After-market Cornwall Networks

[mark1101]

Is anyone currently building cross-over networks for cornwalls? I see the great response on the ALKs for the big horns, but anyone know about anything for cornwalls?

Specifically, '73 verts.

Thanks

[KungFuNat]

i would like to know the same for my '87 cornwall IIs

[colterphoto1]

Hi guys, go to the modifications Forum or look us Cornwall under SEARCH. There's a couple different approaches on the Forum. I'll let the guys speak for themselves, but one repairs back to factory spec and another one or more guys have specific modifications that they can perform. From what I've heard, these are all top-notch jobs, users are happy, and they can be performed on all manner of Cornwalls.

Also look up Cornwall Mods Glossary for a list of other fun things to do with your Corns while you have them opened up.

Michael

[Chris Robinson]

I have ALK's in my 67 verts. They're very big and expensive, but worth it in my humble opinion.

Not sure if Al is still building them though.

[mark1101]

Chris,

That is pretty.

[Al Klappenberger]

Guys,

Dean Wescott builds my Cornwall design under license for me. Contact him.

Al K.

[BEC]

I rebuild the old ones and build new replacements for the Type B for the Cornwall.

Bob Crites

[Audible Nectar]

Bob beat me to it.

I sent my '76 Belle Klipsch AA networks to Bob today to be rebuilt. For the price Bob charges, I think it is prudent to try the PWK way with fresh caps first, before I move on to a more expensive network. From what I'm reading, recapping the old boards with fresh and similar caps has certainly been worthwhile - after all, some of those old caps are - well - OLD. I have also loved the Klipsch speakers for years with those PWK networks - so I am trying PWK's design, freshly updated, first.

I'll post my impressions once I get them back and have some time to listen.

Now if DeanG ever cooks up more of those Jensen PIO's in good timing with my wallet, I just might spring for a pair of those:)

[Deang]

I'm currently rebuilding the pair of Heresy ALKs I received with my Heresy's into Cornwall ALKs. There are only a couple of part differences between the two. These networks are the earlier design before Al tweaked the circuit and made a few changes.

I could have turned these into Cornwall ALKs pretty quick, but got a hair you know where and decided to completely rebuild them and put them on some lacquered Cedar boards. I'll also be dumping the Harmony metallized polypropylene 1.0uF bypass cap coupled to the 39uF Solen -- and will parallel two 20uF Dayton's instead. These networks came with stock T2A's, and I'm inclined to just reuse them. Resoldering will be done with lead free silver solder, and all of the driver leads will be soldered to the terminal strips just like my other builds. Finally, all of the capacitors will be glued to the board with clear silicone and strapped. The asking price on these will be $395.00 firm.

Those of you with K-55-Vs that have the spring loaded terminals should use ALKs, or the Type B with a P-trap. I build these with Kimber capacitors for $375.00 shipped. Type B without the P-trap is $335.00.

Some later Cornwalls utilize the K-52 midrange driver. Seems these popped in around 1983. This driver was used in the KLF-20 and KLF-30, and during the transition period to the Cornwall II, these drivers found their way into the last runs of Cornwall -- and used Type B3 networks. Stay with the Type B3 if you have this driver. I'm not sure if the K-55-M was mated with the B3, if someone knows, please say so. It's one of those things I'm supposed to run down information on, but keep forgetting.

Bob and myself can rebuild anything, but like all things Bob and Dean -- Bob builds to an industrial standard designed to survive an atomic detonation -- and I build mine like I'm in art class.

The ALK is very smooth, almost too smooth for my tastes. There is certainly more squawker output with the rebuilt stock networks. I've pretty much decided that the "best" network can be determined by the music you like, and how loud you like to listen. Klipsch Heritage in small rooms, and driven to normal/sane volume levels really sound awesome with the 1st order networks (Type A, Type B, DHAxover). As SPL goes up, the third order HF sections of the ALK and Type AA sound much better. Naturally, the different network types interact with the drivers to create some rather different signatures: The first order filters are crisper, more dynamic and "live" sounding. The steeper slopes sound smoother and more laid back when driven, but sound a little repressed down low.

[mungkiman]

Chris, did you replace the woofers in your '67's? My '67 verts have K-33-J's (Jensen). Just wondering.

Chris

[BEC]

----------------

On 3/8/2005 8:18:03 PM DeanG wrote:

Bob and myself can rebuild anything, but like all things Bob and Dean -- Bob builds to an industrial standard designed to survive an atomic detonation -- and I build mine like I'm in art class.

----------------

Dean,

I had to stop testing them for that. People complained about the charred cedar and glowing caps.

