texas42 Posted June 7, 2003 Share Posted June 7, 2003 Hi, just purchased a very nice pair of Cornwalls (1979 vintage) and wondering what tweaks are available to maximize their potential. Any ideas or thoughts out there from other Cornwall owners? Also, is there an easy way to replace the speaker connections to 5 way binding posts or something a bit more solid/modern? Thanks for any inputs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mopar dave Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 hi tex, the mods you will want to make are on the crossover. first change the inductors to the air core type with same values, but with 12 or 14gage. next, change the the mid driver cap. with solen fast cap, same value. next, change the tweeter cap. with a solen or hovland of same value. use rope caulk inside cabinet around tweeter and mid horn. also run the rope caulk around the back panel mounting surface to create a good seal. you may want to replace old wire inside cabinet with oxygen free copper wire in 12 or 14gage. dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry N. Cruse Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 ---------------- On 6/8/2003 9:38:27 AM mopar dave wrote: hi tex, the mods you will want to make are on the crossover. first change the inductors to the air core type with same values, but with 12 or 14gage. next, change the the mid driver cap. with solen fast cap, same value. next, change the tweeter cap. with a solen or hovland of same value. use rope caulk inside cabinet around tweeter and mid horn. also run the rope caulk around the back panel mounting surface to create a good seal. you may want to replace old wire inside cabinet with oxygen free copper wire in 12 or 14gage. dave ---------------- Tex, Also Cut a 3/4" sheet of plywood just small enough to clear the screws and connections and screw it on the back pannel. Use about 30 screws and be shure to miss the mid driver. Use 1"x1" hardwood and screw it across the motor board (inside) just below the tweeter. I used 1 1/4 x 1 1/4 steel angle. Do not allow it to touch the sides. Enjoy the slam! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good2BHome Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 Do a search in the 2 Channel Forum this year for "Secret Cornwall". I posted at length some of the mods I made to my Cornwalls in the post "Revealed ...." Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbflash Posted June 10, 2003 Share Posted June 10, 2003 tex, great speakers. order 2 pair of Cardas binding posts (CCBP-L) from DIYCABLE.com When you remove the original posts you can use one of the existing holes. Since you are going to have to solder the wire back to the binding post's this would be a very good time to rewire the speakers. I replaced my binding post's and rewired my speakers. I think the whole thing took a couple hours. The first one I went slow, because I never did anything like this before. The second one took a little over an hour. After you do this sit back for a couple weeks/months and relax. Don't try and do everything at once or else you will never know what made a difference. I added Deflex panels a couple months ago. I am now going to try and wrap the horns with chaulk. Enjoy your speakers. Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dflip Posted June 10, 2003 Share Posted June 10, 2003 The gentlemen above have covered the points that you can or should consider. For the inductors, use 12 gauge solid wire inductors, Solen makes one. If you check some of my past posts regarding Cornwalls, I posted a price for them from a Canadian supplier, but in US $. There are other suppliers available in the US, just check for price. Crossing the border lately, either way can add a week to the process. The 2.0 uF capacitor should be Hovland and th 4.0 uF can be Solen (not necessary to go the big buck route here). The inductors are a big change and should definitely be considered, if you are doing this on a budget. None of it costs and arm and a leg and can be reversed if you want. The inductors were the most expensive part of the crossover network. The amount of caulking to apply to the squawker is dependent on your room, amp and preamp. You need to go further down the throat of the horn if you have SS equipment, less if you have tubes. Again check under Cornwall in the search box and you will find a good number of suggestions, some of them differing opinions. Good luck, Cornwalls are a great speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dflip Posted June 11, 2003 Share Posted June 11, 2003 Hovland caps, 2.0 and 2.2 uF for only $14 each. I didn't check to see how many they have, but the price is really good, regularly over $20 each. http://www.welbornelabs.com/stuff.