Please welcome a Klipsch newbie and help with first 2.0 purchase!

[Islander]

Yes, La Scalas do sound better with the help of a subwoofer, but you can use them as is just fine, until you can find a sub you can afford. They may be a few hundred dollars out of your price range today, but why not save up for a few months and start looking seriously for a pair within driving range of your place? Believe me, your ears are ready for great sound today. When buying pre-loved speakers, a little patience can really really pay off. Being patient and having ready cash was how I got my Belles and La Scala IIs.

Quite a few forum members have had their La Scalas since they were young adults, or even had them while they were in college. I envy those dudes.

In the long run, it's more enjoyable and a lot less costly to get what you really want in the first place, instead of trading up step by step and likely taking a loss with every sale of the stepping stones.

BTW, my very first Klipsch speakers was a pair of La Scalas from the local vintage hi-fi shop. They've served me well and they're now my surround speakers.

I believe you, but for some reason, the La Scalas just don't click with me. I have also not come across a pair in colorado in the past six months.

You may be right about waiting longer though. I may save up more and try for the RF-83s. Otherwise, my ideal heritage speaker, Forte, is already within my price range.

If, by chance, I do happen upon La Scalas, do you think I could just equalize the bottom-end? I mean, they have friggin 15"s right?

Yes, La Scalas do have 15" woofers, but the limiting factor to their low bass extension is the length of the bass horns, not the size of the woofer. Believe it or not, the Scalas were designed as "portable" PA speakers, so they're actually smaller than would be ideal for deep bass, which wasn't important for their original application. They do have outstanding midrange sound. When that's augmented with a good sub, the combination is very hard to beat.

The Fortes, and more so the Forte IIs, get really good reviews. From what I've read, they have solid bass and smooth frequency response. They could also match up well with La Scalas down the road.

[mattSER]

I thought this was going to be a harder choice seeing as I'm a sucker for the look of the cerametallic drivers in the RF-series, but it seems that I should stick with my quest for the Forte.

Thanks a lot guys. I'll be back.

[Islander]

Yes, La Scalas do sound better with the help of a subwoofer, but you can use them as is just fine, until you can find a sub you can afford. They may be a few hundred dollars out of your price range today, but why not save up for a few months and start looking seriously for a pair within driving range of your place? Believe me, your ears are ready for great sound today. When buying pre-loved speakers, a little patience can really really pay off. Being patient and having ready cash was how I got my Belles and La Scala IIs.

Quite a few forum members have had their La Scalas since they were young adults, or even had them while they were in college. I envy those dudes.

In the long run, it's more enjoyable and a lot less costly to get what you really want in the first place, instead of trading up step by step and likely taking a loss with every sale of the stepping stones.

BTW, my very first Klipsch speakers was a pair of La Scalas from the local vintage hi-fi shop. They've served me well and they're now my surround speakers.

I believe you, but for some reason, the La Scalas just don't click with me. I have also not come across a pair in colorado in the past six months.

You may be right about waiting longer though. I may save up more and try for the RF-83s. Otherwise, my ideal heritage speaker, Forte, is already within my price range.

If, by chance, I do happen upon La Scalas, do you think I could just equalize the bottom-end? I mean, they have friggin 15"s right?

Yes, La Scalas do have 15" woofers, but the limiting factor to their low bass extension is the length of the bass horns, not the size of the woofer. Trying to extend the low bass below the horn's bass cut-off with an equalizer will generate heat and distortion, but not much actual sound.

Believe it or not, the Scalas were designed as "portable" PA speakers, so they're actually smaller than would be ideal for deep bass, which wasn't important for their original application. They do have outstanding midrange sound. When that's augmented with a good sub, the combination is very hard to beat.

The Fortes, and more so the Forte IIs, get really good reviews. From what I've read, they have solid bass and smooth frequency response. They could also match up well with La Scalas down the road.

I'm not sure what just happened with that previous post. This post is what should have appeared.

