Klipsch Cornwall 4

The new Forte III is quite compelling in the midrange. In the brief exposure we had to it at a show (all caveats accepted) on the end of a solid state amp of all things (Musical Fidelity) it sounded super dynamic and present but without the honk and shriek of yore.

One can only hope they've braced the new Cornwall better, to complement the other changes they've made.

 

I also had the Forte III for awhile. I prefer the I and II. Depending on my amps, I prefer the II with darker amps and the I with brighter amps. I thought the III was just a tad too bright for my situation. But it still was a lot better overall than the Cornwall III.

If they brace the Cornwall IV to address the resonance, then it will be a winner.

 

So was this at RMAF 2019 then? Did anyone get to hear it?

 

They've got this SET-obsessed guy interested...

SPECIFICATIONS FREQUENCY RESPONSE (+/- 4 dB) 34Hz - 20kHz
SENSITIVITY 102dB @ 2.83V / 1m
NOMINAL IMPEDANCE 8 ohms Compatible

 

I have heard a few Cornwalls with single-ended Audio Note amplifiers, and every time (with any Cornwall version) the sound has been simply magical. No weird resonances, no hard highs, no boomy bass. If the new Cornwalls are even better than the older ones, all I can think is "WOW !" If anyone in Southern California buys a pair of the new ones, please PM me.

I would love to hear them, and would travel to do so ... with (or without) AN amplifier if owner desires me to bring one with me.

Actually, if any owner of any Cornwall would like to hear an Audio Note amplifier with his speakers, I would travel (within driving distance) to listen too, just for the enjoyment of the combination again, NOT to make a sale.

 

I like where your head is at.

I would love to hear an AN amp with my Cornwall’s and have thought long and hard about the Oto. What has really stopped me (other than cost) is my experience with tube amps and power. The increase from an amp from 27wpc to 35 was a very big improvement and then to a Macintosh 75wpc SS amp has me less than confident 8wpc is going to get those woofers going. I am however very open to having my mind changed.

 

They're efficient enough to do a good job.

 

Are you just looking at specs or have you had experience? I’ve run a 10wpc Magnavox tube amp, a fisher 400, a fisher kx 200, a Sansui 9090, a denon Pma 915, a B&k 200.5 reference and and MAC 4100 with my Cornwall’s. Less than 35 wpc the bass lacks detail is flabby and the sound starts to break up at a listening level of 80db. Anything over 100wpc I’ve found the bass to be bloated and the highs schrill. 35 to 75wpc to be the zone the speakers do their best, the bass really suffers with less and the horns start to shout with more. I know not all power is equal, that Denon is about 80wpc and it sounded dead and veiled.

Speaker sensitivity is just part of the formula. I have a pair of audio note kit speakers that are less sensitive than Cornwall’s and the ten WPC amp diver them much better than the Cornwall’s. Cabinet design and the size of the woofer seems to make a big difference.

I don’t doubt an 8wpc SET AN amp would work but it’s an expensive gamble Just going off of a spec sheet. Hearing from someone that has that first hand experience would be helpful if you have that. If not, much less so.

 

Then it might be a similar situation as with my Zu's paired with a SET amp - great for acoustic music, sucks with electric. I guess not every high-efficiency speaker can excel with all types of music driven by a just a few watt.

 

The other Klipsch that are fully horn loaded, they have a bass bin rather than a woofer, are the ones that I’ve seen people carry on about lower powered amps.

 

Good to know.

 

are you talking about La Scala's?

 

Having gone from Heresy III’s to Forte III’s I can fully confirm the difference in the midrange. The Forte has this smooth presence. It’s an absolutely incredible speaker. I’ll be listening to them until the end. A lifetime speaker without hesitation.

 

And K-horns and jubilee

 

Right on point.

About time...

I don't think that 8-WPC amps do justice to deeper bass.

And that is the problem, not enough power and the bass is flabby or non-existent.

Too much power and the horns will drive you out of the room.

The legacy products were never very well balanced.

Both Altec and Klipsch legacy products are quality but do require significant modifications to sound the way you would want them to in a home stereo environment.

 

these seem to be getting good reviews. if only I had the room ( and money). for now I'll enjoy my Forte III's. But would love to hear these.

 

The Forte's are not that drastic a departure from the Cornwall's. You are fine with your Forte's.

The Forte's do well on SS power and with more powerful amps give you excellent bass control, without over powering the high frequency drivers.

The Cornwall's favor tube amps and do well with less power.

But at the end of the day, both are fine speakers, lively and dynamic.

 

I agree, but Didn't want seem like i was unhappy with the Forte III"s. I really do enjoy them, very lively, dynamic and when music is recorded right they really make the music come alive.
I guess for all of us its tough to fight the upgrade bug sometimes. Especially when something new comes out.
but realistically, I don't think I have the proper space for the Cornwalls even if I could buy them. In fact the Forte's fill the space in spades, so it would be overkill. Also like you said, I'm not about to replace everything with tube amps either. Its nice that Klipsch is keeping the heritage line going for so long and giving it proper attention.

 

When I took a leap on my Heresy III they were really much too big for where I needed to fit them but I kind of made it work. Now that I've been living with them for a while, and such a huge "bookshelf" speaker on stands has become normal, it's much easier to sell myself on the Forte III since the footprint is essentially the same.

 

It is really nice to see that quality furniture grade speakers are still being manufactured in America.

 

I'm excited to hear the Cornwall IVs. I have the Forte IIIs and love them. The Forte IIIs in my large room have more headroom with my Primaluna integrated versus my 300B SET amp. I'd love to hear the 300B paired with the Cornwall IVs.

 

The new Cornwalls look nice. I'll buy a pair once my 76' Cornwalls wear out need replacing (like never..)