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I agree, most of the veneers I've seen I haven't been that fond of but I have also seen some nice ones (e.g., that Zebrawood KLF-20). I am also not a fan of those metal feet. I think I'd prefer the stock risers. However, the bases they made for the KLF-20 is an improvement in my opinion. I think the best option is to allow the customer to pick the veneer/finish and I'd bet they would offer that option if they were approached. We have seen several want to buy ads here. For those looking, it might not hurt to give these guys a call. Their website shows the following speakers currently in stock: HERESY HERESY II CORNWALL LA SCALA BELLE KLIPSCHORN FORTE FORTE II CHORUS II

I hadn't considered the other "work" they do in terms of tracking down speakers, buying them, picking them up, etc. But you are right, there is a lot of time involved in what it takes to turn out these restorations. I'd be curious to know how much labor time is spent in doing the actual restorations. I'd guess they could do it faster than most hobbyists here since this is their profession, but that doesn't mean they should charge less -- skill and expertise cost more and nobody works for free. As I mentioned in the other post, I believe their prices are comparable to our forum friend that started a business of restoring Klipsch speakers. The market will tell them if they are overpriced and my understanding is that they have been able to make sales. I think it is great that someone is doing this. I don't believe our forum friend is doing restorations any longer now that his business has taken off. It's nice to know that if you don't have the time, skills, or tools but want something of this quality, it is available. And you don't even have to bring your own speakers.

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/ele/d/aubrey-altec-lansing-voice-of-the/6797099665.html

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/ele/d/aubrey-altec-lansing-valencia-846b/6768246322.html

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/ele/d/aubrey-klipsch-forte-ii-speakers/6775719947.html

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/ele/d/aubrey-klipsch-heresy-speakers/6780786761.html

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/ele/d/aubrey-klipsch-heresy-speakers/6782127331.html

So, this is a follow-on to a post I made earlier about a father and son team that restores Klipsch speakers (among others) and advertises on the local Craigslist and also on USA Audio Mart. If you have a request for a specific speaker and would like to order a special finish, I'm sure they could oblige as I was told they have many speakers in inventory waiting to be restored. I have no affiliation other that I have met them in person. http://klipschrestorations.com/

So I should add that while I have no affiliation with the sellers, I have met them. They bought a set of speakers from me a few months back. As has been mentioned before, they are a nice father and son team that has turned their experience as long-time cabinet-builders into a hobby of refurbishing Klipsch speakers. They do work on other brands such as JBL and Altec, but Klipsch is their favorite. Now, they don't just refurbish the cosmetics, they also replace drivers and crossovers when needed and use Bob Crites for those components. As far as pricing goes, from what I remember, they seem comparable to the prices charged by a forum member here that used to do similar work. He seemed to have made enough money to start his own speaker company. However, they do not modify the speakers, they refurbish them to what they were like when new. Here is the kicker -- I was told they had 50 Klipschorns in their current inventory (among other speakers). They have Klipsch speakers scattered throughout the house. So, I would think, if you wanted a certain speaker in a veneer and finish of your choosing, I'm sure they could accommodate your request. Maybe I'll start a new post to highlight this "alert." By the way, they are not forum members. When I met them I mentioned the forum to them and they told me they had not joined as they had heard from others that the members here were only interested in buying "Ferraris at Pinto prices." 😉 I told them there were thousands and thousands of forum members from across the world and despite what they were told there is a market for their work.

I have a bumper sticker on my Ferrari that says "My other car is a Pinto!"

If you are not familiar with Lee Ritenour, I would suggest taking a listen to some of his work.

