Compare the "extended" Heritage Speakers...

[silversport]

...can anyone here compare and share your thoughts on the "extended" Heritage speakers???

Chorus and Chorus II
Forte' and Forte' II
Quartet

Are the IIs all better than the originals??? I have a pair of Quartets...bought them because they were perfect without hearing them and they are REALLY sweet...I had a bias against these speakers in the day because I had heard the kg4s and did not care for them when compared to Heresy IIs (1989)...I seem to be the only one on the planet who doesn't (I should give them another listen) care for the kg4s and I mistakenly thought these Quartet/Forte'/Chorus were similar in sound because their cabinets were similar...well I really dig my Quartets...EVERYONE seems to love Forte's (both iterations) and many really like the Chorus (with a bias towards the II's) but I have never heard them so...are they just big and bigger Quartets?

Your thoughts and experiences are requested.
Thanks,
Bill

[Fishstink]

I'm using chorus with paramour 3.5 wpc amps. I can't imagine a better match. Never heard the chorus ll's. No need too.

[dmax99]

I've got the Chorus as well.Tubes and horns....

[silversport]

...anyone able to compare the Chorus with any of the "family" speakers, i.e. Quartet/Forte'???...even Heresy, Cornwall???
Bill

[jcmjrt]

The Chorus and the Forte are very similar. They both have the passive radiator in the back. The Chorus has the larger woofs and thus goes deeper. Naturally, bigger is deeper. The Cornwall is similar to the Chorus but doesn't have the passive radiator and thus can live happily up to a wall/turned in a corner. Both the Chorus and Fortes need some room to breathe. The Heresy has a similar sound to the Cornwall but without the glorious bass. I like the Heresy so I'm not bad mouthing it but it is much smaller and thus has less bass so it's not as well balanced. All are efficient speaekrs. I believe that the Chorus are the most efficient. I have never heard the quartets so I can't compare them.

[dmax99]

The Chorus that you are speaking of is the II.The original Chorus is a ported design,kinda like the Cornwalls younger brother.They don't go as low as the Corns but alot of people like the smaller footprint....

[silversport]

:music: yes, but how do they sound??? :D
Bill

[dmax99]

:music: yes, but how do they sound??? :D
Bill
Well Bill, I think they sound great :D Nicely detailed,great mids and highs,I wish they went a little lower though.I've gotta redo my room so I can back them into the corners for better bass....

[Soundthought]

I have all of them.
Love 'em like brothers. :)

They are all slightly different in presentation.
Never heard Heresys.
Would like to...
Just can't compare in that respect.

Frankly, I think they "got it right" with the original Forte1.
I guess...that would be my preference from that series, if I had to make one.

I wouldn't compare any of the "Extended heritage" with KG4s.
Pretty much a different critter, all together.

Hard to put my finger on the sonic differences, between them all.
They use different mid/highs between the 1 and 2 series.
That in and of itself makes the most difference. IMO
Driver/cabinet size aside.

To be quite honest....
I haven't listened to my Forte2, Quarts, Chorus, Chorus2s, or KG4s, in a while.
Pretty much been sticking with my Mac/Forte1 combo in my office, my RF7/Denon HT, and '57Khorn/Jolida combo as primary listening sources.


You should come on up, sometime, Sliversport, and we'll do some serious demo..ing.
That would give you all the insight you could possibly ever need.
I have several amp/pre-amp/receiver combos to try with.
Your always welcome.

(quick edit) after typing without thinking..(.the norm for me, lately), I remembered that i need to repair a tweeter or 2 in my Chorus2 and Quarts because I broke them when trying to retrofit my Khorns with a suitable tweeter.
Long story.
(didn't want to dismatle my '76 Cornwalls for the t35s)
No big deal...
They can be fixed and ready for a demo if need be.
Just haven't had the scratch for it lately.
No biggie..
Your still always welcome here, anyway.

Soooo...At any rate.
If you want to do a search on the K-forum under the name Soundthought, you'll be able to see some of my original impressions from that gear over the past few years.

Maybe after it cools down later in the week i'll spend some time recalling my experiences and even dig out my notebook which i've documented my thoughts on these speakers.

It's just too damn hot, tonight, and my brain is in meltdown mode from work today.

Cheers,
John

[silversport]

it sure is...thanks for taking the time...I will look over at klipschforum too...Soundthought...Nom de Plume?... :D
Bill

[Tillerman]

I too have owned Chorus (I) speakers for several years and would never look back. I have heard them along side La Scalas, and am happy with my choice. Don't get me wrong, the La Scala's are fantastic, but too big for my room.

A suggestion about amp matching with Klipsch speakers, the vintage Sony V-FET amplifiers are a golden combination. I run a restored (by EchoWars) TAN-5550 with my Chorus speakers.

