Mark Swearengin

That's a great write up and I agree with everything you said! The older speakers definitely have a sound all their own that's very appealing, not only with Klipsch but other brands as well. I also have a set of Dahlquist DQ-20's, Infinity Kappa 8's, and original Advents that I enjoy along with my Klipsch speakers. All bring something unique to the listener!

Had to go up a flight of stairs but they are now in my listening room!

Just hauled the K-horns up a flight of stairs yesterday. Whew!!!

Did you replace the back panel with something thicker like 3/4" plywood? Seems like that would be an easy fix! I going to replace the spring loaded clips with better banana plugs soon and might just do that.

I'm about to take it one step further as I purchased a set of Cornwalls last week. Geez, 3 pairs of Klipsch speakers in a month! Could it be an addiction? Like my Heresys, the CW's were in a storage unit and I could not say NO to $900! I suspect some of this may lead to a second system in my much larger office. I have the gear, so why not?

Well, I bought them! Talked the guy down to $900. These things are HUGE! Now I've got to figure out a way to fit them in my room, or I may be setting up a second system at my office! Very curious as to how they will compare to the Heresey and Forte speakers...

I'd have to agree based on my limited testing. I've not heard the 4's in any configuration, so I can't say anything about them. I've now added a pair of Cornwall 1's to the fleet! If I can find a place to set these behemoths, I'll be comparing them to the Fortes and Heresys! ☺️

Agree, they are also extremely revealing and dynamic!

Not True. These ain't your granddad's electrostatics! Paired with a sublime piar of Dynadio 12" sublwoofers, they are fantastic. You are right in that the Klipsch speakers have a different sound, but one thing they have in common is both are VERY revealing, allowing you to hear every subtle nuance. These modern Martin Logans are also incredibly dynamic and are not anything like the old 70's era Quads. I like both and appreciate what each brings to the table...er...listening room!

Hello everyone! I currently have a pair of Heresy 1's that I dearly love, and Forte II's that I don't love as much despite the additional bass. The Heresys just sound more natural to me, possibly because my main speakers are Martin Logan electrostatics. I am intrigued by the the Cornwalls however, and have found a pair in black satin in decent condition for $1200 out the door. Based on the serial number they were built in 1976. Prices seem to be all over the place! Is this fair? Thanks--Mark

So well said KT88, especially coming from a fellow Jazz enthusiast. We change as well over time. I have several fast cars that I no longer drive fast in. I also listen now more to the music, and less for the fidelity. When I was a young man I'd sometimes put stuff on that I didn't even like because it "sounded good." Not so much these days! Thanks for your thoughtful comments!

Agree that the type of music makes a big difference. That's also true with my electrostatics. I have definitely experienced the goosebump factor!! And I agree the mid bass is spectacular, I suspect because they are acoustic suspension. I've always loved original Advents for that very reason. They were my first good speakers 45 years ago.

Funny you'd mention that as I'm now looking at a pair of Cornwall 1's and wondering how they would sound, lol. Addicting indeed!

That does not surprise me based on my limited experience. I continue to be enchanted by these little Heresys! I'd love to hear the Fortes in a larger room and may just arrange to do that at my office. Of course now I'm eyeing a nice pair of Cornwall I's wondering how they would sound. One could become addicted!!

Hello everyone! I'm not only new to the Klipsch forum, but I'm also new to Klipsch. I'm a 45-year audiophile who's been into ribbon speakers with subwoofers for the last 25 years, and Martin Logan Electrostatics which I dearly love for the last 3 years. I primarily listen to small combo Jazz, with some Bluegrass and Folk thrown in. I've been intrigued by Klipsch ever since I heard a large pair at Listen Up Audio in Denver, Colorado back in the early 1980's. They played something from Manhiem Steamroller over them, and I was blown away by the huge image and dynamics, but not so much when I had them put on Jazz. The image was too large to seem real to me, but I could understand why the Rockers loved them. I'd always had it in my mind that someday I would pick up a pair for a fun, second system, and about a month ago I did just that when I bought a pair of Forte II's from a Klipsch enthusiast. He demonstrated them from his open garage door, and I very quickly realized they were a lot different than the Klipsch I'd heard years ago. Although they still had that larger-than-life image, they had an accuracy that seemed to rival my beloved electrostatics. He also demonstrated a pair of La Scalas which had an even larger image, but I preferred the Forte's, which seemed to have a tighter, more lifelike image, tighter bass, and just more natural sound to my ears. I played Jazz trumpet for many years, but I could certainly see a rock and roller preferring the bigger brother. I brought the Fortes home, and had a lot of fun with them in my 15x 25 foot room, although I could not get them to match the sound out of his garage despite the much better equipment I was driving them with, and numerous attempts to reposition them. The bass was overwhelming, and the image did not seem to be as cohesive. I suspected the room was a little too small for them. They were fun to use, but when I went back to my Martin Logans I knew I wouldn't be replacing them anytime soon! Several days later a pair of 1980's vintage Heresys showed up in a storage unit for $300, and of course I had to buy them! These were the series I, with what I assumed would be inferior drivers and crossovers compared to the Forte II. I inserted them into my system not even knowing if they worked. The sound that they produced just blew my mind! Crisp and clear with tight imaging and a tremendous soundstage. The acoustic suspension woofer seemed much more accurate than the newer Fortes, and the loss of bass on the lower end was more than made up for by my 12 inch Dynaudio subs when needed. I've done quite a bit of switching back and forth, and my initial impressions still stand. I had at one point thought I might buy a pair of Forte or Heresy IV's, but now I'm wondering if the original Klipsh sound will continue to sound better to me for the types of music I listen to. Although they are different than my electrostatics, they just sound "right" to me, as do the Martin Logans. The differences of both enhance the listening experience of using either type of speaker, whereas the newer Fortes differences act as a distraction. I could live with these little Heresys from here on out despite them being over 30 years old. I can't imagine a change in crossover capacitors enhancing anything. Is there a hard-core group of audiophiles out there that think Klipsch got it right the first time? At this point I feel no need to audition a pair of III's or IV's despite the glowing reviews. I'm using high grade tube gear and superb turntable/cartridges, as well as highly rated cd players. Damn these speakers are fun. They never fail to put a smile on my face! Thoughts?