Klipsch Cornwall IV, Full Review

A full review of the Klipsch Cornwall IV loudspeaker. I cover why I chose them, what I like and don't like about them and how they sound.

[@ArnieAbrams]

Terrific review. I understand the scale with a larger speaker vs. a bookshelf and you helped to clarify it better in your review. I'll have to demo these at some point. Nice job.

[@joziminski9105]

Thank you for confirming what direction I should go into to achieve the big soundstage that my (7) speaker Polk system gives but with downsized logistics! Greatly appreciated! Jo!

[@ddaley87]

Love your review. I have the cw4 as well. Love them. I toed them in more like you suggested and the sound improved! Keep the vids coming

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Thank you. Enjoy your Cornwall’s!

[@johnfleming4949]

Enjoyed this review and learned a lot about these intriguing speakers. Thank you for the time you put into it and the detail of your comments. You answered many of the questions I had in mind.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Thanks for watching. I’m glad you found my review helpful.

[@shawnkhan2901]

Excellent review! Found this both incredibly insightful and helpful. Thanks for posting.

[@josephcorreia3116]

Being from the Boston area and fascination with Klipsch I just had to watch. I have 5 pairs of speakers Vintage JBL, Bozak, Polk Monitor 7, modern Axiom and Paradigm speakers. Now I'm curious about the Klipsch sound. Even though I own several speakers I still learned more about audiophile terminology. Very informative.

[@shipsahoy1793]

Yes! Good points near the end, scale is paramount. I’m still happy with my Wharfedale W70E’s after all these years (crossovers upgraded of course). There’s nothing like a decent size floor standing cabinet and a 3-way using a 15” woofer. By the time the speakers were a couple decades old and I was faced with crossover upgrades, I never could justify the cost of buying something equivalent or better to what I already have. I haven’t been able to demo the Cornwall IV’s, but anything cheaper doesn’t even get on my radar as interesting, except maybe the KLH model 5’s, which would only replace the Polk 10’s I have in another room, but I can’t justify that cost either. I modified the 10’s crossovers so that they would at least be acceptable, as the original design was not quite right. Although I’m very happy with how they currently sound compared to me other speakers below $2k, a 10 inch passive radiator design in a midsize box just can’t compete with the big boys..my $0.02. 😉🥳

[@Teachering]

I thoroughly enjoyed this review. You have given me a good sense of what the Klipsch Cornwall IV is all about. I have been trying to make a decision between the Forte III/IV and the Cornwall IV. You have been a great help to me, The Boston Audiophile.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Happy to hear my review was enjoyable and useful to you. Hope you enjoy whichever you choose. They’re all very similar in a number of ways so you can’t go too wrong if you like the Klipsch Heritage sound.

[@danshapiro1195]

I am a long time Klipsch guy, 50+ years, and have done modifications on many models, specifically, those of the Heritage line. Even though these CWIVs are new, as with all of the new Heritage models, it is my experience, the mid and treble horns , need to be further damped, heavily in fact, by a product such as Dynamat. This rear damping is extremely beneficial, especially when the volume gets louder, as this is when the " polymer " material of the horn assemblies start to " have a sound ". The older metallic horns benefited greatly from damping as well. I would go as far to say, the woofer frames and the cabinets themselves, can also benefit from additional damping, and isolating the crossovers, mechanically further, from the cabinets, all resulting in a much cleaner output. I am not denying that the crossovers cannot be improved upon, but I feel it is these other things I have mentioned to you, that you are hearing. Last items. At louder volume, the room, has a greater and more significant " play ", in what you are hearing, and, the additional dynamics from the horns, might be showing up negative artifacts of the recordings themselves ( compression, etc. ). Additionally, some listeners just do not like " loud ", and are sensitive to it. It would be worthwhile to do what I suggested, to further clean them up in sq. If you need more information on the damping process, you are free to contact me, as I have a long history of success of these simple modifications. Always, Dan

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Thanks for your helpful suggestions Dan. I’ll likely try Dynamat on the plastic horns first, but I may lean towards keeping the Cornwall’s reasonably stock and not make too many changes. I’ve got to think it through ...

[@Grooverski]

Dan Shapiro I’m hearing similar distortion with my Cornwalls. Whatever it is, it is coming from mid-range and tweeter horn. I don’t know if is crossover (I doubt it) or some sort of resonance of actual drivers but it is there. You really need to crank it up tho. Coherency loss and tonal imbalance is what it sounds like. It goes from fluidity to a mild turbulence. It’s very pronounced and easy to hear distortion.

[@Grooverski]

The Boston Audiophile I would like to keep them as close to original as possible but that distortion is something that I would like to address at some point. Keep us posted.

[@danshapiro1195]

@@Grooverski When the metal horns were popular, they had an issue with " ringing ". These new polymer horns do not ring, but they do resonate. Both are pretty horrible in sq, and becomes more apparent as the volume is increased. Before Dynamat, and roofing repair tape ( a less expensive solution, such as Peal and Seal ) were available, we horn junkies used gobs and gobs of Mortite, and in some instances, clay, to reduce, and eliminate, these problematic issues. Keep in mind, as stated above in the review, a price point on all Klipsch models, needed to be met. I used to have a client base, in which I dampened the horns for folks, but since I retired from the audio industry, I encourage folks to do it themselves. The important thing to keep in mind, when you are cutting and applying the damping material, is to cut pieces, the same size, and adhere, to the same area, on the horns, per pair. I typically do a pair at a time, to guarantee consistency between the two. It is not hard to do, but it does require patience, and, it takes time. Once the material is applied, it is hard to remove. However, in all of my years, I have not known one individual who wanted to remove it, from the horns. I encourage anyone and everyone to do. Enjoy !

