Outrider 6

Here’s one of the stained LS next to one of the Forté IIs. As you can see, it’s the less photogenic model prettied up with an LS grille. It was raw birch from the factory. I can’t sort out editing the photos on my phone. Will have to figure that out soon. I don’t like looking at sideways photos, either.

So let’s start out with the ugly. This birch La Scala is probably clear lacquered from the feel of the surface, but I like the color. It has an unmodified AL crossover and stock drivers. Squawker is a K-55-M The cabinet has a large scratch on the top, but is otherwise unmarred. Scratch seems to be through the veneer in a few places. It came from Hope with the trimmed in grille cover over the tweeter and squawker.

Thanks. Was pretty happy to get all of it at home. Have done a lot of “outside” listening due to COVID. I really appreciate the span of advice here. I also hope this isn’t one of those boat owner things where this is the second happiest day of ownership—with the first being the day you sell it to someone else.

I rolled the dice and went in big. Ended up with both the Fortés and the La Scalas. Had the wife join in on both purchases. Fortés were the easiest to place. She was very interested in listening to them. She requested Bach’s Tocatta and Fugue, Pachibel’s Canon, The three Tenors doing Oh Solo Mio, and Herb Alpert doing Taste of Honey. Apparently, they are sufficient. LS will be a bit more of a challenge to set up. Need to move a few things to accommodate them in their intended homes. I have, of course, hooked them up. They are magic... I will follow Alexander’s advice. But I also want to check manufacturing information, as well as to inventory the components to see what might need to be updated, such as capacitors. Since the cabinets are fine wood furniture, I know they will require some attention. I’ll just have to figure out what’s appropriate for each. Thanks to all for a great introduction to the community. It’s been fun and helpful so far. I’ve still got a lot to learn, so I’ll be sticking around a while to pick your brains and hopefully to give back something useful as well.

After a bit of discussion, Fortés were available for $1K cash and carry. Not a scratch on them... Before the thread dipped into 32 Hz subwoofer turbulence, I asked a question about whether anyone had a good check list for what to do with your new (but old) speakers. I searched, but didn’t find such a list. So.... Buehler?

This may be one the best places to say that it’s LACK of size that matters. WAF* matters, as does the volume at which you will listen. Your musical preferences matter, too. Since you like Heritage era Klipsch, Heresies are a bit of a benchmark. WAF is usually good, but many here find its bass reproduction wanting. Solutions include better placement, a subwoofer, or a Heresy IV (i.e. another speaker). * for newbies like me, WAF = Wife Approval Factor

Fortunately, the does it need two, one, or any sub question will get my attention sometime down the road. Gotta pay for any speaker I buy first. I like the table tuba idea, but that would be a retirement project. Has anyone done a “What to do to your used speakers when you get them home” checklist?

Care to talk to my wife? ; )

@nickyboy6100 Different rooms. La Scalas would dominate the basement TV room. Fortés would be in a first floor living room. Great advice, though. I fell for La Scalas 7-10 years before the Forté II even existed. In my limited off-time, I made regular pilgrimages to a stereo store in College Park, MD. I bought a few items there, but never had the money or the space to consider LS. But I sure did appreciate the sound...

Just 100 miles. On the East Coast that’s a long way. In other places, it’s just a grocery run. One nice thing about COVID is not so much traffic.

It looks superb... And I can see where the D-3020 optical input and DVD/Blu-Ray would provide very satisfactory “home theater.” 7.2 is great and all, but that’s not always a relevant standard or comparison. Allan’s setup is probably a lot better than whatever audio is built in to the video display.

