Klipsch Cornwall IV

I agree with @wrm57 about the Spatials. Very good speakers and do a lot of things right. But at the end of the day, they don't engage the listener like the CW IV does. At least not this listener.

@jimob

I had the Spatial Audio X3 and sold them for the Cornwall IV.

Oz

Thanks @dbarger for the report. Some here have been clamoring for a Devore vs Cornwall comparison.

I have crossed them in front of the listening position with good results too. But it was only when I fired the axis behind me that I got what I would describe as excellent results.

Anybody near central Virginia is welcome to come hear my pair.

You’ll get lots of opinions in this thread from people who are familiar with the older cornwalls. Pay no attention to those. The IV is a different animal but as James points out, they are not for everyone.

FWIW, I sold a pair of Spatial Audio X3s when I bought my CW IV. The spatials are a great speaker but for me the cornwalls have a more fleshed out midrange with more tonal colors. And they involve the listener in the performance like few other speakers do.

Gone are the harsh highs, cabinet resonance and boxy sound of older cornwalls. These need not apologize when it comes to inner detail and finesse. You’ll not get a wall of sound that is only suited for loud rock n roll. It is a well balanced sound that suits all genres of music. You should at least listen to a pair.

Oz

I'm not sure you would be happy with Cornwalls given your speaker history.

I have owned Maggie 3.5rs and Reference 3a Grand Veenas myself, these are comparable to speakers on his list. I would say the CW IV is competitive with these and more upscale offerings.

If you are looking for the true klipsch sound you have to buy one made prior to 1981 otherwise you are buying an asian drivered klipsch not an american drivered klipsch and there is a major difference.

Seriously? You ever hear the phrase, “if you don’t know what you are talking about, you should probably stop talking”? Yeah, well that applies here.

All Klipsch Heritage speakers are designed in the USA  by Roy Delgado and manufactured in Hope AR.

I guess you aren’t quite the “speaker master” you think you are........

I owned both as well. Both are great speakers, but the Cornwalls suit my listening taste more.

Oz

They need a couple hundred hours to fully break in, at least to my ears.

Agree with RIAA in that CWs are overpriced. Crites offers an equivalent which looses on aesthetics but, rivals in SQ and obvious $savings. Are you after furniture and name recognition? If so, spend 4 k more and go with klipsch

.

Absolutely wrong.

I’m not saying that the right Cornscala (think Justin Weber) built the right way won’t outperform the CW IV. But Crites Cornscala will not come close. I owned a pair a few years ago and even after damping the midhorn and replacing Bob’s xovers with ALK, they wouldn’t touch the Cornwall IV today. The downfall of that design is the removable rear panel which causes a serious mid bass resonance on some material.

And for the life of me I don’t see where RIAA said they were over priced.

Beautiful room! And it looks like the perfect space for the CW IV.

Oz

I'm not sure the CW will provide adequate bottom, hence the exit strategy.

The Cornwall IV has excellent bass pitch and definition and will go low enough for most music. I am using a pair of subs just to fill in the really low bass and for a little heft. But my room is pretty big and YMMV.

@jdmccall56 I would suggest two things.

Placement. I'm sure you already know this, but attention to detail here will reap huge benefits. I've found that not listening on axis but having the speakers firing well behind the listening position gives the most natural presentation with a huge soundstage. On axis and bad recordings get even worse.

Tubes. I know a lot of people listen to horns with SS amps, but I am a firm believer in the match of a good tube amp and a good horn speaker. I am able to enjoy 95% of all my music with the CW IV and a lot of these are not what I'd call stellar recordings. Pop music is, how shall I say it? It's Pop music, that's about as generous as I can be.

Oz

I tried raising the front of my Cornwalls slightly too, but found out I didn’t like the shift in the tonal balance.

The are useless on string bass, especially when it is an electric stand up. Way too loose! I don’t like anything about them, but, I can certainly see why a person who has a lot of pre=fi LP’s might think they reproduce old albums (Pre-1960) well.

Dollars to donuts this jack leg has never heard a Cornwall IV, which is the subject of the thread.

I traded in my Cornwalls for stacked Wharfedale Linton Heritages and feel it was a significant improvement.

Cornwall IV?

You weren’t the jack leg I was referring to. A handful of members come in this thread and spout off about a speaker they have never heard. And if I didn’t call them out on it, the OP might just assume they are commenting on the one he was asking about.

I wouldn’t go into Mustang forum thread asking about a current Mustang and say they suck because I owned a Mustang II back in 1979. Two different cars from different eras.

Same thing.

Never listened to them but they must sound amazing because they are so pedestrian looking nobody would buy them based on aesthetics.

And if you buy speakers based purely on aesthetics, that's tells me all I  need to know about you. And I bet you are "that guy".

I've had better looking speakers in my room, but I've had some ugly ducklings too. Personally I think the Cornwall has an understated look that doesn't call attention to itself (other than the size). It's plenty good looking to me.

Oz

@kren0006 Yes it is a generalization. I can appreciate what other designs do and enjoy listening to them. My buddy has a pair of Focal Kanta 2s that I like every time I hear them. But I wouldn't trade him even for my cornwalls, and I'm sure he feels the same way.

Oz

Well I guess I'm one of the fan bois.

I have owned 1987 CW IIs and Bob Crites Cornscalas. The CW IV is very much improved on the earlier cornwalls and also head and shoulders above a stock cornscala.

