Light years ahead of Cambridge, and maybe a foot or two ahead of Nad. It presented an overall well crafted/ chiselled output. It doesn't give the "air" of rotel, or the lushness of tubes, but instead a very very articulate presentation. Anchorage Mobile Truck Repair

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The modulus of impedance shows a woofer running around 4 ohms, you need to make sure you use an amp that's happy with that load. (No AV Receiver that will not handle less than 6 ohms.) Otherwise a good clean 5 Watts will serve you well. They are BIG, and Heavy and the bass is smoother if they are lifted about 4 inches off the floor! But Klipsch (or Bob Crites) are there for parts, etc. (I have no experience with the newer Model 3!)

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Best speakers for accurate reproduction of live music! Astounding with high-end vinyl!

Heavy and large!

Rattle the windows with clean, undistorted sound with out even beginning to push a 40 watt amp.

You have to have a BIG room to really appreciate these. No longer available new, and too big to UPS if you find some out of town. I've had these since 1979--I bought them used then for $600(mine were made in 1966) when I was living in San Francisco in a loft in the old Sears building in the Mission district. I powered them with an old McIntosh 240 and C-11 (as I still do) in a 1100 square foot room. For those who say these speakers won't image, I have news for you-- YOUR ROOM IS TOO SMALL. I have NEVER heard better imaging than these Corwalls in that space, PERIOD!! I have since moved several times, been married and divorced, made alot of money at www.peintresherbrooke.com/ and lost most of it (only to make it back again), but the Cornwalls remain. I did leave them with my brother for a year or so, but other than that they've greeted me whenever I return home just like a faithful dog. I LOVE THESE SPEAKERS!!!! What they do is make MUSIC!! For those who say the sound is "cupped" or complain about the 50Hz rolloff, I can only assume you've never been able to appreciate LIVE MUSIC, becasue the Cornwall comes closer to the sound and feel of live music better than any speaker every made

These are my first Klipsch's as always heard the horns are too tinny or brash....boy was I wrong. I finally decided to find some older Forte's and upgrade the caps and such...but just when I was giving up I found some Cornwall Is locally. Built in 1978 with brand new cane grills, new capacitors, vented dust covers on woofers and new internal wiring and the cabinets were in outstanding condition. Listened to them at owners place with tube amp...I was blown away at how large they sounded in the small room...the soundstage was wider than the physical location of the speakers. The instruments in Bob James Obsession, Steely Dan Aja and vocals in SADE Diamond Life were clear and distinct and pure. The bass was balanced and tight. So I bought them..... I run them on a vintage stereo setup I bought new in 1986...Pioneer Reference Amplifier M90, PIoneer Reference Control Amplifier C90 with a Denon DP59L turntable with the original Stanton 981 cartridge. I bought this amp because it had high power but also because it had THD of something like .003%. It pushes these speakers perfectly with tight controlled bass and clear highs and mids...no hissing, no static other than dirty pots I need to clean ;) These speakers get to 95-100 dB of sound on my SPL app on phone easily and are barely pushing 2 watts of power from amp. I cant imagine ever getting to 20 watts....without serious hearing damage and cracks in walls of home. I can listen to jazz, blues, classic rock, metal, alternative, classical.....it all sounds great. I am even able to play my SPOTIFY HD by using a HK Bluetooth adapter for my amplifier and again they sound great. I was worried about all the normal things you read and hear on social media and online forums from "experts" such as horns being fatiguing, no bass, hiss or distortion at low volumes or on standby...cant play without $10,000 tube amp...blah blah blah. I am here to tell you that a high quality solid state amp with a very low THD and clean power will do wonders with these speakers. The new capacitors and wiring just brought them back to their original specs with higher quality components....and I dont want any additional upgrades or mods to be honest. They sound perfect to me....

They are a large speaker that can look somewhat dated (mine built in 1978 and design not changed on cabinets really since first sold in late 50s)....but the 7 layer birch furntiture grade wood used in cabinets is exceptional and sturdy. I have added birchwood risers from Bob Crites to get them off floor slightly but otherwise are untouched. The only CONS really, depending on your likes and needs, are their size requires a good footprint....the design is not the new black or svelte designs of a home theater setup.......and maybe the technology of the Cornwall I's being a little behind as they have been improved over the years with the new series IV being as perfect as could be other than MDF cabinets. I dont think you can do better for the money and would put these against any other speaker out there for 2 channel music playback.

