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Cornwall I : A New Record?


mobile homeless

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There were a total of 18 bidders in just that one auction. Six different bidders were $1200 or over.

The ones offered from Riverside CA closed under $1000, but that seller offered no clue as to the cost of shipping, offered no images, and did not respond to any of my email questions. Like someone here stated, the AZ auction was a text book for how to do it. It worked for (on) me.

When I get them and hook them up I let you know how I like them.

-Clipped and Shorn {baaaah....ah...ah...}

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clipped if you decide that you need another set of cornwalls with the exact same finish but in a bit nicer shape let me know. Mine are 1980 vintage. I'm not sure what year yours were? I'll let em go for $1800 (I'll pay shipping).

Please click picture file at top right.

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bigbusa, thanks for the offer. Now that I am reading this forum I may learn some things about speakers I don't even know about yet. Also, I may want to dollar-cost-average on my next purchas to balance what apparently may have been an extravagant first outing into the klipschwelt. Then again, the matchingness of yours could be tempting.

-Shipped and Cloned

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quote:

So now I start doing online searches for what-the-hell other speakers are out there besides Cornwalls that would give me as much bang for the buck. This was not so easy and many of the alternatives I see you discussing or mentioning in this forum now I did not come across in my internet searches then. I only found exotic high-end speakers for much bigger prices. Admittedly I became hasty and I would be the first to admit I am not well informed about the subject, I just wanted to get some good speakers and move on to other things like listening to and making music. I started to get the impression that the Cornwalls filled a niche which was difficult or impossible to cover with more readily available items.


I found this out very quickly with the Cornwalls....they are soooo addicting - unbeatable for the price, even at $1850. New Cornwall II's sold for close to that new when they went out of production. I could not find anything that I really liked as I do the Cornwalls (unless it's a set of Belles or KHorns). Like I said in my earlier post, "of course they are worth it....they're Cornwalls!" You'll love 'em!

Yeah, I would say that you are "In The Club"! Thanks for the story!

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

First we Rock, then we Roll!

This message has been edited by dndphishin on 01-14-2002 at 11:29 PM

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Condgradulations on your purchase. That is a great story.

Actually you got a great deal when you look at getting the same quality in a newer speaker. Heck even the list on a pair of RF-7's is more than what you paid. I "found" mine in a basement and paid much less than you did but after hearing them I would pay much more now. Besides it looks like you got the manuals too and that is rare.

Welcome to the Club

Laters,cwm9.gif

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

...wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world...

My Home Theater Page

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cwm32.gif

mobile homeless stated:

In all actuality, in my opinion, the damn vintage Cornwalls are worth every bit of $2000 judging on sonics alone. It's just a shock that others are finally realizing it. Of course, where that puts the other vintage Klipsch in the price scheme is a bit tricky... But for sonics, and just speaking of the Cornwall alone, $1850 couldnt buy you a more life-like speaker in 2002.

I see that RF-7s sell at the local Good Guys for $2200 a pair. How would these compare to the vintage Cornwalls? Are they still using horns in their designs? The K-horns retail here for $5k and once ordered there is no going back. But that is moot since I have no corners to put them in anyway. Am I correct in assuming that current 2002 retail dollars cannot possibly buy as much substance ultimately as an investment in the carefulness and quality of a recently bygone era?

-Klipped and Schorn

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Clipped,

Welcome to the Klipsch Forum. The sweetness of the Cornwalls you aquired will easily overshadow the price, until one day, soon, you'll smile about it and say "best money I ever spent."

Love those alnico tweeters and mids. If you provide a serial #, we'll be able to tell you the year. My guess from looking at the drivers and crossovers is 1979, which was a good year (FYI, that would have a 'T' in the serial #).

One last thing. I saw a pair of Cornwalls on Ebay two years ago that went for 2000+ dollars. Like your pair, they were very nice.

Warm regards,

Andy

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1978...a good year.

All your drivers, as well as the Type B crossover, are good and sought after. This is actually why those beasts went so high. Most buy the damn things with a big question mark regarding the contents. Your Cornwalls are surely no mystery.

What are you running them with?

kh

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

Phono Linn LP-12 Vahalla / Linn Basic Plus / Sumiko Blue Point

CD Player Rega Planet

Preamp Cary Audio SLP-70 w/Phono Modified

Amplifier Welborne Labs 2A3 Moondog Monoblocks

Cable DIYCable Superlative / Twisted Cross Connect

Speaker 1977 Klipsch Cornwall I w/Alnico & Type B Crossover

system one online / alternate components / Asylum Listing f>s>

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cwm32.gif

1978...a good year.

All your drivers, as well as the Type B crossover, are good and sought after. This is actually why those beasts went so high. Most buy the damn things with a big question mark regarding the contents. Your Cornwalls are surely no mystery.

