Versatile, clear, cost effective full-range performance, especially with mid-fi amplification because they are soooo efficient. The dirty little secret is that most all mid-fi solid-state-amps operate in the Class A to A-B range at low output levels, so with efficient speakers, you won’t need to spend so much for high-output low-distortion amplification (i.e. you can have a lease-busting sound system for less).

Very revealing. Beware, some of your favorite music may not sound very good if it wasn’t recorded well. Additionally, these speakers require plenty of room to keep the horns from sounding too harsh at high volume. I’d say that you should sit no closer than 3m, with both more width and depth the better. Neither of these points are really a weakness of the speaker, just something that you should be aware of if you’re not used to Klipsch’s Horns.

I was planning on using some Forte II's as mains, but then I found pair of Chorus II's for $600, only to have the seller tell me they had a second set for another $200! The Forte II is the Chorus II’s shorter brother with a somewhat smaller Tweeter magnet and a 12” Woofer in stead of the Chorus II's 15"; both speakers have the same Mid-Range Horn and same size rear mounted Passive Radiator. I took plenty of time to think it over, 'Should I buy 2 pair of Chorus II's for less than I paid for 1 set of Forte II's?' Hmmmm ... (and about 2 nano-seconds later), the Forte II's were relegated to the role of surrounds. For the record, if the Forte II's were taller, had the beefier Tweeter, and could handle more power; I think they'd be a better all-around speaker than the Chorus II's.

These speakers have plenty-o-bass, but the environment plays such a significant roll at the lower frequencies (below 200Hz), that to adjust things to your taste, you may need to resort to more extensive measures than just the standard tone controls. I’m not sure what the minimum recommended power level is for the Chorus II's (probably close to 20 W), but they can handle 100 Watts continuos, and 1,000 Watts peak! Although that couldn't be a 1,000 Watts for just a fraction of a second at a time. The key as always is clean power, clipping and distortion is what will melt a voice coil. Still, it’s nice to know that there’s plenty of head-room; but clean power or no, there is NO WAY anyone is going to endure more than a few moments with that kind of power driving these speakers.

When you get your system lined-out, with clean power and some good recordings, you will almost assuredly hear more detail from these speakers than from any other speaker at this price range and beyond. None of the newer Klipsch stuff should wear that name, with the KLF-20's and KLF-30's being the only "possible" exception. Don’t expect to find Chorus II's for less than $700-$800 on ebay.

Voices sound very live, "present" in room. Nice imaging. Incredible low end. Reveal details in recordings that were previously unsuspected.

Extremely efficient.

VERY bright in my living room (hardwood floors, thin drapes, no rugs. Mellowed out nicely with addition of 10-band EQ. Black veneer finish. Dominate living room.

Best $300 I ever spent. My wife spotted these at a garage sale in a swank part of town, and I hesitated (almost too long), because I had no way to audition them before getting them home. But when I did, I was in for a real treat. These are even better (if possible) than the KG-4's, which I owned at the time.

These reveal incredible detail in recordings, convey feeling of being at live performance. As stated above, these are _bright_ speakers, almost too harsh in my living room without modification. On my EQ, I've got -3dB cuts at 2kHz, 8kHz, and 16 kHZ, and a -6 dB cut at 4kHz, and that makes them really mellow. If they sound bright in my next living room (will have to move within a year or two), may try Dynamat on mid-ranges.

I may install threaded inserts in the sides so I can temporarily install handles for ease (?) of schlepping to the back yard, etc.

If you can get these for under a grand (assuming they're in decent shape) jump on them! You won't be sorry. If you can't swing it, try and pick up a pair of KG-4's (which won't dominate the landscape) - currently ~250 dollars on eBay. Those are just as accurate, without the brightness (or the low end, alas). But I hear my old ones in my friend's living room and they knock me out.

I would give them 4.5 stars if I could for "Overall", because of their need for modification.

Similar Products Used:

KG-4's (just about perfect, but not quite enough low end)
Polk Monitor 10 Series II (fair to good)

Cleanest speakers I have ever heard. Amazing range. Dynamic range beyond belief.

Huge/Heavy. If you move a lot, stay away. They are murder to move. Sensitive to amplifiers used to drive them. Cheap amplifiers are bad!

