What is the best tube amp for Klipsch Cornwall spk

You can still purchase some drivers for the Cornwalls directly from Klipsch though they may have changed from the vintage versions (thus you may be forced to purchase a pair of them if only one of yours is bad). I purchased a passive radiator for a pair of Forte II's I had and found the replacement was made in Mexico and no longer resembled the original in several ways...it still worked fine, but I don't think it was nearly as well made as the original. Not that made in Mexico is necessarily a bad thing...I don't really know, but it is a long way from Hope, AR and the ideals that Paul W. Klipsch founded the company on. You can find plenty of Klipsch components (genuine vintage components) on eBay if you are patient. I've seen virtually all the components for your speaker come and go there. I bought a set of mint crossovers for my vintage Heresy's there for a song. One of mine had one of the oil-caps leaking. Those caps are no longer being made. The specific crossover components would not be available through Klipsch unless you chose to go to a more modern set of the crossovers, or replace components with a suitable substitute. There are two easy upgrades you can accomplish with your vintage Cornwalls to improve them: Replace the wiring harness with good wires (DH Lab makes some silver wires I like very much in my LaScala's). If you have the earlier version of the Cornwalls with the metal horns you may want to consider applying Dynamat-like material on the outside of the metal horns. PartsExpress sells a much less expensive, easy to apply, and just as effective version of Dynamat that works well. You'll need a heat gun or a very hot hair dryer. Do a search on the Klipsch forums (over at Klipsch.com) on for further input on these modifications. Some folks love the gorgeous crossovers made by Al Klappenberg (sorry if I mis-spelled that) also known as the alk crossovers. I tried a set in my LaScala's and found I preferred my vintage AA crossovers instead. As I said, many folks love the ALK's and he does make a version for the Cornwalls and YMMV. My bet is that your Cornwalls work just fine. Do check the woofer for mold damage, and check the crossovers for any oil leaking from the (metal) caps - seen as stains on the wood around them. Those horn drivers would be difficult to damage without severe abuse. Likely your speakers still work just fine. They're great speakers - hope you get to enjoy them!

Marco

Thanks Klipsch owners. I will consider both Cary and Quicksilver for power amps and preamps. My Cornwalls have been in storage for 10-15 years. I do not know if they even still work. Does Klipsch still repair the classic spekares?

I enjoy the vintage HH Scott 340 B receiver with the vintage Klipsch line.

any quality push-pull design will sound great.

Using older Cary SLA-70 sig with fantastic results. Mine is switchable pentode/triode, and my experience has been that triode IS the way to go with the Klipsch speaker. Conrad Johnson would also be a good choice. However, I don't beleive that ARC would be a good match. Audio Research gear is quite "linear" sounding and tends to sound cold and hard with horns. ARC is more suited for difficult loads and more "current" speaker designs. Anyway, good luck.

I love the combination of Quicksilver amps with Klipsch. I have had many variations on that combination and none have failed to disappoint. Currently running Quicksilver amps with LaScala's at home and with Heresy's at work. You could easily drive the Cornwall's with Quicksilver's MiniMite amps. Swap the tubes out to KT88's and good 12AX7's and you'll have a magical combination for not a lot of $. You may also want to list your other components (pre-amp and front end) as well as the size of the room, and perhaps your musical preferences so others may have a better idea of what to recommend. I'm assuming you are looking for an amp recommendation, not an integrated amp(?). Quicksilver & Klipsch will NOT dissappoint in my experience.

Best,

Marco