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Which tweeter to use in a Cornscala (CT120 or SMAHL)?

Dave MacKay

Dave MacKay

Active Member
I'm considering building a set of Cornscala (i.e., Crites CS Style B) speakers to use with my home theatre. Although I've never heard a pair of CS Style B speakers, the comments about them have been overwhelmingly positive.

Perhaps recklessly, I'm wondering about changing the "standard" tweeter for a different one.
  • The CS Style B usually uses a CT120 for the tweeter. I've heard nothing bad about it.
  • However, I replaced the K-77 tweeters in my La Scalas with a pair of SMAHL tweeters (DE120 driver with custom lens) from @Daveintn and have been very happy with how they sound.
I wonder if I'd do well to build the Cornscalas using SMAHL tweeters.

I'd be interested in any thoughts or experience about using SMAHLs instead of CT120 tweeters in the Cornscala (i.e., Crites CS Style B) speakers.
 
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The difference is the horn, as the tweeters are both B&C Speakers DE-120s with their own "horns": The elliptical "SMAHL" lens version that Dave In Tennessee sells, and the Crites version which is with a Klipsch-type-typical horn similar to what the K77 uses.

There's a few here I'm sure are qualified to answer more about the direct tests between the horns themselves but the base tweeter driver is the same.
 
I feel like it’s the horn lens that gives the sMAHL’s gentler touch vs the k77 style lens that the Crites uses. I’m tempted to pull one of my sMAHLs and put the driver on a K77 lense to try it out, but that feels like a lot of work on a Sunday night.
 
I built my Crites B's with the standard issue components including the 120 tweeter and couldn't be happier. There's alot of love for Dave's beautiful lenses and I don't think you could go wrong either way.
 
Dave, I wound up here from the Klipsch Forum and just spotted your thread.

I have both and would not hesitate to get another pair of SMAHL lenses. We can pick up the drivers from QComponents domestically. Black Friday sale should be any day now and usually boils down to no tax.

Not to dissuade you from a “stock” Cornscala build, but there may be some options worthy of consideration.

The ZXPC 18 x 10” horn with a PRV D2200Ph that Curious George on the Klipsch Forum(KF) took the time to plot looks like an inexpensive performer.

The only issue with that would be the motorboards. I have always wondered how Stewart Speaker Systems would compare price-wise to shipping, duties, and exchange(!) from Crites.

I have an empty pair of Cornwall cabinets I am mulling around ideas with and think once again we are all on the same path from the Klipsch Forum.

For the money I don’t think the Crites woofers can be beat though.

An ALK clone would be the crossover to play with.

I think maybe a LMAHL tweeter may be the better choice in a Cornscala.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
 
geoff.27 said:
Dave, I wound up here from the Klipsch Forum and just spotted your thread.
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Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
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Thanks for the tips about QComponents and Stewart Speaker Systems.

I had been considering building either a "Cornscala" (i.e., Crites CS B) or a "Super Heresy". The factors that I'd been weighing were:
  • size (a Heresy-sized speaker would fit much better in my space)
  • performance (although both are well regarded, I couldn't help thinking the the Cornscala would be better sounding), and
  • cost
I decided against the Cornscalas.
  • I've been struggling with positioning my La Scalas in my listening room; because they are very large I didn't have a lot of placement options so that I've had to do a lot of room treatment. The Cornscalas would present a similar challenge for my basement home theatre.
  • When I added up all of the costs to get the drivers and motorboards for a CS B from Crites, and then added shipping, duty, exchange, and the cost to build the cabinets, veneer and finish them, the price was off-putting.
That pointed me towards the Super Heresy.

I was able to buy a pair of 1983 Heresy's locally for CAD$500 a couple of weeks ago. To my surprise, the caps checked out fine and didn't need replacing. All I've done so far has been to add an acoustic gasket (i.e., foam tape) to the cabinets. I've been stunned by how good they sound; I may prefer them to the La Scalas!

Right now, I'm enjoying them so much that I'm disinclined to turn them into Super Heresy's (port the cabinet, change the tweeters to SMAHLs, replace the woofers). If I choose, I can always borrow the SMAHLs from my La Scalas and try them in the Heresy's to see how much of an improvement that makes.

I expect that I'll be content with just repairing the damage to the Heresy cabinets, then veneering and finishing them .
 
Did you even have to adjust your THT subs for the Heresys?

As has been said many times, by better people, lol, the original Heresys were my gateway drug into Klipsch. Heard them in a bar I was servicing (really, I was working…) and the hook was set.

Dave, if you are ever considering JEM caps, or Crites whatever, or another pair of MAHLs please PM me, here of on the other place. We can split the shipping and shoot the breeze.
 
geoff.27 said:
Did you even have to adjust your THT subs for the Heresys?
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Dave, if you are ever considering JEM caps, or Crites whatever, or another pair of MAHLs please PM me, here of on the other place. We can split the shipping and shoot the breeze.
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The THTLPs are in my living (listening) room with my La Scalas. I continue tinkering with the MiniDSP 2x4HD to try to get the THTLPs to blend better with the La Scalas and to compensate for some of the deficiencies of the room.

The Heresy’s are in my home theatre. I have a single SVS SB1000Pro subwoofer with them. So far I haven’t done anything to adjust the sub to play well with the Heresy’s. Although the sound can doubtless be improved, it sounds pretty good as is.

@geoff.27, where are you located?
 
Dave I’m up, and over, in Barrie. But I am a service rep in the GTA and the office is in Oakville. I wind up out there at least once a week regardless of what I have planned.
 
why continue with those dog barkers? Compression drivers and horn lenses have come a long way since the 1960's. There are much better options available.
 
I’ve really enjoyed the CDX1-1412.
Currently my pair is mounted to the old style K79 horn in my KP-250s.
On a more CD style horn the response is naturally a little flatter but on the K79 horn(sans phase plug) it has a bit of rising response that I tamed with a small cap in parallel across the tweeter.
Either way it easily cruises out past 20kHz and is a small diameter driver that should easily fit inside any stock Klipsch cabs.

Seen here in orange vs the stock(non tractrix) K79 in brown in my KP-250.

IMG_2343.png
 
So in-network. Which network are you using?

There are three right now listening with this driver. Reports are that the CDX1-1412 sounds fairly different than the de-120, but the plots are not that radically different. I always found that kind of thing pretty interesting.

The de120 climbs like crazy with the 3rd order Butterworth used in the Universal. I would imagine the Celestion would do the same.

I don’t think the Universal is that “Universal”. It works. It does a damn fine job - but it’s not optimized for the drivers that are often used.
 
Deang said:
So in-network. Which network are you using?

There are three right now listening with this driver. Reports are that the CDX1-1412 sounds fairly different than the de-120, but the plots are not that radically different. I always found that kind of thing pretty interesting.

The de120 climbs like crazy with the 3rd order Butterworth used in the Universal. I would imagine the Celestion would do the same.

I don’t think the Universal is that “Universal”. It works. It does a damn fine job - but it’s not optimized for the drivers that are often used.
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If that was directed at me, I’m using a KP-2.5B minus the tweeter protection, recapped with evil Dayton caps.
IMG_2367.png

IMG_2366.png
 
Interesting tweeter filter. It appears to cross electrically around 7.5khz???

Edit: Looks to be higher than that acoustically.

Josh Filter.jpg
 
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