JBL 4349 or Klipsch Cornwall IV

I am also interested in the Cornwall IV and the JBL 4367 even though the big diff in price.  You can get JBL heavily discounted though if you look around.  I have the Forte III which I bought for my garage but ended up brining them in the house for fun and they have thrown me for a loop.  I haven't been listening to my Kef Blade 2s much anymore and there is a big difference in price there.  I'm hooked on this dynamic and lively sound for now.   In my big room the Forte III are a little lacking in bass but most any speaker is even the Kef Blade II.  So I'm not sure the move to Cornwall IV is going to fix that a lot.  I think you should try some other amps no matter what you end up getting.  Maybe a First watt or even a tube amp.  I have a First Watt J2, F6, Pass Xa30.8 and a Decware zen triode and they are all great.  Also a big set of Theta Prometheus 400 watt monos.  They all work and have their strengths.  You give and gain a little with any of them.  I don't think a Cornwall IV would be bad with the Levinson gear but I think you could do better and probably put a couple bucks in your pocket in the process with something else. 

Keep in mind that speaker placement can be the biggest issue between something sounding meh and phenomenal.  Look at Mapleshade free advice speaker placement section.  I’ve been using this configuration for years....best bass and soundstaging I’ve heard.  You can dial in a great balanced sound with minimal acoustic treatments.  No standing wave issues and fewer suck out problems!

Thank you dave_b! I had a look at Mapleshade today, seems like my speaker placement was ideal in terms of distance from the back wall. I have a very balanced sound without noticeable problems with standing waves etc.  Maybe credit should go to the 4349 which seem relatively easy to place in the room. 

They lack some warmth in the mid bass or lower midrange (at least in my room), this makes them sound bright with some recordings. They are very revealing, differences in recordings become clear through these speakers. 

Still have not not decided if I should keep them (they are very good and easy to place) or try the Cornwalls. Today I noticed the new Forte IVs are out as well, not as huge as Cornwall IVs and perhaps easier to place in the room. This is not going to be an easy decision. 

JBL 4349 with Line Magnetic 845-Premium... incredible.

@snapoli2 That’s great news! Still have the 4349s on demo, have been thinking about sending them back and go for Cornwalls or maybe the new Forte IVs.

There is a brightness when playing loud that I do not like, other than that I really like the 4349s. Power is not an issue, my Mark Levinson is rated at 2x400W so I’ve been thinking that it’s either a matching issue or the speaker itself. I don’t find 4349 to be very efficient, the L100 played subjectively louder at lower settings, which has made me think that tube amps might not work very well (other than high power amps). 

The LM 845-Premium is rated at 30W, if that power is sufficient also for listening at louder volumes that is great news. It’s quite expensive though, have you tried other tube amps with the 4349s (I’m thinking PrimaLuna etc that are well built but not as expensive as the 848-Premium)? 

So what did you choose? I have a similar situation. But I'm still considering Tannoy Monitor (Red or Gold). Difficult choice, although I listened to both options.

I’ve had my Cornwall IVs for over a year now. They shine with the same recordings as the JBL 4349s but the Cornwalls are better to my ears , with some recordings a lot better. I guess it comes down to what you value most, I definitely enjoy the dynamics (both micro and macro). JBL 4349 can go just as loud as the Cornwalls but they are not as dynamic and did not make me smile as much as the Cornwalls do.

Great problem to have! Ive owned them both and feel the cornwalls are far superior. I was a huge fan of the 4429 and found the 4349 were fatigueing. I love the 4365s though. My cornwalls are a real joy- with all types if music. And as Steve has stated in his reviews its unreal how great they sound even at low levels. They are fantastic speakers and incredibly easy to drive. Currently have them hooked up to a rogue rp1 pre and pass labs xa25 amp. Magical.

Cornwall has it all. Room placement less concern than any other.Toeing more so.  Room acoustics are of less importance …unless they’re in your garage. I have found it more about amplification.

Vintage amps with three adjusting knobs to your sound are great. (Why has it become a sin to adjust sound?) My Marantz 2226 B….. So warm that… I need to lessen the Bass, move up the MIDRANGE KNOB, and Treble. ( What happened to the Mid knob is similar to that of the phasing out of gluten! Where are the mountains of gluten on our landscapes?!)

My Cary SLI-80 is the sound tubes are made of. Totally tranced sound… hearing thing’s critical listening does.

My Cary CAI-1 takes on the Class D preamp sound… open and thunderous.

To me it’s like having three ways of communication. How do your ears want their sound today?

Cornwall IV’s…they love my Krell Class A integrated!

4349s with a Luxman 590aii was a great match along with a McIntosh Ma7000. In the wrong room the speakers could be somewhat fatiguing listing at loud volumes. In a big room with some sound dampening it rocks the house. The Luxman’s loudness feature makes low volume listening wonderful on a quiet Sunday morning.