aljordan

Hi Dave, Apologies for posting to an old thread. I was browsing and saw your build of the Clarinet and just wanted to comment on what a nice job you did. It looks very nice. I bought the Clarinet circuit board and parts from someone who had ordered all of the components years ago but never built the unit. I built it over this past weekend and think it sounds quite good with only a couple of days on the unit. I think yours looks much better with the wooden case and metal top. Alan

I found one thing today. When I was moving the speakers this afternoon, I heard something rattling around in one of them, so I decided to take the passive radiator off to have a look. When I put the screwdrivers to the screws in the radiator, they were all very loose in that speaker. The radiator wasn't in tight, so there must have been a fair amount of air leaking out. The rattling was the wires off of the inner side clip and hitting the backs of the drivers, so I guess a previous owner must have been in that speaker doing something and didn't zip up the radiator properly. I clipped the wires back and tightened the radiator and the sound is quite a bit better now. I guess I better check all the other screws.

Madman1, Do you recall specific before and after details of how your Forte II improved after replacing your capacitors? To everyone else, thanksagain for all of your replies. I haven't had time to fuss with them this week, but will be able to over the weekend. Regarding using more powerful amps, I generally listen at an average of 80-ish dB, so I don't need much power. The Quicksilver tube amps I have available are 90 watt per channel monoblocks (KT-150 tubes), and they sound very good, but I have to say that I am really digging the First Watt style sound (kind of a tube-like rich sound but with better bass control than tubes). Regarding EQ, I don't have a preamp that has tone controls. I've been a long-time user of digital room correction as EQ, but since trying out low powered amps and more efficient speakers, I've been trying to see if I can get acceptable results without it. The results with the Forte is very good except for that ouchiness in the upper mids. I'll try some things out this weekend and post back if I make any headway. Thanks again for your posts.

Do these work as bolt on replacements with the existing horn, or are there further modifications that have to be made? Thanks!

Wow, I just logged back on and saw so many replies! I will measure the impedance of the drivers this weekend, to make sure they all seem normal. I can also rebuild the crossovers, as at least swap out the caps, once I find what the correct values are. I have tried playing with distance from the wall and corner. I can get a warmer sound by going closer to the corners, at the cost of losing bass definition. I have placed the speakers where I have a good blend of bass warmth and definition, but still have trouble with the sizzle. Regarding front end components, I've been a long time audio nut and more recently have been building some PASS DIY projects, so I have a few things to choose from: DIY First Watt M2, DIY Pass B1 buffer, DIY Amp Camp Amp 1.6 monos, and I am about done with a First Watt Aleph J. I also have a pair of Quicksilver tube amps. The KG-4 sounds amazing via the M2, but so far I think the Forte does best with the ACA 1.6. I use a good R2R DAC in front of everything else. Japosey and Shakeydeal mentioned the squawker and horn as being possibly responsible for what I am hearing. Is there any smoother options available if it turns out that nothing else alleviates the problem? Once again, thanks for all of your thoughts, Alan

Hi, I've owned a pair of KG-4 with rebuilt crossovers and titanium tweeter diaphragm, which while not perfect, are very satisfying overall. I recently picked up a pair of Forte II in great shape. They are quite a bit more open sounding than the KG-4, but I am struggling with getting a proper tonal balance. I've tried a number of positions in the room, with varying degrees of tow-in angle. The issue seems to be that when I tow them in direct at the listening position, the treble is smooth, but the balance is far too bright. When I angle them differently to get a better tonal balance, there is a region in the upper mids or lower treble that gets annoyingly edgy (saxophones for example, and certain upper notes on the piano). I am wondering if anyone else has had this issue with their Forte II, and what you might have done to solve it. Will replacement titanium tweeter diaphragms relieve the sizzle? Replacement crossovers? I definitely don't need any more treble out of them, but would like to relieve the annoying region (without using an EQ device if possible). Thanks in advance for any advice.