Mystery Vintage Klipsch Speakers with rear firing woofer?

[Googer]

Does anyone know the name of a vintage Klipsch speaker with a woofer on the rear just above the speaker input jacks? It has a label dated 1985. It closely resembles a cornwall in terms of size, grille aesthetics, and overall size. But the only Cornwalls I have ever seen did not have a 2nd rear firing woofer.

 

[ethebubbeth]

No variant of the Cornwall has had a rear passive radiating woofer.

Based upon your description of matching a cornwall in size, it sounds like a Chorus II (http://www.klipsch.com/chorus-ii-floorstanding-speaker). That has a rear passive radiating woofer, is of similar stature to a Cornwall, and has a similar overall sonic signature and performance.

Here is a Chorus II side by side with a cornwall:
http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/12/19/20/81/dedica10.jpg

Here is a picture of the rear-facing passive radiator woofer:
http://images.craigslist.org/5N15Ke5M43E33K33G5c7e0ca1afbec8751328.jpg

However, the 1985 manufacture date would make it 5 years too early for a Chorus II (their first year was 1990).

This makes the most likely candidate the Forte, which is similar to the Chorus II but smaller: http://www.klipsch.com/forte-floorstanding-speaker#second

Tagentially, I have a pair of the even smaller KG-4 speakers, similar in design to the Forte, Forte II, and Chorus II, which use a rear passive radiating woofer and they put out an amazing amount of clean bass for their size. I still prefer my 1983 Cornwall I speakers, however

Edit: Here are some Forte pics showing the front and back. They look very similar to the Chorus II
http://cdn.head-fi.org/b/bb/bb8b1120_klipsch800x600.jpg
http://i.oodleimg.com/item/2817478091u_3x424x360f?1321847000

 

[Googer]

No variant of the Cornwall has had a rear passive radiating woofer.

Based upon your description of matching a cornwall in size, it sounds like a Chorus II (http://www.klipsch.com/chorus-ii-floorstanding-speaker). That has a rear passive radiating woofer, is of similar stature to a Cornwall, and has a similar overall sonic signature and performance.

Here is a Chorus II side by side with a cornwall:
http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/12/19/20/81/dedica10.jpg

Here is a picture of the rear-facing passive radiator woofer:
http://images.craigslist.org/5N15Ke5M43E33K33G5c7e0ca1afbec8751328.jpg

However, the 1985 manufacture date would make it 5 years too early for a Chorus II (their first year was 1990).

This makes the most likely candidate the Forte, which is similar to the Chorus II but smaller: http://www.klipsch.com/forte-floorstanding-speaker#second

Tagentially, I have a pair of the even smaller KG-4 speakers, similar in design to the Forte, Forte II, and Chorus II, which use a rear passive radiating woofer and they put out an amazing amount of clean bass for their size. I still prefer my 1983 Cornwall I speakers, however

Edit: Here are some Forte pics showing the front and back. They look very similar to the Chorus II
http://cdn.head-fi.org/b/bb/bb8b1120_klipsch800x600.jpg
http://i.oodleimg.com/item/2817478091u_3x424x360f?1321847000

Looks very close. The date on the tag was aged yellow, slightly faded, and said copyright 1985 and that was the label with the inspectors signature. So, it could have been made post-1985.

 

[iRONic]

Looks very close. The date on the tag was aged yellow, slightly faded, and said copyright 1985 and that was the label with the inspectors signature. So, it could have been made post-1985.

If you can discern the actual S/N on that tag the speaker's date of manufacture can be discovered.

 

[ethebubbeth]

I pulled the following explanation from http://www.critesspeakers.com. He is a well known Klipsch expert:

KLIPSCH S/N FORMATS

DATESDESCRIPTIONEXAMPLE
1946-1947###001 (ending #021)
1948-1961†####0121 (starting #0121
1962-1983##letter####20Y1234
1984-1989YY WW ####89281234
1990-1997DOY Y2Y1 ####135791234
1998-2000YY WW ####00281234
1962-1983 Letter format
A = 1962 F = 1967 K = 1972 R = 1977 X = 1982
B = 1963 G = 1968 L = 1973 S = 1978 Y = 1983
C = 1964 H = 1969 M = 1974 T = 1979
D = 1965 I = 1970 N = 1975 U = 1980
E = 1966 J = 1971 P = 1976 W = 1981

NOTES
1946-1961 dates can only be found in log book (eng. Library)
DOY = day of the year
YY = year (i.e. 99,00&#8230
Y2Y1 = 2nd digit of year, 1st digit of year
WW = week of the year
Date code on drivers (1994) Example - 9429 = 1994, 29th week of the year / YYWW

† Klipschorns of this vintage had the s/n hammer stamped into the tailboard, woofer access door or inside
the woofer chamber.

 

[iRONic]

I pulled the following explanation from http://www.critesspeakers.com. He is a well known Klipsch expert

Yep. I've got his CT-125 tweeters and A/4500 crossovers in my LaScalas.

 

[Googer]

Wonderful answers, thank you everybody!

 

[Googer]

Yep. I've got his CT-125 tweeters and A/4500 crossovers in my LaScalas.

LaScalas are nice, We had a set of originals on my school campus may years ago.

 

[shadowkody]

I have a set of those.picked up in the mid80s..listing for sale...

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