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Cornwalls- Will I regret it?


B_Shakey

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Tomorrow I will be picking up a pair of Cornwall III's, but I have a feeling I may end up putting them right back on the market.

 

Here's why I'm buying them: I have a Fisher 500c, and when I read the rapturous comments about pairing tubes with Klipsch, I realize I am never going to be satisfied until I give it a try. I have a pretty big collection of vinyl, and only listen to CD's when that's the only available option.  I listen to a lot of jazz and classical, and it seems like that match should be pretty ideal.  I also listen to a lot of rock, but it's on the more acoustic, non-head banging end of the spectrum (CSN, Neil Young, Beatles, Dire Straits, etc.).  So I'm hoping the Cornwalls will be good for that, too.

 

Here's why I'm afraid I might be disappointed: To this point, my favorite speakers by far are ADS L810's.  I purchased some JBL 4311's a few years ago and immediately resold them... they were MUCH MUCH too bright and harsh for my taste.  And many of the sources I read tend to place ADS on the opposite end of the spectrum from the Klipsch sound.

 

I have read so much contradictory stuff as I was deciding whether to pull the trigger on the Cornwalls.  Many say that someone with my tastes will find them much too harsh.  Others say that the problem is with SS equipment and CD's recorded/mastered in the 80's.  LOTS of people say that tubes solve the problem, and they are the ones who pushed me over the edge.

 

In the end, the only real answer is going to come when I hook them up and drop the needle.  But I'd also appreciate any advice that will keep me from overreacting, pre-judging, or missing solutions that might be easily solved by placement, etc.  I've got two choices for rooms: one is 12x14, and one is 12x25d.  Based on what I've read so far, I'll probably go with the big room first.

 

Anyway, I'd love to hear input/predictions from the community about what I can expect.

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Welcome to the forum.

 

I have never heard the Cornwall III, but they seem to be the red headed step child in the CW legacy. There seems to be a love/hate relationship according to some feedback I've seen. Hopefully yours will be a love story.

 

I'd say you are on the right path by putting them in the larger room. Spread them as far apart as practical and fire them right at your listening position. If they are too much for you, toe them off axis til you get a good balance.

 

Good luck and come back here to update us.

 

Shakey

 

 

 

 

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Nothing wrong  with Cornwall III  , the mids horn is smaller that a CW  IV   , but worst scenario , you can still add a slightly larger mids horn  in the enclosure  , The  K601 versus the K701 -

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Welcome to the forum!

No... But if new, give them a week or so to let them break-in.

Do not leave the SS out of the picture as could come in handy in case you decide to bi-amp the woofers... good fortune.

 

Edit: Loudspeakers like the Cornwall like most all Klipsch besides being efficient also are sensitive to source and will reproduce with accuracy any flaw in a source.

No skipping or colorizing over what is there unlike some others.

Thanks!

 

Edited by billybob
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FWIW, I have Heresy IIIs with SS and found the mids to be harsh and forward on a lot of source material. I love so many other things about the speaker and didn't want to sell it, so I got a Schiit Loki 4-band tone control and cut the mids and highs quite a bit and to me it sounds a lot better. 

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2 hours ago, B_Shakey said:

Thanks to those who took time to reply.  I will check back in later with first reactions for anyone who is interested.

Maybe an initial impression but, thinking that some time will be needed for you to adjust the speakers and for your ears to adjust as well from your ADS, which are indeed different.

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Welcome @B_Shakey

 

To reassure you, normally the HERITAGE series is not hard, unlike what is often criticized a little for the Klipsch Reference series

 

On the 500C there are small tone controls, use them if you find your CWIII too harsh to start with.

 

Also think, as it was said above, that if they are new to soften them gently with programs rich in bass for a few weeks !

 

😄

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On 1/1/2021 at 12:50 PM, B_Shakey said:

I purchased some JBL 4311's a few years ago and immediately resold them... they were MUCH MUCH too bright and harsh for my taste. 

 

Never found my 4311s to be harsh... ever.

 

Yeah, you probably won't like the Cornwalls.

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15 minutes ago, geoff. said:

Dire Straights and Cornwalls, oh yeah!

 

Set up your Cornwalls and follow geoff.'s advice.  If you look at the bottom of my signature, there is a quote from Paul Klipsch.  Most anything "bad" you will hear in other recordings are not a failure on the part of the Cornies, as explained by the man himself, PWK.  Give your ears some time to get used to what you are hearing.  It is a more faithful re-creation of what was recorded than any other speaker system in this price range.

 

Another fantastic recording is "Owner of a Broken Heart".  Play that at your normal volume, and you will fall in love.

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