Chorus is for us

jeff's eight

Active Member
I just managed to land a pair of 1989 vintage Chorus 1's after guy #1 dropped out.
Two more in line behind me. I had heard them and loved them. Owned by an gentleman
who had passed away. It took the son (who had bought them for his dad) some time to
get around to disposing of them. Apparently dad used them little. They look as those they just came out of the box. This was another reason for the attraction.
Enough on that. My thought is to buy new caps first. Secondly what? Titanium tweeter?
The new Crites midrange is a thread-on style which does not work with my bolt ons.
Anyway, just hoping for some experienced minds to chime in. Thanks!
 
Caps and the Ti tweeter diaphragms--takes you to a whole new level. I wouldn't mess with the midranges or a whole crossover replacement. Caps will clean things up a lot, and the Ti diaphragms really smooth out and extend the high end.
 
Caps and the Ti tweeter diaphragms--takes you to a whole new level. I wouldn't mess with the midranges or a whole crossover replacement. Caps will clean things up a lot, and the Ti diaphragms really smooth out and extend the high end.

Agree, but I'd recap and decide from there. Depending on what you're using now this could be eon's above.
 
Just replace the caps, and then listen critically for a month or so. From there, make one modification at a time, such as the titanium tweeters. Listen critically and compare. IMHO the caps are the only thing that is needed to be done. Otherwise you are just modifying the original, wonderful, design.
 
How about just hook them up and listen to them first and see how they sound stock with no changes. Enjoy them as they were, mostly, original. Then you can start down the road of changes, "mods", etc.
 
Recap, maybe add a brace, and listen. Proceed as you will from there. Nice find!

Add a brace before the recap would be my advice. Listen for a few months before you start chopping. I did this with my Cornwalls, then did some mods, and ended up putting everything back to original because I like original better. Give yourself some time with the original engineering... you actually don't have to mod right away, figure out what you like and don't like before you change willy-nilly.
 
Replacing capacitors with the same value parts is not a "mod". It is necessary maintenance.
For a 1989 PIO capacitor...? I disagree before testing the caps. Test the caps, and then proceed. Parts replacement does not have to be shotgun-approach, there is a methodology.
 
For a 1989 PIO capacitor...? I disagree before testing the caps. Test the caps, and then proceed. Parts replacement does not have to be shotgun-approach, there is a methodology.

You've had better luck than I with old x-over caps. I seem to be sensitive to small imbalances between two speakers in the 8-10khz range. All the used speakers about twenty years or older that I've owned required recapping to restore levels and thus center image. A 100% drifted-off rate from my limited experience of around ten pair. Speakers in excellent condition otherwise. So I guess I've developed an it'll-happen-soon-if-not-already mindset for older speakers.
 
You've had better luck than I with old x-over caps. I seem to be sensitive to small imbalances between two speakers in the 8-10khz range. All the used speakers about twenty years or older that I've owned required recapping to restore levels and thus center image. A 100% drifted-off rate from my limited experience of around ten pair. Speakers in excellent condition otherwise. So I guess I've developed an it'll-happen-soon-if-not-already mindset for older speakers.

Even the Paper in Oil cans that Klipsch uses in some of their speakers? My experience is in complete reverse of this. With the 5-10% tolerance levels of the spec, and with the low voltages of what is applied, and with the quality of what OEM Klipsch used... I am only talking about the 1980s stuff that has cross my path ( 2 pairs of Fortes, 2 pair of Heresy, 1 pair of Cornwall, 1 pair of La Scala AA crossovers, 1 pair of KG4s ) . I do have updated caps inside my Forte IIs, but that wasn't because the old caps were out of spec.

I do own about 100 pair of other speakers, not an exaggeration, and have owned at least 100 others. In general, I do replace most 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s crossover caps, ... but not before testing, and willy-nilly. There is so many variables involved, and of course preference.

Imaging is a big focus of mine also. This is were I concentrate more on amplifier bias and offset, rather than a drifting cap in a crossover.... oh and that pesky balance knob on the preamplifier. (I know purists remove that, but them idiot genius engineers put them there for a reason). If you can hear the imbalance between two crossover caps, because one is drifting... then the drift must be very significant, and I haven't experienced that in a can (PIO) cap inside a 1980s Klipsch. I do not challenge your experience, I only tip my cap (hat not capacitor) to you. :)
 
To the OP jeffseight:

As you can see, opinions differ, and so do experiences. I would suggest, as others have, to first try them out. It requires zero effort and zero money. IMO, some modifications are performed only because of idle hands and propaganda... not because they were necessarily born from a data-driven motive.
 
To my thinking, the big cabinets of the Chorus need bracing, as bisquit noted. I've heard others say some strips of damping, such as deflex and others, applied to them also work well in quieting the cabinet. To me, the Ti diaphragms are better sounding.
 
I had some 3/4" honey-combed Delrin that I salvaged from a automation build. I used it in my Fortes for bracing. It is solid as a rock, heavy and strong. It made dem cabs dead. If I get more of that stuff, I'll try in in the Cornnies...
 
Sorry I have not checked this for a week. I did do a couple things to start.

1. I Added Some damping material on the back, top and bottom interior surfaces.
This I was told is important mainly to block the impact on the otherwise hard surface directly behind the woofer.

2. Installed 4 each cardboard tubes in the size of 4 1/8" x 8". This I read will beef up the lows. It does I believe.

Crites wants about $80 for the caps. Still getting familiar with what I have. i.e. which instruments have the most presence
and which do not. Looked at what I have and can not "see" issues but for $80, the consensus here seems to think it
would likely help. He wants about the same ($80) for ti tweeters. Will wait on that.

Crites is singing the praises of a new midrange driver he loves. The A 55G model. Anyone tried that?
I see it threads on and Chorus is a bolt on. There may be an adapter?

Thanks,
 
I had some 3/4" honey-combed Delrin that I salvaged from a automation build. I used it in my Fortes for bracing. It is solid as a rock, heavy and strong. It made dem cabs dead. If I get more of that stuff, I'll try in in the Cornnies...
Now I have not tested the capacitors (not sure how actually) . I have noticed one channel has a lower sound level than the other. Perhaps a sign?
I can do bracing. Diagonally with Glue to secure? Thanks for all the expertise!!
 
Recap, or not recap... that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to add an internal brace... :)
Sorry I have not checked this for a week. I did do a couple things to start.

1. I Added Some damping material on the back, top and bottom interior surfaces.
This I was told is important mainly to block the impact on the otherwise hard surface directly behind the woofer.

2. Installed 4 each cardboard tubes in the size of 4 1/8" x 8". This I read will beef up the lows. It does I believe.

Crites wants about $80 for the caps. Still getting familiar with what I have. i.e. which instruments have the most presence
and which do not. Looked at what I have and can not "see" issues but for $80, the consensus here seems to think it
would likely help. He wants about the same ($80) for ti tweeters. Will wait on that.

Crites is singing the praises of a new midrange driver he loves. The A 55G model. Anyone tried that?
I see it threads on and Chorus is a bolt on. There may be an adapter?

Thanks,
 
Now I have not tested the capacitors (not sure how actually) . I have noticed one channel has a lower sound level than the other. Perhaps a sign?
I can do bracing. Diagonally with Glue to secure? Thanks for all the expertise!!

Cheap ESR meter works great on Cross-over caps :
upload_2017-11-10_15-53-42.png

Diagonal bracing : You aren't bracing it for a drop, you are bracing it for interior force-flex... I would thing lateral and vertical bracing is better.
 
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