Klipsch Cornwall IV Speaker Review: The Gentle Giant
The Klipsch Cornwall IV loudspeakers are big, beautiful, and budget-busting. If you want superior quality, epic construction, and a unique sound, the Klipsch Cornwall IV speakers may be one of the only games in town. Today I want to focus on the massively large 100 lb each $6000 Cornwall IV speakers. These are monsters, as were the Cornwall III, but it has been so long since I had the III’s in here that I forgot how much real estate they take up!
Design and Build Quality
The Klipsch Cornwall IV loudspeakers feature some of the most beautiful wood finish I’ve ever seen on a pair of speakers. These beautiful speakers will be hard to part with. When the truck delivered them in early March direct from Klipsch they were on a pallet as the weight of the set with boxes was 300 lbs! The Klipsch Cornwall IV loudspeakers are big, beautiful, and budget-busting.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Weight | 100 lb each |
| Price | $6000 |
| Sensitivity | High sensitivity |
| Finish | Beautiful wood finish |
Sound Performance and Scale
When the Cornwall’s were put in, as I expected, the scale of the music grew to a massive size. These speakers put out some seriously big sound and will make your speakers sound small (even if they are not small). Imagine a speaker painting sound. A speaker like this has the ability to paint that sound in front of you from floor to ceiling and in a very lifelike “human” way.
I believe these are one of the top five speakers in the world as of 2020, no matter the cost. What they can achieve is incredible. Much more open, much more transparent and even better than when I reviewed them initially. Live, dynamics that can startle you and with an impressive soundstage and imaging capabilities. These are so much improved over the III’s it’s not even close.
Comparison to Heresy IV
How do these Version IV Cornwall’s compare to a speaker I fell for a while back, the Heresy IV? These have almost the same signature as the Heresy IV but to be honest I felt the Heresy IV image slightly better and have a wider soundstage, yet they lack in the “fullness” department when compared to the massive Cornwall. Neither is “better” but each are indeed “different”.
Setup and Compatibility
High sensitivity makes the Klipsch Cornwall IVs easy to drive with any amplifier. They should be used in larger rooms for the best driver integration and can be powered by just about any integrated amplifier, stereo receiver, power amplifier, tube amp, or AVR on the market. That said, some upstream gear works better with the Cornwalls than others. Sufficient resolution that good electronics upstream really open up the speaker’s performance.
In my listening room, setup of the Klipsch Cornwall IV speakers proved to be a challenge, but that fault lies with my room – not the speakers. If you have a larger room these will blow your mind and possibly rattle your walls. If you have a smaller room like me, well these are also amazing in that scenario and can even rattle your bones. With the right positioning, the right amplifier, and the right touch of equalization, the Cornwalls are some of the best sounding speakers I’ve ever heard.
Reference System Used
- Amplification: Vinnie Rossi L2i SE
- Source: Roon Nucleus (used as streamer via USB into L2i SE DAC)
- Analog: Michell Tecnodec (Vinyl)
- Speakers: Klipsch Cornwall IV