The efficency, the horns, the cabinets!!

YEA RIGHT!!!

I bought a pair of klipsch 5.5s in 1996, recently i had to srew the cabinets together, and the sound was overall BASS!!
Wrong port wrong size cabinet!!It was relly funny picking up the parts of the box in my livingroom!!
The kg4s i was happy with for sure overall, at least i thought so!!One cornwall completely overdriv the kg4, so i didnt even leave them hooked up!!
Ive wanted a pair of kg4s for 10 years, got them for $325.00, and still are my favorite as far as size, and clarity goes!!I still have them, just sitting on top of the cornwalls, and the kg5.5s wound up in the closet!!
I also have a sw-10 sub, its a nice decoration here in my livingroom, not even plugged in!! As far as i see it, whoever thinks that they may need one is just fooling themselves!!
Why go to a tuned port like the kg5.5s, put the idea in the closet!!!!!!
They made these heritage series for a reason, if the 1957 chevy radio didnt have a thunderous boom system why change it!! Its worth more as original as it was made!!!
Now overall, ive been into audio since i was 10, 34 now and i am finally happy with what i wound up with!!
Even JBLS are less than these!!
All new Klipsch as far as i can see it, might have been bought out by SOUNDESIGN!! I will never again consider going into debt with the way they are made for the money AGAIN!! I think the boxes and crossovers are made in Mexico, thats what was on them, the sticker, MADE IN MEXICO BEWARE OF THIS!!
As far as i can see it today as of the new mellinium, Klipsch has to prove to us once agian that their product stands up to what they have earned to be!!
They have to prove to us that they can still do what they did in the cornwall era!!!
Most hi fi stores out here in denver discontinued Klipsh because the quality went to hell!!
When people say that they never heard a good set of klipsch, because of the horns, stop sitting on top of them!!
They are built for bigger rooms, in some cases, whatever size they may be, or model,, yes my cornwalls blow me away, as far as the high pitched mids and highs, but at that volume the niehbors can also hear it loud and clear, so its good that i can only go to a certain level of volume!!
What else made out there can do this, if i want the real loud music i can do it without making my amp run at 200 degrees!!
Those people need to go back to the less quality, paper mids and tweeters and say that they dont have a system!!
I will never again buy a set of speakers as long as i live, i bought 3 sets of klipsch brand new and kept saying i was happy, but wasnt overall!!
Ive spent prabably 70 thousand dallars in my life on speakers alone, and even built some, Now at 34 i am done!!
Thanks to the person who gave up his cornwalls in boulder colorado last week, i got the set for $899.00, and in the long run they will save me thousands down the road, so thank you to him FOOL!!!
Whoever can get a set of cornwalls, or 2s now, pick them up, as for the way i see it, they might be worth 10 grand 20 years from now, especially the way klipsch is going!!
Great investment, excellent pair of speakers.

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch kg 5.5s Klipsch kg4s cerwin vega, polk, pioneer, sony, fisher all makes over the years!!

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 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 (see his review below), 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.

And that's my opinion.

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There is nothing produced today even remotely similar to these, except prehaps Klipschorn.

HUGE soundstage. Really big sound with lots of 'air' around it. Accuracy is quite nice. Woofers made of long-lasting, durable paper (believe it or not).

These must be matched correctly with your other components to sound right, especially with the amp and pre-amp.

I give these speakers 5 stars. The soundstage from these speakers is huge. When people first hear these speakers, it seems everyone automatically says, "Wow." The sound coming from the speakers is very open. It feels like I can look into the speaker and know the location of the sound coming out. It's quite a convincing illusion. I would give it a 10 out of ten in the soundstage department.

These speakers require complementary equipment to perform well. Currently, I have two monoblock Eico HF-22 tube amps with a quad of RCA 6L6 output tubes (22 W/Ch RMS) and an audiophile AGI-511 solid state preamp running the Cornwalls. The sound is quite nice. It is moderately warm sounding, with very accurate detail. The tonal quality is also quite nice, really without fault. There is no harsh bell ring or harsh high-frequency output. I have found that a very good solid-state pre-amp and tube power amps give the type of sound that I like: sound that is well balanced and accentuates all the positives of the horn speakers while negating most of its negative tendancies.

