Bonzo

I think I will stick with my Forte II's. Chris Munson, popbumper, is building some crossovers for them. Can't wait to hear them with the new networks!

Hey Michael, They are K53's and to my knowledge are similar if not the same that came in the latter Heresy I's and maybe the II's. I think the horns are different. I also have one of the new 12" woofers that Klipsch puts in the Heresy III's. It's like new.

There are a pair of Epic CF-4's on Audiogon and close to where I live. They are the later version but the owner says they are in great shape. I spoke with him on the phone. I know the original CF-4's had better compression drivers and better woofers than the later runs. I am tempted but he wants $1100 which I think is a little steep? As I recall, the originals had 6" deep ports and the latter 2.5". His have the 2.5" ports. Any suggestions on pricing and the sound of these. A friend of mine has the originals with re-worked networks and they sound awesome! I'm sure fresh caps would make a difference. Any thoughts? Thanks

Michael, They are Forte's with 12" PRs, the Forte II's have 15" PRs. I have a pair of old Heresy's hanging in my shop, don't really need them for the garage. Really don't have the time to mess with them right now. I also just sold the tweeters to a member.

Thanks, I think, for all the "helpful" suggestions. No fini, these are my old ones, thank god, that I was going to clean up and sell. A friend of mine tinkers with PA systems and has built some of his own cabs. He wants me to give them to him so he can cover them with tolex and build house mains out of them. Don't know if I will do that or not?

The PRs did survive as I had pulled them out along with the grills. Sorry for the spelling error, it's tragendy not trajedy!

It do hurt Larry! They are a nice metalic silver color now, and so is my grandson! My son was busy in my garage and didn't see the kid get in the shop. I raised him better than that! Fortunately I had pulled all the drivers out to clean up the cabinets a bit. They were not in the greatest shape to begin with but still serviceable. My kid pulled them out of the shop and tried to clean them up after the rattle can job, you know, it just didin't work? Then he procedes to leave them outside until I got home after meeting with Mark Deneen. Well, as luck would have it, it rained, not a lot, but enough! Anyone in the market for some streaked metalic silver Forte's??? Oh, my shop has that same silver color also! A wise man once said you have to LOVE your children but you don't always have to LIKE them!

A trajedy has be-fallen my Forte I cabinets! Grandson, spray can, rain, well you get the picture. I can't "kill" my grandson but his dad, my son, is in mortal danger! So, if anyone's interested in Forte' I tweeters, mids, crossovers etc., let me know. I think I will keep the woofers for now. I do have a newer Klipsch 12" K28E woofer I would part with. It is the one they put in the Heresey III's and apparently the only 12" replacement woofer they sell. It's like new. I have been having problems getting PM's so if you want to e-mail me direct that would be best; Lbones295@cs.com Thanks, Mark

Craig, You hit the nail on the head, Mark could easily be mistaken for a college professor. Suffice it to say that in person he is every bit a distinguished looking gentleman. If you ever make it out to the Northern California coast, you owe it to yourself to look him up, not only for the enlightened conversation but to enjoy the beautiful place he calls home!

Just got back from a trip to the coast where I met Mark Deneen, Juicy Music. I can say without reservation that Mark is a real gentleman and a class guy! He also lives in one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited, Ferndale CA. Rolling hills, farmland, Victorian buildings, just gorgeous. Almost makes me want to go to tubes? He did give me some inside info on new things on the horizon. Can't say what they are but I will be really tempted when they become available! Anyway, picked up a pair of Forte II's he had for sale. They are as close to new as I have found. They sound and look great! I was amazed on how different the I's are from the II's. The I's are very much more laid back, especially in the mid range. I will say I do prefer the sound of the II's, especially in the low end. They are also in a beautiful oak finish which makes my wife happy. If you are looking for tube pre-amps, Mark is the man! Cheers

Hey Allen, Thanks so much for the info! I have to save this music! 1. Muddy Waters, "LIVE", Chess Records 2. The Stones, "Through the Past Darkly", Decca in a plain white sleeve with purple writing, probably a German copy. 3. Papa John Creach, "Papa John's Friends", Grunt Records 4. Bloodrock, Capital Records, Who are these guys??? 5. BB King in London, ABC, Wow, a who's who of musicians 6.Savoy Brown, "Street Corner Talking", Pre Foghat 7. Journey, "Next", With Aynsley Dunbar, without Steve Perry. 8. Blue Cheer, "Vincebus Eruptum", Phiilps Records 9. West, Bruce & Laing, "Why Dontcha", Columbia, how cool is this album! 10. Free, "Fire and Water", A&M That is just a small sample of the albums my uncle gave to me. How awesome is that? Again, many thanks. May wait till spring weather to try your method. Hey Joe, I am going to meet Mark Deneen tomorrow and pick up the Forte's he has FS. Sounds like a great guy! I see you like his stuff. Maybe he will make me a tube convert??? Cheers

This has probably been addressed before but I need some help with warped LP's. My uncle gave me his collection of LP's that he had stored in the rafters of his garage. They were packed tightly in boxes but they had been there in the Northern California heat for years! Needless to say, quite a few are very warped. Some are radio station demos that he got from the rock station he worked at in the 70's. I have heard you can place them between heavy glass in a very low heat oven for a while but I am a bit nervous doing that. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

