Benbanksy Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 (edited) I'm picking up a very nice pair of original, consecutive Klipsch Chorus I's (no modifications or upgrades). I'm going to put these in a 500 sq ft space right now. I have the following receivers/amps (and wpc at 8 ohms): Marantz PM8006 80 wpc My go-to right now Carver HD772 140 wpc I will need to repair, as it just stopped turning on... I think it's a straightforward fix Sony DA4400ES home theatre receiver 120 wpc Got free. I don't love the sound from this unit. Two Niles 1230 12-channel amp 80 wpc when bridged Got free. Not sure if I can configure for more power output. Have not set up yet. Linn LK100: 50 wpc Got free. Have not set up yet. Unfortunately, from what I've read perhaps everything except maybe my awesome Carver would a poor fit for these speakers. Will the Carver receiver or any of the above be sufficient for showcasing these speakers? Will they sound "bad" on the PM8006 when played a reasonably lower levels for regular listening? Would I be better off selling everything and getting a single really nice high powered amp? Edited January 10 by Benbanksy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woofers and Tweeters Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 1) I don't believe any of those will really showcase the Chorus, but any of those might sound okay. To really 'showcase' them, a lot more power is needed. I like the Luxman R117 on my Chorus II, but it only had 160 watts. 2) I never used my Marantz PM8006 on Chorus, so it might sound okay on yours. I would go with option 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 Buy a new amplifier that costs twice as much as your speakers... that should be good enough. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 I have an LK85 Linn power amp as my backup I am using until I get done deep cleaning my NOS Valves VRD. The speaker wire connectors are very odd for my Linn. I am very careful not to lose them. It is definitely European sounding and has a favorite spl with my Chorus II. At low volumes the bass is timid. At high volumes the highs are shrill. I was always underwhelmed with any Carver I heard. I had a Marantz 2225 forty years ago I should have kept. The Marantz you have seems hefty and free of digital jitter by design. The Marantz has a preamp output you could use with the Linn. Carver, Sony and Niles are uninspiring to me. Best wishes in your investigation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the real Duke Spinner Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 On 1/10/2024 at 4:39 PM, Benbanksy said: I'm picking up a very nice pair of original, consecutive Klipsch Chorus I's (no modifications or upgrades). I'm going to put these in a 500 sq ft space right now. I have the following receivers/amps (and wpc at 8 ohms): Marantz PM8006 80 wpc My go-to right now Carver HD772 140 wpc I will need to repair, as it just stopped turning on... I think it's a straightforward fix Sony DA4400ES home theatre receiver 120 wpc Got free. I don't love the sound from this unit. Two Niles 1230 12-channel amp 80 wpc when bridged Got free. Not sure if I can configure for more power output. Have not set up yet. Linn LK100: 50 wpc Got free. Have not set up yet. Unfortunately, from what I've read perhaps everything except maybe my awesome Carver would a poor fit for these speakers. Will the Carver receiver or any of the above be sufficient for showcasing these speakers? Will they sound "bad" on the PM8006 when played a reasonably lower levels for regular listening? Would I be better off selling everything and getting a single really nice high powered amp? My experience with LS and KH is that Carver, tho not really Hifi sounds fabtastic unless you are a real picky snob. 😀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWOReilly Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 I second the Carver. Chorus like power! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 5 hours ago, the real Duke Spinner said: My experience with LS and KH is that Carver, tho not really Hifi sounds fabtastic unless you are a real picky snob. 😀 Knew two guys who had Carver with repair and longevity issues. Limited sample size. This one is not functioning was why I did not consider it. Like Carver for me Sherwood Newcastle made excellent equipment, except for CD players in South Korea in the 1990s and early 2000s. Not many people talk about B&K amps anymore either. Three systems I heard over the past 30 years were pretty impressive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickyboy6100 Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 32 minutes ago, Audio Flynn said: Knew two guys who had Carver with repair and longevity issues. Limited sample size. This one is not functioning was why I did not consider it. Like Carver for me Sherwood Newcastle made excellent equipment, except for CD players in South Korea in the 1990s and early 2000s. Not many people talk about B&K amps anymore either. Three systems I heard over the past 30 years were pretty impressive. B&K amp’s are one of the most underrated amp out there. I have yet to find an amp that sounds better with Klipsch speakers. