Go stand in the corner! ...Klipsch

[galaxyoilcan 88]

I pose a question about the legendary Klipsch speakers (the big ones). While it seems we have a really broad base of electrostat fans here (me too) I would like to her what you learned gentlemen think about them. Does anyone have them? Rich had a recommend Cornwalls in an earlier post. Anyone else? 

 

I remember 1979 was when I first heard one (a K-horn and just the one) at a U.S. military audio/photo club in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The A/P club was a huge store for military only, but it served all nationalities of soldiers in Germany (Brits, French and of course German). It was two stories of nuthin' but the best audio and photo gear available at the time and was infested with manufacturer reps pushing their brand. I saw a single unfinished K-horn in a corner all by it's lonesome. An empty spot int another corner about six feet away had a wire lying there testifying to to the vacancy of other speaker in the pair. I learned from the vendor that it had been purchased earlier that week by a young Captain who got it to complete his pair. So this guy starts telling me about Klipsch and the whole folded horn theory while he powers up a Kenwood receiver and turntable. He had some orchestral music he played me. The tunes were not really my thing at the time (19 yr old rocker) but what I heard amazed me. I was hearing more depth and front to back instrumental separation from this one speaker than I had ever heard from any other pair of speakers.

 

About a year later I finally got to hear a pair of them. Even constrained in the tiny room they were in, I was blown away by the detail and separation.  I also learned of the extreme efficiency they posses. A friend had a pair of Altec Lansing Model 15's. He got a room mate in the barracks who decided to one-up him and got a pair of K-horns. They immediately had a space issue in the small room which was solved (sort of) by putting the the K-horns in the corners of the short wall, then placing the 15's directly in front of them. To save some room they only set up one set of electronics to drive them. The guy with the 15's had a monster Kenwood Eleven-G receiver (nice). I was called in to help solve a problem they were having trying to run the K-horns on it. The receiver had those beautiful turned aluminum knobs and the volume control was indented (sweet). The issue was that trying to play the K-horns, the first click on the volume knob was too loud for comfortable listening in this small room. I was amazed at how efficient the Klipsch were compared to the Altecs and compared to my Inifnity QJr (fugetaboutit). I helped them build an L pad in the path of the K-horns to solve the problem.

 

So I'm wondering what's the point of all the high-current, super-powerful amps (M1.0) I have if I ever get a big pair of lipsch like the Cornwalls, LaScallas, or K-horns. I could just bi-amp with my tiny Hafler SE120 for bass and my 3.5 watt tube amp for the horns. Maybe I could sell the M1.0 pair and other spare gear to help pay for my big Klipsch pair? Any thoughts, takers, trades?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest RodH]

Check with RichP - and check out his system (in his signature..)!

[Papajoe 221]

My son has a pair of the Klipschorns that were given to him by a friend who was moving and had no room for them. I have not seen them; but, he told me that they need a lot of TLC. More about them when I get to see them.

[galaxyoilcan 88]

My son has a pair of the Klipschorns that were given to him by a friend who was moving and had no room for them. I have not seen them; but, he told me that they need a lot of TLC. More about them when I get to see them.

 

I hope they are still in good condition. If your son wants to sell them and they are in good enough shape to repair to put back into service, I would be interested. Have truck, will travel.With gas prices though, it would have to be a deal worth the road trip.

 

 

[RichP714 3,163]

.....Rich had a recommend Cornwalls in an earlier post. Anyone else?.....I also learned of the extreme efficiency they posses..... 

 

I own two sets of Cornwall II; IMO they are a very revealing speaker with high dynamics and very high sensitivity (as opposed to efficiency:   http://thecarversite.com/yetanotherforum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=2731#Sensitivity_loudspeaker )

 

I prefer them over the Cornwalls for two main reasons; The corner horns require corner placement, The corner horns mid and tweeter horn are cast metal, the Cornwall II are phenolic resin (less ringing) but if you go the corner horn route there are techniques to damp the horns using rope caulk (check the Klipsch forum)

 

Belle Klipsch and LaScala are also popular; I preferred the sound of the Cornwall's slotted bass cabinet over the mini folded horn; the Cornwall go almost as low as the Klipschorn and don't drop off as sharply as the belle and scala do.  With those models do have very impactful bass, it (to my ears) didn't go as low as I liked. 

[jazzman53 1,276]

Hey, I'm a big fan of Klipshorns too!

[TNRabbit 371]

I have always had a soft spot for Klipsch. The first I heard were K-horns at the Base Exchange in Upper Heyford, UK, in 1982.

 

That said, I find they can be very grating at "robust" levels if you don't have the right electronics behind them.

 

I prefer my ribbons, but I've owned many pair of Klipsch speakers in my life....

[galaxyoilcan 88]

I own two sets of Cornwall II; IMO they are a very revealing speaker with high dynamics and very high sensitivity (as opposed to efficiency:  I preferred the sound of the Cornwall's slotted bass cabinet over the mini folded horn; the Cornwall go almost as low as the Klipschorn and don't drop off as sharply as the belle and scala do. 

