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The Boston Audiophile
United States
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 13 ม.ค. 2020
Welcome to my studio! I’m David, “The Boston Audiophile”. I was born in Boston and have lived in this area most of my life. When I was studying Mechanical Engineering at Cornell, I met a PhD student named Chris and he and I explored high-end audio together. After college, I designed, patented, and manufactured many instruments used by chemists for my family’s business. Chris and I also started a business that manufactured high-end audio components. That ended two decades ago. I sold one business and closed the other. I dismantled my audio system and that was that until very recently … I stumbled across Steve Guttenberg’s TH-cam channel and got curious again. I decided to assemble a new audio system; one with reasonably modest aspirations. I thought I’d share my rekindled passion on TH-cam. Thanks for joining me and happy listening!
Upgraded Klipsch Cornwall IV Crossovers.
Homemade, upgraded crossovers for the Klipsch Cornwall IV’s.
มุมมอง: 1 076
วีดีโอ
Klipsch Cornwall 4 update: Cabinet bracing and more Dynamat.
มุมมอง 1.7K2 หลายเดือนก่อน
Adding cabinet bracing to Klipsch Cornwall 4’s as well as damping woofer baskets and ports with Dynamat Xtreme.
WiiM Pro Plus. Game-Changing “Room Tuning”!
มุมมอง 2.1K4 หลายเดือนก่อน
The WiiM Pro plus streamer includes room tuning (actually whole system and room) via a free iPhone app. Game Changing sound improvements!!!
Klipsch Cornwall IV, Magnetic 🧲 Bits!
มุมมอง 4825 หลายเดือนก่อน
Magnetic hardware around the Klipsch Cornwall IV binding posts. Note that no other connections in the speaker, the crossover or the driver connections, were materially magnetic.
W-3900 Noise Filter … Worth the Hype?
มุมมอง 8K2 ปีที่แล้ว
W-3900 “Hi-End Audio Grade Noise Filter” A power line filter that may be worth a shot. If you have Amazon Prime you can try it for free. Just return it if you don’t like it. Available on Amazon (link is for your convenience, I don’t get paid anything): www.amazon.com/AC-Power-Filter-Conditioner-Protector/dp/B00XWL2VVK/ref=gp_aw_ybh_a_sccl_3/130-7761513-9230546?pd_rd_w=AFJZU&content-id=amzn1.sym...
Elekit TU-8600S Amplifier Review!
มุมมอง 9K2 ปีที่แล้ว
The Elekit TU-8600S Deluxe tube amplifier is an exceptional 8 Watts per channel, 300B SET power amp kit. I used new old stock Component Research, Teflon Foil Capacitors in the amplifier. These are no longer available but I suspect that the following would be very good DC Blocking capacitors, aka Coupling Capacitors: MIFLEX KPCU Capacitor, 0.1uF 600Vdc, Copper Foil Paper/Polypropylene in Oil. Yo...
Klipsch Jubilee! My initial impressions
มุมมอง 35K3 ปีที่แล้ว
On November 12, 2021 I was invited by Audio Video Therapy of Nashua, NH to hear the brand new Klipsch Jubilee loudspeakers. Here are my initial impressions.
Building the Elekit TU-8600S 300B Tube Amplifier!
มุมมอง 12K3 ปีที่แล้ว
See what it’s like to build the Elekit TU-8600S, 300B, Single-Ended Tube Amplifier kit! I’ll show you what’s inside and help you decide if the kit’s right for you.
First Watt F7 Amplifier Review
มุมมอง 15K4 ปีที่แล้ว
This is a review of First Watt's F7 power amp. I've listened to this amp nearly every day for several months. The F7 is an unusual solid-state, class A design that employs positive and negative feedback. Positive feedback is very unusual for audio amplifiers as it has a tendency to become unstable. I did not want to open the F7 because I do not own it. Here's a link to The Absolute Sound's F7 r...
How to Modify Klipsch speaker horns for better sound.
มุมมอง 72K4 ปีที่แล้ว
How to dampen Klipsch Cornwall IV horns for better sound. I apply Dynamat Extreme to control horn ringing and describe the sonic changes that result. CAUTION! Proceed at your own risk. I am not responsible if you damage your gear, hurt yourself or you don't like the results you get. Here are several precautions: 1) Disconnect and unplug your power amplifier from your speakers before attempting ...
