Realizing the Potential of Chorus II speakers

charne@sprin

Fell in love with music, then hiked the tech trail
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I've had a pair of Klipsch Chorus II speakers since 1995. They were purchased new from a shop in Beverly Hills, CA and have followed me around the country ever since. The Klipsch pair replaced four Braun L-1030s, wonderful, themselves. Along the way, the Klipsch pair served as front left and right in a 5.1 home theater system, and were powered by various home theater amps from Pioneer, Yamaha, Marantz, and Denon. These days, they have been reassigned to a 2-channel stereo system. Last month, I installed new Crites crossovers and titanium tweeter cones. Last week, they got a new power source, a MAC6700 receiver purchased after a lot of soul searching, financial planning, and consultation with Audio Classics. I followed advice here and repositioned the speakers 18" from the walls in my living room. All I can say, now, is WOWOWOW. The Mac-Klipsch combination has brought my Chorus II speakers to life. I am getting such wonderful sounds from them, resulting in hour after hour of listening, from FMHD, CD, Internet radio (ClassicFM in London a favorite), and even Pandora streaming. I always liked the Chorus speakers, but it was like running a Corvette with a big engine at 15mph in a school zone -- there was so much more there. I always said when I was buried I wanted to take the Chorus II speakers with me. Now I actually have to purchase the three adjacent burial plots to make sure that happens. Mcintosh and Klipsch are a match made in heaven.
 
charne@sprin
Glad your Chorus II's are really singing! What sorts of differences did you notice going to the crites crossovers and diaphragms? I'm considering upgrading my Chorus II's. Also, what CD player are you using?
I agree that Mac equipment really matches well with them.
 
My original crossovers were 24 or so years old. I replaced the crossover and tweeter element in one, then ran the speakers side by side for comparison purposes. The replacement provided greater clarity for each voice in the system, had more presence, and more distinct bottom. That was when I was driving the system with a Marantz PM7005 amp. The Marantz has since given way to a MAC6700 which further upgraded the sound. The MAC and Klipsch speakers are the best sound I have had from my gear. I'm using a Marantz CD6005 single disk CD player and Grace Digital Internet tuner with the MAC6700.
 
I am always happy to read about someone discovering Mcintosh. It was a really unexspected revelation three times in my life. Once when I changed from HH Scott to a MA 230/MR-67 when first introduced. When I discovered bi-amping with a C-28 and two MC 275 mk I in 1970. And when I returned to Mcintosh Power with my 206, 207 and 2nd 207 in 2008/10. In all three cases in particular I always found some thing new and exciting rediscovering Mcintosh power. My latest revelation wasn't about power but adding a MP 100 phono pre-amp for MC cartridge for the stereo system and a MX 151 for the HT systems. Each brought added clarity, openness, smoother staging horizontally and greater dynamics from previous Mac pieces. The MP 100 bought new from AC and the MX 151 was a pre-owned from AC, but was like new to me. Both have performed beyond expectations. Tnx again to Steve and Ryan!

I hope you receive as many hours of enjoyment out of your first piece of Mcintosh as I did from my first MAC , a MA 230, close to 55 years ago.
 
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I am always happy to read about someone discovering Mcintosh. It was a really unexspected revelation three times in my life. Once when I changed from HH Scott to a MA 230/MR-67 when first introduced. When I discovered bi-amping with a C-28 and two MC 275 mk I in 1970. And when I returned to Mcintosh Power with my 206, 207 and 2nd 207 in 2008/10. In all three cases in particular I always found some thing new and exciting rediscovering Mcintosh power. My latest revelation wasn't about power but adding a MP 100 phono pre-amp for MC cartridge for the stereo system and a MX 151 for the HT systems. Each brought added clarity, openness, smoother staging horizontally and greater dynamics from previous Mac pieces. The MP 100 bought new from AC and the MX 151 was a pre-owned from AC, but was like new to me. Both have performed beyond expectations. Tnx again to Steve and Ryan!

I hope you receive as many hours of enjoyment out of your first piece of Mcintosh as I did from my first MAC , a MA 230, close to 55 years ago.
Thanks! But "discovering Mcintosh," to me, is kind of like Columbus discovering America! it was always there -- but it took bonehead me a long time to stumble onto it. Very happy I did.
 
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