snilsen13 Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Alas, 'tis a sad situation, but we're moving south to GA (that's the good news) to an under-sized rental (the bad news) and WAF of my Cornwalls has plummeted. Shame we couldn't find a larger rental, but with 2 rug rats, play space is a major premium. So I've got a piano black pair of Decorator Cornwalls (CD-BR) from 1977 with consecutive serial numbers. These are the type that are flush in front, without grill attachments. I've recently upgraded to Ctite's x-over and tweeter upgrades, a really nice improvement. I had Bob wire these so bi-amping would be an easy option, and I bought two extra binding posts from him to complete the operation. The speakers came to me from their original owner, an AZ resident. Inside they are clean as a whistle. Exterior cosmetics are quite good, with the notable exceptions of a 1" crack in veneer on a lower left front corner, which could just require some wood glue. Otherwise, while they don't look new on close inspection, they retain their reflective luster. Grills are nothing fancy, just black cloth stretched over a wood frame with logos adhered. I just lean the grills on the speakers. The front is dull black and could be easily refinished to look more presentable, as decorator style was intended to be. I would continue with the black. I'm not sure why more people don't have piano black, I think black suites them exceptionally well. They are like the black obelisques, dominating and foreboding, of 2001. I would like $1100 for these ($650 for speakers + $350 for installed upgrades). You also get the original tweeters (fully functional) and crossovers (could use an overhaul). Pick-up only, near Boston, in Brookline. I will help lift them into your vehicle. I would consider a pair of Heresy or full-range speakers in an open baffle in partial trade, pending I like their sound (appearances not too important). -Steven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwhaples Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Maybe if you show a sellling price,these will sell faster.Good Luck! Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snilsen13 Posted May 25, 2007 Author Share Posted May 25, 2007 Did I overprice these or is the black lacquer finish unpopular? Take a look, I've got them up on 'gon... I was hoping a forum member would be interested. http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1185223630 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I've seen cornwalls with cane grills and exotic veneers go in that price range. I think CD-BR means that they were intally Birch RAW. Someone painted these. Bids Price* Shipping to 10305, USA End Date Actions KLIPSCH Cornwall speakers pair CWO Exceptional View similar active items Sell one like this $1,045.00 Not specifiedMay-19 09:25 KLIPSCH Cornwall speakers pair CWO Exceptional View similar active items Sell one like this 0 $999.00 Not specifiedMay-13 09:00 WALNUT KLIPSCH CORNWALL SPEAKERS- GOOD COND-NO RES View similar active items Sell one like this 20 $690.00 See descriptionMay-21 18:59 KLIPSCH, CORNWALL, SPEAKERS, PICK UP ONLY-TOLEDO OHIO View similar active items Sell one like this $685.00 Pickup onlyMay-23 18:33 Klipsch Cornwall II audiophile loudspeakers View similar active items Sell one like this 5 $562.00 $250.00 May-22 19:32 KLIPSCH CORNWALL SPEAKERS View similar active items Sell one like this 15 $355.00 Pickup onlyMay-12 08:36 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HudsonValleyNoah Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 snilsen13 - I sent you an Email on your Craigs list listing... Noah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HudsonValleyNoah Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 ok, never mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 Brookline................I used to live near there, West Roxbury, but I am a New Yorker for life ,now.....Maybe a tad high on price, but you can always dicker some..............Cornwalls are the best dollar for dollar speaker out there...........They will sell, relax....................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 time for a pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snilsen13 Posted May 26, 2007 Author Share Posted May 26, 2007 Well, I found a buyer. Not what I expected, as he's taking responsibility with shipping them. I think the Cornwall market took a little slid in the last few years. I would say if I can get myself another pair for $1000 or less, I will, once I have the space again someday. Really an awesome speaker. If it falls through, I will re-alert the forum. -Steven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwhaples Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 Sweet! Good to see it worked out for you. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snilsen13 Posted May 31, 2007 Author Share Posted May 31, 2007 ARGGGHHHH! Go see "Shady Lane" at the AA for details on the "check scam" currently operating under the "Greg" moniker. He had me going on the idea that he would arrange for them to be picked up, but was too busy to come by first... I thought "maybe a rich foreigner?", then I checked Shady Lane this morning after he passed on a strange run around. So they're back on the market. If anybody would show some interest, come over and hear them, I'm sure you would have a hard time leaving without them. If I can't get rid of them by July, I'll use them in place of table ends in my future office... the other faculty may eye this with suspicion. On the other hand, they can make for good conversation and keep me in the office longer. It's a pretty nice sized office. Anybody here have experience with this conundrum? