dsullivan Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 My name is David Sullivan and I am new to the forums. I have a pair of 1982 Cornwalls which I purchased new that have been out of service due to space constraints for about 11 years. They do not seem to have the same "kick" as I remember them having. I will be replacing the capacitors in the cross over, but understand that this will only really effect the mid and upper frequencies (so I have been told). The woofers are cosmetically perfect and move freely. They have been stored in a dry place away from direct sun light. Any thoughts?? As these speakers will be used for a wide variety of music styles, but mostly rock, folk, and classical, I would also appreciate any advice on the best (within a reasonable cost) pre-amp and amp drivers for Cornwalls. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Welcome to the Forum. Your cap replacement will be the most noticeable improvement in the immediate future. The "bass kick" can depend upon several things. Are you using the same amp that you used before? If not, some amps don't "deliver". Amps? Many members of the forum will help you with suggestions and recommendations. As an example on amp differences, I've used a vintage (but fully restored) AU-11000 with a pair of 1979 C-I's with new caps, and lately an Onkyo TX-SR705 AVR amp. They sound good, but but the old AU makes them sound better. Tubes? They sound very good on tubes (6L6GC based AU-111), and going for the tube sound may be what you are after in the "bass kick" area. Scott, Fisher, Marantz are some of the most popular vintage tube receivers. I'd recommend you correspond with Mark Deneen (mdeneen) regarding new tube pre-amps for his suggestions. Also Craig Ostbey (NOSValves) can provide you with some valuable information regarding amp selection, etc. There are many others on the forum with way more experience in that area than me!!! You may wish to pull the woofers out and test them. For advice and assistance on the values, etc. I'd correspond with Bob Crites (BEC). Hope that's of some assistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Welcome! Looks like the Dr. has filled you in! Relax and enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Def Leper Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 When I purchased my well-used Cornwalls, the first thing I did is pull off the back and check all the driver mounting screws, which were actually on the loose side on the woofers. (other drivers were not too loose but still had some snug space.) That will have some effect on the gasket seals to the cabinet. I also added a thin weatherstrip to the cabinet back to help seal any air leaks the cabinet back. I also had Bob C. rebuild the 20 year old crossovers, which affected the upper midrange and highs more than anything else. Oh, I also rotated the woofers by 180 degrees to help equalize any cone sag and voice coil misalignment due to sitting and gravity, and then rotate them by 90 degrees every year. (I mark the rotation direction on the inside of the cabinet so I keep going the same direction.) Of course, I also check all the wiring and connections inside the cabinet to make sure I was gettting the best contact. Those are some of the internal things you can check and maintain, along with the suggestions on external items like your amplifier. I do notice that the bass response not as tight with my tube amp compared to my solid-state amp, especially at higher volumes, so evaluating your amp is certainly a good suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Replace the caps. "Kick" is a function of a steep waveform, the leading edge comes from the mids and highs. In amplifiers it comes from the ability of the power supply to deliver a fast rising power demand to the output stage. Old filter caps have poor transient response, as do large new ones. Proper bypassing of the main electrolytics will make most amplifiers sound less 'muddy' and have more 'punch'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeBaron Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 I think he is talking about caps in the crossover, not caps in the amplifier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 " I think he is talking about caps in the crossover, not caps in the amplifier. " And I am talking about both, and each is in a different paragraph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.