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Chorus II vs Cornwall IV


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I have a pair of minty Chorus IIs (w/crites xovers & ti 'phrams) and am pretty pleased with them. I am debating with myself over passing them along to my friend's son, who has offered to buy them, and getting the Cornwall IVs. Has anyone here made the same move? If so, your thoughts on the audible differences would be appreciated. 

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On 3/26/2021 at 6:50 PM, jimjimbo said:

Find a pair of vintage La Scalas, or La Scala 2's.  You will never go back to direct radiating speakers again.....

 

I think it depends on where you're putting em, & what you listen to. I am the "oddball" who did the opposite 😃 I bought a pair of pristine Chorus 1's , modified the ports (thread on here) then played em side by side for quite a while. I eventually sold my La Scala's I had bought new & owned since 1984

 

In my 12 x 14 (vaulted ceiling) listening room, I prefer the chest pounding mid bass the 15" Chorus pro woofer provides. My La Scalas just fell short side by side. (don't have room, & don't want a sub) The La Scala mid horn was better, but not by a mile. 

 

I'm still happy 3 years later w/o regrets. I don't miss my La Scalas, & would still do the same thing over for MY room. 

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I  have listened to the CWIV at Common Wave in Los Angeles, and yes, they are awesome. Looking at the spec sheet, the the CW gets a little deeper on the low end than my Chorus IIs. I admire the LaScalas, but I don't have room for those plus a sub, so that's off the table. I just was hoping to find someone here who is able to answer my question, based on their own experience. 

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38 minutes ago, Buddy Shagmore said:

 Looking at the spec sheet, the the CW gets a little deeper on the low end than my Chorus IIs. 

 

The Cornwall IV has a significantly better mid horn and new midrange driver that by all rights should blow away the stock Chorus II's. Tweeters are of the same basic design but the Cornwall IV has the latest Tractrix lens and brand new phase-plug technology that is supposed to help them quite a bit. The woofer cabinet on the Cornwall IV is quite a bit bigger (6.5cuft vs the 4.5cuft) allowing for the deeper bass capabilities with smaller power requirement. Also the Cornwall IV has the latest crossover technology available with steeper slopes and much higher quality parts. Add all of these things together and as much of a fan as i am of the Chorus line i just don't see how the older speaker models could possibly perform well next to the the Cornwall IV-- it should be a night and day difference based on the above but it is purely speculation on my part as i've never heard the new Cornwall.

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1 hour ago, EpicKlipschFan said:

  im sure the (new) [blank] is the better but is it 3-4 times the price for good used [blank] better??

 

That could be said about almost anything fill in the blanks.. obviously this is very subjective some people just like to buy new and can afford it i would say at least in this instance there has been dramatic improvements over previous models so there is that not just a re-badging or fresh cosmetics roll out, a true improvements in quality of parts and design. 

 

 

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21 hours ago, jjptkd said:

 

That could be said about almost anything fill in the blanks.. obviously this is very subjective some people just like to buy new and can afford it i would say at least in this instance there has been dramatic improvements over previous models so there is that not just a re-badging or fresh cosmetics roll out, a true improvements in quality of parts and design. 

 

 

 

very true & im sure the cornwall is better... but it all comes down to budget & needs.  i have yet to hear a chorus 2 owner unhappy with the speakers & for many they are a huge improvement over any previous speakers they may have owned, most would be beyond pleased with their sound & never want for anything more.

 

my advice or suggestion is purely price based... the price of the cornwall 4 is $6000!  compared to a set of average condition chorus or chorus 2 for ~$800-$1000, personally i dont see a $5000 improvement, especially when you can upgrade or refresh the chorus 2 for a matter of a couple hundred bucks or less & have a speaker that will do 99+% of what the majority of people could ever need.  i'm aware there is a small percentage that can afford the newer models but for most they are out of reach or just not worth the price difference... im more than content with my chorus 2 & thats coming from a previous owner of K-horns, cf4's & numerous other large klipsch & other brands.  all comes down to budget in this hobby or any other.  ;)    

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1 hour ago, EpicKlipschFan said:

 

very true & im sure the cornwall is better... but it all comes down to budget & needs.  i have yet to hear a chorus 2 owner unhappy with the speakers & for many they are a huge improvement over any previous speakers they may have owned, most would be beyond pleased with their sound & never want for anything more.

