when yours were built.  Stand behind the speakers, looking at the rear edge of the side panel to your left...about an inch or slightly less further down from the top...there should be letters stamped in there...two sets, one above the other.  What letters do you see?  Note: There should NORMALLY be pairs of letters side-by-side in each set.  If one of those pairs of letters has "A" in it, I built it.  Cornwalls were most often built by two builders in those days...one on each side of the worktable.  The primary builder normally worked from front while the helper worked from the rear...as the cabinet was being built.  One set of the stamped-in letters are the builder code...the other set is who sanded them.  Since yours are CBR's I may have build them with no helper at all!...if that is the case, then the "A" will be just a single letter instead of a pair of letters.

 

That is very cool. I'll check letters tomorrow and will post here. 

Edited by Mostec
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