FS: Vintage 1977 Klipsch Cornwall I Speakers

[OTPTT]

I've got a pair of vintage 1977 Klipsch Cornwall I speakers for sale. They are what are called decorator models and are in black lacquer. The back labels on each speaker read:

TYPE: CD BB
SERIAL: 11R956 and 11R957 (Respectively)

One speaker has a scratch just below the Klipsch badge a ding just to the right of the woofer, and its woofer dust cone is slightly compressed but doesn't affect the sound at all. It was in a high traffic area near a hallway. The other is without blemish. Both speakers perform flawlessly and sound great.

Asking $600 for the pair.

[OTPTT]

So I've had these Cornwalls sitting in the living room since I purchased them. Listened to them about four years ago through a cheap amp and didn't purchase them at that time.

They finally got the best of me and I had to listen them so I disconnected the LaScalas and connected the Cornwalls to the McIntosh amp. That was three hours ago. These sound so good I'm going to keep them. The sound is almost preferable to the LaScalas. A fuller low end but the Cornwalls don't have horn loaded low end drivers like the LaScalas do.

Klipsch Cornwalls new are $3,750 a pair. I got these for $400 the pair. I'm keeping them. If you like a truly 'live' sound the Klipsch Heritage line of speakers are the way to go.

Bought the LaScalas from the brother of the guy I bought the Cornwalls and McIntosh amp from. The LaScalas new are $6,000 a pair. I got mine for $800 and had to replace the low end drivers and put new diaphragms in the tweeters. Have about $1,200 in them and worth every penny.

Here's what a LaScala speaker looks like in comparison. It's the large speaker that the premp\tuner and amp are sitting on top of that my girlfriend is leaning on.



My 1977 Klipsch LaScalas look like these.



Hope I didn't bore anyone with this post. Have to take a break from the serious stuff every once in a while and just enjoy life. Music is one of my joys.

[McKinley]

600 is a good deal for those speakers. I have a friend who has a set of those and they shake his house.

[OTPTT]

Originally Posted by McKinley

600 is a good deal for those speakers. I have a friend who has a set of those and they shake his house.

The Cornwalls only cost me $400. Along with the Cornwalls the seller gave me a vintage Marantz 120 (mid 1970s) AM\FM tuner, and two inexpensive preamps (NAD Series 20 and a Phase Linear 2000).

Already been offered $300 for the tuner but it too sounds too good to sell. Will put the preamps on ebay. Might get $100 each for them.

[OTPTT]

Oh, that's not really my girlfriend in the above picture.

[John in Woodbridge]

Speaking of Vintage speakers, you wouldn't happen to have a pair of Hales Transcendence 8's, would you?

[OTPTT]

Originally Posted by John in Woodbridge

Speaking of Vintage speakers, you wouldn't happen to have a pair of Hales Transcendence 8's, would you?

They look nice and were quite pricey back in the day, but too inefficient for my taste. I'm a horn loaded speaker guy. However, I'm sure they sound great.

Sensitivity for your Hales is around 88 dB or thereabouts. The Cornwalls are 102 db @ 1watt/1meter and the LaScalas are rated at 105dB @1watt/1meter. In regard to Klipsch speakers people either love them or hate them. I'm of the former camp.

The Klipsch Heritage line, for me anyway, give a more live sound that I like. Paired with the McIntosh MC2125 amp they're hard to beat.

At some point if things don't get to bad I'll buy or trade something for a tube preamp. I think that would just about do it for my system.

For those looking for great sound it's hard to beat the vintage equipment. You can get some really good stuff cheap. The tube pieces are more expensive though which is one reason I don't own any.

[John in Woodbridge]

Originally Posted by OTPTT

The tube pieces are more expensive though which is one reason I don't own any.

Some of the chinese tube amps on Ebay sell pretty cheap. I have a Cayin amp which is one of the better ones. It's about $2K but generally compared to amps costing $5 or $6K. It's integrated so you don't have to get a pre-amp.

[J. Kerr]

I was into high-end audio years ago, but when your moving all the time its too difficult.

I was running a pair of Kef 104/2 reference with an adcom amp and pre-amp, and that was nice but i could only appreciate classical music through it.
I also have had other Kef's and a pair of Celestion's driven by a small Naim amp, but thats going back to when i was a kid.
I do go on ebay every once in a while and take a look at whats available in the UK, and speakers are still affordable but a good amp is crazy money.
Bryston is what i would go for as they have a transferable 20 year warranty.

For now ill live with my ipod and noise canceling ear buds.

I hope Valdez will enlighten us on how the native indian had stereophonic long before we White's did.
Im learning so much these days.

[OTPTT]

Originally Posted by John in Woodbridge

Some of the chinese tube amps on Ebay sell pretty cheap. I have a Cayin amp which is one of the better ones. It's about $2K but generally compared to amps costing $5 or $6K. It's integrated so you don't have to get a pre-amp.

I bet that sounds sweet.

[John in Woodbridge]

Originally Posted by OTPTT

I bet that sounds sweet.

It's awesome. I got the one with the 6550 tubes, which sound a little better than the KT88's. I've had it for about 4 years and haven't had the need to to re-tube it yet.

I've been through quite a few speakers until I've got the ones I thought sounded stellar. Tyler Acoustics out of Kentucky makes some very nice custom speakers. The reviews have been iffy until he came out with his Decade line, a complete redesign. He outsourced the crossovers to Danny Ritchie of GR Research. He's a heavy hitter in crossover design.

These speakers look identical to one's I have.



They look a bit odd in pictures and don't have quite the reputation as say Sonus Faber or Audio Physic so you can get good deals on them on Audiogon. They also mate very well with mid wattage tube gear.

[Chris Clafton]

German-engineered audio at its finest.

I have these from 2002:



Good luck at selling them unless you have already done so.

[OTPTT]

Originally Posted by Chris Clafton

German-engineered audio at its finest.

I have these from 2002:



Good luck at selling them unless you have already done so.

What do you mean good luck selling them. I had a neighbor offer me exactly what I paid for them the minute I brought the Cornwalls home and that didn't include the other items like the tuner and preamps.

I bought a set of the Klipsch Promedia 5.1s some time ago but don't use them at the moment.