[001]

hard to describe sound differences & every listener is different. im my opinion the fortes are just so much smoother & more enjoyable to listen to than the big KLF's & especially the gold woofer stuff. take the terms used with a grain of salt, best i can say is the Rf & KLF's are brighter & possible "harsher" than the fortes & others of that series. comparing my fortes to my KG5.5's the same applies, i like the kg's & have owned them for well over 15 years, but at higher volumes they get a little too harsh for my tatse, the fortes just seem to sound better & better the louder you play them. & the single 12" with passive radiator has equal bass as the dual ported 10" woofers of the kg & i assume klf 20's. fortes are just an overall awsome speaker.

& even though the chorus may show not as low on paper as the fortes, you wont notice a few hz when they play so much louder than fortes, the 15" woofer will have more kick & impact than the 12, thats why they are bigger & more $$. but the mids & tweets are the same, just different x-over points. if i come across a pair of chorus 2's i will be adding them to my fortes for a 4ch system made in heaven. & i just bougt a pair fo k-horns 2 days ago! be carefull, this hobby can be addictive once you get your first taste of klipsch sound!

Edited February 1, 2014 by klipschfancf4

[Mallette]

If, by chance, I do happen upon La Scalas, do you think I could just equalize the bottom-end? I mean, they have friggin 15"s right?

ArghhhhhhNoooooooooo.... This is what you are coming to Klipsch to get AWAY from. If you want more bass, build a horn-loaded sub to go with them and labor to get it properly merged with them. PWK would spin in his grave at such a thing, and rightfully so. The LaScala, as with all Heritage, is as close to inherently unimprovable as you will find in speakers. STEP AWAY FROM THE TONE CONTROLS!

One step at a time. I am a pipe organ freak and even the mighty K'horn can't handle a 32' low C at 16.5Hz. That's the domain of a subwoofer. To build a full range speaker to do that to the specifications of PWK's cardinal points would require a REALLY BIG freaking speaker you'd be hard pressed to get through the door.

Dave

Edited February 1, 2014 by Mallette

[Mallette]

I'm not sure what just happened with that previous post. This post is what should have appeared.

Transporter accident?

Dave

[willland]

MattSER,

Welcome to the forum.

These have your name all over them.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Klipsch-RF-63-Main-Stereo-Speakers-/221364024498

I have owned fortes, Quartets, and the RF-63's won out for me when it comes to music. They are the most musical 2-way Klipsch speakers I have ever heard, IMO.

Bill

Edited February 1, 2014 by willland

[Islander]

I'm not sure what just happened with that previous post. This post is what should have appeared.

Transporter accident?

Dave

What appeared on my screen was NO - SUCH - TOPIC instead of the post. When I refreshed, it had disappeared. Odd.

[Mallette]

What appeared on my screen was NO - SUCH - TOPIC instead of the post. When I refreshed, it had disappeared. Odd.

As I suggested, transporter accident. Probably happened as the thread was being moved to 2 Channel per the newbies request.

Dave

[iRONic]

If, by chance, I do happen upon La Scalas, do you think I could just equalize the bottom-end? I mean, they have friggin 15"s right?

ArghhhhhhNoooooooooo.... This is what you are coming to Klipsch to get AWAY from. If you want more bass, build a horn-loaded sub to go with them and labor to get it properly merged with them. PWK would spin in his grave at such a thing, and rightfully so. The LaScala, as with all Heritage, is as close to inherently unimprovable as you will find in speakers. STEP AWAY FROM THE TONE CONTROLS!

Dave

This is so much truth!

Get it tattooed on your arm if you can't remember it. Serious.

Edited February 1, 2014 by Mallette

[WMcD]

I have Forte II and listen to them every day at the office.

They have lots of clean bass, very low bass with the passive "drone" augmentation, the marvelous tractrix midrange which Klipsch recognized as being better than the exponential mid in the Forte (I), and a tweeter as good as any other.