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 On 1/10/2024 at 4:39 PM, Benbanksy said: I'm picking up a very nice pair of original, consecutive Klipsch Chorus I's (no modifications or upgrades). I'm going to put these in a 500 sq ft space right now. I have the following receivers/amps (and wpc at 8 ohms): Marantz PM8006 80 wpc My go-to right now Carver HD772 140 wpc I will need to repair, as it just stopped turning on... I think it's a straightforward fix Sony DA4400ES home theatre receiver 120 wpc Got free. I don't love the sound from this unit. Two Niles 1230 12-channel amp 80 wpc when bridged Got free. Not sure if I can configure for more power output. Have not set up yet. Linn LK100: 50 wpc Got free. Have not set up yet. Unfortunately, from what I've read perhaps everything except maybe my awesome Carver would a poor fit for these speakers. Will the Carver receiver or any of the above be sufficient for showcasing these speakers? Will they sound "bad" on the PM8006 when played a reasonably lower levels for regular listening? Would I be better off selling everything and getting a single really nice high powered amp? They can't put anything on the internet that isn't true! At 101 dB/w/m, you NEED 20 watts (108 dB peaks at 4m/13 ft), 50 would be grand. I'd use the Marantz. It should be smooth and sweet with your Chorus. I have not heard one, because it's black. I will wholeheartedly recommend any of Yamaha's receivers or integrateds that come in silver, the upper end of the range. I love the sound of my R-N600A driving my H IVs. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSinIL Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 For my first post on the Klipsch forums I am going to offer an opinion on driving the Chorus 1's. I have owned a pair of Chorus 2’s since the mid 90’s. Initially I used a Carver M1.5t power amp (allegedly 350 WPC). The result was loud, lots of bass, and not so much imaging. I relocated to a smaller space, inherited some new equipment, and decided to try a B&K power amp (105 WPS) with the CH 2's. Sound was good, balanced, just not so loud. After another relocation I purchased a Crown XLS 2002 (375 WPC, class D) for use in a bi-amp system (not the Chorus 2’s). After a month I decided to try the Crown with the Chorus 2’s and wow… I have got plenty of volume, plenty of bass (not muddy), crisp highs and imaging. I have heard instruments on some of my CD’s that I don’t recall hearing before. So, my suggestion for driving the Chorus 1's would be min 200 WPC, and consider a class D amp. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickyboy6100 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 2 hours ago, MSinIL said: For my first post on the Klipsch forums I am going to offer an opinion on driving the Chorus 1's. I have owned a pair of Chorus 2’s since the mid 90’s. Initially I used a Carver M1.5t power amp (allegedly 350 WPC). The result was loud, lots of bass, and not so much imaging. I relocated to a smaller space, inherited some new equipment, and decided to try a B&K power amp (105 WPS) with the CH 2's. Sound was good, balanced, just not so loud. After another relocation I purchased a Crown XLS 2002 (375 WPC, class D) for use in a bi-amp system (not the Chorus 2’s). After a month I decided to try the Crown with the Chorus 2’s and wow… I have got plenty of volume, plenty of bass (not muddy), crisp highs and imaging. I have heard instruments on some of my CD’s that I don’t recall hearing before. So, my suggestion for driving the Chorus 1's would be min 200 WPC, and consider a class D amp. I agree with most of your post, but am surprised with your experience with the B&K amp. Was it a ST-140? I listen loud quite often and never could turn the volume up more than 6 o’clock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 Well, welcome @MSinIL Had a Carver 500X driving some 1s, and as little as 45 watts vintage SS. Sounds good both ways. More bass control with more as, did so with KG-5.5 as well. Cool.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSinIL Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 My B&K amp is an ST-140. I did not buy it new and I can't tell if it's the vintage 1984 70 WPC version or the later 105 W model. Other than the model number screened on the front panel, the only other unique mark is the 'Made In The USA' sticker on the back. I also saw online today that the amp is supposed to have 3+ dB of headroom, so there should be some kick there. I may have to wire it up and push it a little. Thx for the prompt! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the real Duke Spinner Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 Crown K1 or K2. Works nice ONLY the K models. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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