I spent a whole year in 1992 looking at/auditioning speakers (they are THE most important component of your stereo system after all). I probably listened to 250 different brands/models. Ranging from 600 to 10,000 dollars each (not per pair). I had always been a fan of Klipsch speakers and had 4 Tangent 300s before I bought the Chorus IIs. The 300s just didn't have enough punch for me so I thought I would find the very best speakers I could afford. I was fully prepared to spend up to 5,000 dollars for speakers.

When I first heard the Chorus 2 speakers I had been looking at speakers for about 8 months, and by that time I thought I had an idea of what was available and was really close to making a decision. But....listening to the Chorus 2s caused a paradigm shift for me. I could not believe the sound that was coming from them. I was convinced that the store had a subwoofer hidden somewhere, the bass was so deep and tight, and the sound stage so wide and precise. The dealer swore up and down that there were no tricks, not even any EQ in the signal. The difference between these Chorus 2s and all the other speakers I had listened to, regardless of the price, was amazing. The sound from the Chorus 2s is like listening to some really high end headphones... like the sound is being injected into your brain. Only you can feel the bass in your chest. It gave me goosebumps the first time I heard them.

You cannot go wrong with these speakers. They sound good at any volume level, soft background levels, or at levels just short of causing blood to poor from your eardrums. It doesn't matter they never sound strained or short on bass or treble. They are great for showing off too. I have two 300 watt mono amplifiers driving them and these speakers are so powerful that you can blow out a candle placed in front of the woofer about a foot away from the force of the bass. Of course there are plenty of speakers that can play loud, but NONE that I have ever heard that can play as loud as the Chorus 2s and still sound SO good!

One of the saddest experiences for me is hearing a really good pair of speakers that really sound good, so you turn them up only to find that they start to distort and strain at only moderate levels. There are plenty of really really good speakers that sound good, but have no capacity to push them a bit. Not these... they sound good as loud as any normal person would ever want. The maximum output SPL level is 121db. Louder than a concert.

One last thought in this long review. A friend of mine was in the market for a new amplifier and decided he wanted to test one he was looking at with my speakers, since the Chorus 2s are what he wanted to purcase eventually. So he brought over the amplifier and we hooked it up. Let me tell you, the difference in the sound between that amplifier and my amplifiers was staggering. Muddy bass, no puch on snare drums, sounded muddy. I am not sure why the difference in sound was that drastic, his amplifier and mine had around the same specifications. And we carefully matched volume levels, but for some reason the speakers just did not like that amplifier. Maybe there was something wrong with it. Needless to say my friend returned that amplifier and ended up getting a different one that performed much better with my speakers. But I atribute that instance to the amplifier not the speakers. They are the best even 9 years later to my ears anyway.

Similar Products Used:

Many other Klipsch models.

I first heard these speakers in 1993 at an Army PX in Germany. I bought them in 1994 in the US and have never looked back. These are great speakers and have given me hours of pleasure.

Excellent, "industrial strength" workmanship. Smooth frequency response without distortion. Treble is especially
good and well diffused due to proprietary Tractrix Horn technology.

Newer technology speakers in this price range have better
overall clarity and resolution. This defficiency could be partially attributed to less than audiophile grade components presently used in combination with my Chorus II's. I would appreciate any suggestions regarding system improvement at modest additional cost. The Chorus II's are big speakers. They are made very, very well. Nevertheless, it's difficult for me to discern a cymbal from a snare drum, etc. Consequently, detail, clarity, and high resolution require improvement for true audiophile listening.

As stated above -- these speakers are made well! They more
than adequately fill my 20 x 20 listening area. I would,
however, be interested in learning how I can tweak their
performance through, perhaps, higher grade speaker wire, etc. I'm using Monster interconnects linking a Sony STRDE
435 reeceiver and Harmon Kardon 8550 CD player. High end
sounds vibrant. Low end sounds a bit muddy. Bass is boomy
-- not tight. Can't complain too much, however. I've had
my Klipsch speakers since 1990 and -- NO PROBLEMS! Nevertheless I paid about $2800 total for a pair of Chorus II's and a pair of Forte II's. In today's dollars that likely buys better sounding, updated speaker technology.

