A Hidden "Feature" of the Cornwall IV

How much is Klipsch paying you? 

@jbhiller is getting slightly more than me, but I’ve been on the payroll a little longer.

So here is my obligatory Cornwall plug of the week. The Cornwall IV is an awesome speaker and you should buy a pair.

Now I just sit back and wait on the check. Bet you wish you had a gig like this..........

Hey JB...I know how you feel. (Disregard the haters) Its the super efficiency of the Klipsch Heritage group. I104db @ 1 watt RMS into 8  Ohms) Any change in kit is amplified in its noticeable impact. Early on I wondered why "everything" made a such a difference. Almost every criticism leveled at LaScalas are due to this "hidden feature". They are picky about who they play well with! They have "evolved" from the shrill, bass shy, tunnel horn, PA speakers into invisible transparent magic machines allowing me to listen INTO the sound stage. Best of all, they are wonderfully crystal clear at low volumes. (Which is another weird "hidden feature" since they are capable of truly rock concert volumes with no fear of driver destruction.) Each upgrade around them will be abundantly revealed and rewarded. FUN! I know this because I bought these first and then upgraded every else second. Do I get my check now?

I wish they were paying me!  I need a benefactor here. 
If you’re the curious and adventurous type in the hobby, these speakers could spell trouble for you. Time to get back to the music. 

Ozzy, isn’t it great to get these checks? Do you think they’d be open to direct deposit?  

I have Heresy IV’s and love them more as time goes on. I bought them with the preconceived notion they would be good but can get unruly on the top end, are a bit unrefined but can really rock. When I received them I was *almost* disappointed in how refined and warm they are.

fast forward about 9 months and I’m still in love. Like the OP said, and unlike my previous Focals, these will allow you to hear each change up the line. I back them with a pair of Rythmik subs and am ecstatic.

Same thing with Forte IV , especially when changing tube types.   Think I have everything dialed in and they sound fantastic.  The detractors have probably not even heard the new Heritage line.   Best speaker I've ever owned .  

@oddiofyl ,  Man, You have the Forte IVs!?  I sold my Forte IIIs in December 2020 to make way for the Cornwalls.  I would love to hear the IVs.  I bet you are loving them.  The IIIs were fantastic, and yours are certainly improved. 

I’d probably have a pair by now if I had the right spot for them. Always tempted to not think so much and just pull the trigger, just for kicks....🧐.  

Love my Cornwall 3's. I feel sorry for the haters. They really don't know what they are missing.

For anyone that thought I was one of the haters from my post, I assure you that's not the case...........

If you ever hear the mid 60s cornwall with the electrovoice and university drivers in it you will really love the sound of the cornwall it is a different speaker than the new one.

The only big negative with all klipsch speakers and I owned most of them including the Cornwall junk Xover parts look inside China special , I rebuilt several including the heresy 3 I sold fully upgraded
i culdnot believe even with the K horn maybe $100 worth of parts 
when you upgrade to premium capacitors,resistors, and inductors 
then they are special the Xover being the ❤️,or brain 🧠 of all speakers using more then one driver is critical  ,I have written to them many times ,they refuse to listen ,all about max profit.
that’s why I consider Spatial audio labs , a great speaker especially 
their X3,X5 which I  plan on getting.

I grabbed a pair of Cornwall IV on impulse a couple months ago. They’re still breaking in, so I haven’t tried changing out components with them yet, but I swapped out speaker cables and was surprised how much it changed the presentation. On a side note, despite knowing their dimensions, and thinking I had plenty of space for them, they are huge in my listening area. 

F U cornwall 3’s and 4’s!

sincerely,

my Cornwall I’s

@kcpellethead

once they break in I think you will be mightily impressed.

Man would love to hear some properly setup 4s. Anyone in West to Central Mi willing to do a demo please let me know. I love the look and that they are US made. 

Agree with garbage crossovers. Great speakers. Buy new crossovers from alk engineering and they really sing. 

mickeyb 
which ALK extreme crossover set are foe the CW4?...

@ozzy62 - Do you feel you need the subs with the Cornwall IV?

I am loving these ....   I went to buy my daughter a soundbar, and listened to the Heresy IV.. .   Almost bought Forte III but out of stock,, so timing was perfect.  Some have called them Baby Cornwall IV....not so sure about that.  But they do possess the sonic signature of the CW.   Bass is great but not quite the pitch definition of the Cornwall.   Beautiful midrange, no harshness or fatigue on the top end .   The Klipsch detractors should give them a listen.

