Some Chorus 1 questions

[Flevoman]

Good day,

OK, I'm happy... Today on Marktplaats (The Dutch version of ebay) I bought a pair of Chorus 1. 

You rarely see this speaker offered for sale here in the Netherlands, so I'm very happy to been able to find them. 

 

But now I have a few questions

-these are very old speakers, I think 35 years. Are there any components that I can better replace because they have decayed over the years? 

-before this I had the Heresy 2

It strikes me how much the speakers are similar in terms of sound. Had expected a bigger difference honestly

I have the feeling that the Heresy 2 sounds a bit fresher, maybe a little tighter 

The Chorus sounds a bit more like a horn. 

Soundstage is bigger of the chorus and I can hear the difference in the low. 

But I'm a bit surprised to notice that the Heresy2 has a more fresh and tight sound. 

 

Is what I describe as a sound image recognizable? Or is there something wrong in the Chorus 

Edited March 5, 2022 by Flevoman

[billybob]

1 hour ago, Flevoman said:

Is what I describe as a sound image recognizable? Or is there something wrong in the Chorus 

Edited 1 hour ago by Flevoman

Hello, It is highly possible that the capacitors in the internal crossover networks need refreshed as yes around 30 + years. The original caps are likely yellow in color, and can be seen through the ports of the speaker. Others here will say more.

Thanks!

Edit: By the way, congratulations on the Chorus!

Edited March 6, 2022 by billybob

[billybob]

Meanwhile, I would listen to them to get to know the sound before any changes. They are awesome speakers.

[OO1]

20 hours ago, Flevoman said:

Good day,

 

 

Is what I describe as a sound image recognizable? Or is there something wrong in the Chorus 

What kind of amplifier are you using ,you may be under powering the speakers  or  the speakers may not have been used n a while  -

 

the Chorus 1 has a bigger tweeter motor , so it  cam handle more power , (same diaphragm as the HII ) , the midrange  shares the same driver , as the HII  but the Chorus has a larger horn , the woofer is bigger on the Chorus  and it also can handle  more power to deliver tighter bass ,  so crank it up ,and get some  current flowing in the capacitors for about 1 week , if nothing changes  , replace the capacitors in the crossovers

[Flevoman]

Thanks for the comments. 

I'm indeed just going to listen first.. 

Ans don't get me wrong, they sound good. 

Only I noticed that the Heresy 2 sounded just a bit fresher. A little less nasal, a little less like a horn. And I also had the idea of a little more dynamics in the sound.

 

As an amplifier i use the Dynaco ST 70 with El34 tubes. 

As far as I know this must be a great match. 

 

Why do I have to use these speakers for a week to see if there are any changes according to you RandyH? 

As far as I know, the speakers have  been in use all the time. So I don't expect the sound to change after a week of listening. Or do I misunderstand you? 

Edited March 6, 2022 by Flevoman

[Flevoman]

7 hours ago, billybob said:

Hello, It is highly possible that the capacitors in the internal crossover networks need refreshed as yes around 30 + years. The original caps are likely yellow in color, and can be seen through the ports of the speaker. Others here will say more.

Thanks!

Edit: By the way, congratulations on the Chorus!

 

Thx for the congratulations. 

I don't think they are really special with you in the USA

But (like I said before) here in the Netherlands you will almost never see them offered for sale.. So yes,I feel like a happy man ☺️

 

But old caps can make the sound worse? 

Can I just see if they are worn out or is it a matter of replacing and only then do you know 

Edited March 6, 2022 by Flevoman

[billybob]

9 hours ago, Flevoman said:

 

Thx for the congratulations. 

I don't think they are really special with you in the USA

But (like I said before) here in the Netherlands you will almost never see them offered for sale.. So yes,I feel like a happy man ☺️

 

But old caps can make the sound worse? 

Can I just see if they are worn out or is it a matter of replacing and only then do you know 

Well, that's why I call it refreshing. Think of it as recapping, or repainting an old  car. Makes it  look better.

Not important that you understand. Recapping is just one of the things done after many years of use. Sound is crisper, and more detailed. Forget for a moment the above.

 

You have 2 different sound signatures between the Heresy and the Chorus.  The tube amplifier you are using should sound good on either speaker.

 

Yes, listen for awhile. No rush on doing anything at this moment in time. How loud do you like to listen?. 

Thanks!

[001]

11 hours ago, Flevoman said:

Why do I have to use these speakers for a week to see if there are any changes according to you RandyH? 

As far as I know, the speakers have  been in use all the time. So I don't expect the sound to change after a week of listening. Or do I misunderstand you? 

 

you dont have to listen to them for a week to see if anything changes, never heard of that one before.  the sound wont change after a day or a week or a month related to capacitors...

 

caps need to be checked with an expensive meter to know if they are out of spec or degraded & they need to be removed from the board to do that.  caps do degrade over time & how the speakers were treated during their life.  some on here will claim caps dont go bad but thats not really true, i have had klipsch speakers & others that the caps definitely were bad, most recent was my pair of chorus2 that i bought used, ive owned countless klipsch speakers & have a good idea what they sound like,  the chorus2 sounded like a towel was covering the fronts, very muddy & dull mids & tweets but all drivers checked out good,  i replaced the caps with budget but good quality caps from ERSE & noticed an immediate difference & they now sound as good as new or better compared to other stock chorus2 i have owned. 

