@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.
A Hidden "Feature" of the Cornwall IV
The Cornwall IV is so sensitive in all respects. Source, cables, power, time of day, recording, tubes---it is so revealing of changes you make. I won't say it's scientifically transparent. Instead, I'd say that it's overtly shows a difference with every change you make. That can become a game or enjoyable in its own right, and draw you away from the music.
The good news is the Cornwall IVs are clearly a musical speaker. This translates into most swaps of gear in and out sounding pleasant in their own right.
Here's the problem: I can easily sit tight with the Cornwalls and any decent setup of attached kit. But it is so utterly intoxicating to hear so many different things play with the Cornwalls.
Curiosity killed the cat. This cat might end up in bankruptcy!
What a wonderful loudspeaker.
The good news is the Cornwall IVs are clearly a musical speaker. This translates into most swaps of gear in and out sounding pleasant in their own right.
Here's the problem: I can easily sit tight with the Cornwalls and any decent setup of attached kit. But it is so utterly intoxicating to hear so many different things play with the Cornwalls.
Curiosity killed the cat. This cat might end up in bankruptcy!
What a wonderful loudspeaker.
Showing 14 responses by jbhiller
@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 |
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. |
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. |
@buddy and @jet88, I have not heard the Cornwall IVs with the Yammy or Lux, but I bet both would be great. I didn't have great luck pairing my Forte IIIs with Class D--just too lean, clean, and sterile. I loved them with a Creek integrated. I would expect that the Yamaha and Luxman would be sublime, based on my experience of how the loudspeaker puts out so much of what you put in and those amps are very well made and musical. |