Frank5 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 My first post. Am getting back into 2 channel. Have a reworked Fisher 500C tube receiver. I have been shopping for Heresy, Forte, Quartet, why? Lurking on this forum and a bit of listening. So, i visit klipsh/home theater showroom and am told the the older speakers are not as sweet as the new reference speakers. That Forte's were an attempt at mass production and not good. Obviously a sales pitch.... but, what is the difference? There seems to be no way for me to do comparative listening. I have a line on a very rough pair of Forte II's, cheap. And a top notch pair of Quartet with crites upgrades - High dollar. Should i persue the new RB-52/62, RB-61/81 or the heritage speakers? My room is not large, corners are on the wrong side of room. I crave Crisp, clear, detail, and the ability to pinpoint the location of the voice and instrument location. am not a rocker, bass is for orchstras, not cracking the plaster for me. so, heritage or new? frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 The heritage you mention are floorstanders, and I think RB is a bookshelf designation. Start with a closer comparison. Otherwise, your ears will have to decide for the decision. Just listen to as many as you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 so, heritage or new? Why not new Heritage? The new La Scalas are simply awesome! Or Heresys, Cornwalls, Khorns...They still make 'em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Fini is right. Where are you located? Perhaps someone near you can give you the keys to their system for a couple hours and let you run through some of your own favorite stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank5 Posted July 13, 2010 Author Share Posted July 13, 2010 I am trying to understand if there are inherent differences in the sound characteristics of the heritage 3-way designs vs the newer triax horns with stiff, light weight cones. I understand that rooms, amps, height, etc have significant effects, but why do people posting here appear to have a profound love affair with the heritage designs? Do they perform better, or does it boil down to personal tastes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Personal taste. As far as the Heritage "obsession," a lot of us have gotten hooked not only on the sound but the history and community surrounding the "old school" speakers. If the Forte IIs are cheap enough, you should give 'em a go. Lots of folks love the sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Congratulations on having a Fisher 500C tube receiver to start your setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted July 13, 2010 Moderators Share Posted July 13, 2010 Fini is right. Where are you located? Perhaps someone near you can give you the keys to their system for a couple hours and let you run through some of your own favorite stuff? Sounds like a good idea, and you could bring your own amp. Just between a few forum members you can just about cover anything Klipsch has or had in the past. We have 7 different models here, one set from the RF line one commercial/pro set and three Heritage models, two older and one new and Forte ll and the original forte. Just tell us where yat ? [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Welcome to The Forum! Yes, do tell where you are located..... My system is nowhere near as comprehensive as some members' Heritage/Reference stuff, but if you are in Chicago, you are welcome to come by for a listen.... And yes, the Heritage sound itself is just better than anything else I have heard. Others feel the same about newer Klipsch,,,,, Diffrn't strokes..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twistedcrankcammer Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Ohio here! Welcome to the madness!! Forte IIs and Quartets are in my oppinion, the most articulate Klipsch out there short of Jubilee. The Chorus, Forte, Quartet family is considdered "extended Heritage". If you can make false corners where needed, they are beutiful speakers when possitioned the propper distance from the corners. Plenty of access here to Heritage and some of the newer stuff as well. Tell the fforum where you are, and we'll try to guide you to someone so you can listen 4 yourself. My personal oppinion, Reference is a good sounding compromise for space saving and wife acceptance factor, but it sure isn't at the top of the heap. Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank5 Posted July 13, 2010 Author Share Posted July 13, 2010 I am in St. Louis, Mo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 A lot of us started on the old heritage/extended heritage lines. Now they can be found used for a song compared to anything new, so the bpd factor (buzz per dollar) is simply too good to pass up. Maybe that will help with your understanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Yes, the older, wise one is correct. I got my Heresies for $250 used. You cannot buy a new set of speakers that perform anywhere near these for $250. (Can you tell I like used equipment? [] ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fwphoto Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Have a reworked Fisher 500C tube receiver. I have been shopping for Heresy, Forte, Quartet, why? Lurking on this forum and a bit of listening. So, i visit klipsh/home theater showroom and am told the the older speakers are not as sweet as the new reference speakers. That Forte's were an attempt at mass production and not good. Obviously a sales pitch.... but, what is the difference? There seems to be no way for me to do comparative listening. Well, I think its kinda like the difference between tubes & solid state. There are plenty of great examples of both that