[@Grooverski]

Dan Shapiro Thank You. Seems like a low risk modification. I’ll definitely try this mod and use your pointers. I have a feeling it’s some sort of breaking up resonance of the horn. And they don’t seem to be of high quality. Ofcause, manufacturing costs must be considered in this price range product but I’m pretty sure they could have done better job. Even with China sourced components. Overall, I’m extremely happy with Cornwalls and I would highly recommend them. Unless you have plenty of time and skills to build your own horns. 🤣👍

[@mrcasey69]

Great video. Thanks, I appreciate your input/opinion on the Cornwalls.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Thanks and you’re welcome.

[@snowrang3r657]

Great review, I really enjoyed it. I just got my Forte III's and am really enjoying them, especially at low volumes compared to the LS50s I had before as they were boring until you cranked them. It's funny when I show friends pictures the first thing they say "wow those must go loud!" I mean they can but I actually appreciate them more at reasonable volume levels. I have heard the Cornwall IV's are just bigger, better than the Forte III's (for the price they should be!), but it was hard to justify right now both space and cost wise. Maybe one day I'll be in a larger place and then can upgrade to the Cornwall IV's, for now I'll definitely be enjoying what I got :D

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Congratulations! Enjoy your Fortes, they are also very good.

[@davidtingler]

I have really enjoyed your Cornwall insights. I hope you will post more.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Much appreciated. Thank you! I am working on a Cornwall related video right now.

[@buttonman1831]

One night I cranked the shit out of my Cornwall IV (drunk) with a bass heavy song and they didn't falter one bit. They had tremendous authority, the bass was slamming into my chest with crystal clarity. At that level, I would have expected to hear the strange artifacts you described. That was the loudest I have had any system in 30 years of this hobby. I was extremely impressed with the control. I am driving them with a Hegel H390. The song wasn't particularly complex and maybe that is why I never noticed.

[@keeferdog5617]

Congrats on the Cornwalls! It looks like you’ve got a First Watt F7 in your rig. I was able to demo that amp for a week. Wow, what an amazing amp. I ended up going with an all tube amp, preamp and DAC, that has an all tube output stage. The F7 had an almost tube like presentation and I’m sure it’s got great synergy with your Cornwalls. How about a F7 amp review in the future? Enjoying the vids-

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Thank you. I like the F7 very much. It seems well suited for the Cornwall’s. The F7 isn’t mine, a friend is letting me borrow it. I’m thinking of doing a review.

[@keeferdog5617]

The Boston Audiophile Very cool. Hope you find the time. It’s a simple circuit but sounds incredible. Only 2 cons come to mind for me, the power switch on the back of the amp and of course, how hot in runs. The price you pay for Class A....

[@larrytomlinson2606]

Congratulations on your new speakers. I own a pair of Cornwall II's I purchased in 1989. It took me 3 years going into every audio shop I came across traveling across the country for work to decide on what speakers to purchase. They were $2000.00 list price. I have never regretted buying them. The Cornwall II's are a bit "bright" and seem to come alive with mid-range volume level. They remain crisp and clear as loud as I care to drive them. They are clear and focused at lower volumes. I also found they sound best toed in toward the center of the listening area. They produce a very clear sound stage. It is quite easy to point to the spot on the "stage" a particular instrument or section was playing while being recorded. My music library covers most styles, hard rock, country, classical, vocal, jazz, blues, pop etc. I hope you enjoy yours for decades to come as I have.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Good to hear you’re enjoying your Cornwall’s!

[@roberte.andrews4621]

I have exactly the same experience with my 1987 CW IIs on jazz, vocals, symphonic, chamber groups and big band replication. The live peformers are just right there in front of you!

[@sballestra9269]

Very thorough review, thank you! I have the vintage Altec Lansing Model 17 (604-8G) wonder how they compare. I love the full range sheer size and scale of the model 17 and bass, oh the bass.. No distortion or breaking up at louder volume. I wonder how they compare.

[@dougg1075]

Had the same experience with Klipsch, thought I’d never own a pair . I bought the Heresy IVs and never looked back, it was just what I needed to break out of the doldrums. I do run a very powerful sub with them on tune electronics . Nice review

[@Grizzly1644]

Thanks for the review. Do you find the speakers are to low in height? Do you need to place them on platforms to get the mid compression driver at ear level? I am considering the speakers, But I sit fairly close in near field, about 2.5m away.

[@alainbesario6679]

Hi, well said thank you. What do you think of these in a smallish 11.5ftx 13.5ft with a ceiling height of 8.5 ft. room? will it affect overall SQ in terms of overwhelming muddy bass? Hopefully, you can shed some info. i am using a schiit aegir in stereo mode. Keep up your channel

[@robertyoung1777]

Hi Very good review. I enjoyed the pacing and detail of your description of the Cornwalls. Out of curiosity, did you compare the Cornwalls to vintage or new JBL L100s?

[@BSabbath]

Thanks for the nice and precise review. Very helpful.

[@carlneer4191]

Thanks! Very thorough review. I am finishing a large basement entertainment area (20 x 26, plus open from there to other rooms) and was looking at La Scala's but for that kind of $$$ I don't think I want to have to spend more to add subwoofers, so now I am leaning towards the Cornwalls. I listen to mostly Jazz on Vinyl, and all kinds of other music via streaming, generally at reasonable volume although it is fun to crank it up sometimes. My amp is a modestly powered (200wpc) McIntosh and my current speakers have built-in electronics which have now failed after ~15 years, so I won't go that route again. I plan to entertain in that area and want speakers that project sound throughout the room. If you have any thoughts on how well the Cornwalls fit my situation I am all ears!