So, if you have one speaker to buy on a budget, the Forte II is the one.

I have the little brother Quartets which are good too, but which may be too short to be a true floorstander. I have them on stands at home.

I'd love to hear a the big brother Chorus II but have not. I did hear Chorus (I) in very poor conditions and horribly overdriven and did not like them at all.

Of course the Quartet, Forte II, and Chorus II are the papa bear, momma bear, and baby bear of the line which all use the passive radiator and tractrix mid horn. In my view, a very high point in the evolution of non-bass horn Klipsch. Please buy a pair of any if they come on the market at a reasonable price.

I'm a bit puzzled that KLF-30s don't get better reviews. They seem to be a further extension of the same but without the passive radiator. I'd consider buying a pair if I needed more speakers (which would be insane).

WMcD

Edited February 1, 2014 by William F. Gil McDermott

[mattSER]

Thank you all for the input.

I got it, NO equalization!

I realize I'm putting too much thought into the bass extension, I just want to be sure I'm not disappointed and need a subwoofer later.

I appreciate the differing views between the Fortes and RFs. As of this moment, I think I would decide between the speakers I'm watching in this order of priority:

RF-83

RF-63

Forte II

Forte I

Chorus

KLF-30

KLF-20

RF-35

How does that look?

I can only hope I somehow come into extra money sooner rather than later for those Albuquerque RF-63s. I can't shake the feeling that I would be the most satisfied with those triple coppers.

but really, thanks for the input, guys. All I think about all day anymore is my impending Klipsch purchase.

[derrickdj1]

When you are ready MattSER, posting a WTB in the Garage Sale thread will alert others that you need help locating a good deal. These guys have helped me find a few nice things. Most speakers with a 12 in. or 15 in. woofer will not be bass shy.

[mattSER]

Good to know.

This is definitely the most helpful forum I've ever been on. Quick too!

My job could be considered seasonal, so I'll be pulling in some money in late March. Cross my fingers that something is waiting for me then.

I was checking out these RF-83s on ebay. Anybody know why the drivers appear to be silver? Was that a factory option that I've never seen before? Maybe it's the guy's camera...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Klipsch-RF-83-Reference-Speaker-Pair-Excellent-Condition-No-Reserve-/141176188225?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item20dec1ad41

[moray james]

hard to describe sound differences & every listener is different. im my opinion the fortes are just so much smoother & more enjoyable to listen to than the big KLF's & especially the gold woofer stuff. take the terms used with a grain of salt, best i can say is the Rf & KLF's are brighter & possible "harsher" than the fortes & others of that series. comparing my fortes to my KG5.5's the same applies, i like the kg's & have owned them for well over 15 years, but at higher volumes they get a little too harsh for my tatse, the fortes just seem to sound better & better the louder you play them. & the single 12" with passive radiator has equal bass as the dual ported 10" woofers of the kg & i assume klf 20's. fortes are just an overall awsome speaker.

& even though the chorus may show not as low on paper as the fortes, you wont notice a few hz when they play so much louder than fortes, the 15" woofer will have more kick & impact than the 12, thats why they are bigger & more $$. but the mids & tweets are the same, just different x-over points. if i come across a pair of chorus 2's i will be adding them to my fortes for a 4ch system made in heaven. & i just bougt a pair fo k-horns 2 days ago! be carefull, this hobby can be addictive once you get your first taste of klipsch sound!

KLF 20/30 were shipped stock with poly tweeter diaphragms not phemolic as the Forte and Forte ll have so if you have a KLF you should consider chaning out the awful sounding poly tweeter diaphragms. The best sounding tweeter diaphragms are the titanium ones and you can get them from Bob Crites. The titanium mid diaphragm is also greatly superior to the phenolic one IMO and those are only available from Klipsch. The ti diaphragms will take any Klipsch to ne levels of performance. Best regards Moray James.