sound super. Personally, I think SS amplification is better at R&R with tubes better at acoustic, orchestral, jazz, vocal, well, just about everthing other than R&R. ;-) Of course, YMMV! I have a line on a very rough pair of Forte II's, cheap. And a top notch pair of Quartet with crites upgrades - High dollar. Should i persue the new RB-52/62, RB-61/81 or the heritage speakers? My room is not large, corners are on the wrong side of room. I crave Crisp, clear, detail, and the ability to pinpoint the location of the voice and instrument location. am not a rocker, bass is for orchstras, not cracking the plaster for me. so, heritage or new? From the info you posted, I suspect you're going to like being in the heritage camp. I run Dynaco separates & am not much of a "rocker" myself. My Forte IIs are great for the music I listen to. Beautiful clarity, detail & soundstage. I also have some vintage Marantz SS gear that I got before the Dynaco stuff that sounds fine, just not as good to my ears than the tube gear. To me, there's really no comparison. I was simply blown away with the difference in SQ between them. Personally I'd get the Forte IIs cheap & put some Crites titanium tweeter diaphrams & crossovers into them. Then sit back & enjoy the music! Frank W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 I am in St. Louis, Mo. I'd invite you to Maron's house but we only get one chance to make a first impression, right? [] [6] [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 laughing more than M A O!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 You should buy the Forte II. As a very general statement, the Heritage accomplished performance the easy way with three way systems and big woofers (aided by ports, passive radiators, and bass horns). The laws of physics demands these. You might consider this to be the muscle cars of the day. The newer units are good. But you'll notice that they are using fewer and smaller components. Arguably, the are more stylish. As a matter of policy, we never say anything bad about the younger children. The Quartet, Forte II, and Chorus II could be considered a neo-Heritage. The passive radiators allow a lot of bass efficiency given the size of the box. The other very good improvement is the so called tractrix midrange in these three speakers. They are good at controlling the coverage pattern. Some people find minimal improvement between the Forte (non tractrix) and Forte II, others find a lot. IMHO, this is because the Forte II solve problems in rooms with early reflections. If your room doesn't have such issues, maybe this is why people don't hear a difference. And of course the Forte II has a bigger bass system too. You'll love the Forte II. One other good thing to say about them is that they are just about the shortest floor-stander which puts the mid and tweeter at ear level when you're sitting, by a smidge. With any speaker system, you'll have to fool with placement and toe-in. You'll find something that works well. Wm McD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 Frank, you are welcome to come down to our house in south county with your Fisher and listen to KHorns, RF 7s, and other Klipsch stuff. Hear for yourself the differences. I have the two channel setups, Carl has the HT setup from heaven, a couple other friends have KG4 and Forte setups. It all boils down to how much room you have, how much money, and what sound you are chasing for what you listen to. And you couldn't make it to a more hospitable house than Maron's. Some folks are just jealous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckears Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 I have owned Fortes (first series) for over 20 years, and have heard almost nothing (of other brands) in the showrooms in the ensuing span of time that compares... most recently, Martin-Logan, Focal, Def Tech - and forget about any of the mid-brand names- none of these sound as good to my ears. A word of warning: if you take up some of the kind offers to listen to the fully horn-loaded Klipsch (LaScala, Belle, or the mighty K-Horn) at one of our more fortunate members' domiciles, hope that you do not get infected as I did a few years ago. These, properly placed, provide a sound like no other I have heard - even with the extended ("Classic") Klipsch models like my Fortes. There is an immediacy and "live" sound from these bigger horns that I have not heard anywhere other than with live music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducatiman916 Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 My first post. Am getting back into 2 channel. Have a reworked Fisher 500C tube receiver. I have been shopping for Heresy, Forte, Quartet, why? Lurking on this forum and a bit of listening. So, i visit klipsh/home theater showroom and am told the the older speakers are not as sweet as the new reference speakers. That Forte's were an attempt at mass production and not good. Obviously a sales pitch.... but, what is the difference? There seems to be no way for me to do comparative listening. I have a line on a very rough pair of Forte II's, cheap. And a top notch pair of Quartet with crites upgrades - High dollar. Should i persue the new RB-52/62, RB-61/81 or the heritage speakers? My room is not large, corners are on the wrong side of room. I crave Crisp, clear, detail, and the ability to pinpoint the location of the voice and instrument location. am not a rocker, bass is for orchstras, not cracking the plaster for me. so, heritage or new? frank Heritage speakers are fantastic,The new klipsch speakers are also fantastic.Look for a pair of epic series cf3 or cf4.Check ebay and craigslist often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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