[@scotts.7662]

These Chorus are 30 years old and I am quite happy with Klipsch. Let us know how the crossover experiments go Thanks

[@Kayr311]

Hi! Nice review, really appreciate how in-depth you went. Quick question re: the volume level. At what db you think did you get that strain of the speaker/crossover problem you mentioned? Thanks in advanced! Cheers

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Thanks for watching and commenting. I don't know in dB, I don't have a meter. Moderately loud, not blasting was enough to get the sense of strain. I have to say that after treating the horns with Dynamat Extreme (see my video: "How to modify Klipsch speaker horns for better sound") the sense of strain is greatly diminished.

[@James-hb6ee]

The "plinth" or "base" that you mentioned is, if IIRC, referred to as a "riser" in Klipsch literature. My mid-70's Cornwall's as well as my Altec 19's both have riser's. My electrostatics do not. :) I haven't heard the new IV's, but I would like to some day if we ever get over with this pandemic.

[@parksmitchell]

Could you posibly give the SPL level at which you start to hear distortion?

[@scottcarlon6318]

Have you tried putting them on stands that angle the sound in an upward direction.?

[@theaudiophilebarista2424]

I had a wonderful experience some 30 years ago with Klipschorns and Audio Note tube amps. Could not afford them unfortunately. - What’s the black beast over your left shoulder? (your left 🙂)

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Glad you heard some Klipschhorns first hand. There’s no substitute for that. The large black box is the Expressive Technologies Model 1 tube preamplifier. I used be a part owner of the company and I was one of the three engineers that designed it.

[@theaudiophilebarista2424]

The Boston Audiophile Wow, somehow I never encountered Exspressive Technologies. I sure like the look of it. Are you planning a video on it?

[@keithchelini5776]

Thank you for your informative & transparent review. I am running Forte III's with the First Watt F7 and LTA MIcrozotl preamp. I have not experienced the clipping issue that you described. The more I turn it up the better it seems to sound, just as long as I feed it a decent recording. I would think the Forte's being less sensitive speakers would cause the F7 to clip sooner than with CW4's. I find it interesting that you attribute the clipping to the speakers and not the F7. There is another gentleman who commented about experiencing clipping with 8w per channel Decware amps. I would guess that his issue is due to the amp and not the speakers.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Thank you. What I hear isn't literal amplifier "clipping" (when an amp's power supply voltage is maxed out). In fact, now that I added the Dynamat to the back of my speaker horns, it's less of an issue. Still, I feel when I'm, pushing my system, something starts to sound hard and become dynamically limiting. Don't get me wrong, the system still sounds amazing in general. Enjoy your Forte III's and F7!

[@keithchelini5776]

@@thebostonaudiophile That makes sense. I think the main weakness of the newer Heritage line is the cabinet construction (thin wood, lack of bracing & damping)

[@thebostonaudiophile]

@@keithchelini5776 Good point. It's hard for me to guess what the biggest weakness is. Every product has something that could be improved. The Cornwall has large cabinet surfaces (large, flat surfaces are inherently less rigid) so I bet you are right that bracing and damping would further improve the speaker.

[@MikeGervasi]

There's been a few shockers with these speakers for me. Now granted I did your mods, but break in time is real. I also found with my tubes going from KT120's to EL84's made them sound even better. The efficiency is so good it gives more headroom. Once I raised them on the Dollys for positioning I also found they needed the extra height and really opened up.

[@usaguitarmaniac]

The veneer of the Carnwall is really delicate. I was able to make small scratches invisible with furniture polish from Poliboy. I am sure there is something similar in the US. Greetings from Germany.

[@Celestialrob]

Nice content / information. I’d recommend trying to keep below 20 mins. I’m really intrigued by these.

[@mikerichards324]

Thanks for a very thorough review, great effort, I’m considering buying a pair of Cornwall IV’s, but. its a problem for me as I live in Perth, Western Australia, and the Klipsch Dealer here isn’t interested in the Heritage range at all :( I’ll probably have to fly to the Eastern States and audition a pair with a view to shipping them back to my home, about 3000 miles away. Thanks again, all the best to you :) Mike

[@ELVIS7198]

I plug my Cornwall in mono cabling, what do you think of the connection in bi-cabling?, thanks

[@thebostonaudiophile]

I haven’t tried bi-wire either.

[@TheStarflight41]

Excellent review . Thanks.

[@rohanthompson2240]

Luv ur review man I reckon I could go for these. Thanx.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

You’re very welcome. If I were buying now, there are a few other speakers that I would consider, including the new Forte IV’s. The main reason is the size and weight of the Cornwall’s. Before considering any other speaker though, I’d definitely want to hear them for myself and I suggest that you try to do that too. Good luck!

[@tracyblair3064]

Nice review. Have you considered applying damping material, such as Dynamat, to the horns? This easy and inexpensive mod reduces resonance in the horns, improving imaging and smoothing midrange and treble. This has a pretty dramatic improvement, particularly at high volume.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

I did a video on that. Yes, it improves the speaker considerably.

[@fishingbear69]

Hi everyone would any one know how would these Cornwall #4 compare with the tannoy Cheviot speakers ?

[@newton5954]

What Finish or the speakers what colour of choice did you go with I am curious can anybody let me know since I can’t seem to get feedback thanks!!

[@benlau3365]

American walnut

[@BellTunnel]

Great video. Do dealers always expect MSRP? Can any discounts, even small, be had?

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Thanks! Yes, I did get a small discount and I’m sure others could too. Also, a lot of times they’ll give an even bigger discount on a demo pair.

[@BellTunnel]

At approximately what dB were you hearing distortions in the speakers? Thanks.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

I don’t know the level, it’s just that they sound thinner and more strained as the volume goes up. I shouldn’t have used the word “clipping”. That’s not the proper use of the word.