The first set-up I tried initially was using a black-plastic, piece-of-crap, Yamaha receiver built in 1997 (total weight, about 7 pounds). That lousy bucket of bolts produced one of the worst sounds I've ever heard from a speaker. Next, I tried an Eico tube pre-amp driving the Eico HF-22's, but the sound was so incredibly warm and fuzzy that it was a little unbelievable. I also think accuracy suffered. Next, I powered the speakers with a Pioneer SX-1050 receiver (The Pionner SX-10xx and SX-12xx receivers are some of my favorite. Simply outstanding receivers.) with 120W/Ch RMS of very accurate, pure power. I think that the 120W RMS was plenty of power for these efficient speakers and accuracy was outstanding. However, the shrill effect of the ringing horns was very evident. Snare drums or trumpets would send a continuous high-frequency assault into the room and you actually had to get out of the way of the speaker. That set-up wasn't completely desirable.

Overall, I am completely satisfied with the Cornwalls. They are not perfect speakers, but I don't think that any are perfect. To rate the pure sonics and specs (frequency response, efficiency), I give them an 8.5 out of 10. If paired with correct, quality components, the speakers' Tone gets a 9.5 out of 10.

There are some completely minor faults that need mentioning. I have two pair of favorite speakers, the AR-3s and Cornwalls. The AR-3s are slightly more accurate, and the frequency extremes of the low bass and the high tweeters reach farther than the Cornwalls do. Drums sound great on Klipsch, however they sound perfect on the AR-3. Wind instruments have a more rich and warm sound on the Klipsch. The AR-3s, however, cannot match the Cornwall's huge soundstage. It's hard to describe what it's like listening to sound that big, but it's very impressive.

Similar Products Used:

AR-3, AR-2ax, Klipsch KG4, Sansui SP-7500x, Jensen horns, Yamahas, Marantz 440(?).

Tremendous Dynamics, midrandge clarity, easy to drive

large size, no longer made

I was recently replacing my beloved Maggies(3A), and was sure that I would not be happy with much else. I am a Magnepan nut. I auditioned Martin-Logan, B&W, Meadowlark, PSB, Aerial and a few other audiophile brands when I stumbled across a pair of Klipsch Cornwalls, being driven with tubes. Oh my, I was enjoying the music and forgot about all the audiophile crudola that the hi-end mags preach. But, was this the real thing or a passing fancy.

I needed to investigate fuller. I then listened to the La Scala and ChorusII and re-visited the ML SL3 and Meadowlark
Shearwater. The La Scala had a bit better dynamic range, but the bass cut-off at 45 cycles detracted from the overall sound. The ChorusII had a bit more bottom, but its bass was too loose for my enjoyment. The MLs had a lot of the attributes of the Maggies, which I enjoy. The biggest problem with the SL3s is that the panel and the woofer never created for me that "seamless" transition. The woof just cannot keep up with that stat. The Shearwater was the best competition for the Cornwalls. The Shearwater has an airy mid-range, great sound from the silk tweet and a full bottom end for a two-way. Maybe the greatest stremgth of the Meadowlark is the coherence of this superb speaker. It was now decision time.

The Meadowlark won the ever important midrange contest. Vocals are so good it is scary. However, the Cornwalls had excellent coherence and wonderful timbre. The Cornwalls dynamics brings a real or lifelike feel that keeps the foot tapping. They are so enjoyable that I just played CDs and LPs until the tiny hours of the morning. The mid-range, while not as airy as the Meadowlark was true, not chesty or cupped as horn-loaded speakers are often accused of being. Cymbals sound real; the transients are crisp and clean. Violins sound like violins and horns have an amazing truth of timbre quality. Vocals had a dynamic range and transparency that puts the vocalist in the room. The bottom end of the Cornwalls begins to roll off, I am guessing at 37-40 cycles, is tuneful, tight with minimal overhang. It also has a great punch when called upon. This is simply an amazing speaker, besting, IMHO, some of todays finest. They do take up some space, about 2.75 sq ft and are not "sleek, slendor towers", but are big ol' boxes with a retro-cool look. If you can find a pair on the used market, give them a listen. They are truly speakers of the highest caliber.

Similar Products Used:

Magnepan 3A, Klipsch La Scala, Martin-Logan SL3, Meadowlark Shearwater

I traded my polk audio monitor 10B's and $500 for a new pair of thechorous II's and am quite glad I did. For aprox. the same price range
speaker you get a whole lot more. Coupled with a Dennon 90 watt amp,
Harmon Kardon Cd player, and Black Sabbath disc, I'm happy.

I have had a pair of Klipsch Chorous II's (the successor to cornwallis) since 1993. WOW! I've listened to speakers that cost thousands more. Is there a difference.....slight, and I have a hard time hearing and differnece. The realism in these speakers are wonderful. Oftentimes I go to live concerts and hear music that does not match up to the klipsches. I have a harmon-kardon AVR40 ("only" 55 watts), a sony es cd player with high quality cables, and the set up is nothing short of spectacular. These speakers are BIG and HEAVY. 15 inch woofer (with 15 inch ported woofer on the rear), mid horn and tweeter horn. Each weighs about (guessing) 70 pounds. AUDITION and you will be amazed at what you hear if your source components are up to the task. These speakers are so efficient, you dont need high wattage amps. Truly a buy. Imaging and clarity: amazing too, (from horns?? YEP!!) but dont trust me....listen yourself.

