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Forte II in HT 5.1


nguyendot

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So I picked up a pair of minty (well except one small scratch) Forte II's from 1986 ( I think) for $75. I was using them in 2 channel then realized I'm never out there, and I have a perfectly good pair of B&W DM2000's in that room for 2 channel

So, I moved them out to the other living room where the flat panel and full Paradigm setup was. I wanted bigger speakers [:D]

Anyways the setup for L C R is Forte II ---- KG4 ---- Forte II

Rears are RB25s that I picked up the other day in a trade.

What do you think? I deally I would get a single Forte II for the center, but the odds of that happening are slim to none. The KG4 was had for $15 in great condition at the local goodwill so I figured... why not. It only came as a single for some unknown reason.

The girlfriend (wife) hates the way the living room looks now since I removed the entire tv stand with all the electronics and old center channel and replaced the entire front stage with speakers only. I put in a new audio rack far left of the setup completely out of the way so all you see are speakers (and ugly cables). It sounds awesome. Dialog has never been this clear with my dedicated centers...and I've used some big ones in the past such as the Polk CS350, CS1000p, Paradigm CC300, and Boston VR12.

Anyways, I'd like to upgrade the speaker cables to something cost effective (<$100) and whatever else you recommend that doesn't break the bank. If I keep the Fortes long run I might hit up for some Bob Crites diaphragms, but for now I'll enjoy them the way they are.

Thanks, and it's nice to be a Klipsch fan in addition to my other addictions (I'm a polkie too)

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If your current cables are working, don't spend money on new ones. Unless you're using ridiculously thin speaker wire like 20 gauge or thinner you won't really benefit by changing out your speaker wire.

If you want a smaller speaker, the Academy was designed as a matching center to the Fortes.

You got an incredible deal on all your speakers!

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What everyone else said, but I do have one question is it a wife or girlfriend ? That makes a big difference, UNLESS the girlfriend pays the bills. [:o][Y]

OR is it the wife AND the girlfriend ? [:P][:D][H]

Either way I like the Forte ll's for HT.

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What everyone else said, but I do have one question is it a wife or girlfriend ? That makes a big difference, UNLESS the girlfriend pays the bills. SurpriseYes

OR is it the wife AND the girlfriend ? Stick out tongueBig SmileCool

Either way I like the Forte ll's for HT.

Oh it's the girlfriend. She might is filed as my domestic partner... she's on my insurance (health, home, car). Technically half the house belongs to her since we cosigned. She did finally start paying for half the house.... I usually get what I want but she can complain and it's annoying.

My audio sounds good though!

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What everyone else said, but I do have one question is it a wife or girlfriend ? That makes a big difference, UNLESS the girlfriend pays the bills. SurpriseYes

OR is it the wife AND the girlfriend ? Stick out tongueBig SmileCool

Either way I like the Forte ll's for HT.

Oh it's the girlfriend. She might is filed as my domestic partner... she's on my insurance (health, home, car). Technically half the house belongs to her since we cosigned. She did finally start paying for half the house.... I usually get what I want but she can complain and it's annoying.

My audio sounds good though!

[Y]

Just wondering [:D] we have heard stories of "new" girlfriends trying to move in and push speakers out and it never seems so work out. It goes both ways but if you can't work out something like that it going to be tough. Not that it was any of my #@Y business [:P] that never stops me from asking silly questions. [;)]

What is a Polkie ?

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Wow Forte IIs for $75!

I'm using Forte IIs for my HT 5.1 and love them. I also listen to music on 7 channel (5 in my case) and having Forte IIs front and rear sounds great.

I tried using a Forte II at center in place of my Academy and didn't feel there was enough improvement worth changing my whole HT set up to make way for the single Forte II in front. I've got a HT rack that has the three shelves and the arm/post that goes up that the TV mounts too. I put the Academy on the top shelf and it fits nicely below the TV.

You said you like to use different brands of speakers. I guess I try to keep not only the same brand but the same family of that brand so everything matches and blends nicely. It seems like after I got my first pair of Forte IIs I asked about using KG 4s in the rear because I had a lead on a cheap pair and was told by others here that it may not be a good match. I never did it so I can't say that from experience. I'd recommend getting Forte IIs or Quartets for the rear and either a Quartet, Forte II or Academy at center.

