John Chi-town

The forte II is completely different than the original forte. Forte II has different midrange horn, and larger passive radiator. I am not putting down the forte just saying that it is a great performer, but completely "different" animal than the forte II.

I am a forte II owner as well since 1992, my speakers are absolutelymint/flawless. Yes, there are better sounding speakers in the Klipsch line-up. But when you factor footprint, sound, imaging and detail as well as price the field does become narrower. I have often thought of parting with mine, only if I can find a pair of Chorus II in mint shape in clear oak cabinets. Chorus II does give a better bass response than forte II. However I would put the mid and high as the same as the forte II. After 20+ years at this game, many pieces have changed but my speakers are the one constant.

Adcom GTP 500 II preamp tuner, and Adcom GFA 5802 amplifier. Sounds great to my ears, never thought of changing my forte II. Although I am on my third Adcom amp. Originally when new, fortes that is I was using an Adcom GFA 555 II, then went to an Adcom GFA 5500, finally settled on the 5802. Full Mofset circuitry for that tube sound. 300 WPC continuous into 8ohms, 450 WPC into 4 ohms. Set for a while with my system.

Take a close look at the Adcom GTP 500 II. Can pick one up on the used market for about $200.00 Phono stage for vinyl, and one of the best tuners Adcom ever placed in a pre-amp tuner. Mine has been running strong for 18+ years without a hicup!

I have owned the following Adcom amp's all of which have been connected to my forte II speakers: Adcom GFA 555 II, Adcom GFA 5500, I currently own and would recommend the Adcom GFA 5802. It retailed for $1,900.00 and one can be found on eBay, or Audiogon for about $700.00-$850.00 used. Big brother of the 5500 which is no longer made. 300 WPC into 8 ohms, 450 WPC into 4 ohms. Best Sounding Adcom amp that I have ever owned. If you like the sound of the 5500, you will love the 5802. Stereophile magazine did a review of this amp and the matching pre-amp in 1999. I cannot remember the month, but am sure you could find on the web.

I will let you know of my findings. One thought; heard of a forum member or two trying to sell the replacement diaphragm for the forte/forteII after installing. Both said it was too laid back for their liking. However I have heard nothing but rave reviews on the crossover and titanium tweeter diapragm. Not trying to discourage you, just thought I would let you know what I have seen on the forum.

Well, I got the new crossovers from Bob a couple of weeks ago, and they look amazing! I went with all new rather than just updating the caps. I am sure the componenets that Bob uses are better than anything that came out of the factory. Unfortunately I have been tied up with other commitments and have not had the time to replace. Durring the lull I ordered the replacement titanium tweeter diaphragms from Bob as well. Thinking why tear it apart twice? My Forte II's were born in early '92, so it is time. Pristine after many years of babying, it is time to take care of the innards. I will post my thoughts of the upgrade hopefully within the next 2 weeks.

The forte II is better sounding than both INMHO! Better midrange, and larger passive radiator.

I just ordered a pair of new crossovers from Bob Crites today. My forte II's date back to early '92, I am the original owner. Everything is original to this point. Thought I would go with new rather than rebuild so that I can switch back and forth, or if I ever sell. In any case, I am looking forward to installing ASAP. I have read a lot of posts from folks who rebuilt original. Has anyone else completely replaced? What are your before and after thoughts on the change? Thanks. John

Either it was a "Build" error, or perhaps one is for right and left channel connectivity?????

It is. However for good bass response you may need to add a sub-woofer as others have mentioned. Heresy is a very good speaker. It really depends on personal taste. What is nice about the forte II is the mid range horn, and the 15" passive radiator for deeper bass response. Everything in audio is "Subjective" not everyone hears the same thing. So, I would go with the Heresy III's if you like, see how they work, and decide after time whether or not a sub is required from "Your Standpoint". Any 2 channel preamp/amp can tie in a sub. If you send me a picture of the back of your preamp and amp, I can tell you how to connect the sub.

Again; My recomendation fo you is a pair of forte II speakers. They retailed for about $1000.00 -$1200.00 a pair in the late 80's to mid 90's. If they were made today, they would probably be about $1200.00 a piece. Following are the specs. The forte II has the tractrix mid-range horn, which is outstanding not only for Jazz but all genres of music. Many on this forum claim that the reason they were axed was that they "Canibilized" the Cornwall market. For the music you listen to you will not be diapointed. If you do not overpay, depending on condition a fair value on the used market is $300-$650 a pair. You can always sell for what you payed if unhappy, but that probably will not happen! Specifications FREQUENCY RESPONSE 32Hz-20kHz(+-)3dB POWER HANDLING 100 watts maximum continuous (500 watts peak) SENSITIVITY 99dB @ 1watt/1meter MAX ACOUSTIC OUTPUT 119dB SPL NOMINAL IMPEDANCE 8 ohms CROSSOVER FREQUENCY HF 7,000 Hz LF 650 Hz MAXIMUM ACOUSTIC OUTPUT 119dB SPL TWEETER K-75-K 1" (2.54cm) Polymer diaphragm compression driver HIGH FREQUENCY HORN 90(o)x40(o) Exponential Horn MIDRANGE K-61-K 1.5" (3.81cm) Phenolic diaphragm compression driver MID FREQUENCY HORN 90(o)x40(o) Tractrix® Horn WOOFER K-25-K 12" (30.48cm) Fiber-composite cone active / KD-15 15" (38.1cm) Fiber-composite cone passive ENCLOSURE MATERIAL Medium density fiberboard construction (MDF) ENCLOSURE TYPE Bass reflex via passive radiator DIMENSIONS 35.4" (89.92cm) x 16.5" (41.9cm) x 12.25" (31.1cm) WEIGHT 67 lbs. (30.42kg) FINISHES Walnut Oil, Oak Oil, Oak Clear, Finished Black BUILT FROM 1989 BUILT UNTIL 1996

