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Klipsch Cornwall 1 compatibility with Mcintosh solid state?

209.240.200.141
Posted on April 19, 2000 at 01:20:01
Lonestar Blues


 
I own a Mcintosh MC 7150 amp-150 watts/channel & C 38 pre-
amp. Sources-Pioneer Elite PD 65 cd player, Nakamichi 480
cassette deck, Mitsubishi LT-5V linear tracking vertical
standing turntable-Shure V-15-111 & Yamaha MC-7 moving
coil cartridge, Technics ST 8077 tuner. A motley crew of
speakers collected over 22 years, 2 pair of Advents used
stacked, JBL LX 55 3 way large bookshelf-10" poly coated
woofer, 5" poly coated midrange, 1" titanium tweeter. Low
diffraction wth rounded front baffle edges & neoprene
covering the front baffle surrounding the drivers. And
several others. I have been enamored with the sound of the
classic big Klipsch speakers since I was a young pup in
the late 70's. All Ears was a shop I frequented back then
& they carried Klipsch, EPI-Epicure & Advent. Could not
afford Klipsch back then. I have run across a pair of
walnut Cornwall 1's, good condition in Houston, a 3-1/2
hour drive from my house. The price is not bad, he also
has a pair of JBL 250 Ti's-14" woofer, 8" midbass, 5" mid-
range & 1" titanium tweeter in walnut cabinets at a
considerable higer price. The general consensus that I
have read here at AA with a few exceptions is that Klipsch
mated with solid state causes ear bleed. Mcintosh to my
ears is warm & laid back compared to some brands of ss. I
want a speaker with more dynamcic range & bass. Listen to
blues, jazz, classic rock, country, classical. Listening
room is 28'x19'-8' ceiling. Wanting to get some opinions
before I drive up Friday to listen to the speakers.

 

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Re: Klipsch Cornwall 1 compatibility with Mcintosh solid state?, posted on April 19, 2000 at 03:34:06
Tom Brennan


 
Lonestar---Get the Cornwalls, they'll sound great with the Macs. You wouldn't know it talking to SETers, many of whom are relative newcomers to horns, but horns sound great with good SS, Hell, they sound good with bad SS. I've driven many horns, including Cornwalls, with things as diverse as vintage Fisher tube amps, Crown DC-300s, Dynaco 400s and SS Yamaha and Denon HT receivers--they always sound better than direct radiators.

 

Re: Klipsch Cornwall 1 compatibility with Mcintosh solid state?, posted on April 19, 2000 at 04:47:05
Les Lammers


 
www.klipsch.com check out the BB. Mc Intosh & Klipsch work well together.

 

Re: Klipsch Cornwall 1 compatibility with Mcintosh solid state?, posted on April 19, 2000 at 07:10:29
Allan Songer


 
By all means RUN do not walk back to this guy and buy these Cornwalls (tell him he can keep the JBLs). In my opinion the early Cornwall is the best sounding speaker Klipsh made-I know it doesn't have a bass horn, but I'm telling you these speakers are incredible. One thing- they are also the most revealing of all vintage Klipsh, thus the need for superb electronics. The MAC stuff you mention will work great. ENJOY!

 

Re: Klipsch Cornwall 1 compatibility with Mcintosh solid state?, posted on April 19, 2000 at 10:12:32
Tom


 

Aside from the sensitivity issues, how do the Forte, Chorus, and
Cornwall compare in sound? I currently have a set of old Fortes
and I'm curious if there is a huge difference between them and
the other models.

Thanks in advance,
-Tom

 

Re: Klipsch Cornwall 1 compatibility with Mcintosh solid state?, posted on April 19, 2000 at 11:53:58
Scott


 
I've owned several Klipsch speakers in the past including the Forte (it's been a while... I think it was called the Forte 4 or possible 4-point-something....4.2?). Anyway I recall it a being quite colored-sounding, and the early version Tractrix horn was pinched and... well, horny sounding. Aside from good sensitivity they were a pretty unrefined design.

I have hard both the Cornwalls and big Klipschorns and they are much better choices than the Forte.

