MBM135 Posted April 13, 2002 Share Posted April 13, 2002 I recently upgraded from Kg4's to Forte IIs. Found a MINT (I mean MINT) pair on Audiogon. I have listened to them quite a bit and am having a bit of buyers remorse--although they do sound better than the 4's--I'm not sure they are "more better enough" to justify the cost. They seem a bit "bright" to me. Something I don't get with the Kg4s that are so easy to listen too. But Forte's are great with the higher volumes and bit more clear. I read an older review on Forte's that stated the importance of good amplification with lots of clean high-current power is needed in order to realize the true capability of these speakers. I need an amp that will support HT but also be great for 2 channel as well. If I was only a 2 channel guy the solution would be easy--just get a tube amp. But it is tougher to find a good amp setup that will provide the best of both worlds without breaking the bank. Right now I am using an H/K AVR-110. I am very impressed with the HT this unit provides. But, perhaps I need an upgrade for optimum 2 chan. I have a hard time forking out the $1500+ for Outlaw's set-up and would like to stay under $1000. My H/K doesnt have preamp outs so the idea of using it as a preamp is out. I do like H/Ks sound--sounds wonderful with the Kg4s but the Forte's need better I feel. Any ideas on a better receiver? I have heard that "laid back" components such as Rotel may be a good option. Thanks for the ideas. MM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted April 13, 2002 Share Posted April 13, 2002 MBM- Congrats on the upgrade. Depending on the price, Fortes can be a great bang for your buck. And, if they are oiled oak, and your buyer's remorse gets the best of you, then I might take them off your hands! It's been a long time since I auditioned the KG4 vs the Forte II, but from what I remember, the Forte blew the socks off the KG4. Sorry if that offends some, but that's just my opinion. One thing you might be hearing is the KG4 is a 2-way speaker while the Forte is a 3-way; horn tweeter and mid, big ole woofer for bass. I think they are "more better enough" for the upgrade. As far as an amp...lots to choose. I am partial to Denon; started my HT with a ProLogic unit and upgraded to the AVR-4800/POA-5200 combo for 7.1 HT and I love it. You would probably do pretty good with the AVR-3802. It's got 7x110W, so plenty of power for the Fortes; DD, DTS, ProLogic II (I'd love to have that option), and 5ch/7ch stereo option, which is great for "surround" music from CDs. I love that setting in my HT, and basically prefer that over 2-ch. But if you are wanting that, then the 3802 should have both a 2-ch and a "direct" function. Direct disables all video circuitry for the "cleanest" sound. Truthfully, I can't tell any difference. The 3802 retails for about $1K, but you should be able to get it less. Other folks are partial to Yammy, and I hear good things about the H/K. Maybe since I have only had Denon, I don't recognize any out-of-the-ordinary brightness. Play around with some amps and I bet you'll fall in love with those Forte IIs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikekid Posted April 13, 2002 Share Posted April 13, 2002 GOOD advise by jhawk there. Seems most folks on this board like the Denon / Klipsch combo more than any others as far as receivers go. I prefer the Yamaha... but thats MY taste. I like Denon and Marantz too. The right receiver (or separate amp) with those Forte's will knock your socks off! Extremely NICE speakers. They are among my favorite for sure..and if you decide to get rid of them and you can't get ahold of ole' jhawk...I wanna be next in line! Take care and have fun. Thats what it's all about! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckears Posted April 13, 2002 Share Posted April 13, 2002 MBM, If you want to stick with a receiver, the HK520 is pretty nice, and has the pre-outs to boot (the 320 is similar, but with less power and no HDCD decoding). But the people who have steered you to better amplification are correct: the Forte loves a good amp. I ran my Fortes for years with a 120-watt Carver setup: the sound was ok, but pretty pedestrian, and it went down the toilet when I split my speaker cable to run through a switch box (yes, cables are important). Over a year and a half ago, I upgraded to a McCormack pre-power system, and I have fallen in love with my Fortes all over again. The sound is beautiful, pure and simple. There are many tube evangelists here, and I cannot dispute their claims, having never heard Klipsch + tubes; there are some reasonable SS alternatives to tubes out there, and I understand McCormack is ranked among them... buying them used is great; they were already broken in, and I got my both pre- and power amps for less than half retail; both are built like tanks, and I forsee years of enjoyment from them. As for your receiver conundrum, as I indicated, I recently purchased the HK520, but am using the pre-outs through my existing two-channel setup (using the HK for center and (future) surrounds), and cannot make a determination on the HK with Fortes, the HK speaker terms not accepting my Kimber Postmaster spades. One final note: I recently tried a "better" cd player (the Adcom GCD700), and found the sound way too bright... the source can make a difference, also. I have since gone back to my older Sony changer... ------------------ Klipsch Fortes, Oiled Oak Klipsch KLF-C7 Center Channel McCormack DNA-1 Power Amp McCormack TLC Pre-Amp Harmon Kardon AVR520 Receiver Sony 5-disc changer NHT SA3 Subwoofer Amp Hsu TN1220 Subwoofer Old Akai cassette Deck Nordost Solar Wind interconnects Nordost Moonglo Digital Coax Kimber 4TC Speaker Cable (Future upgrades to include): Klipsch RS-3 Surrounds A big-*** HDTV This message has been edited by chuckears on 04-13-2002 at 09:47 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerohm Posted April 14, 2002 Share Posted April 14, 2002 quote: Originally posted by MBM135: Any ideas on a better receiver? I have heard that "laid back" components such as Rotel may be a good option. Thanks for the ideas. MM I am driving my Forte IIs with separates using the Rotel 985 (450-650 mint used, depending on I or II, rated for a few more watts), and couldn't be more satisfied. I still am using a Sony 2000ESD/EP9(AC3)/Millennium(DTS) as the front-end because I can't find anything quite as flexible without spending a lot more. Sony's amps are nothing to write home about, but I DO like their digital processing and parametric equalization capabilities. Before the Rotel, I had driven the Forte IIs with my college SAE and then Carver amps. I really feel absolutely no desire to upgrade the Rotel (and let's admit it, the urge to upgrade is the most costly aspect of this endeavor... but also leads to some great deals on the used audio marketplace). I am sure that there are other good choices, but you WON'T (or shouldn't anyway) be disappointed if you decide to go the Rotel route. PS: The Forte's make some poorly recorded source material sound bad no matter what, but under the right conditions, should elate. enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted April 15, 2002 Share Posted April 15, 2002 MBM - I also upgraded from KG4s to Forte's (I's not II's). I agree with jhawk -- the KG4s are great, but were no match for the 3-way sound of the Forte's. After that upgrade, I added an Acurus 200x3 amp between them and my Denon 3300, and it breathed more life into the Forte's. The bass was fuller and things just sounded better. You might consider that route -- use your current receiver as the pre-amp for the fronts/sub and as the amp for the rears. I chose to use a 3 channel amp so that all three front speakers are powered by the same amp, avoiding possible amp differences in the front soundstage. There are often used Acurus amps on www.audiogon.com. Doug ------------------ My System Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang6 Posted April 21, 2002 Share Posted April 21, 2002 I have a pair of Forte IIs and I am powering them with a B&K AV5000II(125Wpc x 5) and the sound is fantastic. The B&K is one of the more "laid back" amps out there and it mates up wonderfully with the Fortes. Not to bright, but great detail and bass -- in my opinion it is a great match. I am sure that any of the B&K Amps or Reference series amps would make you happy. You can find them on Audiogon all the time. I have seen the AV500II go for $700. Hope this helps. Thanks Mustang6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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