I have listened for years to the older and the latest version of this speaker, and especially the latest Mark II version (for my ears) were unbeatable in terms of dynamics, presence and the ability to transform a real life-feeling into your livingroom. The Chorus I own now have some advantages but also some disadvantages to them. All in all a classic which needs proper setup, but then shows the poor quality progress we had during the last years comparing them to actual audiophile towerspeakers.

strong in every detail

very LARGE

I have had my cornwalls for 15yrs. I almost sold my corns due to space.That would have been a big mistake,fortunetly I have come to my sences! I have used them in small rooms and large rooms and have never been unsatisfied with them!These speakers sound great! I now use them in a HT set up with a KlipshC-7 center and KSB 3.1's on the rear.Tried to replace cornwalls with Warfedale Opel 90's(for the room).What a joke! They sucked! Quintets sound better! If you can find a pr. of Cornwalls, buy them! I bought mine 7yrs. after hearing them and my memory of them was all i needed to make the purchase.

as to the review by AKA and you are intitled to your opinion,all i can say is P L E A S E !!!

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none

Unbelievable sound all the way around, construction

Yea right

This review is for my second pair of cornwalls, i have a pair with black grills, and a pair of woven cain! Both 1980 models, only the cain models were bought in germany!!
I paid $800.00, for my new pair, and found the tweeters were both blown out, so a good freind of mine, Ron Gold from Gold sound (DENVER) sold me a set for $255.00, making the total price i paid $1255.00!
Well, the way i see it, the cornwall is trully nothing but amazing!!
if yo can pick them up, do it, and keep them original!!
I own 2 pair, and will for the rest of my time!!
See my review i put in a year ago,for my other pair!!
I even have a spare woofer, just for backup, like ill ever need it!!
Well, good luck and have fun,all you audiophiles out there!!
Regards Jim Cornell

Similar Products Used:

Another pair of cornwalls, kg 5.5 kg4 kg3.2. polk, cerwin vega, and hundreds of others

Many

None

I purchased these beauties new in 1981 when I was 19 years old. I still remember the day I bought them. This high-end stereo shop had it all....B&W, Infinity, JBL, Bang & Olufson and on and on (No "Jap-Crap" at that shop). The place was absolutely crammed with high end equipment. Dominated by British, American and Canadian brands. There was sound room after sound room...I was in Heaven. I ceratinly had a limit to what I could spend and I could NOT afford to replace my amplifier AND buy new speakers.

I had, of course, done my homework and had some definite predefined ideas of what I might like based on volumes of audio reviews from several well respected publications. The proof, however, is in the pudding so a test drive was in order. Klipsch was on my list partly due to awesome reviews and partly due to their unbelieveable efficiency. Efficiency would save me needing a new amplifier or amp-preamp system. Let me tell you in those days good quality power came at a premium dollar. Something I lacked.

I listened to speaker after speaker...some high end some mid range. Some in my price range and some well above it. Then I had the guy demo the La Scalla. It was VERY VERY impressive but if you think the Cornwall is a big speaker, you should see these. They're enourmous and require a corner placement due to the horn driven bass. On top of that they were $300 precious dollars above my ceiling. I was very dissapointed to say the least. I had this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that I wouldn't be satisfied unless I bought them. Then I had a listen to the Heresy speakers. These were an excellant "bookshelf" type speaker but just didn't quite have what I was looking for. I was now desperate to hear the Cornwall. I had read numerous raving reviews by repected critics and these were in my price range (barely). I listened to several different styles of music at high and mid volumes. Some punchy rock, some horned based and piano bassed jazz. WOW... they had it all. I was elated knowing I was taking them home.

Well that was 20 years ago. I still drive them with my original Technics SUV6 New Class A 70 watt integrated amplifier (Jap-Crap)and have added a cd player. They have been used and abused over the years and have not lost a beat. I reasoned at the time I bought them they would be a lifetime speaker and they ceratinly are. I now use them in my home theatre surround sound system and they continue to delight me everytime I crank them up. It gives home theatre a whole new dimension. These are "AMAZING", "AWESOME", "you won't be sorry you bought them" speakers.

The bad news is they no longer make them and I understand after 1986 Klipsch moved the production to Mexico resulting in poor quality control. What a shame! If you can find used pre 1986 models snap them up and ENJOY them for a lifetime. You can will them to your kids...they're that good.

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