Audible Nectar Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 With the assistance of the forum, and a great deal of crate handling, the Cornwall Theatre is now operational I also wish to make special mention of our beloved forum member HornEd. His 6 KLF-30 system was the inspiration and impetus for my vision of the Cornwall theatre. Also to members DeanG and Triceratops, who might recognize a few speakers in the pics below Since the late 1980's, I've been well aware of, and enfatuated with the venerable Klipsch Cornwall. While the Cornwall was not the flagship of the Klipsch line, Paul W. Klipsch hit the jackpot with a speaker that takes a back seat to very few - and none at it's price. Nothing has really changed; The Cornwall still impresses: as many other models have come and gone over the years by many manufacturers, the Cornwall remains standing as one of the all time greats. When you look at used Cornwall prices today, it's an absolute bargain.....like getting something for nothing. Buy a cheap speaker, get a real speaker free! The original setup consisted of an '88 Cornwall II pair with an Academy at center, 2 Chorus in the rear, in a 5.1 configuration. It was sufficiently timbre matched to understand the importance of that concept. The real revelation came with a very lucky find - a pair of '76 Cornwalls in a tradin' times flyer, that opened my eyes to the sonic benefits of the earlier alnico models. I was finding the Oil Oak Heritage models difficult to obtain on the used market to match the '88 Corns, so the acquisition of the '76 pair was a very nice "accident" to have happen. I made a decision to trade off the non alnico speakers for alnico models - to match the '76 pair. Why alnico? They are smoother sounding than the later Cornwall II. I am not sure if it is attributable to the crossover, the alnico drivers, or the combination of the two, but I am highly addicted to the sonics of the older vintages. I also find something very attractive in the solid wood build of the cabinets and the metal horns. While not sonically optimal (but can be improved with mods), there's something to be said for the beauty and durability of the solid wood - strong enough to be passed down for generations. What can I say - I'm old school! The setup is as follows: Center: 1968 Cornwall II pair (vertical horns), stock, speakers upright. (Yes, I'm using 2 center channel speakers) Mains: 1974 Cornwall with modifications by DeanG. Surrounds: 1976 Cornwall (Decorator with custom finish) Subwoofers: 2 JBL 4638 woofer cabinets (each with 2 15" woofers per cab - these are the "tent sale" cabinets we all jumped on last year) The system further marries the old school with the new school theater concept by way of the electronics choices. The electronics selected are mostly the "unwanteds" - components located in pawn shops, newspaper ads, or sold off by audiophiles because these were no longer "the current hot piece". I have provided homes for these in my system, with minimal or no loss of performance. The central brain of the system is the Krell HTS preamp - the original, and a dinosaur by today's standards. Still, good sonics is good sonics, and this unit delivers that - if not the latest in formats. I was originally less than impressed with the detail of this piece, but using the older Cornwalls was big help - as well as better 2 channel performance using a Mac amp to drive those main channels. The Krell is a detailed sound, but not harsh - especially if you choose smooth amplification. Ideal for a home theater on steroids. A McIntosh Mc 250 drives the '74s as main channels, an Outlaw multichannel drives the other four speakers. The Mac shines in 2 channel - conversational volume is now much better in this system, as the Mac performs well in that critical "first watt". The warts of the Outlaw don't seem to show up as much as they used to in the old configuration. This is partially attributable to the smoother Cornwall I sound vs. the '88 II version (which the Outlaw was hooked up to the '88s in the old setup). Also, the Outlaw is generally only operated for theater use (higher volume), which is in the "comfortable operating range" of this amp, where it will sound better. A Crown CE-1000 drives the JBL sub cabinets, using a Behringer Feedback Destroyer (BFD) as an EQ. The BFD is a pain to master, but once learned is a highly flexible unit which allows performance on the cheap. It tamed the JBL monsters and tuned them to the room very effectively. A Rega Planet provides the CD source, a Pioneer 333 DVD provides the video/DVD playback on a 32" Sony tube TV, and a '76 Accuphase T 101 tuner handles occasional FM duty. SO, HOW DOES IT SOUND?????? The usual reference discs were all out for the initial listening tests on this system: The Eagles: Hell Freezes Over is the standard for fidelity and blend - and is delivered through this system flawlessly. This justified the timbre matching efforts thoroughly and completely. The DTS sound shows off the JBL low end with tight bass that rips on the harder rocking, upbeat cuts. You won't miss the fact that the JBLs only go down to 25 hz, since the quality of what you get above 25 hz will have you thinking that the system might be fully horn loaded........ Reference standard video #2 is "Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense". Let's talk about the Cornwall Slam Factor, shall we.....to the power of six (multiplied by 2 JBL bass cabinets). Before I go on, you may ask yourself, "how boomy is this kit??" The answer is, not at all. The bass is tight, effortless, and powerful, and the Talking Heads' rhythm section will have you in full blown boogie mode. This video will have you dancing in your mind, and possibly in your house - if not, you are just plain dead. Don't let the neighbors see you, or they might call the local funny farm! By the time you get to "Crosseyed and Painless", you will be Crosseyed and Painless! Then, of course, is the modern cimema classic "The Matrix", which shows off the system's ability to amaze you with directional effects and firepower. The slow motion bullet scenes again show off the timbre matching and sonic realism that six Cornwalls can provide, with effective steering of effects sounds.......and of course, The Matrix provides another great LFE workout as well! The 2 channel performance of this system proved to be a nice added bonus. The Rega>Krell>Mac>'74 Cornwall is a big improvement from the first incarnation (Rega>Krell>Outlaw>'88 Cornwall II). Much smoother, without fatigue. What improvements could be made??? Mainly in the video display. The long term plan is to use a front projector unit to bring the video up to the scale of the audio. This is a long term goal, as current technology is expensive, especially if good performance is desired. Once that issue is dealt with, I can forsee a pre/pro swap to a 6.1 unit, since the speakers and amps are here now to do a 6.1 system. The front PJ will also solve placement issues with the center channel, allowing me to go back to a single center. 