He directly compares the Cornwall IV to the Forte III (which I own). This is dangerous for me because his points on the differences between the C-wall and Forte hit home.
I'm calling the credit cards telling them any purchase involving audio in the next 60 days should be flagged as fraudulent! That should stop me, right?
Kidding aside, I'm dying to hear the Cornwall IV. If you have heard them, please chime in!
I'm sticking with my Heresy III/REL subs (2) rig as it's comparatively diminutive and kicks a**. However, I've heard both the Forte IIIs and new Cornballs...uh Cornwalls...sorry...and yeah, both sound great but seem El Giganto. Especially the Cornwalls, and when I heard them the shop had some Heresies nearby and they just look relatively tiny. I bet if you heard the Cornwalls side by side at the same level they would have more similarity than differences relative to the Fortes...that's what I experienced anyway.
"I'm sticking with my Heresy III/REL subs (2) rig as it's comparatively diminutive and kicks a**."
@wolf_garcia, @jbhiller,
I love the sound of the Cornwalls I, II, III and Fortes I, II(have not heard newest incarnations) but Heresys and a sub/s can get you pretty far. The sound can get really big really fast.
Would really like to hear both the Cornwall 4 and Forte 3 some day.
@jbhiller I regret to inform you that I have heard the Cornwalls IV and I can’t get them out of my mind. This probably means that I have made the subconscious decision to buy them, I just don’t know it yet. Let’s call credit card companies about impeding fraud audio purchases, I like the idea. They are very impressive! In the past I laughed at Klipsch, and bought KEFs instead, that I still own. Cornwall IV, however, is positively different from what I remember about Klipsch. Only downside: it’s huge and heavy. And most likely my current amp is an overkill, power-wise, for the Cornwalls IV. To give you more context: I visited AVTherapy in Nashua,NH to listen to Spendors as possible replacements for my KEF 104/2. Both the Spendors and new KEFs (but not Reference) underwhelmed me. Cornwall IV -- convinced me.
@ghjuvanni, we are walking parallel paths here. I, too, scoffed at Klipsch for many years. I used to think of them as something beyond its heyday. But 30 years later I get it.
They are heavy. I guess we can call them huge.
Pushing a tube amp at Klipsch Heritage type product results in real mojo.
When Guttenberg said the Cornwall IV takes the visceral, dynamic impact of the Forte III and raises it up a huge amount, well, that got me. It’s a Forte on steroids!
I have the same dilemma. Have Forte III's brand new in the box. 3 Weeks after I bought them the Cornwall's came out. The Forte's are also suppose to be a bit of a pain to setup/sound properly where the Cornwall's are a breeze. Me thinks im gonna have to beg the dealer to take the Forte's back in trade towards the IV's. On the AUDIO CIRCLE website there is a guy who proclaims the Forte's are a better all around performer than the more dynamic Cornwall's. He also performed improvements to the Forte 3 (Which has no bracing in the cabinet from the factory believe it or not). He braced it, Added something like Dynamat and designed/upgraded the crossover with premium parts. Stellar results he reports. A KIT to do this upgrade yourself (If your savvy enough) will supposedly be made available shortly by GR RESEARCH who is a sponsor of the Audio Circle page. Check it out.
I am the proud and extremely happy owner of a new pair of Cornwall IV’s and they are incredible speakers! Last night I had a 4 hr listening session and played Rock, Metal, and Jazz without any fatigue whatsoever.
The Bass is clear and tight, the mids are incredible and the Highs are nicely detailed without being too bright.
they are worth every penny and will remain my main system speakers for a very long time. I drive them with a Parasound Halo A21 and P5 Preamp. More power than needed but wow! What a sound! I don’t miss my Goldenear Triton 5’s and JL Audio Subs at all.
I listened to SG's review and I have to agree with his every word. Very engaging, "direct live experience"/foot tapping type of sound. But at the same time not very 3D in the sense of depth, more "forward." The only thing that blocks me is the huge size, 2.5 times the width of my current KEF 104/2s. And I still really enjoy the KEFs, especially after upgrading amp to MF M6si, and -- 2 days ago -- Node 2i to RME ADI-2 DAC FS. These upgrades demonstrated that I hadn't used half the potential these old KEFs have.
@bigjohn9095 You have a TON of power in that amp for these speakers! You can help out with demolition jobs :-) What speaker cable to you run? Pls play James Blake's "Limit to your love" (yesterday’s discovery), just not too loud at first.
