RichardP

I guess this is an appropriate point to report my experience with the THX subwoofer amp and speakers, so that anybody considering this system can be informed. I bought the THX sub system used, from RMLowz, a great guy and forum member in June '06. He had used them for about one year, but had decided to explore other subs. I bought them for a great price. Everything was fine for 10 months. In April '07, however, I noticed that no sound was coming out of the subwoofers. The amp was "waking up" when low freq material was present, just no sound. After checking all the obvious possible causes (connectors, receiver settings, etc.) but with no success, I called Michael Colter at Klipsch, who was helpful and sympathetic (he has the same system) and referred me to the Klipsch warranty department. Because I bought them used, I was not seeking warranty service, but just some assistance with a repair, which I would have paid for. To my surprise, the word came down to Michael, and then to me, that Klipsch will/does not offer any out-of-warranty assistance with the amp at all. If something goes wrong while it is still in warranty, they will simply replace the whole amp. Apparently, the amp is an outsourced product, and Klipsch USA has no means, policy, or motivation to assist the unfortunate owner with out-of-warranty repair. It is not even clear if any replacement parts are available, if one were to have an independent electronics repair shop attempt to fix it. It shocks me that this $1400 top-of-the-line amp could be a very expensive paperweight just two years later. The happy ending of this story is that, with nothing to lose, I opened up the chassis, and wiggled and probed all the wire clip connections to the circuit board, reinstalled it, and amazingly, it worked, and has worked as new for three months now. However, I sure don't like the spectre of another malfunction, considering that I am completely on my own for repair (nor do I know exactly what I did to fix the problem). I love all my Klipsch speakers, and the sub system, but I guess this is just a typical case of big corporate cost control policies.

Perhaps no one has responded because so few own these high dollar speakers. Three companies come to mind: www.racksandstands.com, www.standsandmounts.com, and www.wood-tech.com. With those three, you have literally dozens of options to choose from. I have dealt with the wood-tech people, a small company, and got lots of personal service.You could call them and discuss the speaker weight and dimensions, your preferred decor, and I am sure they would advise you.

In north central OK, a lot of rain, localized street and stream flooding, but no big crisis or damage. In fact, we just welcomed three straight days without rain.Yahoo! [cue Julie Andrews] "The hills are alive...with the sound of...LAWNMOWERS!" Here are some stats: OKC area, 21 days in a row with rain; OK average yearly rainfall is 35 inches, this year so far, approx 33 inches; Stillwater (my location) rainfall in month of June, 16 inches. We're soaked! However, it has brought a much bigger crop of wildflowers along the roadways (always look on the bright side..blah, blah...).

Mr. Krustovski: Fortes are auctioned quite often on Ebay. They were popular speakers, which means that many owners not fully committed to them are now selling them to downsize, or they got married, or whatever. My experience is that anywhere from 3 to 10 pair are being auctioned in any given month, usually oak or walnut, sometimes black, and sell for $400-$600. Also check Audiogon.com, not an auction but an audio gear classified site with feedback like Ebay. Whatever you do, don't have them shipped. We have heard too many horror stories here about inadequate Mailboxes Etc styrofoam peanut packing, and the buyer receives a box of kindling. A speaker as classic and valuable as a Forte is worth a one or two day roadtrip to pick up in person. For an insurance replacement cost settlement, you could buy two pair, and if you find an Academy center, you have an unbeatable home theater system.

I thought the idea of white speakers sounded familiar. Note this recent post: http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/thread/932759.aspx I know, white and white wash are not identical, but some coincidence, hunh? Could be a substantial WAF involved; what if your only choice was white Klipsch, or no Klipsch?

If you have the July '86 issue, you might want to keep it for posterity. That's when the Forte was first reviewed and tested by Julian Hirsch. Reading it sold me on Klipsch for good. I still have my copy (and my Fortes).

