shload Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Looking at some Cornwalls to match with my Ideal Innovations Stereo50 tube amp. I have RB-5ii at this time. Been told that the Cornwalls will give more of a PA sound vs a more refined audio sound of the 5's. Any thoughts on this, music tastes lean toward jazz and some classic rock. Thanks for any info. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Yes. The cornwalls have a more live and open sound and they are great speakers for jazz and have more than enough slam for rock. Ask anyone who owns them and you'll probably get a similiar answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Funny, I used to say Heritage sounded like "P.A." speakers -- but they really don't. P.A. speakers sound bad, and Heritage speakers just sound a little bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 A "PA sound"? From Cornwalls? Excuse me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Dean's being a bit facetious I would think. I'm not sure what PA sound is, but cheap Bogen columns come to mind. Something akin, perhaps, to an assembly in the gym during second grade. Basically, horrid HF screech. Cornwalls are nothing of the sort. They are wonderful jazz speakers (and will do selectively well with rock, depending on the amp and the source material) that have a very nice low end and excellent HF sections. That being said, they are very revealing of flaws in your gear. They do, however, like to be mated with quality tube gear, and while unfamiliar with your setup, it sounds like you have a step in the right direction. Give 'em a listen. You won't be sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Dean's just trying to justify the sale of his heritage. He has cornwall remorse and it's killing him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 ---------------- On 9/29/2003 1:56:26 PM artto wrote: A "PA sound"? From Cornwalls? Excuse me? ---------------- The Cornwalls have a refined, very detailed sound as long as your amplifier can deliver that. Some believe ANY horn speaker wi ll delver a P. A. sound - long throw, exaggeragtions in frequency response, poor detail and only competent with high volume. I own two (2) pair of Cornwall IIs and I need low, clean volume, from which I receive detail, soundstage, a bass which is satisfactory for any music if set up properly. The highs are very clear without too much push. The Cornwalls are also a good size for many different sized rooms and room configurations. Recommended. dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Reed Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 There's a reason Cornwall's are so sought after. It's a great speaker that should have never been discontinued. Go for the Cornwalls! Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 I have RB-5s as well, great speakers! the cornwalls are indeed different animals. P.A. speakers? NAHHHH! they are, as mentioned previously, very revealing speakers. the RB-5s tend to smooth out the sound a bit while the cornwalls will show it all, as it is. cornwalls have great bass (which our little RB-5s cannot match) and a great open mid and treble, big dynamics...they move more air than RB-5s...you should audition before buying but do not write them off as P.A. speakers, whoever told you that is a bozo (as in bose-o!). if you tell us more about the rest of your system and your room we can be more helpful. tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 I think I would have been happiest with some LaScalas and a very, very good equalizer. For the record, the Cornwall does NOT sound like a P.A. speaker. P.A. speakers have NO refinement, while the Cornwalls are in fact great audio speakers offering a wide open and huge soundstage. Simply put, they are livelier and more forward than the RB-5's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shload Posted September 29, 2003 Author Share Posted September 29, 2003 Thanks for all your thoughts. Equipment that will be used is the tube amp with Audio Experience MK3 preamp sometimes slip a creek OBH12 into the system. 80% of the time a MMF-5 with Creek 8SE is used. Rotel 971 CD is used the rest of time. I'm happy with the RB-5's, but would like to try the Heritage sound. The Cornwalls would be a local pick-up, so this is why I'm thinking of givingthem a try. My room is only about 10x15 feet. Thinking it might be too small to get themost out of the Cornwalls. Hope to be able to listen to them first. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 RB-5s, with tube equipment, is easy. Horns love tubes. The bigger the big ole horns, the better. The Corns you get does make a difference though. Are they model is or IIs? Do they have B2 crossovers? In several rooms, over more than a decade, my walnut-oiled Cornwall Is, with their B2 crossover, exhibited a viscous 5-10dB or more bounce in the mid-bass (80-100Hz) and lower treble (5-9 kHz) range. I still loved their huge presentation and dynamic qualities, but this problem was worth fixing. Even when powered by tinny boom-boxes, the Cornwalls give a wonderful representation of what live music is all about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Why are you guys stereotyping PA speakers? Some are very good, many are far more refined than the rather crude Cornwall. Maybe some of you goons oughta study the history of horn speakers and learn just how and why the best ones were designed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Now the Cornwalls are crude? Lordy, Tom... a year ago or so and they were one of you favorites of the Klipsch Heritage line. See what happens when you get in a small apartment? Heh... I surely wouldnt call the SOUND of the Cornwall to be crude but I know you are just trying to defend the larger horns. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 ---------------- On 9/29/2003 4:19:45 PM TBrennan wrote: Why are you guys stereotyping PA speakers? Some are very good, many are far more refined than the rather crude Cornwall. Maybe some of you goons oughta study the history of horn speakers and learn just how and why the best ones were designed. ---------------- Hello: To note Klipsch has made some excellent P.A. speakers, from Industrial Heresys, LaScalas, to a complete LARGE several piece system all with great sound. When P.A. speakers first are mentioned or come to mind, pure sonic quality is not the first thing to come to mind. Usually, a concert utilizing P.A. speakers with high wattage, mid-range blur and these days over emphasized bass and bass drum. P.A. speakers are used in setings where one does more critcal listening - sound re-enforcement at the Philharmonic, Plays, Orchestral music, Theater, etc.. And the history of J.B. Lansing, Jensen, Altec Lansing, Stephens, RCA, Electro-Voice, Shure, Bogen all do come to mind after thought. Further thought bring Atlas Sound and University Sound to mind, as I believe PWK attempted an early design of horn usage for P.A. As did Stromberg-Carlson, I believe. But the first thought of a P.A. is either a concert or at school. Their contribution and research are noted and respected. However, IMHO, I could and would not call the Corwall IIs in my systems crude. Nor would I call the Cornwalls in GaryMD's system crude. The typical P.A. speaker is usually designed for many unit installations, such as schools or, trying to match the quality of the ampliflication for a concert, such as that quality of Ashly Audio, utilization of McIntosh amplifiers for concerts, then the quality of Mackie, etc.. In short, one does not usually think of Public Address Speakers in the home for the main two (2) Channel System. Recognition of P.A. speakers still noted and respected. Win dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 I think the person who referred to the Cornwall as a "P.A." sound was referring to the megaphone type and not the full frequency ones. Yes, some PA speakers have good sound quality, but I don't think that was the point of the original criticism was intended to depict Klipsch Heritage speakers as "megaphone" like. I obviously feel that the Cornwall will give you a much more involving experience than the RBs... and I doubt the person who made the comment auditioned both. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Kelly----The Cornwall is a most excellent sounding speaker, no doubt of that; but it's also a crude one in terms of parts and construction. Of course I can make a virtue of neccesity as well as the next fella can and now I maintain that 6.5 woofers and dome tweets make for the very finest in speaker performence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Just curious: What are you going to be handing out on Halloween, Tom? fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBusa Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 CW's do in fact have a quality PA sound to them IMO. They are very crisp and clean and sort of in your face ...at least with big SS dynaco amps powering them. They're more like PA speakers than not I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodog Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 ---------------- On 9/29/2003 1:27:29 PM shload wrote: Looking at some Cornwalls to match with my Ideal Innovations Stereo50 tube amp. I have RB-5ii at this time. Been told that the Cornwalls will give more of a PA sound vs a more refined audio sound of the 5's. Any thoughts on this, music tastes lean toward jazz and some classic rock. Thanks for any info. Joe ---------------- I bought my first set of Cornwalls to use as a PA system. 'PA' means sound reinforcement to me. See the thread 'Another New Klipsch user..." by Woodog. I first bought a set of heresys to use in the church auditorium (about 1300 - 1500 square feet, very high ceilings). The Heresys didn't have enough 'ooomph' for the large room, but I LOVED the midrange. So I went to Cornwalls next and kept the Heresys as side-fill. PERFECT. They can fill that space with the London Smphony Orchestra or a string quartet. They serve as stereo speakers, PA speakers (lectures, small musical ensembles, keyboards for church service). I would never run electric basses through them or mic drums. Overkill, ya know? I loved em so much I had to have a pair for my home to replace my Bose 901s, which suddenly sounded lifeless and uninteresting in comparison (imagine that). My home listening room is 12' x 20' and the corwalls are magical there. I can hurt myself with good clean volume and chest pounding bass if I want (I don't, btw), but what I like best is the really wonderful quality of low volume listening. It is so pure and well defined. Ya really need to listen to them even though I bought my first pair never having heard them. I love em. my $.02, Forrest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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