Hey @jbhiller I moved from the Forte III to the Cornwall IV and could not be happier. As always, your room should figure into your decision. I have a 25X20X7 "man cave" so the Cornwall IV's are certainly in their domain. That said, the midrange is a significant upgrade in the Cornwall IV. Bass is also better integrated and deeper....but it took some time to get there. I found the sound evolved over the first few weeks and has settled into a natural yet vibrant and lifelike presentation of scale and dynamics. Like @bigjohn9095 my McIntosh MA900 is waaaaay too much power. I rarely get to one watt on the meter but the match even at low level listening is very satisfying.
I currently own Forte I and Forte II each with Crites crossovers and Ti tweeters. I actually prefer the Forte I as the Forte II is a tad too bright in the midrange. I bought and sold Forte III because they were even BRIGHTER in the midrange. I bought and sold Cornwall III because the cabinet resonance was overwhelming the midrange detail. Because of this cabinet resonance I am very wary of buying Cornwall IV. The Cornwall III got just as much universal praise as the Cornwall IV and I find I just cannot trust universal praise. It seems if someone pays a lot of money for something, they seldom admit to any shortcomings. I, on the other hand, have no problem with admitting I made a purchase mistake. I am VERY INTERESTED in hearing Cornwall IVs because if they got rid of the cabinet resonance then I would love to have a set.
I also traded my recently purchased Forte 3's for the Cornwall 4's. I could not be happier. They are Forte 3's on steroids. Much bigger sound, not just bass but mid range also. I have them in a large room and they really fill the room with sound. I sit only 9 feet away which minimizes room interaction. I'm thinking the pair could eventually be made into my coffin :-)
Take a look at the thread over at Audio Circle on Danny Richie at GR research doing mods/upgrades to the Forte 3. I have A pair of Chorus 2 I just picked up and thinking about having Danny design an upgrade. I wishI could hear the Cornwall 4.. Not many heritage dealers carrying them in the store.
Danny Richie also did a series of three videos (viewable on You Tube: search for GR Research Tech Talk Tuesday) in which he describes the R & D he did on the Klipsch sent to him by a customer, the problems with the loudspeaker he found, and the corrective mods he came up with to minimize them.
Would very much like to hear them! Have a pair of 77' CW's that have been "modified". Crites tweeter & Crossover, major structural work done with internal bracing, damping applied to the horns as well as some specific cabinet damping applied. The bass is much better controlled and faster than before and the meds/highs are much smoother.
Really love my speakers :)
But, would still love to hear what the new CW IV's sound like...
but If the recording is ’hot’ or ’peaky’ its somewhat exacerbated by the Klipsch.
I have no idea of what constitutes "hot" or "peaky". I like Klipsch speakers. I bought my 1st pair in 1983 and their Heritage Line are great speakers. Try a McIntosh with autoformers with them, you'll be amazed.
Good reasonably full range speaker systems are NOT music specific, and note that orchestral music for example generally has much more dynamic range than metal or punk where the pedal is generally floored...and indie rock? All over the sonic map.
1. Bass extension. They're rated as -4dB at 34 Hz. (-4???). I'm wondering how they'd respond to a slight boost, say +3dB at 32 Hz. via DSP? If they can get even a few more Hz extension, I could live without a subwoofer.
2. Woofer to midrange crossover. This is academic if you listen directly on axis (I usually don't). But at the 700 Hz. crossover point, the woofers are starting to beam. This gives a slightly blurred midrange right before the highly articulate midrange horn kicks in. I've heard this effect with the Cornwall 1 and 2 versions. Does the larger mid horn mask this?
3. Size and weight. The earlier Cornwalls that I've owned were made of marine ply, and were easier to move and handle. The IVs are made of veneered particle board and weigh a LOT more (even with less structural integrity). How does the MDF sound compared to the earlier plywood construction?
4. Cost. It's a 15" three way speaker. $6,000 per pair? Really? Yes, the finish is gorgeous, and yes, the sound is supposed to be better, but still... How many folks can afford $6K for speakers?
My non-concerns with the Cornwall IV:
1. Voicing. Everyone who has heard this speaker says it works well. Everyone. Are they ALL wrong? I doubt it.
2. Appearance. New grills and good woodworking - nice!
3. Resale value. Bet these hold their value for a LONG time.
Options I'd like to see on the Cornwall IV:
1. Speakon connectors. Used in the Pro world & far superior to anything in consumer electronics.
2. Different height options on the risers. Some of us are taller than others...
6K is the MSRP. They can be had for much less. If you cant work out a deal to get them for $4800 or less your doing something wrong. I got my Forte 3's for $3100 (4K MSRP).
Cornwall's can be placed on Dolly's with Isolation Mat's to make them a breeze to move around. Many people prefer to have them aimed crossing in front of you instead of pointing at your ears. YMMV
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