Last Lemming

In my experience the fortes get better with more clean wattage. I don’t know anything about your current amp but I have an amp with 100w into 8 ohm and it sounds waaaay better than my Decware 6w integrated.

I use a Luxman U505xii just marvelous

So I’ve had my new Luxman 505uxMKII for a few days. All I can say is that Luxman and Klipsch pair VERY WELL!! holographic and the tone is so smooth and pure. super stoked right now.

I’m glad it all ended well for you!!!! For what its worth I had the iv’s running on a new Technics SU-G700m2. Truly is an amazing amp. Did everything right for these IV’s, but it was too much of a good thing. It was sooooo clear and exacting that it made all my crappy 80’s recordings (the music I love) sound true to their recording- meaning bad. However, great recording were unfreak’n believable. But it nagged at me that a lot of my music would never sound great (listenable). So I sent the unit back and I ordered a Luxman integrated. Everything I heard about this amp is that it’s more musical, that and I’ve been wanting a Luxman for years. in the meantime I’m using my Decware integrated. Fooling around with tube rolling for fun. but again. Glad it’s all worked out!

For me it was immediate. Even before I sat down in between the speakers I heard a difference. I hope you find something that’s causing your distress, so you can resolve your issue. Failing that if everything is hooked up correctly and you still don’t like it I suppose you can always put back what you had and sell the kit. Though that’s always a major PIA.

The only other thing I can think of is the wiring might be wrong somewhere else when you installed it. Unplug the speaker wires and speaker binding panel and start there. Failing that pull the tweeter and mid and recheck those. That being said I can’t imagine you did anything wrong, the install is simple enough even considering the tweeter. Which is the same tweeter as you already have except for a phase plug which is supposed to smooth things out. Supposedly the crossover accounts for most of the change anyway. I’ve read from another Forte IV owner the quality of the binding posts are not good. Hard to disagree with that. I’ve ordered some copper posts and I’m going to solder the wires. He did this mod and said the sound got even smoother. Easy enough mod and easy to reverse. BTW the image above the original is on the right.

Sorry to here your issues. I did it like the below. It’s a pic from my install. did you verify the mids were wire right? It’s hard to see the little red line on the terminal.

I’m not sure the CW is better, but rather different. Depends on your preferences, other gear and room. I preferred the Fortes - obviously per my post above.

I just did mine, and sorry I don’t understand why you’re not hearing more of a difference. I would say they almost sound like a different, more refined speaker, from the same company. the difference was immediate as soon as I turned on the stereo without any break in at all. what type of equipment are you using? by the way, I totally agree with you about the labeling of the speakers. I did the same as you with the tweeter, and barely noticed a small red mark on the mid range, had I not seen that it would’ve been a total tossup.

Best $800 bucks spent. to me it sounds like a whole new speaker. all the things about the III I liked are still there except now there’s: 1. More coherent frequency response 2. Smoother frequency response 3. bass is waaaay better - deeper and tighter, I even had to check if my REL sub was on. It wasn’t. 4. Soundstage is wider and deeper 5. No etch to sound at all if in doubt do it!

I’m not sure it’s wise to paint such broad strokes with any type of technology. In my experience there is a time and place for most all technologies. That being said, it might be true that most class d amps you’ve heard don’t mesh with what you (and certainly others) consider “good” or “excellent” sound, but I doubt ALL fall in that category. What I do know is that I’ve been in this hobby for over 35 years, I’ve owned may different components in the high end including SS, Tube, hybrid, and class d, and heard many others. I’ve mixed and matched these components as well and have always found a good sound. Now I’m not impervious to seeking a better and better sound like any other audiophile, but I do know this Technics is something different, and all positives from what I can tell. I don’t really chase specs, but rather SQ, so I’m agnostic with regards to technology. I’d ask for you to hear it first before making assumptions about its SQ.

I’ve been putting more hours on the Technics (through the Forte III’s) and it just keeps impressing me with its qualities- which are a bit hard to describe. It has what appears to be an endless well of power. As the volume goes up there is no apparent stress to the way the music sounds. In my experience with other amplifiers as you turn it up there comes a point where your ear/brain says “whoa, that’s enough”. Whether that’s because the sound seems more strained or you feel the speakers have reached some power limit you’re afraid of crossing. Not with this amplifier, that feeling of “that’s enough” hasn’t yet crept up. It just stays clean and full size. You just wanna keep turning it up up up. Now I’m sure the fact that the Klipsch being so efficient plays into this, but that just makes it a great combo as well. The other thing I’m loving is the bass/mid/treble control. It all apparently happens in the digital domain. I have a bit of a bass suck out where my listening spot is and having a bass control has allowed me to fill in the bass and reduce my need on the REL subwoofer for better integration. Listening to drum solos is amazing - you really FEEL it. The highs are great as well, never harsh. Not as extended like on my Thiel speakers, but those speakers are just better with regards to soundstage and three dimensionality. That being said the overall sound of the Klipsch is large and clear. Pinpointing instruments or singers is easy. But if I had to describe the amp in one word it would be EFFORTLESS.

Technics says is digital, not class-d. But honestly, not sure what that means with regards to how it actually works.

I just purchased the Technics SU-G700. It replaced a vintage Audio Research Tube amp. I agree with the above. It just has a big full smooth sound that seems limitless in power and clarity. Soundstage is there too though the Tube amp probably has an edge in it there, but only slightly. But where the technics trumps the AR is in the dead silent backgrounds. Zero hiss or noise unless the music has it. Music is soooo clear and nuanced without etch. You’d never know it was a digital amp. I’ve also used a Decware integrated amp and it just doesn’t have the big authoritative sound the Technic commands.

...because everybody knows speakers are so unreliable. If you can afford to modify you can afford to fix. The warranty is a non issue. If they sound better it’s a win.