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texas42 Posted June 11, 2003 Author Share Posted June 11, 2003 Wow...lots of great suggestions. I've never tinkered around with the 'guts' of the speakers before as to changing inductors, etc, but hoping it is somewhat intuitive. I'm guessing I just use a solder gun to remove the capacitors and/or inductors that are there and replace (resolder) the new ones? As far as the rope caulk...I'm guessing I just need to coat around the outside of the horns (mid and tweet) to reduce unwanted vibrations? I also plan on refinishing these (from plain birch) to a satin or semi-gloss black finish (the grills are already black). Again, thanks for all the ideas. I'll start ordering parts soon. Any specific rope caulk to use? Regards, Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texas42 Posted June 11, 2003 Author Share Posted June 11, 2003 Oh, another 'newbie' question, if I may. Although it may be obvious, how many caps do I buy per speaker and what values? One per driver? (3 per speaker?). Are the 2.0 caps just for the tweeters; 2.2s for the mid, etc...? I don't plan on tweaking these until I get them back from being refinished so won't be able to actually dig around in them to answer some of this. But would like to order all necessary parts beforehand so I can jump on them when I get them back. Thanks again in advance.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted June 12, 2003 Share Posted June 12, 2003 You will need two 2µF and two 4µF cap to do a pair of Cornwalls. "The 2.0 uF capacitor should be Hovland and th 4.0 uF can be Solen (not necessary to go the big buck route here)." This is of course bad advice. If you examine the schematic you will see that all the sound for the tweeter must go through the 4µF cap before it even gets to the 2µF cap. Flush mouning the tweeter improves the sound. Klipsch sells a special bracket for this, pn 061105, $8. They call it a 'Z' bracket and it is used in the Klipschorn. This mod involves some woodworking, you will need a jig-saw. After mounting the tweeter, seal around the back of the tweeter horn with rope-caulk. Moretite is a good brand of rope-caulk. http://www.efi.org/products/weather/mortite.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dflip Posted June 12, 2003 Share Posted June 12, 2003 I'm guessing I just use a solder gun to remove the capacitors and/or inductors that are there and replace (resolder) the new ones? As far as the rope caulk...I'm guessing I just need to coat around the outside of the horns (mid and tweet) to reduce unwanted vibrations? ---------------- The capacitor advice was what I got from Al K, I haven't seen a pair of Hovland 4.0 uF on sale yet, otherwise I would have bought a pair by now. Al used to build an ALK version of the B network, but stopped doing so. Too expensive and not enough orders, it is a viable option for the Khorns because they sell for a lot more money. The B network cost almost as much as a used Cornwall. The capacitors need to be soldered. Not hard to remove and replace, if you have a soldering gun and have ever used one. The new caps can be glued onto the board with a hot glue gun to keep them in place. When you remove them, draw a diagram and label which wire goes to which piece, it does make life easier. The inductors are heavier than the current ones and need to be attached with plastic ties (no metal). It probably means using a new board for the crossover and drilling a couple of holes through to help wrap the plastic around the inductor. Then the board needs to be raised off the side of the speaker with washers or isolation material to allow the wire to fit underneath. If you go to http://www.alkeng.com/klipsch.html you can see what Al's system looks like. Yours will be a lot simpler. You will need one 2.0 uF and one 4.0 uF cap and one inductor, 2.4 mHy, solid wire, 12 gauge preferably. It does give you an idea of what you could build. Rope caulk is a subject of debate. I have about 3" of it going from the horn magnet towards the neck of the squawker horn. Others have put it on all of the squawker and even two layers of it. Easy to do, easy to remove, experiement and see what sounds best to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dflip Posted June 13, 2003 Share Posted June 13, 2003 Included, hopefully, is a drawing of the B network. It should be in jpg format readable with Quicktime. I guess I will find out soon. It is not intended for those of you who are electronics experts. It is another way of looking at it for those of us not so technically inclined. This is how the network was connected before I did the rewiring and I kept it the same. The type of speaker, original caps and inductors and replacements are clearly labelled. I was able to figure this out and I hadn't used a soldering iron before, so it is possible to complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good2BHome Posted June 14, 2003 Share Posted June 14, 2003 Dflip, You may have never soldered before, but you can sure as hell CAN draw a diagram!!!! If anyone that owns Cornwalls can't follow your diagram, they are to immediately contact me and I will remove their, Cornwalls per the terms they agreed to when they joined the Forum. Great Job, Dflip!!