[@StewartMarkley]

An excellent review of this speaker, I would insert your name here if I knew it 😊 I would like to comment on some of the issues you raised. 1. I also think that the issue about the sound at high volumes is in the iron core inductors in the crossovers, and I think it would be very worthwhile to rebuild the crossovers with high quality air core inductors. I find it shameful though that Klipsch is using iron core inductors in any of the Heritage speakers, given that they are their flagship line of speakers and deserve the best components available. I would also change the caps especially if any were electrolytic which would also be shameful. Some people even consider sand cast resistors to be inferior although I personally have reservations about that. It would be fun to A-B one speaker with stock sand cast resistors to the other using better quality resistors I think. 2. A big advantage with high efficiency speakers is besides the lower distortion, the power compression of the speakers is substantially lower preserving the dynamics of the music. One thing that I haven’t figured out yet though is why high sensitivity speakers sound better at low levels than normal sensitivity speakers as the power compression isn’t really a problem then. Any thoughts on that one? 3. I think that the smallness of bookshelf speakers goes away if the small speakers are listened to in the nearfield due to the closeness and perspective of the sound field. There are also some other very significant advantages to listening in the nearfield which are the lower distortion due to the lower drive power needed which is especially helpful in the peaks of the music so there is more headroom. Also the greater amount of direct to reflected sound heard minimizes the effects of the room acoustics which invariably degrade the sound in most every instance. Finally the cost of the overall system can be much lower due to needing less power and speaker size. In some cases a subwoofer is called for however especially if used to watch movies. Also the cost of a TV can be greatly lowered due to the smaller screen size required.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Thank you and thank you for your thoughtful comments. There's room for improvement, but the Cornwalls are still very good as they come from the factory. I've looked at the crossovers and there are no electrolytic caps. The parts quality isn't bad but it could be improved. Even at 6k for pair, there are compromises that have to be made. IMO, they're still a lot of bang for the buck. Your other points are also very valid. Happy listening!

[@StewartMarkley]

The Boston Audiophile Well there are always compromises in anything, true. But I think that the small increase in parts cost for a $3k speaker wouldn’t jeopardize the company’s profit margin enough to cause them to go under. In fact if I were Klipsch, I would make a point in their marketing approach of using high quality components in their Heritage line. It is probably just the business as usual mindset that keeps them from doing this. PS- just an afterthought, you must be playing the Cornwalls very loudly to hear saturation of the iron cores. From your videos it looks like you may live in an apartment so I would think that playing at high levels would be a problem. Also you have nothing but highly reflective surfaces visible in the videos, I hope you have something on the other end and sides of the room to knock down some of the reflections. 😊

[@DQ-su6qf]

Many years ago I compared Advents to my multi horned kit SpeakerLab Super 7’’s the dynamics & live feel of the SpeakerLabs compared to the great but more distant sound of the Advents clearly put me in the horn corner..I’ve had the original forte 1’s & 2’s since new & a few years ago picked up a pair of Dahlquist DQ 10’s as well… -Highly modified Dynaco MK111’s -NAD’s 3130’s pre amp.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Good to hear. My brother owned some Advents in the 1970’s. I haven’t heard that name in a while. I agree that horns tend to be very dynamic. They also have speed and air that reminds me a bit of the sound of eltrostats. Happy listening!

[@ELVIS7198]

thank you for your videos, I'm in France and I just received my pair of CORNWALL 4 that I associated with a ROTEL MICHI P5 + S5 set, what a wonder, if you can listen, it's incredible !.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Enjoy your Cornwalls!

[@Fred-ck1gh]

Holy f**k, that's a dream comb! I'm happy for you!

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Fred Thanks Fred. I enjoy my system very often. I hope you have a system that you enjoy too.

[@TombstoneTube]

Very nice review. Were you using the First Watt?

[@mikegoppert4177]

I'm very interested in these speakers, but I'm a little concerned with the quality of the cabinets and crossover components, I hear there is very little bracing internally (Forte III has none). I hear that if these 2 things are fixed, the speaker takes on an entirely new level. However, for 6 grand you would expect that they would come that way already. Have you heard any cabinet resonance?

[@thebostonaudiophile]

The question to ask, I suppose, is whether you can find a speaker that you would prefer for the same cost or less than the Cornwall IV. I'm sure the Cornwall could be improved, but a more expensive crossover and cabinet would raise the price.

[@RONCASE152]

Great review by the way!!

[@johnmoore2180]

WOULD U DESCRIBE THE IMAGERY🔊 OF HERESY IV SMALL AS COMPARED 2 THE 🌽 WALLS...AN IS IT NECESSARY 2 SIT DEAD CENTER 2 APPRECIATE THE HERESY.....I AM VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THE HERESYS IV..... THANK U

[@thebostonaudiophile]

I’m not familiar enough with Hereseys to say.

[@lynnpoole7830]

Very informative. Thanks.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

You are welcome . Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching.

[@amrikmahal7380]

Great review. Just wondering what are your choices of electronics for these?

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Thanks. First Watt F7.

[@ducmoto1975]

@@thebostonaudiophile any issue with that - especially a bit hiss on the tweeters?

[@MikeGervasi]

I agree with you on playing them loud, I don't enjoy it as much. I also agree with what you discovered about them. The Cornwalls are so good they were sounding to the taste of the dealer. You brought your gear up for the front end and instantly they reproduced the sound you like. My setup has a great soundstage and is very holographic (Amperex Bugle Boy tubes). Looking forward to any crossover mods you try. I have one powered sub (Behringer Truth) with the crosspoint at 50hz and it really works well.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Thanks for your thoughtful comments. There are some mods I’d still like to try but I haven’t had the chance yet.