I used to have a pair of KG 3.2s in rear that sounded good with the Forte IIs. Wuzzer has KG 3.5s in the rear, he could share his opinion of them. You can usually find KGs a lot cheaper than Forte IIs if you want to go that route.

Forte IIs for $75!!!!!!! Why can't I ever come across a deal like that?

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I had a feeling it was Polk speakers just never heard it called polkies before. There are alot of people here who have other brands, since I gave my old Baby Advents to a son in law and a few other speakers to another son in law I only have Klipsch now, in a few different flavors, it just happened that way. And I REALLY don't need any more speakers. [:|]

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Using forte II's for mains and surrounds with academy center. They work very well. No sub yet. Tried a quartet for a center while waiting to give the pair to my dad, and loved it. With the right space I would go with a forte II center. actually have a pair not doing anything right now just don't have the space.

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I had a feeling it was Polk speakers just never heard it called polkies before. There are alot of people here who have other brands, since I gave my old Baby Advents to a son in law and a few other speakers to another son in law I only have Klipsch now, in a few different flavors, it just happened that way. And I REALLY don't need any more speakers. Indifferent

I'll happily participate in an "adopt a father in law" program if you need to offload some gear :)

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Since I wall mounted the Samsung LCD, I no longer needed the space under it for a stand, which allowed me to use a much larger center. I can put a forte II under the tv and have room to spare now. The rack got moved far left so it's completely out of view when you're watching tv.

The room is something like 25x20 or 25x25 (i need to measure sometime) because it was originally designed as a large 2 car garage that never got built. Instead the original builders closed it off into a den (brick outside matches). There's like 12 ft of space or more behind the couch. The girlfriend hates the way the fortes look, and I agree to an extent (mainly because of the cables going all over) but I like the speakers.

Next project - cable management. I think I'm going to run everything wall since the cables running down the wall, across it, etc all look ugly. Anyone have any opinions on it? I want to run the 5 amplified channels to binding posts on the wall (5 pair plate) and then through the wall to directly behind the speakers. This should eliminate 90% of the cables I see. The only problem is the rear channels which sit behind the couch, not near any wall....

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I had a feeling it was Polk speakers just never heard it called polkies before. There are alot of people here who have other brands, since I gave my old Baby Advents to a son in law and a few other speakers to another son in law I only have Klipsch now, in a few different flavors, it just happened that way. And I REALLY don't need any more speakers. Indifferent

I'll happily participate in an "adopt a father in law" program if you need to offload some gear :)

Very generous offer but as long as we don't add any more we should be ok, but I will keep that in mind.

It would have been cool to have a father in law, ( or anyone ) with the same interest, people love music but don't want to bother with how to reproduce it.

Anyway your probably not old enough to be my father in law, I am 52 but I don't look a day over mid to late 50's.[:o]

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YES, YOU DO! Now, now, don't lie to yourself Devil.

I only have Klipsch now, in a few different flavors, it just happened that way. And I REALLY don't need any more speakers. Indifferent

OK OK if I ran across something at a great price I would not be able to help myself but it would be to passed down to son in laws or something like that........................unless it were a pair of LaScalas...

The last Klipsch we got were a steal, I like Heritage and really like pro models but we ran across a pair of black RB-75's for $30 new in the box, there in my daughters room now. [H]

I also doubt I will find anything to sound better than the models here now, we spent years narrowing it down to our favorites.

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Heritage is the way to go. I love Heritage and I will only be getting Heritage. BTW, I am only a couple years younger than you but you look way younger [:)].

OK OK if I ran across something at a great price I would not be able to help myself but it would be to passed down to son in laws or something like that........................unless it were a pair of LaScalas...

The last Klipsch we got were a steal, I like Heritage and really like pro models but we ran across a pair of black RB-75's for $30 new in the box, there in my daughters room now. Cool

I also doubt I will find anything to sound better than the models here now, we spent years narrowing it down to our favorites.

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