Klipsch Cornwall IV, a look inside!
มุมมอง 68K4 ปีที่แล้ว
A detailed look inside the Klipsch Cornwall IV; what I like and what I think could be improved.
Klipsch Cornwall IV, Full Review
มุมมอง 70K4 ปีที่แล้ว
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.
Denafrips Ares II DAC, Important update. Oversampling mode brings a new level!
มุมมอง 27K4 ปีที่แล้ว
I reviewed the Denafrips Ares II several weeks ago. More recently, I had time to experiment with its oversampling mode and filter options. Holy Cow! Big improvements! Everything is this video is simply my opinion. I do my best to be accurate, but I'm not perfect nor responsible for any errors or omissions. Always use good judgment when buying and setting up audio gear. If at all possible, arran...
How to position Klipsch Cornwall IV and other horn speakers.
มุมมอง 47K4 ปีที่แล้ว
How to position Klipsch Cornwall IV and other horn speakers.
Thank you for this video. Your video offered a detailed view of the insides of this speaker. Most of the people complaining or cursing Klipsch have never heard the speakers and are only repeating what they see online. And of course, after this video, everyone can build speakers so much better than Klipsch although most have never produced anything. The people that are being recommended who have supposedly improved upon Klipsch's errors are only trying to make money thenselves selling their own crossovers and parts. There is not much improvement in the sound from these supposed upgrades over the stock Cornwall IVs. There are several speakers that cost way more than these speakers and they are built the same way. The so called audiophile speakers don't sound better than the Cornwall IV regardless of how much better people think theyre made with they're cast baskets and all. $6K US is very reasonable for these speakers and isn't as much as people are making it seem. This crowd would be very disappointed to see the insides of a $500K US pair of Focal speakers. I would put every cheaper speaker that people are referring such as JBL and DIY kits up against the Cornwall IV and it will blow them out of the water, cheap parts and all. I have headphones that cost more than these Cornwall IVs so I'm not sure why the fuss over the price of a full sized speaker that sounds great. Most of the posters must not know how expensive top audio products cost if $6K US seems expensive. It's very reasonable for what you get considering there are headphones, DACs, and amps that cost way more than the Cornwall IVs. Most of the commenters would have nothing to say if they were to listen to this speaker without seeing the insides because it's that good. At the end of the day people are free to buy what they want but I guarantee they will be hard pressed to find speakers better than the Cornwall IV, Klipschorn, or Jubilee. Those who were going to buy Cornwall IVs and changed their minds because of this video are missing out. At the end of the day, they aren't upsetting Klipsch or impacting their bottom line by not purchasing the speakers. There are enough people who know how good Klipsch Heritage speakers sound that Klipsch won't have to worry about losing market share anytime soon. There is a reason they've survived this long. Thank you again for this video. It really informed me about the internals of the speakers and did not change my thoughts in any way. Based on some of the comments, I'm amazed that such a substandard speaker with the worst build quality known to man sounds so good. I'll wait to see what the commenters who can build better speakers produce, and to see if their products lasts as long as Klipsch.
Would you consider putting a second Dynamat layer? It should much easier than the first now that the ridges are level with the first layer. Also, would you use Dynamat strategically in the cabinet to reduce resonances there? Can it stick and stay stuck on plywood or whatever wood is used in the cabinets?
I have Cornwall IVs that I drive with a Cambridge 200W/Ch bi-amped, so 400W per speaker. These ROCK up loud and they do not clip the way you describe when loud. But I don't think they have enough bass by themselves and pair mine with a Klipsch 15" sub. W/the sub they absolutely thump with crystal clear highs. I like these far, far better than the B&W 803s I had. I also have a pair of Heresy IV's for my office paired w/12" sub. They sound good, play loud, but not as clear or have the presence of the Cornwalls.... not in the same league as the Cornwalls, but good for small rooms whereas the Cornwalls fill large rooms effortlessly.
Thank you for sharing this information.
Very interested in your results. I am a relatively new owner of a pair of Corneall IV's, so I'll be watching!
In each of your Cornwall videos, you severely confound "thinking about" how your various mods will affect actual sound with engineering knowledge and insight. In other words, you're selling total subjective nonsense based on strong expectation bias and general ignorance of engineering principles. PWK would be shoving his "Bullshit" lapel button in your face.
100%
Great video man,you should do one more with bass drivers modification
@@darkomilosevic4565 thank you. Appreciate your support.