Dish did do me dirty, however. A few years ago I switched from DirecTV after 7 yrs and bad service to Dish; after one year with Dish, I wanted a DVR receiver. I talked one customer rep down to $80, but wanted to think about it overnight. I called back the next day to say "yes," and that rep told me that the other rep couldn't have offered me the DVR for that price (implying that I was lying), and wouldn't budge on the full price. I switched back to DirecTV the same week. Unfortunately, I don't like their service and quality either. With either company, it's like Lily Tomlin's old schtick as the phone company lady ("We're the phone company; we don't have to care"). Who else will you buy satellite TV from? A few years ago, DirecTV tried to buy Dish, although the FTC did not allow it (monopoly). I read a recent article about a guy who is trying to start a class action suit against DirecTV, claiming their HD broadcasts are compressed far below actual HD capability/resolution, but the company doesn't honestly inform customers of that fact. If you like your picture and don't have problems, they are OK. Service is an especially weak point.

By "100 inch screen.." I assume you have a projector. With no magnetic shielding needed, you could have three 4.2s across the front, if you can find another one or pair, for a perfectly matched and seamless soundstage. In any case, your proposed setup will sound great. I understand the JL sub is a monster. Once you get all the pieces, get a sound level meter to calibrate it all. The RXV 2700 seems like a great receiver; you can read about dozens/hundreds of user experiences with it at www.avsforum.com.

If they are the same as on a KG 5.5, then the configuration is a spike with a cylindrical base; the plastic foot covers the spike and grips the base part of the spike. If you have only holes, then some threaded socket for the spike was probably removed. If you only need plastic feet, then there are many replacement furniture feet at Home Depot, etc. If you want spikes for carpet, then PartsExpress.com has many. You may just screw them into, or through, the existing holes.

If it is a "real" song (not written specifically for NHRA), you could look on any of several lyrics search sites (google "lyrics search" and pick a site). If that doesn't turn up anything, you could actually email ESPN; sometimes you get a surprisingly quick response, even from such as large corporation.

<>A similar question was posted about two weeks ago. Here is the thread: http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/thread/907203.aspx

If it wasn't clear from our previous posts, we are recommending center speakers that are not made anymore. The named models do appear on Ebay with some regularity, and sometimes they show up on Audiogon. Buy from a reputable seller (with >95% positive feedback) and pick the speakers up in person if possible to avoid shipping damage.

I second exactly what Frzninvt said. My friend had KG 2.2s and a 2.2v across the front, 1.2s in the rear, with a cheap Velodyne sub. It is a great system for the value, and will more than fill the room with any music or movies you can throw at it. Depending on your TV, you might actually use a nonshielded center, such as a 2.2, 3.2 or another 4.2, lying on its side. If the center must sit on top of a standard CRT-based TV, then you need a dedicated magnetically-shielded center (2.2v,2.5v, KV-1,2, or 3), otherwise the magnet in the speaker will cause distortion on the TV screen. If you have a DLP, LCD, plasma, or big RPTV (where the sensitive workings are near the bottom of the cabinet), which are not susceptible to magnetic interference, then you could use the nonshielded models. It is critical for a seamless sound stage to have matched speakers across the front (3x of the same model, or L&R plus a matched center, such as your current set up).

It's hard to improve on a matched 5-piece set, like the 2.2s/KV-3; the sub may have made the biggest difference of any upgrade. The RC/RB system will be newer, and sound different, but it is arguable whether it will sound better than the KGs. It is critical to have a timbre-matched set for L-C-R (ideally the same speaker X 3), a bit less critical to have the same speakers for rear surrounds. If you are committed to the RC-64 center, then you should go ahead and replace the L & R with matching speakers from the Reference line. If money is an issue, get new L&R and make do with the KGs as rears for a while, then eventually replace them with the same speakers you got for L&R. Keep the KG/KV/SW system around, either to set up a second system in another room, or make someone's day by selling it all to them for $500 or so; that together with a $300 HT receiver will make for an incredible first HT system for someone.

