Rjk1972 Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 (edited) Hi all. I am new to this forum and also finally returning to Klipsch after more than a decade of other speakers. I decided a little over a year ago, after a friend reminded me that I have always liked Klipsch's sound, to ditch my pair of Vandersteen 1c and get back to that detailed and dynamic, big sound that is Klipsch. I am currently pushing my dad's original pair of Heresy with a restored Fisher 500c with a Rega RP6 and 2m Blue. My digital front end is currently out of commission as I recently dropped my Peachtree DAC in a puddle and have been waiting to hear here the new iFi DAC and a few others. Anyways, I have a modest size room that is not a dedicated listening room so speaker placement is a bit of an issue. It is 13x17 feet with 8 foot ceilings. It has a suspended hardwood floor with a huge area rug. I've been looking for a pair of Klipsch Cornwall 2 or possibly a pair of Chorus 2 (though I don't know if the will work in my room) or a pair of Forte 2. I am leaning towards the Cornwall 2s because I can place them against a wall and remember really liking the sound. The Chorus 2 are in the running because I almost bought a pair new in an Army PX for 1000 bucks brand new in 97 and because they are one of my favorite speakers. Still kicking myself for passing them up. I do have some questions about the Cornwalls. Is it possible to get Black Cornwall 2s with cane grills or beige? Did they still have all the different finishes and color combos available like the Originals. How would you compare them sound wise to the originals? How far would I have to place the Chorus 2 away from rear walls? How about the Forte 2? Could they be placed close to walls? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you Russ Edited July 31, 2015 by Rjk1972 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Russ, Welcome to the forum and welcome back to Klipsch. Chorus II's and forte II's have rear passive radiators so careful with the rear placement. Cornwall II's are front ported(as you already know that) so they may work better close to a rear wall. For the record, I am using a pair of Heresies in a 13W x 13L x 10H room and I think they are more than enough speaker in that room. Tight, fast, and punchy bass with great imaging. The room is well damped with carpet, drapes, and fluffy bed dressings with thick pillows. My room is very close in cubic footage to yours. Bill 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjptkd Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 I always had the best luck with my Chorus II's 6-8 inches of the back wall and at least 18" from the side walls. If the passives leave you too far out into the room have you considered the original Chorus? They have front firing ports and sound great. Lots of great choices out there in the used market, usually its more a matter of what comes up locally more than anything and how long you can wait. Good luck and welcome back! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Chi-town Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 As stated,above 12-18 inches from the rear wall for either Chorus II, or forte II. The Cornwall is a good speaker, but its biggest flaw INMHO is the midrange horn and driver. Too small. The Chorus II was the replacement for the Cornwall. forte II INMHO is the most balanced of the 3, and digs the lowest, down to 32HZ. I found a guy in St. Louis area who specializes in speaker cloth replacement and does great work with any cane cloth you could imagine. I think a houndstooth pattern in the right color would look great on either model as well. PM me if you would like his contact information. Best regards, John 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 k55v... to small go figure 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J M O N Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 (edited) The Cornwall will work in that size of room. I've owned all three that you speak of and prefer the Cornwall without question. Sonically, they will get you closer to a Klipschorn than either the Chorus or Forte, especially if you are using tubes. I or II are both great speakers as I have had both versions. I think I actually preferred the Forte (I or II) over the Chorus II. Strange I know, but when I sold the Chorus II, I put the Forte's in their place and expected inferior sound. It didn't happen and it was definitely a surprise to me. You don't need to place either the Forte or Chorus very far from the wall -- just give them enough space to breathe. A few inches will be fine -- the passives are only producing bass, which is much less directional than higher frequencies which is why it doesn't matter much that the passive is facing to the rear. In fact, both will work best if you can place them in a corner. Yes, you can get black Cornwall IIs with cane grill cloth but you would have to buy used as the Cornwall III is the current version. I remember seeing an old Klipsch brochure with that combo. However, it would be difficult finding that combo but you can always refinish and/or change the cloth to something very similar. Edited July 31, 2015 by JMON 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 forte IIs rock. No question. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckAb3 Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Agree with JMON. I have Cornwalls in a room about that size and they've worked out well. (They replaced Heresys in the same space). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjptkd Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 I've personally switched to monitors and subs. If you like the Heresy but need bass add a quality sub or two. I have a pair of RB-75's with a Sunfire Signature 12 sub in my bedroom system and the combo is fantastic. My main system (tucked away in the closet for now) consists of a pair of KP-250 II's (commercial Heresy's) with k-55v mid drivers and a pair of Ultra 2 subs. I stack the 250's on the subs and run the subs in stereo to make a set of full range stereo speakers. That combo is just insane! If you're not planning on integrating a sub than the Forte II is probably your best choice because of the lower frequency response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vondy Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 I have Heresy I's and Forte II's. The Cornwalls will sound like a bigger version of your Heresys with much more base. The Forte II or Corus II will sound quite different. The mid horn is much better IMO. You'll hear much more life-like music, better soundstage, etc. My understanding is the Corus has a "bigger" sound than the Forte. I've also owned the Forte I's and like the II's much better. Depends on what you're going for. You could also get a really good sub to go with your Heresys and that may do it for you. I'm not sure power wise what will match up best with your Fisher. Forte and Corus probably like a bit more power than Heresy and Cornwall. But I'm just guessing. I'm pushing my Fortes with an HK430 with 25wpc. I never turn the nob much more than a quarter of the way but I've heard people say more power brings the Fortes more to life. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusaDude Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Having owned Forte II, Chorus II and Cornwall I's... If I had to choose, I'd go with the Chorus II every time. They are all great speakers though. But the Tractrix midrange in the Forte II and Chorus II is (in my opinion) much better than the Cornwall midrange and gives an excellent soundstage. I think the Chorus II is the smoothest sounding speaker of the bunch with the tightest, most accurate bass. True it doesn't reach down as deep as the Cornwall or Forte II, but it makes up for it everywhere else (40 Hz on up). The Forte II is probably the most balanced of the three, with it's bass extension, though it's a touch less efficient. The Cornwall, to me, always sounded "heavier" with an emphasis on the low end. As far as placement goes, the Forte II and Chorus II both need at least 6 inches behind them for the passive radiator... But I think they sound best, farther out into a room (12-18 inches) and at least that far from the side walls (and always towed in a bit). Best bet would be to put them on the long wall of your room (if possible). If they have to go on the short wall, then I think the smaller footprint of the Forte II and Chorus II, would maximize your placement choices compared to a Cornwall. Depending on what kind of music you listen to and the volume you like... amp choice is pretty open. But, if you like to turn it "UP" occasionally, then get some stout solid state power for the Chorus II (and Forte II). I had a McIntosh MC 7270 (270 watts per channel) for a while and the Chorus II's sounded amazing with that amp. I personally prefer higher wattage, solid state amplification with all of the Klipsch speakers I've owned. However, I'm not a "tube" guy, so I can't comment on how any of them sound with tube amps. In the end, it only matters what they sound like to you, so listen to each if you get a chance... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 (edited) no reason you cannot re tune the passive on a Chorus ll to lower the bass cut off of the cabinet you can experiment but I would suggest that you could drop the 3db down point by about 4Hz perhaps a little more does not sound like a lot but it is when you hear it. Cost you squat to find out for yourself I would think about 2.5 to 3 ounces of dead weight on the inside of the passive will get the job done. Edited July 31, 2015 by moray james Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 no reason you cannot re tune the passive on a Chorus ll to lower the bass cut off of the cabinet you can experiment but I would suggest that you could drop the 3db down point by about 4Hz perhaps a little more does not sound like a lot but it is when you hear it. Cost you squat to find out for yourself I would think about 2.5 to 3 ounces of dead weight on the inside of the passive will get the job done. Moray, Can you explain a little more in depth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rjk1972 Posted August 1, 2015 Author Share Posted August 1, 2015 (edited) Great information. Thank you guys. I am going to have to do some measuring to see how far out I can place the Chorus 2. Any thoughts on how the Cornwall 2 sound compared to the Cornwall? Jim, I once read on a forum there was a mod where people glued washers or quarters to the passive. Perhaps it was written by Mr James. I've come across it mentioned a few times and the people that were writing about it thought it was a fantastic tweak. Edited August 1, 2015 by Rjk1972 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenTacey Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 What is your opinion about using the new Reference 28-F's? I really like the thin size with good heft; 86 pound sized heft in a 13x13x9 room. I could use them in a 13x22x9 room but the 13x13 has the appearance of a concert shell which is great for playback of everything. My TV sounds like a 5.2 system running through Klipsch's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rjk1972 Posted August 2, 2015 Author Share Posted August 2, 2015 So I have the opportunity to get a really nice pair of early 80s Cornwalls but have been holding out for a pair of Cornwall 2s or Chorus 2s. What do you guys think. I had planed on redoing the crossovers in whichever pair I get, ALK Universals in the case of Cornwalls. Are the Cornwall 2s that much of an improvement over the Cornwall 1s? I have to make the decision by tomorrow morning. Any comments or opinions would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv_sum_Horns Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Great information. Thank you guys. I am going to have to do some measuring to see how far out I can place the Chorus 2. Any thoughts on how the Cornwall 2 sound compared to the Cornwall? Jim, I once read on a forum there was a mod where people glued washers or quarters to the passive. Perhaps it was written by Mr James. I've come across it mentioned a few times and the people that were writing about it thought it was a fantastic tweak. I've done the Moray James mod to my kg's. As he outlined above you simply pull your passive and glue 2.5 to 3 ounces of weight to the center of the back (of the thing that would be the magnet if it wasn't passive). Two big washers from Home Depot did the trick on each passive. I recommend a silicone adhesive for re-moveability. If I've missed anything I'm sure Mr. James will jump in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stump Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Welcome back to Klipsch. I have Chorus 2's and Heresy 1's, they are both great speakers, but I'm finding that certain music sounds "better" through one versus the other. Recently, I've been listening to a lot of early Van Halen, the first five albums with David Lee Roth, and I much prefer the Heresy's. On the other hand, more recent recordings, after 1990, seem better on the Chorus 2's. This is a pretty broad generalization though and plenty of "classic" music sounds great on the Chorus and vice versa. I have them set up on a Denon receiver as A/B, selectable as one, the other or both. I listen in 2 channel stereo, with the Heresy's on top of the Chorus and typically choose one or the other, depending on which sounds better to me with the source material. With that being said, if I could only choose one of these speakers, I'd go with the Chorus 2. I have the center of the passive about 12" from the wall, toed in slightly. To me, the Chorus sounds like a bigger, louder, more defined Heresy. It's not like either speaker sounds bad, but if I had to choose just one, it would be the Chorus 2, fortunately I don't have to make the choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockhound Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 I will echo what everyone else has already said I have owned Cornwall 1's, Forte 2's, Chorus 2's, Heresy 2's, KLF-20's and now prototype La Scala 2's. Not including the LS2 the Chorus 2 was the set that I kept the longest they are awesome in EVERY way. I do however love my little H2's with the twin tapped horn subs I built. Your not going to like my final answer...this is a journey that you will have to hop on and ride for awhile. You need to try out several different sets to see what sounds best to your ears in your listening environment. If the opportunity to own Trey Cannon's La Scala 2 prototypes would not have come along I would still have my Chorus 2's and be happy as hell with that 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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