 

Right Rich! Lots of authority in the low bass was another big Klipsch attribute (unlike so many other big audiophile speakers). I read a reviewer way back when who discussed the bass output of the K-horns and how others he had read or heard speaking about it as being a little too much bass (whatever they means) eh basshog? But he postured that hose folks were simply not used to hearing bass the way it was supposed to be and having so much of it at those high volume levels.

 

So I still like the looks and sound of the K-horns as well as the whole idea of the speakers using my walls as part of the folded horn and by extension turning my room into part of the speaker. However space and budget would dictate if a large pair of Klipsch ever do find their way into my home, they will probably be Cornwalls. And BTY what the diff between the original CW and the CWII's that you have?

 

 

 

[zumbini 6,150]

....what the diff between the original CW and the CWII's that you have?

 

History of the Klipsch Cornwall, Cornwall II, Cornwall III

This is a timeline for the evolution of the Klipsch Cornwall speaker from inception in 1959 to the current date.

Date	Event	Media
October 1959	The Cornwall is introduced as the world's second commercially produced center speaker. A speaker with higher output capability than the Heresy was needed when used in three speaker arrays between Klipschorns®. Component designations: Woofer EV 15WK, Midrange K-1000 Horn and University SAHF Driver, Tweeter K-77
Late 1959	Transition to the K-33-J Woofer (Jensen)
1959-1961	Sporadic transition to the K-55-V mid-range driver (Atlas).
January 1963	The K-1000 diffraction type midrange horn was replaced with the exponential K-600 horn with a lower (600 Hz) cutoff
September 1967	Transition to the K-33-M. The records are not clear as to the origin of this driver but it is believed to be an Eminence driver with an Alnico magnet.
January 1968	Transition to The K-33-P Woofer (CTS Paducah KY)
1974	The horizontal version of the Cornwall is discontinued. K-56 mid-range driver (Electrovoice 1828) is used for a short period as a temporary replacement as the supply of K-55-V drivers was interrupted.
1975	Transition to The K-33-B Woofer (CTS Brownsville TX)
1975-1879	K-33-E (Eminence) and the K-33-B were used interchangeably. The records are not specific about the actual start date for the K-33-E but it is believed to be in the early to mid 1970's
1979	The Eminence K-33-E woofer is used exclusively
June 5th, 1981	The updated B2 network, with steeper crossover slopes is phased in with no changes to the K-33-E, K-55-V and K-77-M driver compliment.
October 19th, 1981 - March 1983	The transition between four different iterations of the midrange driver from revolving sources occurs during this period. The original K-55-V was changed to a K-51-V (10/19/81) This marked the first time in the Cornwall's history that it used a driver set that differed from that of the Klipschorn®. The K-51-V was then changed to the to the K-55-G (essentially a ceramic magnet version of the Atlas Alnico K-55-V). The K-55-G was then changed to the Hepner built K-52-H and finally the Klipsch built K-52-K.
March 14th, 1983	The B-3 network and the K-52 midrange driver starts to be used in this model. Component designations were: Woofer Eminence K-33-E, Midrange K-57-K (K- 600 Aluminum horn and K-52-K driver with snout), Tweeter K-77-M and B-3 network.
January 1986	The Cornwall II is introduced featuring front mounted drivers to reduce baffle induced diffraction effects. Component designations were: Woofer Eminence K- 34-E (K-33-E with a dressy pad ring), Midrange K-57-K (K-601 plastic horn and K-52-K driver), Tweeter K-79-K (K-75-K horn and K-79 driver) and CW II network.
1990	The Cornwall II is discontinued.
March 2006	The Cornwall III is introduced marking the end of the Cornwall's 15 year absence from the market. This version utilizes the Klipschorn® woofer, the horn and driver set from the Heresy III (featuring Titanium diaphragms and a ® tweeter horn) and bi-wire inputs. Component designations are: Tractrix Woofer K-33-E, Midrange K-53-Ti (K-701 horn and K-53-Ti driver), Tweeter K- 107-Ti (K-79-T horn and K-100-Ti driver).

Information originally provided by Jim Hunter and Mark Kauffman of Klipsch Audio Technologies, LLC

[galaxyoilcan 88]

Thanks Zumbini! What a big fat load of great Cornwall data!As everyone can see from my last post, my speed typing is atrocious and I apologize. 

 

I'm always blown away at the knowledge base on all things to do with home entertainment electronics.

 

 

[jldeni 439]

I'm with them - My main system is using a set of Cornwall II's and  IMO they are awesome. The Klipschorns are a great set as well in the right environment, but I've never had the right room to even consider them a possibility.

 

 

 

[erniejade 0]

I just saw this post. I almost got a set of original Cornwall but after reading, i will hold out till i find a set of II's