Klipsch Cornwall IV or Vintage JBL Speakers?

[1Skyking]

Setting cost aside, which of these speaker pairs would you suggest for a listener who likes jazz... both small quiet combos and bone shaking big band?

Klipsch Cornwall IV - New; around $6K
JBL 4333 - Vintage; around $7K
JBL Sovereign C60 SR 1 - Vintage; around $5K

Or, in this price range or less, are there better options?

Sage advice appreciated!

 

[OldZofTorC]

Where are you? Maybe there is a Klipsch Heritage dealer near you. I have heard the Cornwall IV and was blown away.

 

[1Skyking]

Yes, there seems to be lots of love for the Cornwall IV right now. There’s a Klipsch Heritage dealer in Los Angeles. I’m in Santa Barbara so I‘ll get there soon. I’m still interested in comparisons with the vintage JBL’s though.

 

[Archguy]

I'd find that a really tough decision. Buy all the above and then sell the ones that aren't your favorites! Which is how I ended up with a house full of favorites. A bit too full of favorites.

Here, to complicate your situation further:
JBL Synthesis 3900 in the same price range (used)

These speakers are very tempting to me personally.

 

[Archguy]

FWIW, I'm also an acoustic jazz fan (about 90% of my listening) but I haven't found anything to match the Harbeths I'm using now. Closest were some small Maggies, and I've no doubt the large Maggies would hit the spot too. I run a modest sub with the Harbeths and the Maggies tend to want subs too.

The only caveat is that I haven't really tried slamming the Harbeths yet, and that was also a relatively weak spot with the Mags. But only compared with the kind of speakers you're discussing in the OP.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Are these choices based on experience with the brands/sound of these speakers or based on what you have read? If it is based on what you have read, I strongly recommend getting a listen to them. I don't really care for the Klipsch sound but other love it. Same with Magneplanars, I like em other do not. What speakers have you had experience with and what were the pluses and minuses of the different ones you heard? This can help us point you to speakers that can do what you like. Of course, if you have heard these, yes, get in front of a pair of Cornwalls to see if they are for you.

 

[tubed]

 

[1Skyking]

My main speakers are JBL 4311a’s (I bought them new almost 40 years ago!) which I love for their “live” sound. But I’d like to have something larger too... where I could FEEL the impact of the music. That usually means a big woofer and mid-range, and horn tweeters which is why the Cornwall IV’s reviews caught my eye.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Excellent you are on the right track. Many like the bigger speakers from both companies. Hope you get a chance to hear the Cornwalls so you can make an informed decision.

 

[1Skyking]

Blue Shadow, may I ask why you don’t care for the Klipsch sound? Are they too bright or too flat for your ears?

 

[Blue Shadow]

Listening fatigue, sharp, crisp. I like a more laid back sound. one of my preamps the ARC SP-3A, that tube unit from the 70s is such a good sounding unit but it is also a bit colored. Speakers I have are Magneplanar, Dahlquist, ADS and DCM and use power to make up for their lack of volume compared to the JBL and Klipsch speakers of the world. I have yet to hear a good pair of JBLs but I haven't looked for them. Most of the smaller ones L-100 included are not the good sounding JBLs. @BMWCCA has a few different good JBL speakers and so do some others on AK but I'm not near these folks. I mentioned Phil because we have discussed the JBLs to some degree.

 

[Zeissplanar]

Setting cost aside, which of these speaker pairs would you suggest for a listener who likes jazz... both small quiet combos and bone shaking big band?

Klipsch Cornwall IV - New; around $6K
JBL 4333 - Vintage; around $7K
JBL Sovereign C60 SR 1 - Vintage; around $5K

Or, in this price range or less, are there better options?

Sage advice appreciated!

I'll throw in another suggestion as it's on my wish list but haven't came across one that's a good enough deal. Altec 19 VOTT.

 

[1Skyking]

Thanks for responding, Blue. Listening fatigue from a speaker is the worst.

Back in the 1970’s and 1980’s I spent a lot of time in recording studios in the U.S. and U.K. — where days and weeks were spent in front of speakers — and that’s where I fell in love with JBL’s as they tended to be the main monitors used and speaker fatigue was rare. Although the sound from my vintage JBL 4311’s tends to brightness, luckily I have never found them fatiguing... only very “real” sounding.

 

[Nyjblbob]

Yes, there seems to be lots of love for the Cornwall IV right now. There’s a Klipsch Heritage dealer in Los Angeles. I’m in Santa Barbara so I‘ll get there soon. I’m still interested in comparisons with the vintage JBL’s though.