[@bobc455]

Well done and thorough review, thanks! I probably got my Klipsch's from the same dealer as you, it's great to have a dealer where they care about the customer and I like that they let you bring your own gear.

[@bobc455]

I also agree that you can't get a big sound from little speakers. I've had people comment that my speakers are too big - but I've never heard a bookshelf that can give a big enough sound. I like the idea of using bookshelf at a desk when I'm working on a computer or something, but not to fill a room.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

I was very happy with the dealer, they were a pleasure to work with.

[@rd264]

I dont get why people want huge horn speakers unless they are in a big room...most people have a small space...

[@victortran8540]

Still saving for these, but one day soon 😎

[@gonz33-]

Hello friend, can you help me with my question? decided to buy them but I have a question about The Amplifier to use for these speakers, I currently have an Onkyo M-5000R Amplifier (80 watts per channel) and an Onkyo P-3000R Pre-Amplifier. Are these equipment ideal for my new Cornwall IV? I appreciate you can help me know if it is the right thing, thanks.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

thanks for watching. I can't say for sure, without hearing, but that Onkyo reference amp and pre should have no problem driving the Cornwalls and I would think they would all sound good together.

[@gonz33-]

@@thebostonaudiophile Thanks my friend.

[@nuno2092]

​@@gonz33-​ Hi Gonz. I also have the P3000R+M5000R combo (actually I even had two M5000R) pushing a pair of CWIII. No problem with power and the onkyos do have clean punchy sound. The only weakness I noticed is some midrange shiness with this setting. They also work like a charm (even bette than with the onkyos) with a cambridge edge and even better with a line magnetic tube amp. For the latter that magestic sound signature shines the most. Regards

[@gonz33-]

I really liked your videos of these Cornwall IV, in June I will be having a birthday and I will give myself these Cornwall as a gift, tell me something please, what exactly is to be done to the Crossover cables? I did not understand much your previous video where you show to make a modification in the Crossover, I do not understand English and I must use a translator, I hope you help me thanks and congratulations.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

I have not made any changes to the crossover. The only change that I have made to the Cornwalls was that I soldered the push-on terminals to the metal tabs that are attached to the binding posts.

[@PedroLCogoy]

I had a pair of Marantz Imperial G7 speakers in the 70s and the grilles came with a little tongue-like pulling thing (2 or 3 cm) which allowed you to pull the grilles without scratching the veneer with fingernails. Simple, practical and inexpensive. Klipcsh should copy that.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Thanks for watching and for your suggestion! I suppose I could make some tabs with adhesive tape ...

[@brooklynbummer]

The review kind of wanders before getting to the point. I have never heard of clipping from a speaker or from a speaker cross over. I own Klipsh Forte and they do a pretty good job producing music. I wish I could have the Cornwall. I have Martin Logan Airious 2 which I enjoy but they need tons of power and tough to set up, the opposite with the Klipsch.

[@Peter-tc3ep]

I recent bought the Forte IV, listened to the Cornwalls as well, the Forte IV has faster bass, the new Forte has the same mid horn as the Cornwall IV now. I also listened in a shop in NH, wound up listening to them on my own amp as well, that’s when I fell in love with the Forte. The Cornwall bass was a bit slower then the Forte even though the Cornwall went deeper I preferred a bit more speed. The new mid horns on the IV series Cornwall and Forte definitely sound much more detailed and have better separation then the version before. First time I decided to purchase a Klipsch, even though I was originally looking at non horn speakers the new mid horn sold me.

[@klepp19]

I have Forte IVs. I was thinking of going to the Cornwall IV's bigger mid horns. So mids are not more detailed on Cornwalls?

[@Peter-tc3ep]

@@klepp19 don’t find the mids more detailed, maybe slightly warmer but not more detailed on the Cornwall.

[@klepp19]

@@Peter-tc3ep Thanks for sharing your thoughts and hands on experience! I like warmer. But your observations on the bass has given me pause. As I do prefer faster tighter bass! Any more thoughts on also imaging and soundstaging? Thanks!

[@Peter-tc3ep]

@@klepp19 I think imaging is similar both create a wall of sound in front of you like sound is coming from a live stage over some other speakers that have you floating above the stage. Both have similar depth and layers to the sound, biggest difference for myself was the extra warmth throughout with a little slower deeper bass response.

[@klepp19]

@@Peter-tc3ep Thanks again! I think you pretty much nailed the sound differences. I wonder if plugging the Cornwall ports would speed up the bass?

[@howard5992]

Excellent review. Reproducing music is a question of compromises and choices. Different designs (different approaches) are going to have different results (different qualities) in terms of sound reproduction.

[@2023C8HTC]

Great video.Maybe the amp is running out of steam even though the speaker will play on low power.Cool little experiences in moving the speaker and boxes.I see this is 3 years old and I am thinking of selling my Legacy Audio Focus SEs and getting the Cornwalls.Thx,TK

[@mondoenterprises6710]

Thanks for the deep dive into the Cornwalls. It's interesting to see your set up and the sound you are going for. I hope you find it/found it! My impression of them for me, though I would love to have a pair, is that they would be too large for my room, and I rarely listen over 100db, so they'd be a lot. I get that they sound excellent at low volume though and I love that big full rich sound at low volume listening idea.