So it is 4 years later. Do you still own them? Do you still think changing Klipschs design is better?
@@baronofgreymatter14 Yes, I still own them and enjoy them. I’ll discuss the mods I’ve done in an upcoming video soon. Thanks for watching.
Great video. Would you be willing to share the values of the inductors?
I’m not sure that dampening cabinet and horn resonances will help the sound of these speakers. It is possible that these resonances are important to the voicing of the speakers sound characteristics. Thank you for showing and telling us about these great speakers. I’m interested to hear about what you do with the crossovers and cabinets.
I sold my Klipsch Heresy's once I realized that they are way overpriced nicely wrapped boxes with crap in them. Stamp steel basket woofers, crossover a complete cheap fest full of the lowest quality parts, bracing with a left-over piece of wood. This is supposed to be their flagship line, quality through and through, they charge you like it is, but it isn't. Never will I buy a Klipsch speaker ever again. Stay away from this company, rich history or not.
@@cpodurnell3701 If there’s a speaker you prefer at a price you can afford, then by all means buy it.
Do your new air core inductors have the same DCR (DC resistance) as the iron or steel laminate cores they replaced? Also, replacing a small gauge air core with a large gauge air core will most certainly change the DCR. Different DCRs can change the sound. You definitely need to put some strain relief on those wires coming off the board going to the input terminals and drivers, even if just a blob of silicone. JMHO. I know you're not done with these so forgive me if I mention something you're aware of.
@@djg6015 True re DCR. I did keep strain relief in mind when attaching the leads that go to the drivers and speaker jacks.
It's really a shame that Klipsch charges thousands of dollars for - in principle - good speakers but completely cheaps out on fundamentals like the cabinets, horn waveguides or crossovers. It's a total ripoff to me when you look at what a Danny does for the same price with his BMR Philharmonic towers. Leaves one to wonder what would be possible of someone would take the design principles into the 21st century as far as bracing etc is concerned.
Nice work once again. While copper wire air core inductors are nice. I've always been a fan of Copper Foil Inductors since 30 years ago when I did my 1st DIY Speakers. It does get pricey as you go up in mH's though. The SoniCaps Guy won't deal woth me anymore and I'd spent a few bucks on his website in the past. So I went ALL Mundorf (Caps, Inductors, Resistors, and gave my business to Madisound instead of SoniCraft. His loss. No skin off of my Ass. I recently removed everything off of the old PCB and did point to point wiring and separated the 3 Xovers into individual boxes. th-cam.com/video/t0EVWc6KBHs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ZggVteirqjsRJ5h_ th-cam.com/video/iNpSBtLToKo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xExLc8DJlhks-xXy
@@joeygsaudiochannel3972 I saw your videos. Very nice job! I didn’t go as “all out” as you did, but I still hear a big improvement.
I know what you are talking about. I did that to my old car doores that i had installed 8" whofers and tweeters, and no one can tell me it didn't make a differense. By the way , it was stolen and wrecked and i never did it again.🙂 what you do to theese horns i beleve is even more effective.
Those are crossover components bought by the accounting department. You can buy a complete pair of Crites Type B speakers with far better crossover components and bass drivers for half the price. I've built kits from CSS that have more money in one capacitor than these entire boards. Yes, "price no object" shouldn't apply to a $6500 pair of speakers but I was watching a teardown of the new JBL bookshelf speakers that cost $399 at Best Buy and it looks like they sourced the crossovers from the same factory.
Holy crap and people paid big money for that. Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!
This video was very helpful. I tried my new Cornwall IV in a more traditional position snd listened for a few days and then moved them the way that you outline. Very dramatic improvement in stage depth, width and sweet spot size. The other thing that was unexpected for me is that the tone was more mellow and relaxed. Overall no downsides that I can detect. Thank you!
Have you considered taking one of the speakers to Danny at GR Research to have them measured and see what could be improved?
@@georgeswanson9483 I’ve been hoping for years that someone local to them would drop off some C4’s for measurement. Never happened. Perhaps I should have shipped him one of mine?
@@thebostonaudiophile That'd be pricy and risky but I think that there'd be a good chance it'd get you quite a lot of improvement. That being said, I'd say just enjoy your upgraded crossovers for a while since you've made the investment. There's no hurry.
