Chiily

That's a good review, though it just makes me hanker after a pair more. One day, one day...

I'm using a Leak ST20 and swapping to a pair of Radford MA15s, they both sound wonderful to me. Worth tracking down a British vintage valve amp:)

I've a BK XXLS400 sub filling in the bottom bit for me, sounds lovely. Lots of suggestions to pull them a little bit further away from the wall, so that's next to try.

I'll try them, as suggested, a little further from the wall. They are just about at the position of no toe in and strangely I can get one speaker to "disappear" but not the other.

I'd be surprised if the polish worked it's way to bottom of the veneer. Wax can be removed with spirits and some fine wirewool.

Is that because the woodwork is lacquered?

I have used that before on vintage amps and it is superb stuff. Might try that then...hmmm

My apologies if this has been covered, I have found some suggestions but nothing conclusive. I have a pair of distressed Oak Forte IVs, one month of ownership and enjoying them. Could someone please tell me how the wood is finished? I suspect that it is some matt lacquer rather than an oil or wax finish, but I can't find anything definite either way. I'm asking because I have a tin of this stuff PIPIHUA Wood Seasoning Beewax, Traditional Beeswax Polish for Wood & Conditioner,100 ml with Sponge（Lemon） https://amzn.eu/d/iAyJpIG which I've found works wonderfully with wood of all types, certainly not heavy or sticky. Anyway I was wondering if it would be safe to apply to my Forte IVs. Ta

Progress.... Inch by inch the speakers are moving to their final positions, and slowly I'm finding their ability to image. First was to get they at the right position from the back wall, about 14cm at their mid point. This for me provides outstanding bass that doesn't overbear or muddy the music at all, and no overhang. Very pleased. I'm now playing with toe in. Started from being directly at the listening position and inch by inch turning them outwards. I've swapped to my restored Leak ST20, on its 8 ohm tap and twiddled the EQ on the miniDSP to let the full audio bandwidth to the Leak, with a slice of 40Hz and below to the sub, just fill in, but at a low level. Previously with ESL57s my listening was all near field, the Quads needing plenty of space behind them, and it is taking a little getting used to being so far from a pair of speakers... Anyway, I swapped out the Radfords because they were picking up too much RFI from the HomePower Ethernet plugs extending my home network out to the garage....gonna have to get a wire in there. All power to the Leak, 10 watts of EL84 per channel is surprisingly loud.

Hmmm, I've tried them against the rear wall, and out from the rear wall, up to about 75cm away. They have sounded better against the wall in terms of clarity and evenness of Freq response. Away from the walls they do start to become quite confused with a muddled sound. I've not experimented with toe in as yet, leaving them directed to the listening position...plenty more to try, though it does get a little disheartening going from good to bad sq... Onwards...

Just noticed that the right speaker in not "straight on" to the listening position, I can spy a like speaker side...

Yep, it is the sound stage I'm trying to create. I was listening to a couple of tracks I know reasonably well last night and the image was quite flat, vocal not pushed forward as I would have expected from hearing the same track on a couple of different setups.

I did buy them new, so I have them playing atm with a SS amp, saving the valves for later. Excuse the the sparse side of the room and the mess I had just moved the 57s out of the way and they were a long way forward, and quite wide. I have a pair of acoustic panel at the speaker's sides to counter any first reflections. I think what I will do is move the speakers little closer together and a little further away from the back wall to see if that brings a little more depth to the soundstage. The room is L shaped, this begin the widest end. You know, I think Cornwalls would have fitted...lol Thank you for the advice so far. I would like to get the speakers to image as the rest of their sound is fabulous....

Completely restored, fitted with xF2 EL34s. Quite special. Running a pair of Forte IVs, on the 8 ohm tap.

I'm a new owner of a pair of Forte IVs, just bought last week and I'm in the process of getting to know them; quite a leap from a pair of Quad 57s I'm experimenting with placement atm, I've noticed that there is a a bit of a lack of forwardness to the sound, the image is very flat - speakers are about 6" from the wall, at the closest corner and toed into point at the listener. I auditioned the Fortes with a pair of Radford MA15s, the sound was very good, plenty of volume and very sweet, no presence of any "sharp" edges to the sound. I was wondering whether any other Klipsch heritage owners had tried vintage British valve amps and what they thought of the combination? I've a Leak ST20 and a pair of Quad IIs to try yet...