Imho If you in that range
You should not just look and listen to 4333’s
But at 4343’s or If you have the room 4435’s
Much Cheaper and a lot more Bass
Sovereign Jbl’s if they have The S8 load
Mint drivers,
Plan on upgrades to them
Really depends on where you live
Shipping is crazy $ on big heavy Speakers

 

[johnlcnm]

I found a pair of 4333s' here in the outback land of audio. They had apparently been hung in some facility or honkytonk, as there were four huge holes gouged in the backs. I guess they were hung with big chains. The tweeters were both burned out. Anyway long story short, it took four years to rebuild them. New Pass/Zonker92 CC Xovers, 2216nd bass drivers, plus new diaphragms in the tweets and mids. I've been the owner of a fair amount of speakers over the years. To me, these are better then anything I have had in the past. Flattest, smoothest, very dynamic and most detailed across the spectrum of anything else I've had in my place. Oh, and I have had electrostatic in one the past setups. Thirteen hundred bucks initial investment. Probably have about three grand in them now. Heck of a speaker IMHO.

 

[Nyjblbob]

I found a pair of 4333s' here in the outback land of audio. They had apparently been hung in some facility or honkytonk, as there were four huge holes gouged in the backs. I guess they were hung with big chains. The tweeters were both burned out. Anyway long story short, it took four years to rebuild them. New Pass/Zonker92 CC Xovers, 2216nd bass drivers, plus new diaphragms in the tweets and mids. I've been the owner of a fair amount of speakers over the years. To me, these are better then anything I have had in the past. Flattest, smoothest, very dynamic and most detailed across the spectrum of anything else if had in my place. Oh, and I have had electrostatic in one the past setups. Thirteen hundred bucks initial investment. Probably have about three grand in them now. Heck of a speaker IMHO.

Awesome! I Use 2216 Alnico Woofers in my
EN5 3 way Cabinets. Big increase in Bass output
They have the 2” 376 mid drivers

 

[Tom Brennan]

I suggest the OP listen to all the speakers considered.

I don't know the new Cornwall but if it's improved over the old one I expect it's very good indeed, at least to my taste. I owned original Klipsch Cornwalls and I think they were one of the better Klipsch speakers of the time, with a better, more robust tonal balance and far less harsh ear wire than the Heresy or LaScala (both of which I also owned). I thought the Cornwalls had more clarity and liveliness than the big 15" JBLs of the time such as the L-300, a speaker I thought sounded rather dull and flabby and nothing special.

Of the old 15" woofer high efficiency speakers I think the Altec Model 19 was the best. Excellent clarity, dynamics and tone, good extension on both ends, and nice imaging and depth. Perhaps modern speakers of the type such as modern JBLs have surpassed it, I don't know. I had a pair of JBL Pro CS3115 theater speakers from about 20 years ago and I thought they equalled my 19s; their vocal reproduction was superb.

But those are just my opinions, not the word down from Sinai.

CS3115s

 

[Nyjblbob]

I suggest the OP listen to all the speakers considered.

I don't know the new Cornwall but if it's improved over the old one I expect it's very good indeed, at least to my taste. I owned original Klipsch Cornwalls and I think they were one of the better Klipsch speakers of the time, with a better, more robust tonal balance and far less harsh ear wire than the Heresy or LaScala (both of which I also owned). I thought the Cornwalls had more clarity and liveliness than the big 15" JBLs of the time such as the L-300, a speaker I thought sounded rather dull and flabby and nothing special.

But those are just my opinions, not the word down from Sinai.

I agree totally. Jbl Fixed The L300’s short comings with the 4343’s. They were supposed to be the New L400’s!
My knock on Klipsch is the Quality of the Drivers. It’s why Crites has a thriving business,
Upgrading everything. I still have Klipsch Horns
But I use different Loads.

 

[biscuithead]

I own older Cornwalls, I’ve heard the IV, they are what I would choose. I like horns with horns.

I’ve heard 4333, and they were fantastic with everything but jazz for me. Never heard Sovereigns.

 

[johnlcnm]

A number of years ago a friend brought a pair of S8s' over to my place to check them out. He had no electronics at the time. We hauled them in and set them up next to my L110s'. It was obvious how much more midrange detail the 375s had over my L110s. He picked up the pair for $250 in an Air Force town down the road. They were advertised for $400, but he offered $250. The guys wife wanted them gone, so the deal was made. If I had been there, we would have had a bidding war! He sent the drivers off to JBL where they re-coned the woofers and renewed the diaphragms in the compression drivers. I heard them later in a big room. What I remember was, that is probably the only time I have ever heard a drummer sound like he was in the room live!