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/ele/d/aubrey-klipsch-klf-20-zebrawood/6793852389.html

You probably don't know the history of these players. First, Amari Cooper played for the Raiders and previously played both Aqib Talib (former Bronco) and Marcus Peters (former Chief) twice a year. Those teams of course have been bitter rivals for decades. Aqib Talib has been a great player, but he does have some personality issues. He's gotten into fights with teammates and once even shot himself. Go look into the fights he used to start with Michael Crabtree, who once was teammate of Cooper. Talib's had plenty of off-the-field problems which includes legal troubles, not to mention his behavior on-the-field (check his Wikipedia page). Despite his talents, Tampa Bay, New England, and Denver all let him leave. By the way, he's the same player that dropped the F-bomb on live TV tonight if you saw the end of the game. Peters might not be that much better having been kicked off his college team. So when you see the post-game fights between Cooper and Talib/Peters do consider the history and don't forget that Peters is the one who started things with Cooper during the game, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty for starting a fight. Of course I am a Cowboys fan, but what I have seen so far from Cooper I do like -- he seems to be of high character and is loved by his teammates. Around here, the media has noticed that he is not the typical "diva" that seems to be common among high-profile wide-receivers (see Terrell Owens, Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham Jr., etc.). They actually say he is quiet. While Cooper isn't the type to start fights, apparently he also isn't one to back down from one either.

Yeah, it can be fun. The problems tend to come when those throwing mud can't take it when it comes back to them which I've found to be common. As long as it's just fun and games and nobody takes it seriously then it's fine. I do think it's more fun when people are creative though. "Cowgirls" and even "Cowpies" are so old and unimaginative that there is no humor value there. Be creative when making fun of my team and I will still laugh. If you want to have some fun at the Cowboys expense, or more specifically Jerry Jones, go do a Google search for "Fake Jerry Jones." This is a skit that one of the local sport radio shows does and some of them are pretty hilarious.

Yes, I'm obviously a Cowboys fan. But even with that, I don't like seeing bad calls even when it benefits my team. The referees are human and mistakes are going to be made. The NFL game is so fast that it's actually amazing that they don't miss more calls than they do. It's easier for us to see the errors on replay and slow-motion. As long as the missed calls aren't one-sided, they usually offset each other. If missed calls don't determine the outcome of a game, I can live with them even if that means my team loses. An unearned victory is not very satisfying.

You just might be right! These amps don't get mentioned much anymore. I think it is primarily because there were very few made. But make no mistake, these are some of the best amplifiers out there. I have a pair and they may be the best sounding amps I've ever owned. I've actually thought to myself in the past, if my house caught on fire, what would be the list of things I'd try to take with me and these amps made that short list. However, I've had to rethink that because they are not easily carried and are not close to an exit door. I can't remember the exact power output, but it is either 20 or 25 WPC -- way more than enough power to run our efficient speakers. pCAT stands for Pure Class-A Triode. When Mark designed these amps, the goal was to have a mid-range that would match SET but with a bit more power. Having owned SET amps, I think his goal was met. I recall several years ago several forum members gathered somewhere in the Bay Area to compare amplifiers. The consensus seemed to be that the best sounding amps were a close call between the pCATs and Welborne Labs Moondogs (3.5 wpc SET). Those results should be posted somewhere on this forum. I would be buying these amps if I didn't already have a pair and let me say that I haven't completely ruled that out but I do need to resist the temptation. Whoever buys these amps is going to be very, very happy.

Yes, there were some missed calls in the Cowboys/Saints game, but it wasn't one-sided. In fact, from my seat the calls seemed to favor the Saints. Cowboys had 8 penalties called against them and Saints had 5. While the Cole Beasley play and Jaylon Smith hit to the head were missed calls, don't forget the missed calls that favored the Saints (such as the non-call on the pass interference on the Saints touchdown, the non-call on the facemask on Dak Prescott, and the very questionable offsides call on Randy Gregory that negated a sack/fumble that was recovered by Dallas). This seems to have been the theme of this season. A few weeks ago against Philadelphia, the Eagles had zero penalties called against them -- Dallas won anyway. Bottom line -- Dallas played better than the Saints and the game really wasn't as close as the score indicated. If you watch the game and are objective, you'll come to that same conclusion. I wasn't surprised that Dallas won but it was surprising that the Dallas defense was able to dominate like they did. I once sat near a Houston media member back when the Cowboys were winning Super Bowls in the 1990s and he started talking about the Cowboys next game, which happened to be a home game. He then incredulously questioned why the Cowboys always seemed to be playing at home. Every NFL team plays the same number of home and away games -- he should've known that. And can we stop using the term "Cowgirls" -- it's not very creative and quite frankly is juvenile.