[@BigFarm_ah365]

Since you said you didn't like Klipsch prior to hearing Forte III or possibly these, perhaps you have never heard of a custom/DIY/Flatpack speaker from all-things-Klipsch-guru, Bob Crites known as the Cornscala. For exactly the reasons you stated. Bob came up with this/these speakers (I believe there are 4 designs), though they come and go with availability to source midrange horn-loaded drivers. There is a 2 way design that I'm intrigued with, because I have noticed with my Forte I that the drivers sound converges best at around 13-15 ft and if I could have bookshelf type 2 way performance with a speaker having the presence of the Cornwall it would be game over for me. These speakers being new probably haven't been well explored by the mod crowd at the forums, but you may want to look for crossover suggestions from either Crites or AL K online. They have worked magic with the older gear, and AL redesigns the crossovers from the ground up after a thorough sound analysis.

[@1mctous]

With Crites almost all of your money goes to what's inside the speakers, including the better crossover parts.

[@YKNOWK]

Good Review, You look pretty confidence what you are saying..Good!!!

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Thank you.

[@kingok9147]

Thank's.I think I'll get the Cornwall IV once I can afford them.

[@lynnpoole7830]

When you rap on the speaker with your knuckle it sounds a bit ''hollow' like it might benefit from a more inert cabinet and or more bracing.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

They are reasonably solid but there’s no doubt that additional bracing could stiffen them up further, raising their resonant frequency. My educated guess is that the crossover is the speaker’s weakest link.

[@seanlobdell502]

@@thebostonaudiophile The new crossover is one of its strong points. Why would you say this?

[@RONCASE152]

When I was going to college in 1975 I bought a pair of Klipschorn in plywood cabinets. I kept them a couple of years and sold them to a friend who still has them. He drives them with Dynaco tube amps which he built. My curiosity is I have watched your channel, Steve G’s, Andrew Rs and Jay and you have all opted for the Cornwall over the Khorns. Why?

[@thebostonaudiophile]

I can't speak for the others, but it was a combination of cost and size. I was aiming for a $10k total system cost. The Khorns are more expensive, huge and typically corner-placed. I seriously considered the LaScalas (the older version was offered to me for about 6k/pr) but their bass was limited and I felt I would need subwoofers with those.

[@brunobracke4612]

Is in mutch beter than the version 3? I can get the 3 for 1,2k less.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

I'm afraid I can't say. I haven't heard the 3.

[@jconde5]

Please do a video on the bichardts and compare.

[@TheMirolab]

I agree about the cheapo decal on the back of $6000pr of speakers. On several speakers i've owned, the adhesives of old labels deteriorates in 20 years, and they fall off... and these are definitely lifetime speakers.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

As decals go, it's a nice one and there's no indication that it will fall off ... I'm just thinking ideally.

[@Zoomerland]

Size matters in audio. I am very interested in owning these CW4s. Some reviewers and bloggers mention a bit of distortion when played loudly. Can anyone else concur? Thank You

[@johnkaminski4190]

Nice review! I recently bought a pair of these and I have noticed the issue with them when I crank them up. It’s not terrible, but they do get a little messy when I have hard rock playing at what most people would say is an unreasonable volume level lol. Overall though I’m quite happy with them and don’t really miss my Goldenear Triton 5’s with two subs. I have thought about adding the subs back in just to see what the difference would be. Thanks!

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Congratulations! Enjoy them!

[@hairybear]

When you say loud, how many decibels when they "clip"?

[@Grooverski]

I’ll try to find my RadioShack meter to give you exact number. I’ll try to take dB weighting over the next few days, depending on my work schedule. I’m using Decware Zen Triode Signature Mono Amplifiers Model SV83M (about 8-9wpc) while my 300b mono amps wait to be serviced and Electra Print preamp. At about 11:30 o’clock on my preamp volume pot, they start to break up. At 12 o’clock (chest pounding dynamics and close to concert levels ...... well, not quite but almost) it is very significant. Listening to those distortions isn’t pleasant or dare I say tolerable.

[@Grooverski]

Ethan Rickett OK, I had a little time on my hands so I’ve tried few things including Dynamat tweak on horns. To dismiss other factors I’ve double checked cartridge alinement, TT decoupling from the stand (plater is magnetically suspended so I doubt it), tubes in my amps (replaced with new batch just to be sure). Checked speakers internal wiring, components and fasteners. In short, I’m positive that vast majority of the problem is associated with cheap, plastic, vibration prone horns. I also took some “dB” measurements in attempt to find the break up points.

[@Grooverski]

Here are my findings before horns Dynamat tweak: Speakers started to break up (distortion/smear) at around 11:30-11:45 o’clock which equals to 90-91dB from 1meter or 86dB from my listening position. After modification (only one speaker as I’m trying to find out how it impacts the sound): Break up starts at around 13:15 o’clock which corresponds to 96-97dB at 1 meter or 91dB at listening position. I thing there is more that can be done to clean up drivers response, including bass.

[@hairybear]

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate you taking your personal time to do this! This gives me a better understanding of the Cornwall and the "Heritage" sound.

[@Grooverski]

Ethan Rickett Dont get me wrong, they sound fantastic. And I doubt that anyone will listen to them at 95dB or so. 99 percent of speakers that I’ve owned would break up at those levels. And most of those would give up a lot sooner. I’m just trying to be as critical as I can possibly be. And that’s the ONLY issue I have found. The only speakers that I have owned that come close to Cornwalls performance are Vandersteen Quatros. I’ll try to figure out how to add bracing to help with cabinet resonance. Also looking into Dynamating bass driver and add some acoustic material into a cabinet for better bass control and reduce standing waves. You can do without ANY of it but as an audiophile it is always fun to keep the journey alive and exciting.

[@kmrinden84]

Is this cherry or walnut?

[@realshaolinprince]

What was the store driving the Cornwalls with? Just out of curiosity

[@thebostonaudiophile]

It was a decent tube amp, I don’t remember exactly. I suspect something else was not right that day.

[@jtc168]

Do you still have the Cornwalls? Planning to get one. Thanks for this video.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Yes! Still enjoy them quite a bit and they are also extremely revealing of any changes in the rest of my system.