Heh they still make these? Cool beans. Okay well i have the OG ones from the 60s so if the new ones are still built the same way great! If not well, keep scrolling. I was lucky enough to find my cornwalls curbside one morning. Fully working just really dusty. Anywhoo i got them home hooked them up and dear god they really do live up to their reputation. they are stupid powerful but are EXTREMELY efficiant as well! I run my cornwalls with my scott 340b tube receiver in my main system. Deep rich bass crisp highs and brilliant mids. They have a huge soundstage and can take just about anything i throw at them without much of a fuss. These are truly some of the best of the best and sound like speakers that cost way way more. Id recommend these to well, anybody!

The cornwalls only have a few sins. One being that they are huge and have a very low WAF factor. being that they are very large they really need a large area to truly be heard as god intended. The further back you go the better they sound. Bass is good but they could drop a little low. Anything under 400 cycles they get a little dicey. They also weigh a ton so if you have to move them in tight spaces, i recommend you have a friend lend a hand.

My Cornwall (1’s) were purchased used two years ago! I’ve lived on the hifi merry-go-round most of my adult life, ended up even owning an audio store! Sold Theils, Apogee, B&W, Snell, Vandersteen and Klipsch, lots of great speakers. Overall each speaker is a mixed bag, and the room you put them in can make or break their performance. The Cornwall’s always haunted me, something about those speakers. Well my Quad 57’s broke down again and I began to think about Cornwall’s. This fellow two states away had to sell his. Freshly veneered, with new woofers and upgraded poly caps and a real inductor on the woofer they sound glorious. At last I’m home!

The modulus of impedance shows a woofer running around 4 ohms, you need to make sure you use an amp that's happy with that load. (No AV Receiver that will not handle less than 6 ohms.) Otherwise a good clean 5 Watts will serve you well. They are BIG, and Heavy and the bass is smoother if they are lifted about 4 inches off the floor! But Klipsch (or Bob Crites) are there for parts, etc. (I have no experience with the newer Model 3!)

With Certain Vega Floor standing speakers to improve their sound is a cheap and quick fix. Simply seal up the rear ports. This will turn them into acoustic suspension speakers. Muddy bass will be gone replaced by a smooth base. It will also slightly lower the volume of the woofer. That allow the midrange and tweeters to play louder giving a clear detailed sound, more audiophile.
For the Cornwall 3s many people don't like the sound of the midrange horn. Simple fix is to change the crossover frequency from the woofer to midrange. Bring the woofer father up and the same with the midrange. Example cut the woofer off at 6khz. This will release the midrange so it doesn't have to work as hard improving the sound. A $10 fix.

Review is for Cornwall 1's, last production run. K-77 tweeter with square magnet, K-57-K squaker, K-33-E woofer with square magnet, and B-3 crossover.

Over the years I have owned many speakers I THOUGHT were good, really good.

At some point Klipsch Heresy's came into my life and they changed my appreciation of music forever. But I still like the bass in my face. But ONLY if it is in phase! Even with a separate subwoofer under each speaker I could not get the right sound.

I thought I found the answer with a monster pair of Cerwin-Vega CLSC 215's. That is until I listened to the Herseys agian and heard how much detail was missing to get that bass.

Then I stumbled onto this pair of Cornwalls. The most I ever paid for a set of speakers, and now I know why.

I have no use for any other speaker in a two channel set-up now. Sold nearly all of them, Heresy's included, model I's and II's. Sold the Vega's. Sold the PSB Stratus Silver i's.

The Forte II's I own have detail, but the Corwalls have all that AND the punch in the gut! Even at LOW volume they deliver impact. They beg to be turned up. Not because they need to be louder, but because it doesn't make any sense not to!

No compression at high volume, no lack of detail at any volume, and the BASS, rock solid bass. I think having the drivers behind the motorboard allows them to be enjoyed in a normal sized room without having to sit 20 feet away.

Once you have heard horns, and like them, you are hooked. Once you hear a 15" woofer, you are hooked. These have it all and sound like they go much lower than the 38 hz spec'd.

And this is a 32 year old pair of un-modified speakers! Cornscala anyone?

I cannot imagine how dynamic the Cornwall III's sound!

In 1978 I traded 2 Heresys and some cash for my Cornwalls. They moved with me too Florida, have stayed with me during three marriages, and there is a good possibility they will be buried with me. They are the only speakers I've heard whose horns could cut you like a knife while that big 15" woofer beat the breath out of you, I remember reading that during an electronics trade show in the mid 70's Paul Klipsch, to show how efficient the Cornwall was, hooked them up a 1 watt transistor radio (remember those?) and turned the volume up to the point of pain and with no distortion. Even with 100 watt maximum they can break your windows and have neighbors call the police. THAT'S why I got them and why I won't part with them for any amount of money. I love my Cornwalls.