That said, if you have an aversion to (good) horns, you still might not like it. What I'm saying is, if you value a speaker that never offends, but also never engages, you won't like the CW. If Sonus Faber and  Harbeth appeal to you, you won't like the CW.

But if you value fleshed out midrange detail, good instrument tone and of course, whip crack dynamics, then you might like the Cornwall IV.

Oz

I know someone who had the M3 and the Sapphire and the latter was a very big improvement. But ultimately he kept blowing tweeters in the Sapphire so he sent it back for a refund. He now owns Forte IIIs.

Oz

I'm sure they are out there, but I don't know anyone who is using an iPad straight into an audio system.

But one thing's fer sure. You won't find a Crown amp of any flavor in my listening room. Nor will you find zip cord and throw away interconnects.

To each his own...........

I think placing them too close to a wall or a corner diminishes their potential. NEAR a wall or corner is good. I have mine approx. 3 ft from the corner and this works very well.

As for the question on soundstage and imaging, they are very good at this, better than you would think a horn would be. They don't image like a monitor or some big name tower speakers, but they have a very 3 dimensional quality, not flat at all.

Oz

@jjss49 

Too much..........

@jayrossi13

What changes did you hear with the seismic bars?

Thanks. Sounds interesting, but that price is a tough pill to swallow....lol

If the new ones are anything like the older ones Id say pull the trigger but if not do what I did and get a vintage pair.

As far as soundstage size and dynamics, they are the same. Anything else, they are a whole new ball game.

Another amp that I can highly recommend is the Aric Audio Super KT88/120 SE. I just took delivery of one last week and am currently putting it through it’s paces. This one pairs quite nicely with the CW IV.

Oz

That SA-103 is a great amp. I had one years ago driving a pair of Piega speakers. 
Oz

I disagree. I am powering them with 14 watts in my 26 x 15 room with ease. I don’t seem to run out of headroom at any volume level I care to listen. I think it’s more about the quality of the watts and having an amp with some good iron.

Oz

https://paducahhometheater.com/

Talk to Cory or Steven. Great price, but I doubt you'll get a return option.

Oz

Mine were delivered freight, strapped to a pallet. Usually the driver will do something like that for a tip. Worse case scenario is he can drop them at the bottom of the driveway and you can bring each box up one at a time with a hand truck.

So far I have used a music reference RM9 II (125 watts), Granite Audio monoblocks (60 watts), NOS valves ST-45 (40 watts), and now an Aric Audio Super KT88/150 SE with the cornwalls.

The 14 watts/channel of the Aric amp have been the star of the show. This combination is pure magic.

Oz

Good to hear @jayrossi13 

That's a good point about the variety of amps that can drive these things with ease. My LM 518 shouldn't have a problem at all.

@simao  I had a 518i a while back and it is indeed a great amp, it wasn't the best pairing with horns. I used it with Forte IIIs and a pair of Khorns. I loved many things about the sound, but it could be a little "strident" at times. Then again, the cornwall IV has a much smoother sounding horn than either of those, so you might be ok. Good luck, interested to know how this combination works out.

As for power, you will be fine. I am driving mine with 16 watts of Aric power and it is plenty.

Oz

Congrats @jehowlind.

See my system profile for how I have them placed. I’d say they are pretty solid into the mid 30s but roll off pretty quickly after that.

I am using an Aric Audio Super KT88/120 SE and the 14 watts with KT88s seem to be the perfect match. But it sounds like you get the gist of what these speakers are about.

Thanks for sharing Don. That is similar to my take on comparing the X3 with the CW IV. Both great speakers for sure, but the Cornwall just connects me to the music more than the Spatial did.

Oz

Don offers good advice. I would never consider pairing klipsch heritage speakers with SS amps, although some do. I am listening to Deep Purple "Made in Japan" right now with 14 tube watts much louder than I probably should and it sounds awesome. Seek out another audition or try to get a pair in your home. 

Oz

Congrats @bjesien They are indeed fine speakers that do so many things right. I'm sure you will be even more impressed when you can spend some quality time with them.

Oz

Yep that's a comparison I'm interested in because I know Greg does excellent work.

Oz

That's why you would run the Cornwalls with your dual HSU subs. That's what I do.

Oz

I am running Duelund speaker cables and made jumpers of the same.

Thanks for the report. Glad these are working out for you. 
Oz

It is just a rant from someone with little to no experience with klipsch speakers in an optimum setting. Nothing to see here …………

I would like to offer another low output tube option. I am using an Aric Audio Super 88/150 SE and it is a great amp. It can use many different output tubes, but configured with EL34s as I am using it, the rated power is 12 watts/channel. Aric Kimball is a great designer and this is one of the best tube amps I have owned. He is very accessible and loves to talk about his products and his philosophy.

This amp is a wonderful match for the Cornwall IV.

Oz

Yes it is. 

Having owned Cornwall IIs and Bob Crites Cornscalas I will say that the cabinet of the CW IV has very little cabinet coloration that I can discern. The older cornwalls, and from what I've read, even the CW III, all had some form of cabinet resonance. So did Bob's cornscalas, which is the number one reason I sold them even after damping the horns and upgrading the crossovers.

I hear none of that in the Cornwall IV.

Oz

13 1/4 x 9