Cornwall IV and break in

[ClaudeJ1]

On 8/6/2020 at 9:53 AM, Davecv41 said:

Lots of good points, including things I hadn't thought about before, like @joessportster comment about needing to start the breakin process all over if a speaker hasn't been used in a long time. But, I'm still skeptical about breaking in. Speakers are make from components, which are designed to specifications, then tested after manufacture to ensure they meet those specs. Since that is measurable, is there anyone doing before and after measurements on drivers after xx number of hours, to see if those numbers have changed? Is that something that PWK would have thought of and documented during his long career?

I'm 99% sure that PWK would have whipped out his "BULLSHIT" button since Horn Loaded Woofers hardly move to produce loud sounds. So pushing their excursion limit with any kind of "break in" would have very little effect on the actual output of the speaker, so the real break in happens with the OWNER!!!

 

[henry4841]

I Agree with Claude. Think of the bass speakers as a horn driver just like the mid and tweeter driver. Horn drivers move very little and depend on the horn to amplify the sound. Since horn drivers move very little the sound is naturally more clean, equating to less distortion. I doubt it takes very much breakin with a Klipsch horn loaded bass driver. Bass speakers in conventional speakers are the ones that require a few hours to limber up being that they have to move so much more to produce bass notes. IMHO 

Edited August 13, 2020 by henry4841

[Shakeydeal]

19 minutes ago, henry4841 said:

I Agree with Claude. Think of the bass speakers as a horn driver just like the mid and tweeter driver. Horn drivers move very little and depend on the horn to amplify the sound. Since horn drivers move very little the sound is naturally more clean, equating to less distortion. I doubt it takes very much breakin with a Klipsch horn loaded bass driver. Bass speakers in conventional speakers are the ones that require a few hours to limber up being that they have to move so much more to produce bass notes. IMHO 

 

That's all well and good until you remember that the Cornwall is NOT a horn loaded bass speaker............

[henry4841]

43 minutes ago, Shakeydeal said:

 

That's all well and good until you remember that the Cornwall is NOT a horn loaded bass speaker............

You are correct. Only responded to Claude's statement without looking at the topic of Cornwall's. They do need some time to limber up being a conventional bass speaker. I stand corrected. 

[ClaudeJ1]

9 hours ago, henry4841 said:

You are correct. Only responded to Claude's statement without looking at the topic of Cornwall's. They do need some time to limber up being a conventional bass speaker. I stand corrected. 

No need to stand corrected. Since Cornwalls used the same woofer as the Khorn for years and years, and the Cornwall box was designed by PWK around that same driver, I just wanted to communicate the difference between the two. So break in is not always required for the same driver depending on it's excursion demands in actual use. I'm still not totally convinced about break in other than when drivers are brand new.

[Shakeydeal]

All I have to say on the matter is that three weeks later the CW IVs sound very different than they did in the beginning.

[ClaudeJ1]

4 hours ago, Shakeydeal said:

All I have to say on the matter is that three weeks later the CW IVs sound very different than they did in the beginning.

Yes indeed. This means YOU and the speakers are fully broken in to each other! LOL. 

[A1UC]

Mine sound so thin can't stand it
others I spoke to said took there's 500-700 hours lol


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[Shakeydeal]

2 hours ago, A1UC said:

Mine sound so thin can't stand it
others I spoke to said took there's 500-700 hours lol


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That’s strange. Even before break in, thin is not how I would have described the sound.

[the real Duke Spinner]

3 hours ago, A1UC said:

Mine sound so thin can't stand it
others I spoke to said took there's 500-700 hours lol


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No way.  ...

[Idontknow]

On 8/13/2020 at 7:17 AM, ClaudeJ1 said:

I'm 99% sure that PWK would have whipped out his "BULLSHIT" button since Horn Loaded Woofers hardly move to produce loud sounds. So pushing their excursion limit with any kind of "break in" would have very little effect on the actual output of the speaker, so the real break in happens with the OWNER!!!

 

 

Don't you find in ironic that the listener can claim a change in sound from break-in but measuring equipment can't?

[Idontknow]

17 hours ago, A1UC said:

Mine sound so thin can't stand it
others I spoke to said took there's 500-700 hours lol


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You must be running them with tin can's. 😂

[Audible Nectar]

6 minutes ago, Idontknow said:

 

Don't you find in ironic that the listener can claim a change in sound from break-in but measuring equipment can't?

 

I don't think that most people could measure light in degrees Kelvin nor would they have any real clue years ago about the "temperature of light". Now we expect that spec to be on the box of the bulb being purchased in a lot of cases.

 

I think many of these characteristics are simply things we haven't attempted to measure but not necessarily "unmeasurable". Can you measure the dryness or sweetness of wine?

 

I experience the "warm up" characteristic every time I turn on my systems, neither sound their best for a couple of hours......

 

.....all that said I find it odd that a Cornwall would lack bass for 500-700 hours, if anything I would expect the top sections to be a bit edgy until the caps complete the break in, not knowing for sure but wouldn't be surprised if it took a couple hundred but that's a high frequency thing (and usually rather subtle) and the bass driver should "be what it's supposed to be" within 20-50 hours at most (as the woofer "flexes" out of new such that it attains its most tuneful performance).

 

I find "The Hue Of Sound" to be a really interesting topic but I would think waiting for a 500 hour change on a set of CW would be akin to waiting for Godot.....

[Shakeydeal]

1 hour ago, Idontknow said:

 

Don't you find in ironic that the listener can claim a change in sound from break-in but measuring equipment can't?

 

I, for one, don't find it ironic. I agree with what @Audible Nectar said above. Not everything that matters can be measured.

[grasshopper]

were they auditioned before purchase?

[Audible Nectar]

2 minutes ago, grasshopper said:

would the acoustics pf the room be a factor?

 

Absolutely. I've seen people attempt to install these speakers in some rather inhospitable environments. If I get a "no bass" complaint there's a whole litany of things to look at - phasing (yes, people DO make errors here), gear (YES, there are "better" amps for these Heritage than others and they are NOT all "The Same"), as well as the room which could just be an acoustic nightmare one cannot do anything with.

 

With Cornwalls, though, they have enough flexibility that if you let them have "first pick" - IOW, you put those speakers where they sound best in the room, then build the rest of the room around that in terms of layout - that you should have a good chance of success. I've had these speakers in some less than ideal rooms too, but there ARE things that can be done if the room isn't cooperating. It might not be "ideal" but one can make it "better".

[ClaudeJ1]

19 hours ago, A1UC said:

Mine sound so thin can't stand it
others I spoke to said took there's 500-700 hours lol


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Congratulations. You get the Paul Wilbur Klipsch Bullshit button for a whole week over that one.

[OO1]

 700 hours that's close to 1 month  playing non-stop ,  break in is like 30-50 hours if that  !

[the real Duke Spinner]

19 hours ago, A1UC said:

Mine sound so thin can't stand it
others I spoke to said took there's 500-700 hours lol


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That is baloney. 🙄

[A1UC]

Lol , Okay here is the deal . I bought the Cornwall 4's for another system . All I ever heard you can run Klipsch with 2a3 tube etc etc . I'm using my 300b amp on these 8w and they are so underpowered they sound awful [emoji2961]

What I have found is 30w GM70 amp I have makes them shine . So can somone really confirm 8w is enough


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