Bob

[jwc]

Hey Dean,

I've spoken to you about your B networks before but I forgot to ask you this. Can you make a B-3 network that is convertible to a B netwotk. I have a K-57 driver and thought in the future, I might change to the K-55 since they are more available and there is the option of diaphragm changes.

Hey Bob, your diaphragm upgrade of my K-77 was nice. Thank you.

jc

[colterphoto1]

"Some later Cornwalls utilize the K-52 midrange driver. Seems these popped in around 1983. This driver was used in the KLF-20 and KLF-30, and during the transition period to the Cornwall II, these drivers found their way into the last runs of Cornwall -- and used Type B3 networks. Stay with the Type B3 if you have this driver. I'm not sure if the K-55-M was mated with the B3, if someone knows, please say so. It's one of those things I'm supposed to run down information on, but keep forgetting."

Dean, looks like JWCullison, DamonPayne, and myself are in the same situation. I spoke with Frzninvt when I bought the B3's from him (Damon and I split a set of stripped Corns) and have the K57 DRIVER! BEC says the K53 diaphram will replace these okay.

I'm of the mindset that with the K57 being 3dB more efficient than the B3, and the B3 'voiced' for the K55, the additional mid brightness MIGHT NOT BE A BAD THING since this cabinet will be the center dialog channel. So I'm going to let Bob made minor repairs to my B3 as necessary while he's working on the drivers. Might then switch the 'tap' to the -3db to come back to flat if necessary. Or how cool would it be to have both taps wired to an outboard switch so you could go from bright to flat mode easily?

Oh, and CHRIS, is there anything about the JENSEN P15LL that you dislike? I've been told that it is somewhat prized, so I wouldn't be in a hurry to ditch it. It's hard to move these beasts around to A/B (my 74's have mid-era K33's from ??)them, just wondered if you had a definite opinion on them. Their baskets sure are beautiful!

Michael

[Frzninvt]

The '67 Cornwall should not have the K-33J Jensen woofer in it, someone must have changed them out or they were special ordered that way. It should have the square magnet K-33 in it. The K-33J were specially treated Jensen P15LL woofers, you can't just put a standard Jensen P15LL in them.

Yes, the K-53 diaphram kit will work on the K-57.

[jwc]

Whoa!

Frzninvt, let me hear you say this again. The K-53 diaphragm will work with the K-57? Have you done this? Sounds good? BEC stated to me this was possible but didn't have experience doing it.

If that is the case, I'm not so worried about getting a B-3 ALK that is "convertible" for the use with a K-55 driver.

jc

[Frzninvt]

Yep, you heard it right. Another forum member emailed me and at Klipsch's recommendation sent him a K-53K replacement diaphram. He removed the faulty one from his K-57K and put the new one in and he is up and running again. He said that he could not tell any difference between the original K-57 and the K-57 with the K-53 diaphram installed. Just look at how many Klipsch tweeters share the same diaphram.

[Allan Songer]

----------------

On 3/9/2005 8:18:03 AM Frzninvt wrote:

The '67 Cornwall should not have the K-33J Jensen woofer in it, someone must have changed them out or they were special ordered that way. It should have the square magnet K-33 in it. The K-33J were specially treated Jensen P15LL woofers, you can't just put a standard Jensen P15LL in them.

Yes, the K-53 diaphram kit will work on the K-57.

----------------

My 1964 Cornwalls have the alnico Jensens in them. When did Klipsch change over?

[Frzninvt]

Allan you have a pair of '64's! You have the 4th oldest set recognized by the forum then. My guess would be that the K-33J was used in the very early 60's models ('61-'64/65) the EV 15WK with the chrome basket was used in the '60 Cornwall. My brother in law's 61's have them, my '62's have them and Colter's '63's have them. One of Greg's Shorthorn's had one it it, but my guess is '64/'65 was the last year unless we hear from someone with some '66's and up that had them. My brother in law's '67's and '68's did not, and I had a pair of '68's that didn't either.

[cjgeraci]

I'm also curious about the date of the Jensen changeover. My Vertical Corn also has the K-33J Jensen in it. Difficult to date my Corn exactly since the serial number is illegible. However, Bob recently rebuilt its tweeter horn, and his educated guess based on that driver (and my description of the speaker) was the early 60s. Its original companion was a 1963 K-horn so my best guess is that I have a '62 or '63 Vert.

Carl.

[Frzninvt]

Carl, did your Cornwall have the K-77 with the chrome throat and screw type connectors? If so it is '64 or older, it would also have the C Type 1000-5000 crossovers with the large bobbinized coils. Mine are stamped C-22 on the networks.