Chorus1 Fan

Two "Chorus 1" questions: 1. Why did they use both plywood (front/back) AND mdf (sides/top/bottom) in the Chorus 1's ? 2. Why veneer the INTERIOR side of an mdf side panel (see pic) Interior side panel pic, & front motorboard ply on the R

Thought so, & both are 1", but it appears to have less layers (& they are thicker) than the front motorboard plywood pic. I retook/edited the previous front motorboard pic to show layers better. I can count maybe 6 or 7 layers on the rear board, but either 10 or 11 are on the front, & those #'s don't include the surface veneer layers either. Thicker layers = my Mr. Plywood - Mrs. MDF joke 😂

Here's a woofer opening closeup pic for comparison (on the front motorboard panel)

Well, to add more to the "mystery" I just took a pic of the rear panel where the crossover mounts. What is this rear panel made of? layered MDF? (& I'm not asking as a smart aleck, just asking to clarify/learn... It looks like "Mr. Plywood" & "Mrs. MDF" had a baby 😂

Hard to "quote" an answer to all 3 of you at once, but here's why I said plywood This is a pic of one of the interior sides. (& other side is the same) I'm no woodworker, but sure looks like plywood to me... opinions ?

Upper crosspiece is on & clamped. Tomorrow I will glue a small block/brace on "top" of each end (actually it's beneath once speaker gets flipped upright). This ties the crosspiece to the side walls which REALLY firms it up & gives it that solid "thunk" when slapped 😃 & the Chorus side panels sure look like plywood to me (all the brochures say it's "mdf")

I know the "timbre matching" is supposedly off, but I've used a KSF C-5 more than once with Heresey's & it works great! Roughly the same sensitivity, & if anything the tractrix horn makes dialog super clear. Check ebay/FB marketplace, they're available & reasonably priced all the time (or maybe a forum member here has one to sell...)

Bracing is in progress! I included a pic to show the "method" I use. It's a combo of wood clamps and/or weights. I could pull the mid-horn & use two clamps, but I don't want to mess with their woodscrews... A "side to side" brace across the middle will be glued on next. (Adding 1 above the woofer & 1 below the woofer dramatically stiffens the speaker sidewalls) & Crossover is coming out soon for recap

Here's a list of the songs (all on CD) I play LOUD. All are filled with clean dynamic mid-bass & sound great with these mods! (try em on your favorite model of Klipsch) Songs to "show off" your Klipsch: ZZ Top: "Fool for your Stockings" (best mixed version is found on "One Foot in the Blues") Pat Donohue: "The Road to Kingdom Come" Police: "Murder by Numbers" Dire Straits: "Six Blade Knife" Los Lobos: "Kiko & the Lavendar Moon" Steve Winwood: "Higher Love" Pink Floyd: "Time" Thin Lizzy: Cowboy Song KD Lang: "Constant Craving" Tracy Chapman: "Fast Car" Cowboy Junkies: "Sweet Jane" John Secada: "Just Another Day" Shannon: "Let the Music Play" Ace of Base: "All that She Wants" Copeland: "Fanfare for the Common Man" Pachelbel: "Kanon" (On Telarc)

Yep, I recall you encouraging me! It's cool that all of us here get to decide for ourselves how far we wanna go down the "modification" path. There's nothing really wrong with their factory stock sound, I just happen to think that some of these "improvement" mods possibly weren't done @ the factory b/c it would have added additional costs (time & labor) w/o increasing their selling price/profit margin. Even now (years later) to gain any benefit, it depends on HOW we listen & WHAT we mostly listen to. Realistically, port extension & bracing mods probably only make a difference when the volume is up to a pretty good level. (IE: Chorus cabinets don't resonate at Iow & medium volume levels) I don't always have mine playing loud, but certain songs sound best "cranked up" & that's where the port mods & bracing shine 😎

I know not everyone agrees with bracing (which is OK ) & may not think it's necessary. But since I just bought a 2nd pair of Chorus 1's I am easily able to do a side by side comparison/experiment. If I gently "slap" the sides of my new pair, there is an obvious loud hollow echo/resonance coming from the long sides. But when I slap the one's I braced a few years ago (build thread on here) It is a SOLID quiet "Thunk" w/o any resonance. I'm reasonably sure the unbraced box would resonate in a similar way at high volumes when the big 15" moves ALOT of air. I'm not into crazy bracing, just two above & below the 15" pro woofer, & then a wider crosspiece going side to side which stiffens the sides at the 1/3 way up & 1/3 way down points. I believe it cleans up & "tightens" the mid-bass, & makes a difference you can hear, so I'll definately be bracing my new walnut one's the same way as my oak ones...