Update... Forté IIs were in the box and seem to never had been used. Seller was flipping them and said the original owner had them in the box for the last 20 years. Upon inspection, there was no evidence to suggest anything other than long term storage. Seller had them hooked up to an old Aiwa mini amp for an outside audition. Clearly not ideal, but you could figure out that: The speakers can get pretty loud, all the drivers work, and the cabinets were superb. Then I got a text from the LaScala guy. He’d been really concerned about COVID and had been off and on about the sale. Very concerned about social distancing. Could I stop by and pick up the LaScalas today? Fortés were in Aberdeen MD and the La Scalas were in Woodbridge, VA. So 100 miles apart along the I-95 corridor. So I’m eyes on perfect Fortés and faced with walking away from them for a three La Scalas I haven’t yet seen, nor heard. One of the LS was definitely different from the other two. But the two may or may not be a pair. Price is attractive, but without seeing them, I’m not sure that they are a good deal.

The young lady who was selling these wasn’t very responsive. I contacted her several times. First response took a few days. Second response took four. She may have been overwhelmed, preoccupied with work and school, or some combination of these.

@Woofers and Tweeters re: more deals will pop up. I do trust you on this. You have a real knack for finding great deals and a commendable willingness to share. Great service to the community. Thanks!

Thanks again. This seems to me to be a lucky find even though a better price may be found with more patience. $670 each with Crites crossovers is not the best deal ever, but I think it doesn’t suck.

Thanks so much for weighing in on prices, options, and buying strategy. I’m grateful for your time and thoughts—and for the diversity of views. Out of the box opportunity is for three La Scalas for $2K. Crites crossovers in each plus a single spare. Two matching raw birch, one darker, but still light wood—maybe cherry. One thing that’s been true for me as well as being reported by the group is that opportunity disappears, and the best deals are the most fleeting. Can’t let money burn a hole in your pocket, but dithering is also unproductive, too. Context also matters. Price, supply, and demand all factor in—as does time. Best, James

@Allan SongerThat is a lovely setup. Is the stand custom? If not, what is it and who makes it?

Me, too. That’s what I get for starting late...

Did everything sell? Was interested in the Quartet...

@nickyboy6100 I see the same prices you are reporting. I lost a superb set of H2s by offering $700 when the seller was asking $750. Considering I was willing to drive four hours to get them, the $50 seems penny wise and pound foolish. The primary reason I’m considering the premium on these Forté IIs is the combination of condition, cabinet material, sequential serial numbers, original documents and brochures—along with the original boxes. I also really like the Quartets. The wife isn’t going to tolerate high dbs, so as long as I tolerate her, neither speaker is going to get over stressed when she’s in the house.

This is why we ask. DC market tends to be high, but I think that Heritage prices are not going down at the moment. I’ll use Heresies as a benchmark, since they are so common. I haven’t seen anything listed for less than $500 and nothing stays listed for more than a few days. eBay is higher.

So part of this question is about value, the other part about long-term satisfaction. Forté II original owner. Walnut. Sequential serial numbers, factory boxes. All the paperwork. $1250 Quartets. Black, great shape, Also sequential numbers. $650 I love the sound of both. Smallish room. Both will fill it with sound. Community advice?

Yes. I very recently picked up an NAD D-3020 v2. I’ve tried it with Heresy I, KG2, KG4, Quartets, and Forté IIs. I've only used it with a Bluetooth source—my iPhone. I’m not sure if saying that will get me kicked out of the club, but it’s an honest answer. I’m sure people with golden ears will roll their eyes, but age and years of exposure to noise on the flight line have rolled off my Personal frequency response. So...I like it, but I accept its limitations. It works very well with efficient speakers, so it’s well suited to high sensitivity designs such as I seem to gravitate to. With the Quartets, I can get pretty loud, but I will run out of Amplifier before I run out of speaker. If interested, I’ll put an SPL app on my phone and see what I can get out of them.

Again, thanks so much. Will do on the photo. I wanted to avoid thread jacking and failed miserably. I’ll start a new thread over in two channel to pursue the repair. As to this thread, I’m pretty sure the OP is still looking for a PR and so am I.

Thanks to you for this very helpful post and to others for their constructive advice, too. I will look into the repair and recone options as well as a purchase. Candidly, I’d like to purchase a spare PR before I start working on my damaged unit. Good insurance in case my ambition exceeds my skills.