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 $1000 for those beat up old things - Wow! Budman has a stunning factory Rosewood pair for like $800, those are $400-$500 Cornwalls tops. Good luck getting a grand for those things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snilsen13 Posted May 31, 2007 Author Share Posted May 31, 2007 Huh? Let's see, if I could drive to Brookline easily I could compare my options. Maybe I could get Budman's Cornwalls packed&delivered for maybe $250 if I'm lucky. Then I could spend $360 on upgrades, and sepdn a few hours getting them installed. Now Budman's cost me $1400 by comparison, to be the sonic equal of mine. For an added $300 in finishing work, these too could look spectacular, but not everybody needs perfect looking speakers, and these "things" look pretty good in my living room IMHO. Lacquered black and Brazilian Rosewood are like opposite ends of the spectrum. Not everybody wants a big blocks of wood grain in their living room, black is the much more obsequious and perfect for any HT or dark listening room. Once you go black, baby, you don't go back. Black is obviously a much cooler color too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgeraci Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Steven, you've been in here long enough that you know what the unwritten code is about selling stuff in here to fellow forum members. Post it here first and be reasonable with forum members. But, then again, its a free country, and there are no set "rules" regarding sales. Additionally, being publicly combative in here while defending your selling price is a questionable tactic. The whole vinegar vs. honey thing. Carl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 Speakers can be obsequious? ob·se·qui·ous FlashVars="soundpath=http://img.tfd.com/hm/mp3/O0013500" menu="false" width="10" height="13" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer">(b-skw-s, b-) adj. Full of or exhibiting servile compliance; fawning. [Middle English, from Latin obsequisus, from obsequium, compliance, from obsequ, to comply : ob-, to; see ob- + sequ, to follow; see sekw-1 in Indo-European roots.] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snilsen13 Posted June 1, 2007 Author Share Posted June 1, 2007 Uh... hmmm. Maybe I've been misusing this word for the last 10 years. I was trying to say that black speakers are more servile to the decor of certain a room. Compliant to the decor is probably better word choice, but I'm at a loss for the "right word". Generally, can inanimate objects be emotive? I'm not really sure if audio reviews use language like this. -S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 Just busting your chops in a good natured way. You are right, inanimate objects cannot be obsequious. I do know what you mean, I have noticed that especially for center channels in a home theater application that black can be a better finish. Why? Because it is less obtrusive in my opinion and does not compete as much with the screen for your attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mas Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 ...can inanimate objects be emotive? I'm not really sure if audio reviews use language like this. The irony is that most audiophile reviews are dominated by exactly such language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtnfoley Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 Perhaps he meant obstreperous? [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snilsen13 Posted June 1, 2007 Author Share Posted June 1, 2007 obstreperous! ha! Depends on whether or not you play Merzbow. As always, with Merzbow and his musical ilk, YMMV. I'll tell you what, they do "loom" in the room if you pull them off the wall. If their in dark corners, they "meld" or "camouflage"... and when powered by clean amplification they always "sing", but "in fact" most amplifiers that are not "bright" work "well". The only descriptions I care for are the relative type. Like, these sound different in a way that I really enjoy than did prior to Bob Crites' upgrades. I like the Cornwalls MUCH better than the $500 bookshelf speakers they replaced in every way (Odyssey Audio Epiphany, which qualify as a "great buy"). Other systems I've had the pleasure of enjoying include PSB Gold i w/ tubes/SS and Triangle Antels w/ 300B SET. I wish I could put those Triangle speakers next to the Cornwalls in the same room. Talk about DIFFERENT! Both are great, both are worth consideration. Again, the PSB very different. It's amazing how 3 different speakers with 3 different design philosophies can all sound so identifiably different, but it's hard to give the nod to any of them. On the used market, these are all pretty closely priced options, the differences should be considered a wash. This is a great hobby, exploring different synergies can be a great joy. So, as I prefaced, I need to downsize. My next system will be Spendor S3/5 with a small ML sub, which cost me $1100... and uh, maybe this is where I psychologically get my price figure. I'm motivated by pleasing my wife, who loves to listen to her mom's Roger LS3/5a with Adcom components. She seems very happy I involved her in the decision. I'm looking forward to comparing them to the Cornies. (Method: I plan use the phono section of my Magus preamp, the tape out into a 3W 6B4G SET for the Cornies. At the same time I can run the line out of the pre to a 50W class A SS for the Spendors.) These are just on the total opposite ends of the speaker design spectrum. We all know the Cornies. The Spendors are small sealed monitors that are supposedly more resolving than the LS3/5a, which they stopped making (to make these instead I guess). Both types of of speakers are popular are supposed to be very honest to the recording. What a great hobby! -S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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