Klipsch Cornwall IV vs ATC SCM40

Short answer: the Klipsch Cornwall IV, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #212 of 226 floorstanding speakers by sound quality, rated 2.8/5, at $7,299.98; the ATC SCM40 ranks #217, rated 2.6/5, and costs $7,999, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 226 floorstanding speakers, and the MoFi SourcePoint V10 Master Edition, ranked #4 at $7,995, is a better place to start if sound quality matters.

What the Klipsch Cornwall IV does well: Legendary 3-way Heritage loudspeaker handcrafted in Hope, Arkansas. The catch: Massive wide-body cabinet (965 mm high, 643 mm wide, 394 mm deep) weighing 95.7 lbs (43.4 kg) per speaker dominates living spaces.

What the ATC SCM40 does well: A 3-way tower built around ATC’s 75mm soft dome midrange, the pro-audio driver that gives ATC its reputation for clean, dynamic vocals, with a 25mm tweeter and a 164mm woofer (crossovers at 380Hz and 3.5kHz). The catch: No independent measurements yet, so its tonal balance and directivity can’t be compared directly with measured speakers; the rating is estimated from the measured ATC SCM19, which showed too little bass, a forward midrange to treble balance and a 4dB resonance near 700Hz.

Buy the Klipsch Cornwall IV. It is rated higher for sound quality than the ATC SCM40 and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.

About the ratings: neither speaker has been measured yet, so both ratings are estimated from measured siblings and predecessors (likely ranges: Klipsch Cornwall IV 2.5 to 3.1; ATC SCM40 2.2 to 3.0). Treat this verdict as provisional.

Looking for alternatives? See the complete Passive Home rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

Related Speaker Comparisons

How Klipsch Cornwall IV compares with other leading options:

• Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 vs Klipsch Cornwall IV
• Klipsch Cornwall IV vs Klipsch La Scala AL6
• Klipsch La Scala AL6 vs ATC SCM40
• Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 vs ATC SCM40
• Revel F328Be vs Sony SS-CS3

Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.

The Two Speakers In Full

Klipsch Cornwall IV: $7,299.98 per pair Passive Estimated Amazon eBay

Same family: the Klipsch Heresy IV (smaller floorstanding, ranked lower, rated 2.3/5), the Klipsch Forte IV (smaller floorstanding, ranked higher, rated 4/5), the Klipsch La Scala AL6 (larger floorstanding, ranked lower, estimated 2.8/5) and the Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 (larger floorstanding, ranked higher, estimated 3/5).

Pros: Legendary 3-way Heritage loudspeaker handcrafted in Hope, Arkansas. Combines a direct-radiating 15-inch fiber-composite cone woofer (K-33-E) with front-firing Tractrix ports, a new K-702 1.75-inch polyimide compression midrange on a modified Tractrix horn with Mumps technology for expanded coverage, and a K-107-TI 1-inch titanium tweeter with wide-dispersion phase plug. Immense sensitivity of 102dB (2.83V @ 1m) and maximum continuous output of 120dB allow it to be effortlessly driven to realistic concert levels with low-wattage tube or solid-state amplifiers. Low-frequency extension reaches 34Hz (-4dB).

Cons: Massive wide-body cabinet (965 mm high, 643 mm wide, 394 mm deep) weighing 43.4 kg per speaker dominates living spaces. Premium $6,598 a pair price point. Full Klippel NFS Spinorama directivity and preference score calculations have not yet been published.

Full Klipsch Cornwall IV review and specifications →

Crossover Frequency	700Hz, 5000Hz
Dimensions	38” x 25.3” x 15.5” (965 x 643 x 394 mm)
Drivers	1” titanium K-107-TI tweeter on Tractrix horn, 1.75” polyimide K-702 midrange on Tractrix horn, 15” fiber-composite K-33-E woofer
Frequency Response	34Hz - 20kHz (+/- 4dB, Manufacturer specified)
Impedance	8 ohms
Maximum SPL	120dB
Passive	Yes
Power Handling	100W continuous / 400W peak
Sensitivity	102dB (2.83V @ 1m)
Weight	95.7 lbs (43.4 kg)

• Links
  • Official Klipsch Cornwall IV Website
• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • No independent measurement review is linked for this model; it is ranked from hands-on listening and comparison against similarly priced speakers.
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Klipsch Cornwall IV vs Klipsch Klipschorn AK7
  • Klipsch Cornwall IV vs Klipsch La Scala AL6

ATC SCM40: $7,999.00 per pair Estimated Acoustic Frontiers eBay

Same family: the ATC SCM19 (bookshelf, rated 2.4/5).

Pros: A 3-way tower built around ATC’s 75mm soft dome midrange, the pro-audio driver that gives ATC its reputation for clean, dynamic vocals, with a 25mm tweeter and a 164mm woofer (crossovers at 380Hz and 3.5kHz). Each pair is matched to ±0.5dB and the cabinet is a heavy 31kg.

Cons: No independent measurements yet, so its tonal balance and directivity can’t be compared directly with measured speakers; the rating is estimated from the measured ATC SCM19, which showed too little bass, a forward midrange to treble balance and a 4dB resonance near 700Hz. Sensitivity is a low 85dB and ATC recommends 75 to 300 watts, and bass is rated only to 48Hz (-6dB).

Full ATC SCM40 review and specifications →

Released	2013 (13 years ago)
Crossover Frequency	380Hz, 3.5kHz
DIY Kit	No
Dimensions	38.6”H x 14.6”W x 12”D (980 x 370 x 305 mm)
Drivers	25mm soft dome tweeter, 75mm soft dome midrange, 164mm woofer
Frequency Response	48Hz - 22kHz -6dB (manufacturer specified)
Impedance	8 ohms nominal (manufacturer specified)
Maximum SPL	112dB (manufacturer specified)
Sensitivity	85dB (1W/1m, manufacturer specified)
Weight	68.3 lbs (31 kg) each

• Links
  • Official ATC SCM40 Product Page
• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • No independent measurement review is linked for this model; it is ranked from hands-on listening and comparison against similarly priced speakers.
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • ATC SCM40 vs Klipsch La Scala AL6
  • ATC SCM40 vs Klipsch Klipschorn AK7