Scott

[silversport]

well my deal on the Chorus fell through...too far for me to drive and too much and too dangerous to ship...guy over on Klipschforum is selling a MINT pair of Chorus and a pair of MINT pair of KLF-30s with a KLF-C7 all in Oak Oil...Massachusettes...I'm in Chicago...didn't need 'em but...different flavors of the same great Ice Cream for my to try.
Bill

[Fish]

Those 30's would be sweet...................even sweeter if they weren't "Back in Massachusettes"

[carjulreyes]

Silversport,

I'm surprised I didn't see a post on the Klipsch forums about this. I did a few days worth of A/B camparison between the Quartets and the Chorus II. I owned the Quartets for about 10 years, then got the Chorus' a couple of months ago. My very first impression with the Chorus' was that the sound was so much more engulfing, more forward and surrounding than the Quartets. The bass extension on the Chorus is a given too with the 15" woofers. The instrument separation and clarity was better on the Quartets which I'm accounting for from popbumper's networks. So the differences in that regard are kind of skewed for me. Getting the upgrades for the Chorus' is on my short list.

BTW, I'm the one in Elk Grove, and my offer still stands whenever your schedule clears up if you ever want to compare them for yourself.

Carlo

[silversport]

Carlo,

Hey, yes and I owe you a listen to K'Horns, BlueBerry and VRDs...I was exchanging email with a guy over on the Klipschforum on those speakers for information when I thought, what the hey, maybe I should just get them and I wanted to run my intel without stirring up too many of the other members who might beat me to the speakers...when it looked like it wouldn't work out between he and me, I helped him a bit more and got his posts to the top for more looks at his stuff for sale. He had the Chorus, not the IIs, you have IIs right? I think yours go deeper and have the matching tweeter and midhorn of the Quartet...I am continually blown away by the Quarts so your popbumpered Quarts must be phenomenal...Since we talked last, I received a promotion...the kind without more pay but much more responsibility but when some time opens up we should do that.
Thanks,
Bill

[Beanstocks]

Congrats Silver; New to Klipsch products but they have blown the socks off my feet!! My choice lay between Forte II or Quartets and then the former got on Ebay in Honolulu! Well, those Fortes are in my bedroom shaking the popcorn off my ceiling with "Doll" by Keiko Matsui with those bass notes that's got to be tickling 28 cycles! Just bought a used Sony CA 7EX for 40.00 and I think I just stole this machine! First Quarts in my neighborhood are mine!

[jcmjrt]

Considering what you can pick up a pair of Fortes (II) for, they are probably the best bang for the buck Klipsch. Chorus II is better but def more money and the best (to me) are the Corns. If I had the corners and space, I'd go for KHorns but I don't so the Corns will stay. The Fortes are outstanding Rock speakers. That's not to say that they aren't good at everything else, it's just that they are wonderful Rock speakers.

[Audible Nectar]

All my opinions and observations, of course, on the Heritage and the associated "brothers"......

First, the Cornwall: This is the speaker that all the other smaller "brother" models seek to emulate. In a ported enclosure design, the Cornwall is about as ideal as a speaker can be, given it's size and cost. It has a natural and wide open sound, and the cabinet is also of ideal proportion (approximating the golden mean ratio, which is one reason I think the Cornwall works so well). It uses exponential horns in the mid and tweeter. The Cornwall possesses a wide open midrange and an authoritative bass, and plays all manner of program material well. Cornwalls will give you that "kick in the chest", that's for sure.

The Chorus seeks to emulate the Cornwall in a more narrow cabinet and a ported design. It does sound similar to Cornwall in the mid and treble, but the bass is not as deep. A/B a Chorus and a Cornwall side by side, and you'll begin to hear the difference that the "golden mean ratio'd" cabinet of the Cornwall makes. Even in more upper bass registers, the Cornwall just seems more "right".

Chorus II is a little different animal - and for the poster with SET who disregards the Chorus II - DON'T. Chorus II is a better, more tweaked Chorus. The Chorus II possesses a passive radiator instead of a ported design, and the result is a deeper bass than the original in the same size cabinet. In addition, the horns are tractrix horns - they image better than the exponential horns do, so the Chorus II is unique in it's overall characteristics. As much as I'm a fan of the Cornwall (I own three pairs), I highly recommend the Chorus II for it's big Heritage presentation in the smallest possible package.

Forte: The Forte is a "mechanical" step down as we step down in woofer, cabinet (and more importantly) horn throat size, which is smaller than the Cornwall/Chorus I and II). Some consider the smaller horn throat size a benefit, as the Forte is a bit less "forward" sounding. I prefer the more "live" sound of the larger Klipsch, but I will say this: The Fortes are VERY well balanced full range speakers, digging down into the 30's for bass as well (passive radiator design).....and if you want to find room for Fortes, anyone probably can. I have not compared Forte I and II head to head, but I have read mixed preferences from the Klipsch forum on whether the I or II is better: Some actually prefer the earlier version.

Quartet: Small version of a Forte. Little better bass than a Heresy....a nice speaker in a smaller size - still floorstanding.

Heresy: The original "small Heritage", very well balanced for such a small package!!! If you are dissatisfied with the bass of a Heresy, place them in corners with the angled risers - or add a good subwoofer. The perfect college dormroom speaker, as well as a very flexible home theater speaker (wanna kick butt HT for a budget? Get a six-pack of used Heresys and a sub and go WOW).