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dflip Posted June 14, 2003 Share Posted June 14, 2003 Thanks Mike. I am an urban planner by education and use the computer to draw maps to people's houses and to construct other forms for school (report cards, calculating points for houseleague, etc). I just takes some time and practice. Besides, I can understand my diagram, where the technical ones are like a foreign language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 I have a very nice pair of 1978 Cornwalls which I have so far left stock except for a lot of caulking on the woofer frames, some caulking (25%) on the mid range lens, and nothing on the tweeter. I am interested in the various suggestions on this thread regarding upgrading the crossover, wiring, and posts. I would like to hear more testimonials about the preceived differences these have made, especially the crossover upgrades. Also what differences were heard with the back panel being beefed up? I am not really familiar with the term "slam" so I did not get that, is there another way to describe this? C&S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry N. Cruse Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 C&S, I am not an EE, articulate, or eloquent but will give this a shot. When I started monitoring this BB long before I considered posting, someone referred to the Cornwall " Slam Factor", and to me, it seemed to be very appropriate description of the sound produced by the Klipsch Cornwall. It stuck with me. I have used 2 cornerhorns,2Las center, and 2 LaS rear in a past system. I have ended up with 4 Cornwalls.(Stacked tweeter to tweeter) Well...Maybe I endure a degree of inefficient and distortion for the "Boot in the Chest" (SLAM) delivered from the CW. I would match 4 CWs against 2 Cornerhorns any day. I listen to music of all kinds,as long as it is "dynamic". (well not C&W) The Slam is explosive low bass, forward mids, high highs and IN YOUR FACE. I love the puritury of cornerhorns; they are a smooth wave rolling across the floor. But not a boot in the chest.(No Slam Factor) The back of the Cornwall is fairly large plane and is prone to deflection. Bracing it lowers the flex and tightens the bass. Very noticable. IMO tc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 Terry, Thanks for the info. I think I get it now. I guess I like "slam" myself sometimes, and I can get it for sure with my home built Altec System. C&S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry N. Cruse Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 ---------------- On 6/17/2003 6:31:43 PM Clipped and Shorn wrote: Terry, Thanks for the info. I think I get it now. I guess I like "slam" myself sometimes, and I can get it for sure with my home built Altec System. C&S ---------------- I would bet that you do !!!...... John Ellis has VOT horns mounted atop his CWs. I.B. Slammin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tillmbil Posted June 23, 2003 Share Posted June 23, 2003 Great, now all I need is for DFlIP to draw me a diagram of the bracing, and larger gauge wiring for the Cornwall binding post change, and I will be ready to take the back panels off. Great job DFlip!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dflip Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 Great, now all I need is for DFlIP to draw me a diagram of the bracing, and larger gauge wiring for the Cornwall binding post change, and I will be ready to take the back panels off. ------------- The diagram that I posted shows where the binding posts get connected to. I put new binding posts towards the bottom and ran the wire (12.5 awg) up to the terminal strip. Just drill a big enough hole for the binding post to fit through, solder one end and run it to the terminal strip. Not that difficult if you can be taught to use a soldering iron (this is basic work, not like soldering a circuit board). As for the bracing, a piece of hardwood, maple and ash are favourites, although I used oak screwed between the squawker and the woofer. I think the piece is 1"x 1" by the length (minus a bit on both ends). It should not touch the sides of the cabinet. Predrill the hardwood so you don't split it. It does tighten up the front face of the birch plywood. If you type in Cornwall in the search engine, there is information about the back brace. Another 3/4" piece of plywood is screwed onto the existing back, taking care to not hit the existing screw holes or the squawker horn, which comes very close to the back of the cabinet. Then it gets painted or stained. I haven't tried this, I seem to be able to get enough slam without this tweak. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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