I just bought ANOTHER pair of Chorus 1's, & adding the port tubes plus front/back & side/side bracing above & below the 15" pro woofer are the 1st two things I'm doing. I am still 100% satisfied 2 yrs later, & would never consider NOT doing both... (again

& as a "public service announcement" for ALL Klipsch owners, you owe it to yourself (& your Klipsch) to play "Murder by numbers" (Police / Synchronicity) cranked up loud. It's a hidden gem of a song, MADE for Klipsch demo/testing 😂

I know U were just funnin, & I remember you following my progress & encouraging me when I posted my "Chorus 1 port mods/bracing" thread a few years back over in the modifications area. My reply/reasons here were really meant for everyone else reading this, especially if they don't know how close the Chorus 1 & 2's are in performance to the coveted LaScalas 😃

L😂L (& btw I meant the one's I modified) but here's why: LaScala +'s (wins) Better Imaging & wider soundstage better overall midrange Chorus 1 +'s (wins) WAY better mid-bass (& lows with the port mods) Tweeter (titanium) is at ear level when I am seated They look like speakers, not a PA system (my LaScalas were black) I prefer a "clean" powerful, thumping mid-bass & the Chorus 1 with it's 15" pro woofer DELIVERS that in a way LaScalas can't (owned both & compared side by side with same CD's) A good example (song) of what I mean would be: "Six blade knife" by Dire Straits & "Murder by numbers" by the Police. Play those two "cranked up" loud on Chorus 1's = MAGICAL Others prefer LaScala's & I see why, but as for me, the Chorus 1 +'s offset their minuses.

SOLD (to me) Upon inspection, they were in better shape than the pictures even showed. One original owner, sequential serial #'s, beautiful grain, ZERO defects that I could find, (not even any scratches) & have been babied their entire life! No upgrades ever done but I'm fine with that... As some of you may remember, I already have a set of Chorus 1's that I installed titanum diaphragms in, did the 7" port mods, & braced internally. Btw, Chorus 1's are my own personal "reasonable" (cost/sound/size/appearance) favorite. I sold my original owner black La Scalas to buy my first pair & have NO regrets 2 years later. I actually think my modded 1's sound better overall than my La Scalas did with a sub. The tradeoff of slighly diminshed (vs La Scala) imaging & soundstage is offset by addition of the Pro 15' "chest thumper" of the Chorus 😃 In case anyone is wondering "Why buy another pair?" My current ones are Oak, & these are FLAWLESS Walnut

Good news, we emailed back & forth last night, & I'm going to see em this afternoon. (about 50 min. south of me) If they look like the pix, I'll have some "heavy lifting" to do 😂 (89 lbs EACH)

messaged her...waiting...

Vicki, I sent you a message through the site 😃

Really helped mine (but "to each his own"...)

RB-5 is almost as good as the RB-75 & easier to find used. (some are on ebay right now 😃

Mine are Chorus 1's, but braces would be the same. I focused on bracing above & below the woofer at the "weak spots" of the front motorboard & also wanted to stiffen the long sides. I bought the oak strips @ Home Depot, & used titebond woodglue & a combo of clamps and/or bricks & weights to glue 1 or 2 braces at a time. I would brace em while you have em apart! It tightens up the bass & takes away most of the resonance of the "big flabby box". Go slap the side of one open handed & it will echo/vibrate. Post bracing it will turn into a dull thud. (made a big difference 😃

Then get a CD copy of ZZ Top "One foot in the blues" Then Play "Fool for your stockings" & "Sure got cold after the rain fell" (but not all songs on this cd are mastered well) "Fool for your stockings" on this CD sounds AWESOME on my Chorus 1's cranked up to concert level 😎 (not sure if it's the same on Tidal)

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