Klipsch Builds More 70th Anniversary Speakers

Klipsch has introduced two 70th Anniversary Heritage Series speakers to join the limited-run Klipschorn and Heresy Heritage models introduced in April.

A limited-run of the legendary Cornwall and La Scala speakers, originally introduced in 1959 and 1963, will be available this month (October) at $6,000/pair and $14,000/pair, respectively.

Klipsch said it will produce 70 pairs of each speaker at its manufacturing facility in Hope, AR. Finished in an Australian walnut veneer, each model will feature “silver luster” grille cloth, special edition logos, and a signed 70th Anniversary plaque identifying its number in the series.

Cornwall (1959)
Created by audio pioneer and company founder Paul W. Klipsch, the Cornwall (right in photo) derives its name from being the first Klipsch loudspeaker designed for placement in a corner or against a wall—hence the name, “corn/wall.” The speaker was designed to serve as a larger, full-range alternative to the Heresy when used as a center-channel speaker between two widely spaced Klipschorns.

When the Cornwall was discontinued in 1990, Klipsch fans launched a letter-writing campaign and petition calling for its return. Better late than never.

The anniversary edition speaker, dubbed Cornwall III, is a three-way design using horn-loaded compression drivers for the midrange and treble and a direct-radiating 15-inch woofer for bass. Klipsch said the updated Cornwall delivers the full-range bass response of the Klipschorn with sensitivity and output approaching the fully horn-loaded models.

La Scala (1963)
Paul Klipsch built the original La Scala (right in photo) for Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Winthrop Rockefeller to use as a public address speaker during his 1963 campaign. Because the speaker was considered a “portable” and more affordable version of the iconic Klipschorn, La Scala found success beyond politics. Despite its raw, unfinished appearance, the La Scala sounded so good that people still put it in their living rooms.

La Scala is a model of speaker efficiency: With a 1-watt, the speaker produces 105 decibels (dB) of sound pressure, meaning it can be driven by the most modest of power amplifiers. The La Scala is a fully horn-loaded three-way design with a 15-inch folded-horn woofer that uses 1- and 2-inch compression drivers for the treble and midrange.

For more information, click here and here.

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