 Driving them with a pair of Quicksilver Mid Monos and c-j Classic 2SE preamp.  

Sounds great .

@kcpellethead The CW IV is very satisfying without subs. But I have a large room and like the added fill at the lower frequencies. Most people would probably be fine with the speakers sans subs.

Oz

" Agree with garbage crossovers. Great speakers. Buy new crossovers from alk engineering and they really sing."

I agree with all of this but it is amazing how special these straight from the factory speakers are with the lowly junk crossovers.  There are a bunch of shade tree mechanics in the Klipsch Heritage "fan boy" groups and we have to let them tweak a bit.  Is it really any different than a C7 Corvette owner buying performance parts to squeeze out more performance?  Out of the box the C7 can hold it's own against exotic cars double it's price.  Pretty special car at it's price point even with it's not so exotic archaic pushrod engine.

Bill

Love my Cornwalls!

Cornwall II, decorators. When I got them, they were black, hand painted with a brush - a few times. Previous owner got them from a bar. Even had chicken wire protecting the woofer. Not pretty, but sounded really good. They had both the Crites XOvers and Tweeters. I did extensive bracing - side/side - front/back - motor board - corners - port shelf. Also damped the midrange horn with spray/damping material on the outside to get rid of the ringing. 

They were brought up a bunch of notches because of these tweaks/mods.

So yes, upgrades from the factory make a difference. Previous bike was a BMW S1000RR. A beast by any measure. Swapped out the pipe, added 8hp to it (on a 450lb machine that approx 200hp, it made a difference...) Did I have to do this? No, of course not. Did it "go" better? Yes, it did. (And it sounded better...)

Crossover components matter, a lot. So if you can get them to sound better with comparatively few dollars, why would you not do that???

I have owned klipsch speakers in the past that I felt needed and benefitted from various upgrades. Even though better crossover parts would surely be an improvement, I don’t have any issues at all with the CW IV that lead me down that road. In my opinion, they need not apologize for any facet of their performance.

Oz

Head throbbing treble.   Searing treble w wrong amp. 
  To much treble.  
As mentioned.  How much is klipscch paying you.  ?????

I have owned Klipsch(Heritage and Reference) speakers for the last 15 years and have never experienced that "piercing" treble that chases one out of the room.  Source, amplification, placement/toe-in, room acoustics, all come in to play with Klipsch(and others) speakers and sometimes it requires some work to get it "right".

Bill

Head throbbing treble.   Searing treble w wrong amp.
  To much treble.  
As mentioned.  How much is klipscch paying you.  ?????

Spoken like a true neophyte. Have you heard any of the recent klipsch offerings? My guess would be “no”.

It’s always fashionable to bash klipsch speakers so newbies like to pile on and virtue signal. It’s what they do.

Oz

Would any of the owners of the current Klipsch IV lineup be so kind as to post the approximate dimensions of their respective rooms?
My next speaker purchase is going to be one from the Klipsch Heritage line (now that the Forte IV is out). I need to audition all 3, but I know my room is going to have a huge impact on which one I should buy. Also, if you could supply the distance between the speakers I’d be most appreciative.
Thanks in advance.

@ozzy62 

its not only Klipsch that get bashed, but Golden Ear as well.  The people that scream the loudest are the ones who have never heard them. 

@forestg

My dimensions are 15.5' x 26' and it's a dedicated room.

My room is 15.5' wide (measuring width from my ears to the walls) x 22' long (measuring from my head to the walls).  I have a high ceiling of 10'.  

12 x 15 but this is a temporary home for them.   Speakers sound good , but room is my limitation right now.  

Go watch the YOUTUBE review by ZERO FIDELITY.  He had the IV's in his room which is like 9x12 and he said they worked fine. My room is 13x15. Many find the best sound to be when they are toed in where they cross in front of your listening position.

Yes, I use a sub with them.  I try to carefully adjust it with the crossover starting at its lowest point and adding volume until I get a seamless "match".  Then, I can up the crossover a bit IF I feel it necessary.  However, I use my REL sub to merely add dimension, space, and a low end frame to the music.  The objective is to not hear it specifically.  

The Cornwall IVs are way more sensitive to placement than my Forte IIIs were.  I actually got a little frustrated dialing them in.  