 

my advice or suggestion is purely price based... the price of the cornwall 4 is $6000!  compared to a set of average condition chorus or chorus 2 for ~$800-$1000, personally i dont see a $5000 improvement, especially when you can upgrade or refresh the chorus 2 for a matter of a couple hundred bucks or less & have a speaker that will do 99+% of what the majority of people could ever need.  i'm aware there is a small percentage that can afford the newer models but for most they are out of reach or just not worth the price difference... im more than content with my chorus 2 & thats coming from a previous owner of K-horns, cf4's & numerous other large klipsch & other brands.  all comes down to budget in this hobby or any other.  ;)    

 

It's all subjective. I have heard a 10K amp that didn't sound twice as good as a 5K amp. But it sounded good enough to pay the extra money. That decision is based on how important what component A does better than component B is to the end user. The rule of diminishing returns is real, but sometimes to get that extra 5% improvement, one has to spend far more than 2 or 3X the $$. Just the way it is, I suppose.

 

Shakey

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These threads always crack me up. if someone wants the Cornwall 4s and is willing to pay the price why dissuade them from doing so. Its not as if it is your $$$$$$. Add to that the LIST price of the Corwalls 4s are $6,000 but I bet they are much less expensive at Paducah. I have had a pair of Forte 1s in my family for over 35 years and modified them with Dave As tweeters and threw in some new Crites crossovers. They sounded good but -- there were a few things i felt I were  missing with them. I bought the new Forte 4s and they are so much better in my mind than the modified 1s. So much better - night and day - in my room with my gear and to my ears. Totally worth it to me!!! I have heard the Cornwall 4s are much better than the previous modes and I am guessing  that they sound like a bigger version of the Forte 4s. For me the biggest difference in my Forte 4s is the soundstage. Much wider and much deeper and much more centered! Bass is improved, mids are cleaner and highs a better match to the mids. Totally worth it to me but if someone is completely happy with the Chorus speakers they have  or any piece of gear they then keep enjoying. 

 

I assume that Buddy would end up happier with the Cornwall 4s but I have never heard them or the older Chorus speakers. I say to Buddy - Go for it!

 

I am so happy I upgraded to the Forte 4s. 

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44 minutes ago, Shakeydeal said:

 

It's all subjective. I have heard a 10K amp that didn't sound twice as good as a 5K amp. But it sounded good enough to pay the extra money. That decision is based on how important what component A does better than component B is to the end user. The rule of diminishing returns is real, but sometimes to get that extra 5% improvement, one has to spend far more than 2 or 3X the $$. Just the way it is, I suppose.

 

Shakey

 

i agree, it is subjective & based on budget....  but spending 2-3-4X more for a 5% improvement is what i would consider a huge diminishing return. 

 

like i said, it all comes down to what you can afford &/or justify spending. im not trying to dissuade anyone from anything, just pointing out a few very realistic points when considering a very expensive purchase.  call me frugal or a smart shopper but i dont have $6000 to throw at a pair of speakers when $1000 would get me 95+% of the same end result.  

 

Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers
You get more mileage from a cheap pair of sneakers
Next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways
It's still rock and roll to me  

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Truly sorry to see these 2 great speakers being forced into a showdown.

I can only hope one of them one of them has the growth and courage to walk away.

Never thought I would see the day the one would be pitted against the other.

Sad day to even think it could happen.

 

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Hey fellas, I appreciate all the various viewpoints, and all are valid and well taken. I did not mean to pit 2 great speakers against each other in a "duel" lol!  If I decide to get new or lightly used Cornwalls, my Chorus' will be going to a friend. who really wants them bad, so it's not like I will never hear them again. And to pass on great speakers to a much younger man, would offer me some level of satisfaction. I do believe appreciation for quality hi-fi is a gene that not many people have. Anyways, I still haven't decided, and am going to dwell on it for a few months. It is a lot of scratch to shell out. I should really be happy with what I already have...and I am! It is just the lure, the temptation, to dip my toes into the luxury upgrade Heritage waters...is a considerable temptation indeed!

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2 hours ago, soundbound said:

Since you’ll have both, do a comparison and let us know. 

That is what I did when I got the Chorus IIs, comparing them side by side to my Forte 1s. Just hope it doesn't end up with a side by side of the Khorn and Jubilee! at least by me anyways!

 

 

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