6.1 is not in the plan until I am in another dwelling. I also wouldn't mind having a pair of Bryston 4B's to run the subs and Mac amps for the other channels (especially the center), but these are finer points - not really an urgent issue, but something I would do if the opportunity came cheap. A few pics below - albeit not of great quality, but they will give you an idea (which brings be to another needed upgrade......digicam)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted July 6, 2003 Author Share Posted July 6, 2003 The Front Soundstage...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted July 6, 2003 Author Share Posted July 6, 2003 In the dark..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted July 6, 2003 Author Share Posted July 6, 2003 the '74 and '68......left side: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted July 6, 2003 Author Share Posted July 6, 2003 These are the rear speakers in the system - the '76 Decorator Cornwalls, with custom finish: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted July 6, 2003 Author Share Posted July 6, 2003 Rears without grill, to show the beautiful woodgrain: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted July 6, 2003 Author Share Posted July 6, 2003 The equipment rack: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted July 6, 2003 Author Share Posted July 6, 2003 Workstation: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkrop Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 Nice set up, how big is that room? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksdad Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 you have a damn good looking system, and i'll bet it sounds great too, i love the way corns make everything look small Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 WOW! That's all I can say. I'm speechless. Congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted July 7, 2003 Author Share Posted July 7, 2003 Bkrop, The room is approximately 16 x 19, but the room extends behind into a dining area, then to the kitchen and the rest of the house. It really feels much more spacious than one might think - I took a considerable amount of time planning the layout to create the feel of "open space". Of course, a larger room for this will be a criteria in the selection of our next dwelling; ideally I will be able to hide the equipment completely, leaving just the Klipsch and video display to be seen. The speakers also provide cover for the amp racks installed behind them - it cleans up the installation considerably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted April 10, 2004 Author Share Posted April 10, 2004 Bump for TOC_op Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRB Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 WOW!. Amazing. I am jealous for two reasons: First for the incredible kit you have there and second, my wife would have me drawn and quartered if I tried a set up like that. You definitely have WAF issues there. Nice rig. Do you get friends who come over to sign disclaimer forms before you let them watch The Matrix just in case they have heart failure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted April 10, 2004 Author Share Posted April 10, 2004 "my wife would have me drawn and quartered if I tried a set up like that. You definitely have WAF issues there." I certainly have wife issues regarding Klipsch. I was showing her an old pair of vintage JBL Sovereigns on the web, explaining that I thought those looked very good - and would look even better in a room full of other antique and vintage housewares. She says to me "you aren't thinking of trading the Belles for those are you? "No, of course not"...... .......which illustrates a lesson I learned regarding my wife - don't bring a beeeeeuuuutiful pair of Belle Klipsch (or other Heritage klipsch) into the home unless I know I want to keep them - for she may become attached to them. She's certainly a keeper "Nice rig. Do you get friends who come over to sign disclaimer forms before you let them watch The Matrix just in case they have heart failure?" Thanks for the compliments. Other than any excellent sounding audio video titles my guests may recommend, I only tell my guests to bring a clean set of underwear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRB Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 Keep the wife for sure, and I am LMAO. Maybe you should start a Fruit of the Loom concession to help pay for the hobby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 Audible Nectar, Beautifu Pictures of your Setup............shows what the size of CW's really are. I have to ask though........Behind the CW's- are those B*** 301's hiding in the background? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted April 10, 2004 Author Share Posted April 10, 2004 "I have to ask though........Behind the CW's- are those B*** 301's hiding in the background?" If it is the back corners you are referring to - those are the JBL 4638 woofer cabinets - if it is behind the right center Cornwall that you are referring to, that is a McIntosh 250 amplifier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 AN, I was referring to the Front Soundstage picture, Your First one. Behind the right speaker............Thanks for the reply.....I wasn't trying to flame you................ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted April 10, 2004 Author Share Posted April 10, 2004 No offense taken, Bill! Now that I look at it, I see how that assumption could be made. It also illustrates how badly I need a digital camera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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