 

can you do basic soldering or know a friend that can? replacing the capacitors is really very easy to do on these speakers, you can buy the same value caps from a number of sources & many different levels of quality & price, all depends on your budget.  many people use crites speakers to replace the caps as they offer a service to do that or you can buy the kit from them & do yourself but the caps they sell are just common sonicap brands that can be purchased direct from the manufacturer for a little less money, or you can use mid grade caps like dayton from parts express or many other brands that are a few dollars each all the way to $20-$100 each. another recent option that some like are the klipsch authorized caps that are the same mylar type as original but many say they are not as good of quality as other polypropylene caps so again it comes down to your choice/budget.  but the improvement is replacing the 30 year old possibly degraded caps, even some cheap daytons will sound much better than whats in there now. 

 

chorus are considered very good speakers & should sound better than heresy, especially in the bass & overall soundstage they produce, they are similar in that they both are 3 way & have the same type of mid horn. listen to them for awhile & make sure all drivers are working good, maybe even pull the mid & tweets & measure with an ohm meter to confirm they are within spec & same for all drivers.  another option to consider is to use titanium tweeter diaphragms, they are not very expensive & most say they make a very good improvement of higher frequencies.  final thing to play with is positioning, most speakers will have better bass when placed in or near the corners of the room & slightly towed in towards the listening position. 

 

hope that info helps & congrats on some excellent speakers! 

 

 

[Flevoman]

No, I'm not in a hurry at all. 

I'm just curious if this soundstage is the typical chorus sound, and if not what I can possibly do later to make the sound a bit fresher/better. 

It's a bit tricky to explain how loudly I listen to music, but for a conversation you have to raise your voice a little bit. So I listen to the music at a solid level but not loud. 

[Flevoman]

Thx EpicKlioschFan. 

 

That's a lot of information that I can put to good use. 

By the way, I am satisfied with the low. 

The low definitely sounds better than with the Heresy 2

Just a little more round and deeper bass .. Just a little more air in the low section. 

The only thing I notice (and what I would like to improve) is that the sound sounds could be a bit more fresher/crisper. A little less like it comes out of a box. 

As I understand it now, there are multiple options. 

And no, unfortunately I can't solder 

Don't even know how to get the filter out 😏

But I have the time to sort this out thanks to this forum and your information 👍🏻

 

[001]

7 minutes ago, Flevoman said:

No, I'm not in a hurry at all. 

I'm just curious if this soundstage is the typical chorus sound, and if not what I can possibly do later to make the sound a bit fresher/better. 

It's a bit tricky to explain how loudly I listen to music, but for a conversation you have to raise your voice a little bit. So I listen to the music at a solid level but not loud. 

 

replace the capacitors if/when you are ready. personally i say 30 years on stock caps is a good time to consider replacing them.  based on your description i would say that is not the normal sound for chorus, they should sound as good or better than the heresy, they are a few steps above the heresy on the klipsch chain of models & price level.

 

also consider the chorus handle a lot more power than heresy, so at yoru normal listening volume the chorus are barely being pushed, they can handle something like 1000 watts peak.  tubes are great for klipsch speakers but for the bigger models like chorus, many prefer a good solid state amp with at least 100 watts per channel, or even 2oowpc... you dont need to use all that power but having it in reserves will make any speaker sound better & allow for much better bass.   

[001]

9 minutes ago, Flevoman said:

Thx EpicKlioschFan. 

 

That's a lot of information that I can put to good use. 

By the way, I am satisfied with the low. 

The low definitely sounds better than with the Heresy 2

Just a little more round and deeper bass .. Just a little more air in the low section. 

The only thing I notice (and what I would like to improve) is that the sound sounds could be a bit more fresher/crisper. A little less like it comes out of a box. 

As I understand it now, there are multiple options. 

And no, unfortunately I can't solder 

Don't even know how to get the filter out 😏

But I have the time to sort this out thanks to this forum and your information 👍🏻

 

 

youre very welcome, im far from an "expert" but have owned a lot of klipsch of this era as well as many other brands over the 30+ years ive been in this hobby.  ive also replaced quite a few capacitors on speakers & they alll have a noticeable improvement.  lots of good info on this forum... & lots of bad info, just gotta sort through it all. 

 

the crossovers are attached to the rear speaker terminal & will pull right out removing the 4 screws,  mark where the wires go & you can remove them to work on them or send them to someone that can do the work. id offer to help but im sure there are others on here just as or far more capable than me.  i ship international all the time for auto parts i sell so if i can help order & ship some capacitors to you id be happy to help. 

 

also check out crites speakers website for lots of info, they can replace the caps for you for a decent price. i also think the titanium tweeters would help a lot & make the chorus sound "fresher" & crisper.  you can also watch some youtube videos on how to solder, its really very easy if you practice some... or maybe find a local electronic repair shop or a friend or family member that can solder.  or post a wanted ad on here for someone that would replace the caps for you, should be able to find a member that will help for not a lot of money.   