Moving them is part of the issue -- and I actually have thought about what you suggest. The other part is my listening room is on the second floor and there is already a lot of weight in the room so I want to minimize the overall weight. At the very least, I'd like to spread it out, so more lighter subs would be better than fewer heavier subs.

I'm aware of the Klipsch KW-120 THX Ultra 2 subs and agree they are pretty amazing, especially considering their more modest size. Other commercial passive subs I'm aware of are: SVS CS Ultra SVS 16-46 CS SVS 20-39 CS SVS 25-31 CS I understand Hsu offers (or offered) passive subs but I'm not familiar with the models. I guess what I'm really asking for is a list of other commercially made passive subs. What else is out there?

I think my primary requirements would be size and weight. I don't want anything too big or too heavy that could not be moved by myself -- including going up a flight of stairs. With a hand truck, moving blankets, and ratchet straps, I'm able to move something as large/heavy as a Belle or La Scala up a flight of stairs to that would probably be about the maximum size/weight I would want to go. I don't think a horn sub would be a consideration at the moment as a larger (and heavier) box would be needed to get to the lower frequencies that I'd want in a sub. With that in mind, I'd consider either a ported or sealed design.

Thanks, I've considered DIY kits -- specifically the 18" kit from Parts Express. I'm not familiar with the Diyaudio kits so I'll have to take a look. I don't expect to do anything completely DIY as I don't have the appropriate tools nor the time to go that route but a flat-pack is something I would entertain.

Unfortunately, your Realtor is correct. The guys on this forum saying otherwise are audiophiles and love this stuff, as do I. However, most people are not audiophiles and see the gear as clutter, not to mention the concerns raised where you have made holes to hang things from the ceiling. We love that, but most people won't. The other poster who showed his setup in a house that sold had a very clean looking system without any clutter. Nothing was attached to the home so it is easy to see past that and know it will be gone once the house is bought with no leftover artifacts (holes in the walls/ceiling).

I think I have decided that passive subwoofers are the way to go. There are a few reasons: (1) the amplifiers in active subwoofers seem to have high failure rates. This is likely due to the vibrations -- electronics don't like vibrations and being integrated with the sub driver provides for a harsher environment. (2) In the event your subwoofer amp needs replacing, it is a much easier thing to do when it is separate from the sub. For active subs you have to find the right amp that has the same form and fit as the original amp. That likely means getting one from the OEM and they may not carry that model any longer. In that case, you either ditch the entire subwoofer or you get a different amp that will be used externally. You will have essentially converted your active subwoofer to a passive subwoofer. So why not start out with a passive sub in the first place? It is far better to replace just the subwoofer amp than the entire (active) subwoofer -- if complete replacement is the route you choose. And (3), separating the two allows you the freedom to chose your subwoofer amp. Now while you would have to assume the subwoofer manufacturer has already chosen the ideal amp for their sub, sometimes that means they are making the selection based on cost targets. If you select your own sub amp, you may be able chose one of higher quality than what the OEM might be providing. This doesn't always mean a higher cost to you. Even if the passive sub comes with an external amp, that is still preferable to me based on my other points mentioned above. What that being said, what passives subs are out there? DIY is where most are but what about commercially available? I'm aware of very few passive subs commercially available -- most are active.

I can't say anything about the cost to manufacture, but I do recall when both models were available at the same time at my local dealer. The Chorus was actually priced slightly higher. I don't know when production of the Chorus I ended but the Chorus II continued well into the mid-to-late 90's.