svberger Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Happy New Year all...I've been away from this forum for awhile, and now I'm back as I get set to welcome a new to me pair of 1977 birch Cornwalls. The previous owner had them for 30 years and stained them honey walnut. I'm getting them from a local friend who I trade gear with often. I've had two other pairs of Cornwall's over the last several years(Verticals and CII's) and for various reasons moved them on. But I kept thinking about them, and when the chance to own these came up, I decided to jump on them. For the time being at least, they will be driven gently by a McIntosh MC2300 paired with a McIntosh C11 tube preamp. My living room is of medium size, and there is good space to move them up against the front wall and into corners(or as close as possible). Presently using a pair of Allison One speakers in there, but they will be moved to another room with a second system. One initial question I have is that the caps look to be oil filled. Was Klipsch using these in '77? So just wanted to say happy to be back, and as always welcome any thoughts/opinions. 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Congrats and welcome back! Yes, pretty sure those are original crossovers. Enjoy and listen for abit before any crossover refresh if you want to. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svberger Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 1 minute ago, billybob said: Congrats and welcome back! Yes, pretty sure those are original crossovers. Enjoy and listen for abit before any crossover refresh if you want to. Thank you! Yes will listen first. In no hurry to update or modify. Were Klipsch using oil caps in '77, and do these look like them? In the future if I wanted to update the crossovers, and buy a new crossover from Crites or ALK, is it as easy as taking out unscrewing the leads from the drivers, removing the old crossover board, installing a new board in it's place and screwing the leads back in? In other words, soldering would not be needed? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 1 minute ago, svberger said: Thank you! Yes will listen first. In no hurry to update or modify. Were Klipsch using oil caps in '77, and do these look like them? In the future if I wanted to update the crossovers, and buy a new crossover from Crites or ALK, is it as easy as taking out unscrewing the leads from the drivers, removing the old crossover board, installing a new board in it's place and screwing the leads back in? In other words, soldering would not be needed? Yes the capacitors look original. Yes, if you buy new crossover board, that is pretty much it. There should be a host of crossover advice that will come here. You may recall, alot of opinion surrounds X-Overs. If those can capacitors are intact with no leaking evident, some keep using them instead of refreshing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svberger Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 1 minute ago, billybob said: Yes the capacitors look original. Yes, if you buy new crossover board, that is pretty much it. There should be a host of crossover advice that will come here. You may recall, alot of opinion surrounds X-Overs. If those can capacitors are intact with no leaking evident, some keep using them instead of refreshing. Thanks again. So to confirm, by original, you mean they are oil filled? I prefer oil filled from other vintage speakers I've owned in the past for their sound, and also for their durability. But I just wasn't aware that Klipsch had been using them. I've replaced a crossover board for Forte's that I had years ago, but I couldn't remember is soldering was necessary. And because I lack soldering skills that is an issue. Which is why when I looked at this board it seemed very straightforward but wanted to ask the experts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Yes, oil filled. No soldering. Not me but experts abound here and they will be along. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svberger Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 38 minutes ago, billybob said: Yes, oil filled. No soldering. Not me but experts abound here and they will be along. Thanks very much. You earn an expert cap nonetheless🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Thanks! BTW Deang, Crankysoldermeister may be back to doing crossover work as well as those mentioned. Yes those capacitors used in other speakers of the era as well, such as the LaScala, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madman1 Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Well, nice speakers, but they are gonna suffer from the lack of quality that is obviously your preamp/amplifier. I wouldn’t even hook them up. I’ll take that C11 off your hands and save you a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering. Deal? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 fyi, your Cornwalls started out as Cornwall Decorators Birch Raw and if you can still read the label it should say CD-BR Decorators came from the factory without grills and you can clearly see the laser logos still attached to the motorboard previous owner looks to have added the front molding and grills congrats on your purchase, they look awesome 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom05 Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 (edited) Beautiful set of speakers, good chance the crossovers are fine , run some test tones at low volume and see if they play the same (within a few db’s or so). Lots of guys would love to have these , especially with the original crossovers .👍 Edited January 1, 2022 by Tom05 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svberger Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 20 minutes ago, Budman said: fyi, your Cornwalls started out as Cornwall Decorators Birch Raw and if you can still read the label it should say CD-BR Decorators came from the factory without grills and you can clearly see the laser logos still attached to the motorboard previous owner looks to have added the front molding and grills congrats on your purchase, they look awesome Thanks very much! Yes as you can see the logos are there, as are the serial's etched into the birch. And yes on the CD-BR. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svberger Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 42 minutes ago, Tom05 said: Beautiful set of speakers, good chance the crossovers are fine , run some test tones at low volume and see if they play the same (within a few db’s or so). Lots of guys would love to have these , especially with the original crossovers .👍 Thanks! I will do that. On first listen, they sound fantastic! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcn3 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 @svberger - congrats! I'd love to find some nice cornwalls like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svberger Posted January 2, 2022 Author Share Posted January 2, 2022 28 minutes ago, jcn3 said: @svberger - congrats! I'd love to find some nice cornwalls like that! Thanks! It’s not often I find great pieces locally anymore. But once in a while it happens. I’m very happy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svberger Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 Will be selling my MC2300 due to ongoing issues, so needed another amp, got a MC240 to use with my C11. Should be a nice combo when it arrives on Friday. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svberger Posted January 6, 2022 Author Share Posted January 6, 2022 I've gone completely mad and ordered a set of MC30's because I keep reading about how great they are. Figure I better just do my own comparisons with the Cornwall's, and then I'll decide what to keep. I may keep them both, and sell off some Mc solid state gear I have. Or sell nothing. Probably better long term investments these days then what I have in the stock market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 On 1/1/2022 at 12:19 PM, svberger said: Was Klipsch using these in '77? 100% original 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svberger Posted January 6, 2022 Author Share Posted January 6, 2022 32 minutes ago, RandyH said: 100% original Thanks! Love how they sound. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 1 minute ago, svberger said: Thanks! Love how they sound. the MC240 is also the perfect amp combo ,congrats 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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