Please e-mail me at jond106@aol.com for tweaking suggestions. Thanks a lot!!

Similar Products Used:

I am using a pair of Klipsch Forte II's in the surround
mode.

everything this speaker is the best

none this speaker can handle any type of music

I purchased these speakers in 95 and have been jamming every since. They can take almost any amp as long as it is low in thd. I am using a pioneer with a output of 135 per channel and it will take more than you can stand. I would love to find the same speaker new to buy again so I could have 4, but as any klipsch fan knows they are out of production. I rate these 5 out 5

High Sensitivity, Distortion Free at high volumes. Wonderfull Clairity at of Lows/Mids/Highs. Perfect for a Game Room.

None, if you do your homework on the room layout and realize there is no substitute for cubic inches/cabinet weight.

It's the same story .... People who come into my Recreation/Game Room are amazed by the clairity. Detail at ALL volume ranges. Then they initially jump when you pour on the power. The music is still crystal clear and you may not realize how lout it really is by the clarity.

Everything that is present in the recordings is revealed, they easily show the listener the difference in how individual CD's and Artists source matreial have been recorded. You can hear compression/noise/lack of depth in poor recordings. Best CD's are the Mobile Fidelity "Original Master Recording" CD's and such. You'll know who has poor mastering where as the average Joe won't have a clue.

I use Audioquest Hyperlitz "Midnight" audio cables. As you may be aware these are "Time Correct" cables where the Lows and Highs, due to the cable construction, arrive at the same time. My amp is a Yamaha MX1, 200 Watts per channel. My interconnects are also Audioquest "Time Correct" cabling. As I have tested standard cabling, you can hear the difference (degrades) when switching to the regular thick Monster Cable (now donated to the less enthused).

You should have a minimum of 12 feet of spacing between them.

You've got to be aware of using surrounds that are compatible as The Chorus II's efficiency and Horn Tweeters as they will drown out inferior products you may have thought were good. Very versatile, but not for small rooms, again it's planning. I've had them for ten years.

With quality cable and a good Amp - you're in the zone. Don't try to put street tires on an Indy 500 vehicle.

Similar Products Used:

JBL 4320 Studio Monitors

competent, good sounding, good performing, mainstream speakers, without any fancy esoteric devices or crucial nuances to distinguish an earth shattering world of difference

very few for the price, boxy design is only a weakness for those who would pay more for good looking speakers. Their ultra high efficiency is a double edge sword, while it makes big old horns easy to drive, it also makes the weaknesses of the front-end equipment very apparent.

Comparing Apples And Oranges

Klipsch Chorus II vs. B&W Nautilus 803

My first impression was that $500 used 1990 Chorus IIs were a hell of a good speaker for the money. Nothing seems to be missing. I listened for tone and texture, and was very favorably impressed. The Chorus IIs are a hell of a deal, compared to the $2,500 B&W 803s. On the brief selection that I listened to, they sounded very much like the 803s. The 803s seem to have slightly less "air" about them and less "bite" to the horns. There were far more similarities in this limited demonstration then there were differences. In fact, I found more differ-ences between my tube set-up with big old Klipsch Cornwalls than I did between these two speakers.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Don't you just love some of the stereo reviews? The reviewer starts off by say-ing that he got this certain set of super expensive speakers to review for his magazine. He will admit to a poor first impression, but after a long delay while he tweaks and changes his front-end equipment, he will finally come up with features that he likes and make a qualified recommendation. He will conclude by saying something like this:

"The "fill-in-the-blank" speaker sets a new standard for audiophile ac-complishment in many areas. Given its superb construction and startling good looks, its few weaknesses are forgivable. Its "name-some-minor-feature-of-less than-earth-shattering-importance" is far superior to any speaker I've heard for less than $5,000/pair, and has become one of my favorite speakers for under $10,000/pair. I would purchase this pair for myself if I didn't have new equipment shipped to me every month that is far better than anything I can afford."

Frankly, I don't get it. Because when I walk into a room, as I did to hear these used pair of Chorus IIs in pristine condition, I almost always hear an immediate difference in the way the speaker makes sound. Sometimes the differences are slight. Like this situation, when I compared the old Chorus to a pair of new B&W 803s. I will tell you right off that I only listened to one song, and then only once. But in my opinion, one song was all I needed.