[@jtc168]

@@thebostonaudiophile thank's for you reply. Your channel is very informative and unique. Thumbs up and subscribed.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

@@jtc168 You’re welcome and Thanks ^2.

[@firstgeargreg]

Do you use any type of room acoustical treatment? I was wondering because i'ave the same experience with some of my speakers " clipping" or making some distortions and i know it's not the speaker or amp or connected gear. Please see this video on sound transformation by room effects: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJ7Ji2yof8pmbLc

[@John.249]

Would u recommend a Pair of klipsch Cornwall4s along with a pair of heresy 4 along with dual ultra 16 svs subs

[@thebostonaudiophile]

I'm not sure what you mean, but I appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@ryshask]

I had some old ... cheap [$300] ... Costco line of KLH-950s.. [ klh-9000 FIRST run ]. Nothing sounded better... I looked for used speakers... 15 inch was a hard requirement because of the scale of the reproduction of sound.. Even 10 inch speakers sounded cramped to me... Expensive speakers sounded cramped even compared to my very cheap 15s... I ended up getting the cornwall IV's because they are one of the only available as of writing this 15 inch speaker. The bass isn't as punchy as my cheaper klh's... But that's totally fine as that can be extended with some very small subs if I really want/need it... These speakers are the PERFECT window into a recording... They seem to reflect whatever signal you put into them perfectly... Perhaps the only weakness is the crossover as mentioned... Upgrading that may yield a surprisingly great improvement... Thanks for the review!

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Glad you like them. A lot of things (almost everything!) can impact bass. Keep experimenting and enjoy.

[@ryshask]

@@thebostonaudiophile Very true. I'm going to experiment with Bi-wiring and some eqing as my avr does support both. Thanks again!

[@jm_1214]

Good description. It's the compression driver don't play loud well.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

That could be. 🤔

[@jm_1214]

@@thebostonaudiophile not that they won't play loud but they are more magical at low volumes. There are exceptions

[@Grooverski]

As another Cornwalls 4 owner, I agree with your experiences and suggestions. I have tried various toe-in placements and yes, aggressive toe-in give wider sweet spot but in my room it also narrows soundstage. It's not bad but musicians seem cramped towards center stage. I've set them up so I can barely see outer side of the speaker. That gives me reasonably wide soundstage and focused imaging. I'm still experimenting with front end. Started with SET Decware monos and cheap tube pre. Will try hybrid integrated next. Tube preamp section and digital amp module. And then use my references 300b monos and tube preamp from Electra Print. But I would like to try First Watt/Pass, LTA, Raven or Luxman. We will see. Great review. Looking forward to more reviews.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Enjoy your C4s!

[@Grooverski]

The Boston Audiophile I sure do. Hard to beat at this price. Other two speakers that I really liked cost 10K and 24K respectively, so it was an easy decision.

[@Smood47]

Electrostatics are dynamic ? 21:15

[@thebostonaudiophile]

They usually are good at microdynamics but not big swings. That said, I've heard (made them) ones that are good at both.

[@greatray6262]

Very good review but I went with the Forte's only because the Cornwalls were just to large for my space. I look at the Fortes as a jr version of the Cornwalls.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Congrats! Yes, C4s are large and heavy I don’t blame you. Enjoy!

[@baronofgreymatter14]

why did you raise the speakers off the floor?

[@thebostonaudiophile]

My original intention was to put the speakers back on the floor after I found good positions but I like being able to easily experiment and push them to the wall when I’m not listening, so l left them. Also, my chairs are pretty high and they get the tweeters closer to ear level. It also makes the sound slightly better when you listen standing up. With everything, I’d just listen and decide for yourself, it’s all a balancing act.😂

[@thebostonaudiophile]

I explain this in my Cornwall placement video.

[@theklipschcave5593]

I have Fortes 3 now and I put a lot of work into the acoustics of my room. From what I see of your room you have brick walls and the windows without any damping in front of them. How can you get a proper sound with this kind of room? Since most audiophiles know that the acoustics of your room can account for up to 50 % of the perceived sound quality, it seems to me that you can get more sound quality if you start treating your room with curtains, diffusers and bass traps?

[@thebostonaudiophile]

My listening room has a pyramid shaped roof with over 450 square feet of thick, cotton batting. Bass is well absorbed as are reflected higher frequencies. Furthermore, while the walls and floor are somewhat reflective, they are solid and do not resonate. I could do more, of course. I've experimented with carpet and various absorbent wall panels.

[@theklipschcave5593]

@@thebostonaudiophile Ok. But I would try some drapes covering the front brick wall and the windows. Would be interesting to hear if you got an improvement.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

I currently have the speakers about 4 feet from the back and side walls. I’ve played with absorbers against the equipment bureau and that does increase image depth.

[@theklipschcave5593]

Try free consulting and advice from Acoustic fields. Great You tube channel for acoustic treatment. You got a big room with plenty of potential. I know it's better to do improvements in your room before you do costly upgrades. Regards the Klipsch cave. @@thebostonaudiophile

[@newton5954]

What colour finish is this ? Great video

[@jacobusb4620]

Walnut

[@Alvedrotten]

Thanks 😊

[@locmanw1583]

Are the La Scalas AL5 still better?

[@godwillreturn4899]

I was reading the Klipsch Owners Community forum the other day and one of the Klipsch owners had gone to a Klipsch company demo party. He said that he thought that at least one song sounded a tad better in the midrange on the Corn4 than it did on the new La Scala - believe it or not - wow! I say "wow" because the La Scala has long been considered the midrange champ of the Heritage line, even slightly better than Klipschorns. So I think that Cornwall sales are gonna go way up, maybe to the detriment of La Scala sales.