It is for Heresy. Forte II would not require a subwoofer for music, unless you want to crack your foundation!!!

It depends on your pe-amp, or integraed amplifier. bowever connectivity would not be an issue. Better yet, look for a nice vintage pair of forte II. INMHO the best "Value vs. Footprint vs. Price". Perhaps the best imaging as well. The forte II bass response will null any need for a sub for music only. I have a sup with my forte II's for 2.1 movie watching only. The forte II is a step up from the Heresey III in overall sound and bass. Can pick up a mint pir of forte II's on ebay right now for about $600-700 in original boxes. Take a look at the forte II forum board on this website and see what others have to say about the mighty forte II!

Thought I would let those searching for a pair of forte II's in on this opportunity. While looking for an Academy center channel, I came accross this listing on Craigslist. $600.00 or OBO seem very clean, natural oak cabinets. Here is the link: http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/ele/1724748367.html

Velodyne VA1215X II Subwoofer; 250 Watt Class "A" Amp. 12" forward firing, 15" downward. I have owned one since late '93, early '94. Can pick one up used for under $400.00 used. No remote but I can count the number of times on one hand where I have had to make an adjustment. Although many of my components have come and gone, the forte II's and the Velodyne are the one constant in my system.

forte II. INMHO, the forte II or Chorus II are the best value in the Klipsch Heritage series lineup. They play any genre of music very well, but really excel with classic/hard rock . There are many people such as myself who believe that the forte II was "axed" by Klipsch because they canabilized the Cornwall. Just as much if not more sound with a smaller footprint. forte = "Strength" in it's purest definition, and that is exactly what the forte II delivers. Rumor has it that Paul himself had a pair in his office. The real strength of this speaker lies in bass and mid range reproduuction with the Trac-Trix mid range horn. More than enough sound to fill any room. Can handle 100 watts continuos power, and 500 watts peak. With a 98 or 99 db rating with 1 watt of input power, your ears will bleed before you push these speakers too far. You can pick up a mint pair for about $500.00 in todays market. Good luck and enjoy whatever you decide to purchase. John

Thank you both for your suggestions. My forte II's are in perfect working order, just thought that I might gain some sonic improvement by replacing the plastic nuts. Sounds as if there would be little to no gain. I am going to rebuild the crossovers and replace the original tweeter diaphragm with a Bob Crites provided titanium. Thanks again! John

Anyone have any experience replacing the original plastic binding posts on a pair of forte II? What would you recomend as a replacement? Is it a simple change out? Any suggestions and or description on how to do the job would be most appreciated. I am currently running Monster 550 banana type connections from my amp to the speakers, and would like to re-use with the changeout if at all possible. Thanks in advance. John

Thans for the advice! John

Has anyone removed the crossovers from a pair of forte II's? I want to have the crossovers caps replaced and I have never taken my forte II's apart. Do I want to remove the passive radiator for access to the mid and tweeter so that wires can be disconnected? Also, I assume that I will want to note on paper the color coding of the wiring as it applies to re-connecting the woofer, mid, and tweeter? Seems like the above planned scenario would work, but please advise if you know a better strategy. Thanks in advance! John

Perhaps a good quality line conditioner will alieviate the problem.

San Francisco is a beautiful city. However as described below, "Progressive Liberals" have destroyed it in many ways. Reminds me of that old joke that goes as follows: What do you do if you drop your wallet is San Francisco? Kick it to Oakland and then pick it up!

OK. Assuming you are correct what would the Forte, Chorus, etc. line be referred to then? When I look at my paperwork, and Heritage Klipsch advertising, IE; broschures etc. Both Forte and Chorus are listed as "Heritage" series. John

Forte and Forte II's are part of the Klipsch Heritage series. From the Forte introduction to the last run of Forte II was well over a 12 year run. My Forte II's date back to 1992. Someone and I cannot remember who on this forum attended a Klipsch reunion and asked why the Forte II was not re-released as part of the Heritage series. The answer was that the Forte II does not fit into Klipsch's current go to market strategy. MHO is that they are too expensive to build today and would canabilize the Cornwall III market. At $1,000.00 a pair in 1992, they would probably need to sell for at least $1200.00 a piece today. Right around the price point of the Cornwall III. The Hersey line, or any other Heritage product is no more so than the Forte series. John