@mofojo ,

I'm near Chicago.   You're welcome to hear them here.  Probably smart to wait until full vaccination is available.  But you're 100% welcome. 

Yes, listened to several Klipsch offerings, 
    Yes, the newer incarnations are much more easier on the ears than the older models.
    As mentioned, amps, sources, and the recording is a huge factor in the Klipsch sound!

  Ok, maybe I came off as confrontational, not what I wanted to do.
it did sound trite and rude, I re read my post
    While not the ear splitting and molar gritting sound of the 1993 cornerhorns, the newer models are easier on the ears with the correct amplification.


 Cheers.

newer models are easier on the ears with the correct amplification.

The same can be said of older models. A lot of people have listened to klipsch speakers with cheap receivers or SS amps. Not a good combination. I had 1976 khorns with Voti xovers and damped midrange horns and the sound was excellent with tube amplification.

Yes, tubes are generally key with horns.

@arcticdeth,  I  have to admit that I used to loath Klipsch and I had not heard enough of them or with quality source and amplification.  

Steve Guttenberg and Steve Huff are both knowledgeable people who love music and the hobby.  They both see the CW IV and Forte III as amazing loudspeakers.   I'm not saying they are the mouthpiece of gospel, but rather they are generally smart audiophiles with fair and decent track records.  

For anyone who thinks Klipsch are shrill, harsh, shouty, overpriced, not competitive with the alleged "state of the art" speakers out there....Check this out: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXdQ_2oKN98

On room size and positioning--

I was a bit surprised to find that even though I initially thought the CW IV was not fussy on placement, I was dead wrong.  To be clear, they will sound decent with nearly any placement. But if I want them to sound spectacular, careful positioning pays huge dividends.  I'm talking tape measure time!  

In my space, they sound best brought into the room from the back wall about 1-2'.  Then toe in can be adjusted.

Absolutely love my Fortes III’s and Primaluna with 2 JL E112 sub combination.  Considered the forte IV, but since I’m in the process now of building dedicate 17x23 listening room addition..... I’m going to wait for the diamond Jubilees being released this summer - I can not convey my level of excitement, this room has been a dream of mine for many years - and always wanted a pair of jubilees.  Sorry to hijack - just wanted to get my product endorsement check too.  

Dean Wescott makes the best crossovers for Klipsch imho.
The premium ones he built for my La Scalas transformed them.
After I installed them I forgot about driver updates.

I rocked KG4.2 speakers for 12 years, built and bought in 1992. Everyone who heard them loved it. Paired with a Mirage 15 sub and an 80s era Marantz it sounded beautiful.

I have Cornwall IV's and a Luxman L509X now, and it's absolutely transcendental.

Like most gear, pairing with the right components can make all the difference. The Cornwall's are no exception.

@jet88,  Wow! That combo CWIVs - Luxman L509x is one I would love to hear. 

@jbhiller, I demoed 6 solid state and 2 tube amps in the general price range of the Luxman, about $8-12k and decided it was "the one". I am a year in now and could not be happier (unless it was with much more expensive gear of course!). I think it has enough of the richness of tubes with the benefits of solid state to be just perfect. If you ever get the chance, demo the L509X. It's a wonderful amp.

I don't do the holy war thing with X is superior to Y. All quality gear is great. The companies that design it are full of smart people who know what they are doing. The difference is the flavor and what tickles your tastes in that special way. For me, I love horns and the Klipsch sound.

Talked with the owner of Pure Audio Project...from Israel 🇮🇱. Cool guy!  Trio line Horn 1’s sound tasty 😋. Modular and tweakable with no power cords or active components.  May be the ones 🤔

@jett88,  Good for you.  I like how you tried out 8 products! You now feel confident you like the sound you have.  Smart.

I agree with you--there are tons of great products out there.  It doesn't need to be a zero sum game.  

I really need to hear the CW IVs driven by a Lux, Pass, or other great SS amp. 

@jet88, awesome system have you! I have a mint pair of Chorus IIs with the crites xover/ti ’phrams, pushed by a Yamaha A S2200. I plan on forwarding my CH2s to my friend’s son, and getting the Cornwall IVs this summer. The Yamaha also has the dancing VU meters, and is a very fine piece. That said, the Luxman has a high drool factor indeed! I wasn’t aware of it until today...this hifi passion is getting expensive lately! Love it! I do think it is a gene that only a few people have. The masses just don’t know what they are missing.