What are you running them with?

kh

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

Amplifier Welborne Labs 2A3 Moondog Monoblocks

Reply:

I have a dynakit 70 and Hafler solid state pre-amp on hand. Also a Carver 6250 Receiver for everyday use. After reading about your Monoblocks, I find those very intriguing. Did you assemble them yourself? They look so cool.They seem to priced in a relatively accessible range.

You use them in triode mode, correct? How do the Cornwalls do with 3 1/2 watts per? I was reading about those musical overtones, must be a noticeable difference. It is fun to finally be learning about this.

-KleptoScorn

Do you also use a tube preamp?

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Ooooh, there's a can of worms.

C&S (can I call you C&S?), you are going to have people tell you basically what you just said, that wire is wire, electrons are electrons. I do not agree with these people.

I do not pretend to understand the physics behind it, and am unsure if the cable-makers can express it in language that is going to make sense to you and me.

What I do know is the differences I have heard with my own ears on my own system; and the most frustrating part about the cable decision making process is the fact that the audible differences are not merely listener-dependent, but they are also system-dependent, and there are so many theories flying around and SO many different solutions (copper or silver, teflon thrown in in various percentages, flat wire or thick, and on and on), it is a very tough decision to make.

Ten years ago, I took my trusty 12-guage Monster Speaker Cable (Carver M200t amp - Klipsch Fortes) and cut them so I could run them through a speaker switch box. I did not realize it immediately, but I lost something in the musicality with that cut, and generally lost interest in audiophilia for several years, chalking it up to a lack of current popular music interest.

About a year and a half ago, I started to get the upgrade bug, and purchased a fairly high-end amplifier (a used McCormack DNA-1, along with the McCormack TLC1 preamp. I could not bring myself the hook up this ancient decrepit Monster Cable to a $3500 amp-pre combo, so after weeks of agonizing research, I plunked down $225 for two ten foot lengths of Kimber Cable 4TC, along with 2 pairs of Nordost Solar Wind interconnects ($109-pr.), these two brands being (indirectly) recommended by Steve McCormack.

I was floored by the sound I was now hearing through my Fortes (already having owned them for 12 years), and although it was slightly "bright", it mellowed out after a couple of months (yes, I support the supposition that many components and cables need a break-in period; I have heard it myself, since the only brand new components in my upgrade were the cables).

Since then, I have tried an A\B\C comparison between Monster Cable, Nordost, and DH Labs Silver Sonic interconnects, and there is a very audible difference between the three.

As for the speaker cable, there was a lag between the time I received the new amplifier and the Kimber Cable, so I used the old Monster temporarily, and I remember being somewhat disappointed in the outcome; a very indistinct soundstage, with sloppy bass reproduction. When I put it all together, I was very pleased. OK, I was floored. Tears came to my eyes when I listened to what I thought were familiar recordings.

The disturbing prospect IS... are there other combinations of cables that would take me higher, and what would I be willing to pay for the difference; and that is something you will need to ask yourself.

A word of warning... I did not like the sound of the Silver interconnects AT ALL - way too bright and harsh... I do not think it is a good combination with the very sensitive Heritage speakers.

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Klipped,

You've touched on the dark side of this bulletin board. The speaker wire debate is probably the greatest source of disagreement here.

There are basically two sides: those who believe it makes a difference and those who don't. Both sides argue with equal tenacity, but NO ONE, I REPEAT, NO ONE'S mind is EVER changed by the exchange. Do a search, in fact there is a thread going right now - three pages long!

In reflection, I do get a kick out of reading some of the posts found under this unresolvable conflict.

One last thing, it would be nice to hear how you like the sound of your Cornwalls.

Warm, happy regards,

Andy

This message has been edited by Klipschguy on 01-19-2002 at 07:35 PM

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Andy,

I have consequently discovered what you said about the great cable debate by checking out that other thread. I see what you mean.

If I wanted to experiment with cables where would I even begin? Is there some way to deduce which type or brand of cable might enhance a particular system? At what point in upgrading does one begin to be concerned with cable? Presently, when I get my Cornwalls, I will try them out with my existing gear which is humble but not exactly the lowest of the low end. I will be shuffling systems around since I have several entirely different spaces or studios where I listen to music, one being the main house. I currently have an NAD AV-713 receiver, a Carver 6250 receiver, and an old workhorse tube amp, a Dynakit-70 which is in perfect condition. As I get more into this I will consider upgrading to another tube amp etc.

When someone decides to upgrade speaker cable, how does one go about deciding which way to go, or is it always just trial and error?

How does distance, eg. wire length, effect the situation, aside from the shear per/foot expense of the cable. Is there a recommended maximum distance for optimum results?

I haven't joined a particular camp as regards to this issue, and I am open to whatever works.

-Lipped and Horny

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Hey Calypso Shoehorn (sidenote: a fine Hairy Belafonte album--I have one, slightly altared, I pray, for sale)! What is up with your name? It seems to change on every post! Maybe your preferences are out of whack. If, like myself, you have trouble remembering who you are, you can do what I do: tattoo your name to your chest! Hope this helps,

inif

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