[Flevoman]

16 minutes ago, EpicKlipschFan said:

 

replace the capacitors if/when you are ready. personally i say 30 years on stock caps is a good time to consider replacing them.  based on your description i would say that is not the normal sound for chorus, they should sound as good or better than the heresy, they are a few steps above the heresy on the klipsch chain of models & price level.

 

also consider the chorus handle a lot more power than heresy, so at yoru normal listening volume the chorus are barely being pushed, they can handle something like 1000 watts peak.  tubes are great for klipsch speakers but for the bigger models like chorus, many prefer a good solid state amp with at least 100 watts per channel, or even 2oowpc... you dont need to use all that power but having it in reserves will make any speaker sound better & allow for much better bass.   

For now I will keep on running with this Tube amplifier. 

Maybe in the future I will experiment with something else again. 

As you described it in your earlier post, as if you want to remove a blanket from your speakers, that's exactly what I hear too. 

First I'm going to work with those caps, or maybe a whole new crossover filter. I also read a lot of positive reactions about this modification. 

It takes some research, but it's just nice that all these options are possible  

I do know someone who can solder (he is also going to modify my tube amplifier) I just have to figure out how to get the filter out myself. 

But that's a matter of Googling 😉

 

Edit:Our messages intersected. I see that you have already given info. Thank you for this 

And yes, I like to use all the information you want to share with me. Appreciate it immensely. 

Here in the Netherlands there is very little information to be found, let alone a real live person that I can approach with questions. 

Edited March 6, 2022 by Flevoman

[001]

2 minutes ago, Flevoman said:

For now I will keep on running with this Tube amplifier. 

Maybe in the future I will experiment with something else again. 

As you described it in your earlier post, as if you want to remove a blanket from your speakers, that's exactly what I hear too. 

First I'm going to work with those caps, or maybe a whole new crossover filter. I also read a lot of positive reactions about this modification. 

It takes some research, but it's just nice that all these options are possible  

I do know someone who can solder (he is also going to modify my tube amplifier) I just have to figure out how to get the filter out myself. 

But that's a matter of Googling 😉

 

the crossover (filter) is attached to the speaker terminal cup, remove the screws & it will come right out of the cabinet, no need to google that.  mark the wires with something to know where they go, but most klipsch crossovers have the wire location marked on the board. or take a pic before removing the wires.   

 

if you know someone that can work on your amp they definitely can replace a few capacitors, just gotta decide what caps you want to use. i use ERSE Pulse X caps on my chorus 2 & forte2 with excellent results & they are only a few dollars each, have also used daytons & solen brands from parts express on other speakers. the titanium tweet diaphragms are very easy to replace, no soldering & made a nice improvement in the higher frequencies on my chorus.   

 

let us know what you do & how it sounds afterwards.    

[billybob]

43 minutes ago, Flevoman said:

No, I'm not in a hurry at all. 

I'm just curious if this soundstage is the typical chorus sound, and if not what I can possibly do later to make the sound a bit fresher/better. 

It's a bit tricky to explain how loudly I listen to music, but for a conversation you have to raise your voice a little bit. So I listen to the music at a solid level but not loud. 

Cool, yes... just wanting to let you hear the difference.

See that you are being helped.

Anything else, just ask... Had my caps replaced in my Chorus and liked it alot.

[Flevoman]

, If replacing the caps only costs a few euros, I will get started fairly quickly. 

 

@EpicKlipschFan I looked through the bass port to see how the filter was mounted. The filter is screwed against the back wall. 

I assume I have to remove the woofer and then unscrew the filter through the woofer hole? 

[001]

9 minutes ago, Flevoman said:

, If replacing the caps only costs a few euros, I will get started fairly quickly. 

 

@EpicKlipschFan I looked through the bass port to see how the filter was mounted. The filter is screwed against the back wall. 

I assume I have to remove the woofer and then unscrew the filter through the woofer hole? 

 

can you post a pic of what youre seeing?  if they are original, they are attached to the speaker wire terminal on the back of the speaker,  you just remove the screws around that terminal cup from the back side of the cabinet & the whole assembly will pull out. stock crossovers are not screwed to the back wall.  a pic would help but will be very easy for you to remove the speaker wire terminal from the back of the speaker first before removing the woofer.. which is VERY heavy so need to be careful when removing the woofer. 

[Flevoman]

I think, because of the language barrier,i misunderstood you. 

And I think I'm only now understanding what you mean. 

I need to remove the screws from the part where my speaker wires are plugged in at the back. 

Then the entire housing comes loose together with the filter. Do I say it correctly? 

[Flevoman]

[001]

1 minute ago, Flevoman said:

I think, because of the language barrier,i misunderstood you. 

And I think I'm only now understanding what you mean. 

I need to remove the screws from the part where my speaker wires are plugged in at the back. 

Then the entire housing comes loose together with the filter. Do I say it correctly? 

 

yes, correct.  sorry for any confusion on my part.  

 

remove the screws & the whole thing will come out. sometimes it can be stuck in there from the gaskets but gently prying with a small screwdriver or knife will let them come out.