Raygun

Thanks guys and gals! I read through all the comments (even if I did not reply) and you all have given me some great food for thought! The speakers arrived about 20 min ago and I have them fired up now. Gonna edit my OP with the pic. As I predicted at the lowest volume it is louder, tolerable, but right at that line of being too loud if you were on a phone call. I'll look into preamps as these break in over a couple weeks. I also want to get to know them with the parasound I have ATM so I can discern differences when I compare them. Thank you again, you all are great!!!!

Hey Robert! I was looking at Schitt preamps earlier today, will study them some more. They do look like they would fit the bill. I watched some videos on the designers/engineers and like their attitude towards high end. I may try the Freya (non tube) preamp, and maybe a dac...but if I am going the dac route the PS audio Stellar dac/preamp would also fit the bill. I do think I may hook up the digital output from the TV to the preamp if the preamp allows for it (which ever one I decide on) so the CD with variable out is unnecessary. I prefer having a preamp incase I choose to hook something else up in the future. I am not overly picky about well built high end gear. I mean I have preferences but I have always been able to find away to enjoy whatever I own. The case of my current preamp is more of the potential issue with the volume control not allowing quiet enough volume with the efficient speakers. In my experiences, I have been able to tone down, or reinforce what I am looking for with speaker placement. I am a firm believer that the room is the first component and wonders can be done with modest systems if speaker placement is dialed in. I was in a hotel once, wanted to listen to some music. I had some tiny PC 13 dollar PC speakers and a portable CD player. Laying on the floor with chin on a pillow I had the two speakers just in front of me. Closing my eyes and just listening as I positioned the speakers based on what I heard was a HUGE lesson in how much speaker placement affects the sound, ever since then I have not been as picky with my purchases as long as it "feels right"...which is not something I can measure or explain, you just know you have the right one when you do (if that makes any sense....lol). I intuition tells me the Schitt or PS audio Stellar are the right direction to pursue.

Thanks Robert! I am pretty much a CD guy. I use MP3's in the car and phone, but I just love CD's. I am 48 so CD was just hitting early prime time as I was getting out of high school. I still buy CD's, I just really enjoy the format. 2ch. If I need to go theater I will deal with that in the future. I am currently using a modded Denon CD player, but that may get changed out early next year. I don't have a DAC NEVER used tone controls or eq and don't plan on it. Remote is an absolute must. I am leaning HEAVILY towards the PS Audio Stellar Dac/Preamp. In fact, I will order one but want to spend a couple weeks with Forte III's first to see how my parasound works out. I just learned about it yesterday. That being said. I am also looking at a McIntosh 121 if the guy can deliver on the right price. Its 2 channel section should be better than what I have now and if I decide to go to theater, it will work there too. I don't care about Atmos, so don't need the newest. But all of that being said, my OP question was not what preamp will work in my system based on my needs (I do appreciate you qualifying me however), but what preamp will have a low noise floor, and a volume control that goes very quiet with high efficiency speakers that other members have used in their systems. I can research the individual preamps on my own and determine if their feature set will work. I don't expect the community to do that work for me. I just need user experiences from folks who have systems that can play very quiet with efficient speakers with a low noise floor...and not be tubes. I should have prefaced. I sold high end for about 11 years. I can quality myself for my needs. I am more curious what others have used for preamps that simply have a low noise floor and with a volume pod that allows them to listen very quietly.

Agreed. I think they will engage me more

Trying to undo your quote, still learning how this site works. lol. Thanks for the link! I expect what I will hear will be similar to that reviewers findings. I rarely sit and listen to music as a straight hobby anymore, its more background when I am working or playing a game or something, so imaging and all that jazz is a bit less important. I'd rather have dynamics and fun while I move around the house...but I expect that I can position the Forte III's to work for me in regards to imaging and what not. In fact, the Thiels REALLY like to breath, I mean 1/3rd of the way into the room seems to work best for them but I don't have the space for that. So, in reality the Klipsch might voice better where I can currently place speakers than the Thiels. Just not sure if I am going to put the Thiels in their cartons and hold on to them, or sell them.