Arky: No video; it is a CD + DVD-Audio 2-disc set. The CD disc is, well, a CD. The DVD-A disc has multichannel analog DVD-A tracks, as well as DD5.1 and DTS tracks. However, I would not be surprised if Cirque du Soleil (sp) doesn't produce a DVD of their show, for which "Love" is the sound track. On minor notes: George Harrison and the producer of CdS apparently came up with the original idea for the soundtrack and show. dBlue, this is technically not a "dual disc," which is a disc with CD tracks on one side and some DVD-encoded material (audio and/or video) on the other side.

I just listened to part of it tonight. Fabulous. I nominated it under Thebe's weekly recommendations thread back in January, after I received it for Xmas. Some purists hate it as blasphemous, but I like the fact that George Martin remixed it with the approval of surviving Beatles and widows of deceased ones, and the only new tracks were some strings on "While..Weeps." I was not a longtime diehard fan, and have no other Beatles music, but this one in multichannel surround has given me a whole new appreciation (and nostalgia for my younger days).

The dust cap on a PR does not actually cover anything except the center of the cone (unlike on an active driver). It doesn't need to be replaced, but you might just close up the cuts with a little glue. If the aesthetics of glue blobs bother you, you can purchase dust covers from PartsExpress.com for small change and glue them on yourself. I seriously doubt that little cuts in the dust cap of a PR would have any effect on sound whatsoever. Others may have other opinions.

This is curious. Only 10 days ago, I read an AP "Technology headline" claiming that Blu-Ray had won, based on the number of available titles and number of discs shipped (twice as many as HD DVD)! Also, in this month's Sound & Vision, Ken Pohlman discusses how neither side is backing down, and how player manufacturers are likely to begin making universal players, and some studios may release movies with BR on one side of the disc and HDDVD on the other side. Go figure.

I helped set my friend up with KG 5.5 fronts, 2.2V center, and 2.2's as rears, and it is a killer system. If space is a real issue, 2.2/2.5 or even 1.2/1.5's will work great for rears. Speakers from the KG x.2 and KG x.5 lines come up fairly often on Ebay, and sometimes on Audiogon, and are a lot of bang for the buck. Most people don't seem to need (or care about) dedicated rear surrounds, i..e, bipolars which disperse sound in multiple directions. You can get just about all the rear spatial ambience you need with two regular speakers.

If you rent or buy it, make sure it is the Dolby Digital version. A Dolby Surround version was the first one released, and I think only recently it was remastered in DD5.1. It is an exceptional-sounding concert DVD, given that the concert was taped 30 years ago!

"I defy you to listen to the title song without breaking into some sort of funky move. Standing still while this guy's busting some major New Orleans move is like asking Pearl Bailey to stop saying "Howdeeeeeeeeee!" Uh, I think you mean Minnie Pearl, not Pearl Bailey.[] Of course, we can forgive one rare foible among the many pearls of wisdom you provide us.

I would love to know from any of you air rifle experts which models are reliable. I have purchased 3 low end ($28) pump-action Crosmans over the past two years (for plinking squirrels off the bird feeders, too), 2 broke within about 100 shots, and the other was dead out of the box. The reliability is horrendous; and it's not like I am banging it around like a kid might do. All were purchased from Walmart, so at least they were returnable. Any recommendations for a more reliable model? I am willing to spend a little more, maybe up to $50 or so, but not too expensive. Incidentally, I also have bobwhite coming to my yard. They will fly up to the open platform feeder, and there may be 6 or 7 of them, shoulder to shoulder, eating the seed.

....You (I) drove an 800-mile round trip, with overnight stayover in a motel, two weeks after foot surgery, with pins still holding the bones together and protruding through the skin, in a manual transmission vehicle, to pick up the KA-1000/KW-120 THX Ultra II dual subwoofer system at an unbeatable price (Thanks again rmlowz!).

Have you seen these on Audiogon? Walnut, $400, Raleigh NC, multiple feedback seller. Might work for you. Go to www.audiogon.com, search for Klipsch Forte (edit: Thanks, oldtimer; apparently you can't search by item number like you can on Ebay)

I only have one MySpace friend...I think his name is Tom. []