[@locmanw1583]

@@godwillreturn4899 Wow that is big news. I wonder if it's due to the mumps?

[@godwillreturn4899]

@@locmanw1583 Well, the mumps do give the thing a better dispersion pattern, making the sound behave like it's coming out of a more round or conical horn [rather than a square box shape] so tha't got to help. But I believe the biggest Cornwall improvement was Klipsch replacing the old smaller mid with the same mid that's in the La Scala [and Klipschorn]. At least I seem to remember reading that somewhere. They also upgraded the crossover network as well as the internal wiring. Lastly, they "voice-matched" the Cornwall to the Klipschorn and La Scala. This means that they did listening comparisons between those top three heritage speakers and adjusted the Cornwall's crossover network until it produced pretty much the same sound as the other two models. And all that adds up to an extremely upgraded Cornwall - awesome at "only" $6,000! I feel that it really is a good deal for 6 grand when compared to other high end speakers costing much much more.

[@locmanw1583]

@@godwillreturn4899 ok thanks! But I still like the look of the La Scalas and prefer folded horn bass. But at least now the new Cornwall is on same level as Last Scala.😄

[@thebostonaudiophile]

IMO there are tradeoffs. La Scala midrange is amazing! but the Cornwall 4 have deeper bass. Other differences too. Go and listen if you can!

[@Ricky-cl5bu]

I have a pair , I think they sound live

[@commane21]

I wonder what you would think of Tannoys ....

[@thebostonaudiophile]

I’d love to hear them. I like the idea of concentric drivers!

[@TheMirolab]

I've heard a couple reviewers mention that the Highs reduce when you stand up with these or the Fortes. It's a problem that I do NOT have with my Tannoys. While I think that the Klipshes might have better resolution than the Tannoys in the sweet spot due to the 3-way design, I know that my Tannoys sound the same as I stand up and move around the room. It's a quality I don't want to give up.

[@commane21]

Miro Svetinsky which Tannoys do you have?

[@spencexxx]

Where's the beard? Are you guys touring this year? Anthrax rocks

[@tjellis1479]

🔈🔈🔉🔉🔊🔊

[@joecartwright9221]

A man in Texas can build a great crossover. He makes KZbinr videos

[@parttime9070]

They've had a paper sticker on the back since the inception of the brand.. The plastic one is an upgrade..

[@ze_german2921]

Can you play Rap or Hip Hop music with them?

[@jcelldogs]

Just dont push them too hard. For big speakers, these are whimps when it comes to power handling. My step-dad had the Cornwall 3 speakers and blew the woofer like 4 different times with just a simple pioneer av receiver.

[@endrizo]

logo blocks tweeter...great

[@DA-ou7hv]

Ya, the boxes are ugly like my Heresey speakers. I did see some Cornwall boxes without the drivers and the stuffing removed. It looked cheap and slapped together with thin braces and glue showing. Still a good sounding speaker - not my first choice for the money however.

[@jamesbarrick3403]

I would like to hear if anybody has done a/b listening to Cornwall IV vs Klipschorn AK6. I'm not sure that going $6k to $15k is justified.

[@Grooverski]

Stereophile did review and reviewer run into a lot of setup and equipment matching problems. If you read between lines it seems that he never got it to sing. In 10-14K budget there are better options imho. Cornwalls 4 are awesome for the $.

[@davep2945]

Klipschorns are far more room dependent than any speaker I can think of. And not merely because of their corner placement requirement. I always say Klipschorns are speakers you adjust yourself to rather than being able to adjust them to suit you. No matter what the new manual says they still need to be placed very close to or right up in the corners of a room and they work best if those corners are fairly well matched (identical is best) and at least ten feet apart. Plus, you need to be able to sit back from them at least ten feet minimum (more is better, generally) as you really can't adjust the toe in much because the need for corner placement basically forces the equivalent of a 45 degree toe in. If you have the perfect room they can be truly stunning. If not, and you still want fully horn loaded speakers, then go for the La Scala with a pair of very fast subs. Otherwise, the Cornwall IV is easily going to be the best value in the Klipsch Heritage line. The Forte III has much the same sound but with a bit less impact.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

@@davep2945 You make many valid points.

[@davep2945]

@@thebostonaudiophile Thanks. Your reply made me read my comment again and I realized I must have have one glass too many when I wrote it! I went way beyond the question at hand and apparently forgot how to compose a sentence!

[@CJ-hr1ni]

Ridiculous amount of money for a pair of speakers.

[@RonLykins]

Good review but I would suggest moving your videos along faster, get to the meat. 33 minutes is a very long speaker review.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Thanks for the good suggestion.

[@TheMirolab]

Playback at 1.25x speed really helps, and remains perfectly understandable.

[@criticalshot516]

I wanted to watch a long vid and this hit the spot!

[@MsgtMelton]

I agree, we don’t need the details on how they almost did not fit in your vehicle.

[@dazman6325]

1.5 x the speed is perfect

[@betelgeuse68]

It's Mark Strong's American twin!!!

[@spencexxx]

all boston guys look alike

[@spotshooter1]

Take those Cornwalls, plug one in out-of-phase and face them very close to each other. Cover with a blanket and crank them with music with lot's of dynamics. Run them hard for hours. You'll be amazed how much better the bass will sound.

[@thebostonaudiophile]

Good suggestion. Thanks 🙏. I did that when I first got them.

[@CJ-hr1ni]

These speakers sound amazing off the floor. The higher you place them. The better they will sound.

[@robertcartwright8165]

Iron-core inductors for a $6,000 pair of speakers? Kind of sleazy, IMHO. But everything in audio has gone up a lot of late.