Thanks glens! I have not seen the other post, I'll have to look for it. I am using balanced inputs. I might take a look or audition the PS audio Stellar Dac/Preamp thing. It apparently has a very low noise floor and 80 db of attenuation. I was going to get a pass preamp (if an x2.5 would ever go up for sale) but I was reading someone say that it did not go very low in volume. When I had my rotel theater receiver (used the pass for LR duty) it was amazing how quiet I could play music in that system and more impressive how much detail I could hear at extremely low volumes. I like nice gear and I love items that are built to stand the test of time. I would not consider myself the traditional "audiophile" I don't chase imaging and try to tweak my stuff to the nth degree, I just like things that sound good and that will last. I do have a preference for a very low noise floor. My first stereo was a GPX all in one thing I got when I was in 4th grade. It had so much noise and hiss from the amplifier (which I thought were from the speakers at that age) that when I got older my pet peeve became noise and hiss. I expect the Klipsch, due to their efficiency, to show me the weak link in my system but I am just trying to nip some of that in the bud while I wait for them to arrive. I know Paul from PS audio has said some negative stuff about Klipsch as a corporation, and he was wrong in many of his assertions but his company does make some descent stuff. Good thing is if I get one from them and don't like it, I have 30 days. I don't want to get it just yet though. I want to live with the Klipsch for a couple weeks first. I don't foresee myself wanting to return the Klipsch, I loved my Epic CF3's when I had them and have missed them for years.

Thanks for the welcome! I am very excited to get them. I can't say what the SPL is, but I have a tool app on my android phone and I turned the AC off, and with fridge not cycling I was getting 31 db in my living room sitting in the sweet spot. I played the song Morning by Beck at the lowest volume setting and It was hitting peaks of 46 db in the room during the chorus. I am sitting about 8.75 feet from the speakers and they are about 8.5' apart.

Thank you dtel! I am very excited. I really miss the effortlessness of the Klipsch and the larger presentation.

UPDATE 10-01-2019 Speakers came in about 20 min ago. I have them hooked up and listening to them ATM. I am honestly, and surprisingly blown away at how good they sound fresh out of the box. I don't understand it. I sold audio for about 11 years and never heard a speaker sound good out of the box. In fact my Thiels sounded like crap compared to some 300 dollar Tannoy Mercury bookshelves I had before the Thiels broke in. If the Forte III sound this good now, I can only imagine how well they will sound when they are broken in. WOW! ORIGINAL POST BELOW Hello all. First post! I am an old Klipsch owner (Epic CF3's) and have done the "audiophile" thing with other speakers like Martin Logan, Thiel, Tannoy etc over the years. All great speakers in their own right but I missed the excitement Klipsch gave me. I have a pair of brand new Forte III's on the way and am extremely excited to get back to the music. Anyhow. I am on the fence as to whether these speakers will be straight audio or make it into a theater someday (Klipsch, we need a "Heritage" center). I do love a good surround set up, but if I maintain my current gear level it might be more pricy than I can afford, so focus is 2 channel ATM. So, here is my dilemma. I currently have a Pass Labs x150.5 amp, and a Parasound Halo P3 premap (given to me by a friend when I was in need). I am currently running Thiel CS 2.4's and when the volume is at its lowest, its still kinda loud. I mean to say I wish the volume went lower, but the next step is 0 or muted. My concern is how loud the speaker will be playing at the lowest volume setting due to the increased efficiency of the Forte III. I think the Thiels are 87 db efficient (or inefficient if you will). The Forte III being 99 db efficient would be considered 2x as loud at the same volume compared to the Thiels (if I remember correctly, 10 db increase is considered twice as loud by the human ear). So, what would be a good option for a preamp? I would prefer something with a low noise floor to reduce hiss (I currently do not hear hiss from the thiels with the pass/parasound combo) and a volume control that gives me the flexibility to play at lower volumes. To give an idea, for those of you who have owned a Rotel surround preamp or receiver. You know how you have to crank the living hell out of it to get sound...that is what I am looking for. In fact, I have considered getting a used Rotel surround preamp or receiver for this set up...I just don't know what to expect in regards to quality for 2 channel audio. Thank you all in advance for any help. I would like to solve this issue for 1500 or less if at all possible. NOTE: I love the sound of Tubes, but I am not looking to get into the tube world ATM. I prefer low maintenance SS setups.