Klipsch Cornwall IV

Riaa have you compared the Cornwall to the Razz’z?

Saburo that's a great few lines that you wrote there. I'm sure people can argue the finer points of your observation but nicely done. 39 posts and we get more value in what you write than some who post 20,000 completely idiotic pointless statements. Over the years this site has really been dumbed down but there's hope in sensible comments that talk about tradeoffs. Have yo heard the Devore Orangutans by chance? I'm trying to get a read on CWIV by comparing the o series which I know well. 

Pair of CW4 for sale on vintage McIntosh Facebook page. No price listed.

I’ve never understood why people that love a product get accosted. I do understand that some may be influenced by another’s love of a component. Maybe they buy it based on someone’s reaction and not like it, but that’s a risk audiophiles sometimes take for listening to people on forums.
Still no comparisons to the orangutan? I’m just kinda lingering here in no hurry. 

@dbarger  thanks for the info! OMG these are the size of a dishwasher right?? Can you compare them to the O/93 with room loading? The O/93 have the ability to slam dynamically and with 30hz bass that can flap your pant legs. Do these seem to dig as deep? Sub needed? Has anyone heard them with movies?
Thanks all, appreciate more people stepping up!

I can throw the O/93 over my shoulder and run them up and down the impedance curve all day.  The CW4 less detailed spec sheet says 8 Ohm compatible. Do they need 20 wpc to get that woofer to dance? 

So when my wife turns off the small singer songwriter stuff and goes in the treadmill I sometimes cue up the electronica or Floyd. One track that comes to mind is Welcome to the Machine. Do these pressurize the room on that track? Are you guys using subs with them?

I’ll likely be in a position to demo the CW’s this coming week. 

I had an opportunity to listen to the CW4’s today. The initial amp was the Luxman SQ150 el84 amplifier. I found them to be very dynamic with a great presence. I really like the way they let the music flow. There was no box sound to identify and the coherence was very nice. I noticed the music seemed a bit tightly wrapped at first- not strained but I realized that from experience I liked el84’s most for vocals and strings and simple music, not for a speaker demo. So I asked for another amp and they had a Primaluna el34 handy. I’ve never heard PL do have much opinion but the el34 opened up the reach of the music much more for me. The “tightness” disappeared and presentation warmed up and relaxed more. The flow was better.My impression of the bass great but a little lacking BUT they were inside of a pair of the monster horns and right up against the wall. The room was packed with speakers and boxes. What bass I heard was great but I’m concerned about them not reaching 30hz. Any thoughts about the placement?All in all found them excellent. I listened to Paradigms right after and it was hard not to hear the individual drivers in the boxes. If I want more dimension and tonal warmth than the PL what tubes and amp would you guys recommend? The little 15 watt Luxman seemed to have enough power just didn’t care for the 84’s. 

I think the IPad was most likely controlling a music server, but yes they should ask what you would like to listen to and leave you to listen without any interruptions. You are the customer, the priority, the one paying the bills. My experience is that for years many shops were focused mostly on installations to get by. It seems the more recent surge in people getting out to listen to 2 channel has them a little rusty. Hopefully we all get into our groove again.

3-5 days. Looking for a few recs on dimensional, gold tone compared to silver tube amps. Single ended and up to maybe 60 wpc. Thanks!

7 days. They must be pulling them up the Delaware by mule like they did when they first came out. Will update once I get them going.

One initial impression that comes to mind with these is maturity. These speakers having a way of playing with stature and solidity regardless of the genre. Haven’t had a chance to sit and listen but will make time over the next few days. 

I have around 100 hours on the Cornwalls. I never thought I would be sitting across from a pair of Klipsh speakers but I’m really impressed with them. They are engaging and dynamic with great subtly and articulation.
I have them aimed so if I’m sitting in front of them I can barely see the inside plane of the speakers. I’d say this is almost directly firing. I like them better with the grills off. The grills are unfortunately some sort of cheap rubber that feels like outdoor furniture. That’s probably the only negative thing I can say about them at this point.
So far I don’t find them bright at all. No falling asleep from boredom, no twitching or beaming or ears ringing. Very impressed at how they are so lively without taking it too far like so many speakers.
Using a Coda CSIB and it’s doing a wonderful job driving them. Will likely switch over to tubes at some point but I’m in no hurry. Thanks for the recommendations, I would have never tried these if it weren’t for some of you sharing your speaker journeys.

I'd be careful what you wish for with upgrades and parts. I've had several speakers with great parts that made my ears ache or ring when played at much lower than safe levels. Frequency has much more to it than can be easily measured. 

Just an update with probably around 250 hours. I am often times pulled out of my office chair to walk out and listen to these. They are a clear preference for me over the O/93's I owned for 8 months.
One thing I look for in a speaker is excitement without fatigue.  They have great presence but aren't hyped up in the 2-4k frequency range- that annoys me with many speakers. Strings are starting to really pop out in the room after more break in..
They play big and I can easily listen with peaks in the mid 90db range at listening position with no fatigue or ringing in my ears afterwards. 
The bass is impressive but I do notice with certain music that the low 30's and 20's are missing. The thing is the bass is really engaging so I'm fine with it. I've owned speakers that played deeper but with less engagement through the ranges, and I became bored with them. Or some speakers you crank for the bass and are screamed at with the mids and highs. These have a way of being relaxed and exciting at the same time, which is rare. Effortless might be the word.
So many unique preferences with audio, so my priorities might not be yours. They are big but any speakers take up a certain percentage floor space unless they're cramped. The front port makes them easier to position. I have them toed in so I can barely see the inside edges from the ideal seat. It's been a fun journey so far.

  

@arthur1260 room is 14 by 26 but open to a larger space. I put all my speakers on the short and long wall but typically end up on the long wall with one close to a corner about 10 feet back from listening position.  

Don while you are performing your next surgery on these why don’t you cut some ports in the back and see what happens. It would be interesting to hear what some reinforcement would do. Have any of you compared these to a pair of Ardens? I’ve seen the Chev comparisons but it seems the Arden would be the competitor at least in size and specs.

Arthur you could just put big woofers in your car and park it in your living room!
In my experience you likely don’t have to worry about the size of these in your room. They’re big because they’re efficient, and that’s not representative of the amount of “breathing room” that they need. Very easy to place.
Where your tannoys, the older or newer models? I’ve always been intrigued by the tannoys buy I’ve never heard them. Sometimes when I hear a speaker is relaxed or a little dark that usually means the midrange is weak. I’d appreciate your thoughts.  

The Cornwall was a very fun speaker to spend 2 1/2 months with. A great design and will really keep me engaged with horn speakers in the future. At the end of the day I missed the refinement and clarity of my audiophile ways too much. I was hoping to pull away from such shenanigans but I enjoy chase. For what it’s worth I would buy these again before other speakers I’ve owned including the O/93’s. Very fun.
I can’t seem to stray too far from Verity speakers and I’m back again. Thanks to all the members in this thread that shared great stories and advice and passions for these great speakers.

Very true. Getting out to hear the Fynes soon, have an interest in the Tannoy Arden, Coherent, and the new Soul looks fun too. Never a dull moment. Well, hopefully not!