It must be that great minds think alike![] Looks like you posted it before I did. That's what I get for not keeping up with the Forum, sometime life gets in the way![] Mark

I saw these on ebay and thought the after-market grills over the passive radiators was a great idea! I can count myself as one who has accidently bumped the dust covers while moving them. Cheap protection and does not distract from the beauty of the cabinets. Think I will give it a try. http://cgi.ebay.com/KLIPSCH-FORTE-speakers-Near-Mint- WALNUT_W0QQitemZ5825629868QQcategoryZ61378QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I would take $400 total for it including shipping to San Diego. Thanks for the inquiry. Mark

I have decided to stick with two channel and my Forte's so I no longer need this fine sub. It is like new with the box, manual etc. Would prefer a local sale, Northern California, So. Oregon etc. Willing to meet someone half way for the right deal. I live in Redding CA which is about 150 miles north of Sacramento. $375. You can send an e-mail to me at; Lbones295@cs.com. Thanks, Mark

I used a new Synergy Sub-12 with my Heresy I's and with a little patience and positioning, they made a good combination. I have been trying to have the same success with my Forte's but can't seem to get it just right. The Forte's have quite a bit more low end than the Heresy's which may have something to do with it? I know my room has a lot to do with it also, limited options for placement and very open. I may end up selling the sub as I'm not using it very much with the Forte's.

http://www.craigslist.org/nby/ele/103909656.html Sounds like a great deal if they are in decent shape![] Mark

I have no personal experience with that receiver but a friend of mine has. He had one for about a year in a second system and one of the channels went bad. He said he was not very pleased with the sound to begin with. He claims it was very harsh on the top end with his Klipsch RB-5 speakers. Since he didn't buy it from an "authorized" dealer, Denon would not fix it. He trashed it and bought a Yamaha and he is now very pleased. I have had very good luck with Yamaha receivers. The RX-596 and RX-777 2 channel receivers sound great, are comparably priced, and seem to be very reliable. I have had an RX- 777 for 3 years now and have not had one problem with it. I really like the adjustable loudness feature. It helps the low end output a lot. They are both great sounding and reasonably priced stereo receivers IMHO. Mark

Jennifer Warnes CD The Hunter, track #8, "Way Down Deep." It's pretty self explanitory!

I forgot to address the parts issue. Parts are usually easy to find for most older Klipsch speakers like the Heresy I's and the Forte's. Bob Crites, BEC on this site, is a good resource for parts. As far as the RB-75's go, being a newer model, I would contact Klipsch directly.

I currently own all three speakers you have listed. I can say without reservation that the Forte' is the best overall speaker of the bunch. The Heresy's I own have updated crossovers and they are Heresy I's from 1983. They do most everything well except bass below around 60 cycles. If you are using a good musical subwoofer that would help the overall sound. I have had difficulty dialing in my sub with them however. Can't really blame the sub or the speakers as I have a tough room. That is also true for the RB-75's which I use in my bedroom system now. Great for a smaller room but with the low end limitations of the Heresy. I give a slight edge to the Heresy over the RB-75 but that's probably more for nostalgic reasons than actual better sound. The Forte' is in a whole different league! No sub needed here and with an upgrade to the crossovers, they put most other speakers in the cheap seats! I have found them to be very placement friendly, more so than the Heresy's and RB-75's. You also have the issue of proper stands and/or risers for both. I do recommend using spikes or cones with the Forte's.

The K-horn in the proper room with proper corners and the right components is hard to beat! I really loved my Cornwall II's in my old house which had a much bigger front room. I was single then also. I just think for most homes today, the Forte's fit better and are a real world compromise to it's bigger brothers. I lucked out with my pair. They have some of the nicest wood grain and finish I have ever seen in a speaker, walnut oil. As I said, my wife really likes the way they look and the way they fit into our living room. Oh, she thinks they sound OK too.

I would like to give the Forte' my nomination for best overall speaker! I have had K-horns, LaScalas, Cornwalls, Chorus I's, Heresy's and Forte's. From my experience with these speakers, and several more from other makers, I have concluded that the Forte's are the best of the bunch for the following reasons. 1. Sound quality is at least 90% or more of the others listed, even my beloved Corns. Bass is incredible for this size of speaker! I'm considering selling my sub. 2. Size, they fit into most any room and decor'. They don't look like two washing machines in the living room! 3. Ease of placement. They sound great in whatever position I have placed them. 4. Amp/source friendly. They seem to sound great with whatever combination of components I use them with. Most equipment has been of good quality though. 5. Resonably priced. With some looking, you can usually find a nice pair for around $400 to $500. 6. Soundstage. I hate using "audiophile" terminiology but, with the right recording, you are front row center! 7. Upgrades. There are several great upgrades available to the crossovers which take the Forte' to the next level! 8. Last, and most important, my wife likes them! I may have missed something but, it is my opinion that the Forte' is the best overall speaker you can buy!

The only thing that made a difference to my ears regarding isolation was using cones to isolate my Forte's from the floor. I tried vibrapods as did a good friend if mine and we both could not "hear" any difference. Although, we are both 40+++ year old musicians and maybe our hearing is not what it used to be. I think the good Dr. makes a lot of sense!