[willland]

I was checking out these RF-83s on ebay. Anybody know why the drivers appear to be silver? Was that a factory option that I've never seen before? Maybe it's the guy's camera... http://www.ebay.com/...=item20dec1ad41

Not silver. The camera flash has distorted the color.

Bill

[Scrappydue]

Add some Cornwalls to your list also. Deals do come up on them for sure. Them and the 63's are my two favorite speakers for music.

[Mallette]

There's been a bit of a good old fashioned Klipsch Klash in the "Cable Myths..." thread regarding "accuracy." This was settled years ago...nearly 40...for me in my first hunt for a serious set of speakers. I was in my last year of the Army at Fort Bliss (now THERE is an oxymoron if ever I saw one!) and my wife got a good job. Time for an upgrade to my system! At the time, I had Frazier Super Monte Carlos (still have them) and a Dynaco SCA-35 (wish I'd kept it). Nice, but as a pipe organ freak even them I needed MORE.

Spent quite a few visits to a very comprehensive audio store and it came down to Rectilinear V or an ESS with Heil Motion Transformer at about the same price. That's where I learned about the "flavors" of accuracy. The ESS shimmered, sparkled, and demanded attention. On the same material, the Rectilinear seemed slight more distant but warm and mellow. The ESS was more exciting. After a LOT of vacillation I purchased the Rectilinears which served me well for 20 years.

So...RF or Heritage? It was the mention of Cornwalls as a possibility that reminded me of the above story. Cornwalls are very accurate...but they aren't "listen to me dammit in your face" accurate. That's how I've perceived the RF line in general. One might say if you have a listening room with bright colors, abstract paintings, and such you MIGHT be an RF sort of person. If your listening room has leather, dark woods, and crown molding (and on rare occasion a hint of cigar smoke) you MIGHT be a Heritage guy.

I say all the above tentatively and conceptually as there will be as many exceptions as those who get it. As with any choice of musical genre, volume levels, and such there is no "wrong" answer but one can be influenced by others to make a wrong choice.

Just because you may find the writing qualities, technical savvy, and depth of experience of some here absolutely overwhelming does NOT mean their opinions are right for you. Listen, consider, weigh the benefits, make a "Ben Franklin" table of pros and cons, but most of all LISTEN and go with what works for you.

The benefit will be decades of bliss and your occasional bout of "jonesin" for this or that will be based on a simple "Me WANTS the precious..." as opposed to being unhappy with what you have.

Dave

[mattSER]

...The benefit will be decades of bliss and your occasional bout of "jonesin" for this or that will be based on a simple "Me WANTS the precious..." as opposed to being unhappy with what you have.

Dave

Thank you so much for this write-up. This is what I really needed to hear. Something inside of me is compelling me to the RFs, yet much of the advice I'm getting is steering me back to heritage. I'm sure I would be very happy with a pair of Fortes, but I've decided to go on a quest for the coppers.

There is a guy in Colorado Springs, CO selling a pair of RF-7 originals for $800. It's this kind of deal that assures me I can find exactly what I'm looking for when the time comes.

[Matthews]

Welcome Matt, so here is a little of my own experience. Was hook line & sinker with a pair of RB-61's (very 1st pair of Klipsch). These were great, but quickly I was ready for some serious sound. A few months later I picked up a pair of RF-7's from my local HiFi shop. At the time, thinking I will never buy another speaker. WRONG!!!

So, straight to the point. I came across a pair of Forte II's for little $. Installed new Crites woofers in them and never looked back. After adding the Forte's my 7's became mere carpet weights, collecting dust! I stopped listening to them completely.

The Forte's had plenty of punch on the low end and a warmth I came to love on mid's and highs. I listened to these for a few months and then it happened. Sold everything, sought out the La Scala.

My point, I did not realize it, IMO the Forte blew the 7's outta the water. I wasted a lot of money chasing the Reference line. The RF series are great, please don't get me wrong. I just think the Heritage is BETTER!

Again Welcome to the Forum mattSER