Bad Cornwall IV?


Hi guys. I finally upgraded my decades old receiver to an Anthem MRX-1140 to compliment my Cornwall IVs that I bought a few months ago. While running through the room correction ARC software the right front speaker sounds very different from the left and center (all Cornwall IVs). Can someone look at this graph and let me know if the speaker is bad or what the problem could be?

 

ARC Graph

 

Thanks in advance!

starbuck02

First guess is a tweeter is blown.

Use the "Ear" test to verify.

Being a Forte 4 owner, I would disconnect speakers from the amp then remove the binding post module from the back of the speaker. Next, make sure red wires are connected to red posts and blacks are going to blacks. Check for solid connections.

Finally, I’ve researched Anthem receivers and read that they have problems with their room correction software and user interfaces as well. These problems may have been worked out by now, but this is what I read.

If possible, try to disable room correction and play as close to "straight two channel audio" as possible. See if this changes anything.

BTW, are you using single or bi-wire connection?

The cables are secure and the placement is correct. I've re-done them just to make sure and the same issue happens. I thought that speaker sounded different when I first got it but I thought it might be because I had it plugged into a cheap AVR. Now with the room correction software you can hear that the highs sound "underwater".

 

I still have warranty on the speaker so I'll exchange it and let you guys know if that fixed the issue.

 

Thanks!

I'm not exactly sure what singe vs bi-wire is so here's a picture of it and you tell me! 😅

 

Wiring

Ohhhh you meant the wire inside the speaker? I guess I could open her up and check!

Please don’t open your speaker up, you could possibly void your warranty.  I believe your picture shows what dweller was asking about.  I am not familiar with your speakers, but it looks like there is a slate-colored jumper.

Hopefully @dweller will verity.

PLOT TWIST!

 

I took off the binding posts in the back and put them back on and tightened the heck out of them with my fingers. I also played some EDM music at 25db which is LOUD (95db according to my decibel meter). I then re-did the room calibration and the right speaker is now PERFECT!

 

What the heck? Any thoughts??

Good to hear you solved the issue.

Just goes to demonstrate that good physical connections are just as important as everything else.

The bywire is Fake not true biwire from the Xover ,from the 5-6 pair I have rebuilt ,and connectors are lower quality gold over brass, when all quality connectors are copper,gold  far better conductivity. I have  rebuilt many Klipsch speakers the Xover parts are not even average quality ,the jumpers are NG . Get the tweeter replaced 

and then seriously consider rebuilding the internal Xover  which is a Major upgrade in sonics , crites type are ok at best you want Top quality resistors like Path audio ,

and a quality brand name capacitor.

In 2022 all the money nerds are trying anyway possible to maximize profit margins even if it means a degrade in performance. It’s always been that way to an extent but the engineers had more power in earlier years. I don’t know about the Cornwalls but speakers that cost multiples of a thousand dollars should be using at least mid grade audiophile components. Would probably only add 50 bucks to the speaker unless going crazy. I don’t wanna buy something for 5-10k and need to worry about upgrading it. Ridiculous! Rant over..

Those slate colored things, on the outside of the binding posts, are called "jumpers" they allow you to use a single speaker wire to feed your speaker. When you remove the jumpers, you can use two speaker wires (bi-wire) which people say sounds better.

Note: the binding posts, at least on my Forte 4s, do not allow extreme tightening with spade terminals. You must use banana plugs or your contact is compromised.

Glad to hear you solved your problem!

@mofojo 

I think it’s a Klispch thing. I know another person with new Cornwall’s and a couple with Heresy IV’s that have had issues with the binding posts. Mostly coming loose on the outside and once on the inside.

I have Klipsch Heresy IVs bought new from Upscale a year or so ago and the binding posts are picky!! I had no sound from one speaker, blamed my amp, fiddled and futzed and discovered it was the spade speaker connectors. Switched to bananas via those Audioquest converter plug things and no more problems. I had been about to ship my amp off for service, glad I kept futzing. 

Cornwalls deserve better than an Anthem digital processor. Look to tubes, therein lies your answer….

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