The song was from one of my all time favorite CDs is: the amazing "20 Bit Taste of DMP" sampler from Digital Music Products. Go to http://www.dmprecords.com/dmp_collections.htm. A jazz CD, it is one I carry with me to test other systems. It is clear - it is clean. There is more silence in the quiet passages than most other CDs. The highs are ice cold. The lows are deep and rich. The recording is un-crowded. Highs and lows are vivid contrasts to each other.

I listened to track #2, FYI, at home on my tube system with the big old horns and then listened to them on the seller's system about 20 minutes later at the same volume level. The second song on this sample disc is a perky little tune from Chuck Leob's Mediterranean CD (DMP CD-494).

FYI opens with the drums and bass in a snappy joyful melody. The horns pick up the tune, while the piano and guitar punctuate the chorus with sharp attack notes. Although there are no vocals on this little ditty, it does give a good range of dynamic frequencies and instruments. Mid-way through the song, the drum snaps add to the guitar instrumental.

As the song moves into its final movements, the drum snaps come more fre-quently, and a set of chimes shimmers as if blown by a cold wind. In the closing sequence, all the instruments weave the melodic tune, the drums start a rhythmic pounding, and as they begin to fade away, the horns add into the crescendo.
It is a nice, foot tapping fusion jazz tune and both speakers did the piece proud. Unlike the reluctant reviewer above, I did not discover any "minor-feature-of-earth-shattering-importance" that is far superior are either speaker. There is a whole class of competent, good sounding, good performing, mainstream speak-ers, without any fancy esoteric devices or crucial nuances to distinguish an earth shattering world of difference between them, except in the minds of profession-als reviewers. These two speakers are solid members of that capable class.

The sumptuous Nautilus 803s are 3-way vented speakers topped with B&W's signature tapered tweeter bullet. This shape looks like slim versions of the bul-bous rocket noses that project from 50s Cadillac grills. Whatever favorable qualities the tweeter bullets may or may not impart to the high-end sound, their sleek good looks has to be a resounding marketing success for B&W. Their uniquely shaped speakers are easily spotted in any crowded display room, even if their noticeable yellow Kevlar cone drivers are covered up. The 803s are tall and slim with the sleek sides that curve like a race car. This is the Corvette in the audio market.

The Klipsch is 3 foot tall rectangular box. Not cheap looking, but not sumptuous construction either. Only with the grills off can one notice that the top half of Chorus IIs is dominated by a square black horns. For whatever sonic reasons Klipsch may have, making their traditional drivers with copper colored cones is a sound marketing move. At least with their grilles off, the Klipsch stand out from the box speaker crowd. This is the practical alternative to the 'Vette in the audio market. It is the Camero for Everyman.

The 803s have a 1'', 6" and 7" Kevlar cone drivers crossed-over at a 350Hz and then at 4kHz, which gives them a flat frequency response of 42Hz to 20kHz within an impressive 2dB. The 803s are more efficient than average speakers, weighing in at 90dB SPL. A noteworthy feature is their harmonic distortion ratings of less than 1.0% from 50Hz to 20kHz, and in the critical 100Hz to 18kHz range, it is less than 1/2 percent.

The Chorus IIs are no longer made, their production lasting from 1990 to 1996. They retailed within shooting distance of the 803's price, about $1800. The Cho-rus are unique in that they use a large 15" passive woofer on the rear, a practice that Klipsch has since largely abandoned. The Chorus IIs are also a three-way system, using a large 15" front-firing active woofer paired with a 15" back-firing passive one. The 1.5" mid-range and the 1" tweeter fire through Klipsch's signature black horns. They are crossed lower (600 Hz) and higher (5000 kHz) than the 803s. This arrangement gives the Chorus IIs a deeper bottom (39 Hz), but a similar top (20 kHz) plus or minus 3dB.

Where the B&Ws bragged about their low distortion (something that horn mak-ers are prone to do) the Klipsch site lists instead their maximum acoustic output (121 dB). The Klipsch, of course, are amazingly efficient speakers. The Chorus IIs are ultra-efficient at 101dB/w/m, putting them into an unconventional league for power requirements. Despite the fancy bracing that B&Ws claim for their elegant towers, the plain Jane rectangular boxes of the Klipsch outweigh the slim 803s by over twenty pounds. Old and new Klipsch speakers are supported by one of the most intelligent, thoughtful and helpful forums on the net.