 

Re: Klipsch Cornwall 1 compatibility with Mcintosh solid state?, posted on April 19, 2000 at 13:15:15
Tom


 

It doesn't have any numbers...just Forte. You aren't thinking
of the KG-4, are you?

-Tom


 

Re: Klipsch Cornwall 1 compatibility with Mcintosh solid state?, posted on April 19, 2000 at 15:28:17
BJRockytop


 
Tom, I purchased a pair of Cornwalls and a Mac 1900 receiver new in 1975. The Cornwalls are second only to the K'horn in dynamics and whatever source you put into the Mac is what you are going to hear from the Cornwalls. During the 80's I was climbing the corporate ladder and dropped out of hifi. Two years ago I decided to 'calm down' if you will. Since I had an extensive LP collection, I began to try to bring myself into the digital world. What a culture shock. I found the same arguments going on now as in the early days of stereo. Tubes vs SS and domes vs horns. You would think that in 40 years these issues would have been dealt with but you can't convince someone they heard something different than you. One thing is for sure, if you go to theaters, live concerts, auditoriums, and enjoyed the performances then chances are you heard it thru horns. The Mac and the Cornwalls are the closest thing I've heard to 'being there live'. Good luck.

 

Re: Klipsch Cornwall 1 compatibility with Mcintosh solid state?, posted on April 20, 2000 at 08:46:10
Scott


 
I must be losing my memory in my old age.... I owned a pair of KG-4's in light walnut, and later traded them in on the Fortes in the same finish (or was it Forte II? It was around 1988 or '89). I wound up trading in the Fortes for a used pair of LaScala's in a birch finish which were by far the best sounding Klipsch's of the bunch.

Been a very long time since I listened to any Klipsch speakers - it would be interesting to see how the LaScala's or the big K-horns sound with a SET amp - I only had solid state at the time.

Good luck in your search!

 

Re: Klipsch Cornwall 1 compatibility with Mcintosh solid state?, posted on April 20, 2000 at 09:17:03
mrh (Mark Hardy)


 
Hate to be the wet blanket, but...
I have a pair of Cornwall 1's (early 1970's) and a similar-vintage McIntosh MC2100 power amp. The Cornwalls sounded really nasty with this amp; very bright and harsh (thought I'd wasted my $$$ on 'em). Admittedly, the MC2100 is an early example of the SS art, but I would have thought a reasonably good one even considering its age.

On the other hand, my Cornwalls sound great driven by a low power SE vacuum tubed amp (a Decware Zen SE84B, in my case). The net result: The Cornwalls and the Zen now reside proudly in my living room; the MC2100 is in a (very heavy) box in the attic.

Obviously this is just one person's opinion, but I felt motivated to share. YMMV, as they say.

all the best,
mrh

 

Re: Klipsch Cornwall 1 compatibility with Mcintosh solid state?, posted on April 21, 2000 at 15:12:12
highfidelity


 
I own a walnut pair of Cornwall 1's myself and I'm driving them with an Adcom 535II (60 watts per channel) connected with Kimber 4CT speaker wire. You will need narrow spades at the speaker end.

I also feel that the Cornwall 1 is superior to other Klipsch loudspeakers except for maybe the K'horn. It definitely is easier
to place in the room. Transients are lightning quick, bass is very good if not the ultimate in extension, and the midrange is just unreal. An acoustic guitar sounds like an acoustic guitar. Horns have WAY more bite and attack than any direct radiator I've heard.

I connected an old McIntosh MC240 to them once, and they sounded closed in and more distorted. The little Adcom wiped it. I suspect
the Mac would benefit greatly from a few parts upgrades before it would be competitive. I bought a pair of Kimber KCAG's to replace the Kimber PBJ's that I had between CD player and preamp. After the substitution, as I was going back to 'the sweet spot', I heard the difference before I got back there. So did my fiance, she heard the difference on the cables and the Mac amp as soon as I did. They are THAT revealing.

Speed to Houston and get the Cornwall's. You will not be sorry.

 

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