I just did mine a couple months ago and DANNY copied all the specs from somebody else’s crossover they sent in. I figured they have a very nice balance and ROY and the boys at Klipsch did a good job there on these. I like your bracing a little better than mine, I will add the strips from the motor board to the back. Looking at your crossovers, are you mounting them to the back wall? as to mount mine to the base I had to move the air core inductors so they wouldn’t be running into the airhorns on the bottom.
I could see iron core inductors for the bass but for the midrange and tweeter? In a SIX THOUSAND DOLLAR speaker made with CNC'd MDF with virtually no bracing or damping? Stamped chassis woofer and cast plastic horns, again with no damping... Not impressive. The veneer is nice but all in all I don't think this is good value for money but if you like the way it sounds then it's worth it I guess.
What the specific type of dynamite used
Very interesting! How did you figure out the values of the inductors?
Looks great. Looking forward to the results. Cornwall IV owner here who has been toying with the idea of doing something similar.
Thanks for the exceptional review. Would the marantz model 40 integrated be a good match for these?
Looks like 3/4" particle board, even though alot of people swear Cornwalls are made of plywood
Nice! How do you clamp the bracing in while the glue is drying?
@@timmiee32 I use a pneumatic Brad gun with 3/4” brads. I shoot one at each tapered end. Look at my TH-cam “shorts” to see how I do it.
Nice, you have certainly enough space to put these bigger crossovers in 😊 The wire gauge is a little over the top but it won´t hurt (16 AWG is already more then sufficient for these lenghts)
Looking forward to your listening impressions. Nice work brother.
Do you have a favorite test track when evaluating modifications?
@@drdiesel1 Not one, many. I’ll try to mention some in the video I do describing the sonic changes.
@@thebostonaudiophile Super, look forward to it!
Very nice job, what are the most noticeable sonic changes? Looking forward to your comments.
Looks like you’ve done a great job, should sound very nice. Will you be taking any ferromagnetic magnetic material out of the binding post assembly, like steel washers and nuts etc.?
👋 Hello sir. Might I ask what the reason is for removing magnet material from the binding post assembly like you were asking about? I was just curious. Cheers!
You must be a "newbie" to think anything from Klipsch is "high" quality or audiophile grade.
😉
Cheap, thin material, Klipsch quality, nothing but the best for you🫵🤣🙈.
No replacement for displacement
great video! I'm curious, how do you clamp/ secure the braces while the glue is drying?
just lol at these cornhole speakers, want american big woofer speakers, Grab a pair of Tekton Epic 15 at half the price and will blow these back into the 70's where they belong.
@@StrangeBrewReviews Cornwall, Cornhole. Lol. They do look like Cornhole boards, sort of. 😂
Do you own the Epic 15's???
@singram1978 I own different tekton speakers, but I've heard all the klipsch....Tekton wipes the floor with klipsch...it's not even close.
Why not provide "before" and "after" recordings and metrics?
@@iamtoothewalrus I’d like to but between copyright issues and technical issues it’s not practical for this zero profit channel.
Fearless. Those brads would go straight through the cab and baffle if I tried that!
@@carlitomelon4610 Yes 😂. I’m using 3/4” brads, the cabinet wall thickness, at an angle, so it’s actually pretty safe.
I applaud you for trying to improve this poor cabinet, the vertical bracing you have from front to back is not actually helping that much, it is transferring flex from front panel, the back panel. You might have a better result if you ran racing across the front panel. and back panel and side panels in full width from side to side. If you were in doubt, go, speak with a structural engineer best of luck.
First, I am a mechanical engineer, not a structural engineer. The front to back braces are much more effective than one might think. If the front and back of the cabinet were identical, that would double the stiffness. But, they are not identical. The back of the cabinet is solid, the front has some very narrow portions. So adding the front to back connections, under slight compression, more than doubles the rigidity of the motor board. I’d guess it’s closer to 4x more rigid.