The speakers sat next to each other along the long wall of a average size living room, positioned about 8 feet apart. The sweet spot was 99" in front of them in a wide equilateral triangle. The power source was a Harmon Kardon AVR 85 re-ceiver with a stated 60 watts/channel. This model is above your typical family sedan, more like the full featured family sedan.

The engine of this family sedan had no trouble driving either the 803s or the Chorus at moderate listening levels (low to upper 70 dBs measured 99" away from speaker fronts) with both the music selection and the U-571 movie demon-stration. If I had started with this set-up, instead of the twenty year old Klipsch Cornwalls with their metal mid-range and tweeter horns, I might have been sonically satisfied and never evolved into a tweaking audiophile. (See my 11/99 review at http://www.audioreview.com/reviews/Speaker/product_8797.shtml about 3/4 of the way down.)

Back home, comparing the same song to the Chorus, the Cornwalls have less boundary to their soundstage. Not larger, but less defined around the edges. Drum snaps on the big old horns seem sharper (but that might also be my 2A3 tube amps). Horns definitely have more bite. But we are talking subtle differ-ences here, like the difference between cottony soft Kleenex with out the lotion and cottony soft Kleenex with the lotion. Only when you have a head cold, would such subtleties make much of a difference.

But then some tweaking audiophiles, from what I have read, seem to suffer per-petual head colds. They can't settle for the pedestrian family sedan or the inexpensively practical Camero. They have to have the sumptuous models: the Audiophile, with a capital "A" speakers, the Corvettes of the audio market place; the B&Ws. Me? More power to them. I'd grab the Chorus IIs and run.

Similar Products Used:

Listened to: Klipsch Khorns, Klipsch Cornwalls, B&W 801, 802, 803, Martin Logan Prodigy, Nearfield Pipedreams, Infinity RS 2000, etc.

loud and good looking! (like some of my friends)

cumbersome if you need to move them around a lot.
cumbersome

if you plan on taking these speakers to bed with you each night, plan again. they are burly and cumbersome. find the right corners and leave them there. if you have to ship them, do so with riser bases off. they stage best with at least 12 feet between them. they are great to look at,
even better to listen to. i thought they were the best speakers in the world until i did some a/b comparisons with other models. but, these speakers rock. they have a great midrange and a beautiful high end. altogether a very full and complete sound that is hard to beat. unfortunately,
my favorite singer bill quateman sounded a bit nasal through them which was disappointing. the bass on these speakers will give life to many a party and drive you to dance.
the only problem is there is no control for the bass, as
on some of the older japanese speakers. i'd liken the bass to a nearly completed michelangelo, obviously ready to be great but still in need of some final shaping. don't hesitate to look inside these guys via the back door. remove
passive woofer and look around. they are simpler than you'd
imagine and quite nicely designed. in all, i learned a few things as I had to repair them twice myself -tweeter and crossover replacements. they are good but
just not good enough for the amount of space they occupied in my house and my mind. the chorus IIs were replaced by vintage sansui sp-5500Xs which competed favorably.

Similar Products Used:

klipsch fortes, klipsch kg4s, klipsch heresy IIs, klipsch quartets

Boomshaking bass, terrific midrange, airy treble. Overall, an enormous soundstage.
100 db sensitivity.

Haven´t found any yet.

I´ve been searching for the ultimate speaker for a long time,I have listened to a several dozen speakers that could give me the real kick,like feeling to be there. A friend told me about Klipsch and I made many auditions before I discovered the Klipsch Chorus 2.It´s really amazing how
unveiling and realistic they are.They are both brutal and
tender at the same time.My friends just adore them.One problem was that i couldn´t keep the CD in the same room when I increased the pace to real levels, I got acoustic recoupling.
I solved that with a sandbag around the CDplayer.Everything fell from my selfs so I had to glue my ornaments.I use
McCormack DNA-1 power amp and ALD-1 pre amp.

Similar Products Used:

When I bought this speakers, I compared it to NHT, Mirage, Jamo and JM Lab.