I would almost think that doubling the motorboard on the inside would do a really good job stiffening. I love my Forte II, but In no way are they a $4k or more speaker. For $200 they are a fantastic speaker. For $200 with a pair of Prodigy mini towers and a low end Technics TT and 2 NIB carts they are an exceptional speaker. I should take a look at the XOs, but despite being from '89 they sound tight. I couldn't get a pr of Is to sound correct and I kept tinkering. I haven't even looked inside of these in the 3+ yrs I've had them. Not sure how similar the XOs are but I got some quality components to build AlK's XO design. Air core inductors, I got sandcast resistors and had done the Sonicaps already. The II's confirmed what my ears already knew. Sumptin was funky with the Is. Couldn't put my finger on it, just had some KG4s way back and knew that I should have been more impressed
@@BigFarm_ah365 Doubling the motor board would be good too, but I’d have to do it in pieces to get the doubler in the box. 🤔
i got rid of my cw4s - someone else's problem now - i'm happy camper now with my Qualio IQ Ultra
You must really like those speakers on some deeper level to bother with this which I respect. The fact that that company still puts out expensive speakers with so little regard for cabinets, bracing, etc. really turns me off personally.
@@CashGravel I don’t like them on a deeper level … not that I’m aware of anyway. I just enjoy thinking and tinkering.
@@thebostonaudiophile Me too. I just tinkered a good sounding set of 1978 JBL L50's into a great sounding pair. Did extra bracing, and sound deadening , built new crossovers, and added new binding posts which eliminated the magnetic steel nuts from the signal path. I also filled the hollow metal speaker stands with kitty litter. All those changes made a night and day difference. The clarity and bass so much better
I’m not sure that dampening cabinet and horn resonances will help the sound of these speakers. It is possible that these resonances are important to the voicing of the speakers sound characteristics. Thank you for showing and telling us about these great speakers. I’m interested to hear about what you do with the crossovers and cabinets.
I rebuilt a pair of 1.5s from 1983 that had been sitting in a damp basement for 30 years. I added as much bracing as that model could handle as the drivers are rear-mounted so the whole back comes off. It really cut down on the cabinet resonance and ringing. I combined a closed-cell heavy damping foam with acoustic wool mats to handle both high and low frequencies. I did the same to my woofer baskets as you did. I will say that when GR Research did their crossover kit for the Cornwalls he recommended adding bracing exactly like you are doing. My project was a big one but they sound great even if some of the purists in the Klipsh FB group clutched their pearls and wept.
@@tmdillon1969 Bracing really helps. “clutched their pearls” 😂
Thanks for video! Could u help and give front woofer mount screws sizes, if you know such info. I need to buy a new set of the screws , I spoil two unfortunately
On the wood bracing struts, and corner bracing, how are you attaching these pieces? Just glue? Or, screwing in as well? Thank you.
@@jeffreypicciolo7706 Glue and nails from a nail gun.
Great job, actually should be the the job of Klipsch..a shame to see the original damping and drivers with stamped steel baskets 😒
@@justasimplefox Thank you for watching!
Great job my friend ! One can tell that you have put a lot of thought into the process. I bet they will sound great.🙂
@@lynnpoole7830 thanks. We’ll see …
Nice job on the bracing. I did mine a couple months ago, but I didn’t do the front to back brace or dynamite the air ports on the bottom, I may have to go back and do these also. I covered the entire metal area of the bass baskets with the dynamite, just had to do it You just may like the new sound of the bass and some other things, but I’ll let you report back.
@@tedrubinstein2003 Thanks. The front to rear braces help a lot but they need to be precisely cut or, alternatively, use carpentry shims to adjust their length. I’ll be reporting on what I hear soon.
@@tedrubinstein2003 👍
@@thebostonaudiophile What’s the actual size of the braces you have going from front to rear. It looks like about 3/4” x 2”
In 1985 I realized my metal La Scala metal horns were in need of serious dampening. A friend mentioned a product he used called Devcon which is an epoxy for repairing conveyor belts. I bought some and mixed it up; just enough to do one mid-range horn and tweeter at a time, then mixed another batch for the second pair. . I took the drivers off of the horns and sat the horns on wax paper with a little oil rubbed over the surface as a mold release. The Devcon was thick enough to not run too fast. I did both mid-range horns and the tweeters and they turned out EXCELLENT. Now my Klipsch La Scala's sound great. Later I bought Crites crossovers and that helped as well. As the Devcon dried and hardened the finish was shinny black much like the volcanic rock called Obsidian. I will uses these until the end and never need any other speakers.
Big speakers make the sound fuller, they have authority, in sound.
Power transformer right next the the output transformers on a steel chassis though?
@@newtronix Transformers should be in steel boxes, aluminum does nothing to block magnetic fields. Yes, ideally all the transformers (power and output) would be separated, but this way is very common.