derrickdj1 Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 (edited) I recently join the Heritage family with my first pair of Forte I w Crites XO. I alway wondered which was better for my taste in music. I had little interest in the Heritage line due to their size and old style look. I have had time to setup both pair and get the best sound out of each speaker respectively. A few caveats on the 2 channel setups: Speakers were level matched Forte I, Yaquin VK 2100 tube hybird amp, setup via Samsung BDP for distance and level RF 7's, Pioneer Elite SC 35 and MCACC calibration, set to small with 4 Dayton Ultimax 18 in. subs Jazz: the Forte have a slight edge with jazz midrange and femal vocals. Anything with deep or complex bass goes to the RF 7's. Sade, Celine DIon, Maysa and Hooverphonic's sound spendid on the Forte's. Paul Hard Castle, Paul Taylor, Euge Groove and others sound great on the RF 7's. modern pop like Lady Gaga, Jay Z, Justin timberlake, Nicki Minaj sound way better on the RF 7's due to the heavier bass music. A lot of the old school stuff like Billy Joel, Phil Collins, Commodores, Michael Jackson and other sound perfect on the Forte's. Back in the day, the music was listen to without subs. Some of the few orchestra type music that I own, it was a toss up depending on how complex the mixes are in the piece. The Heritage speakers share the midrange sound which is what attacked me to the line. Clarity and detail are outstanding. The RF 7's don't have the metallic sound that is evident in the Cornwalls, LaScala, Heresy, Forte I and Forte II speakers. This is most likely related to the transitor mod. The midrange is slightly more prominent in the Forte. This is going to sound funny to RF 7 owners, the 7's are more laid back in character. Neither speaker appeared fatiguing during the hours long comparison. There is no clear winner for what I listen to. I love both speakers. One day I will switch around the amps and see how the Forte I do with the Pioneer Elite and the fancy calibration mix with the subs. The RF 7 run fine off the tube hybird amp and can reach extreme levels without a problem. The Yaquin amp is rated at 80 watts. I would like to try some Mc gear on the Forte I and some of the other amps that I have seen at a couple of our Chicago meeting. The gtg's are a great way to see and hear different gear. I am sure after more time with the Forte I that I will have a few more thoughts to share. Edited February 26, 2015 by derrickdj1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemon string Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 Thanks for sharing Derrick. I'd be curious how the two compare with the subs out of the equation as just a toe to toe 2 channel set up. Good stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 Great write up Derrick. Both sets of speakers have had crossover work so it should have been a semi level playing field. It's neat that it was so close when the speakers had such different front end equipment feeding them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOGFAN Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 I have never heard the Forte's before, but I own the Forte II's. I had the RF-7 setup. Further, I have compared them head to head for both movies and music. For movies, the 7's win hands down! For music, it is a lot closer race....depending on the music, the volume, etc.. For me, I prefer the "older" sound of the Forte II's, rather than the "ultra-crisp and in-your-face" dynamics of the 7's. Again, that is just me. I know some people say the 7's look more modern and sleeker......I glad my ears seem to work better than my eyes. Hogfan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted February 25, 2015 Author Share Posted February 25, 2015 (edited) For music, it is a lot closer race....depending on the music, the volume, etc.. This is so true HOGFAN. That is why I said for what I listen to. It would certainly change depending on your taste in music. t's neat that it was so close when the speakers had such different front end equipment feeding them. The two amps are both very nice. The Pioneer Elite with the flat FR and well balanced sound. The Yaquin amp definitely sounds sweeter after a small warm up time. I have changed everything in my system over the last few years except the Pioneer Elite. I'd be curious how the two compare with the subs out of the equation as just a toe to toe 2 channel set up. The sub imparts weight to the bass. At times the Forte I seem tighter just like running the RF 7's as large speaker without the sub. I really don't think they are any tighter, they just lack the lower bass extension and weight compared to the subs. It is interesting that with 4 subs and very even bass in the room the SQ difference between the two systems. The Forte I are not bass shy by any means with the passive radiator acting like a 12 in. sub. They are just different. Edited February 25, 2015 by derrickdj1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 This is going to sound funny to RF 7 owners, the 7's are more laid back in character. Probably due to the forte mid horn. Shoot them a little bit off axis behind your ears about 8 to 10 inches and they will soften up a bit if that is what you desire. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjptkd Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 Are you running the subs with both sets of speakers or just with the Rf-7's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted February 25, 2015 Author Share Posted February 25, 2015 (edited) Just the 7's that are set to small. I forgot to mention that the Pioneer Elite is used with an Acurus 200 five amp so, they are not being powered by the ICE amps in the Pioneer. Bill the mids are nice and not piercing or shrill, they are very nice with the Forte I. Sparkling and all that stuff, lol. Edited February 26, 2015 by derrickdj1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjptkd Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 Good review! It would be interesting to hear your thoughts comparing things being exactly equal. Plug one set into one system and listen for a while then only change the speakers and listen to the same set of music. Sometimes I'll hook different speakers on each side, start in my listening position and then walk to each speaker up close to hear differences. As you get closer to each individual speaker it will stand out more and you can quickly move closer to the other speaker to hear a change. I have the RF-7's now and compared them with the Chorus II's and now the KP-250 II's. The RF-7's are no slouch, I was actually pleasantly surprised by how nice they sound. On paper I was disappointed in them. The KLF-30's replaced the Chorus II and I thought it was actually a downgrade in build quality and performance. When I seen the replacement for the KLF-30 was dual 10" 2-way speaker I just never really took them seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattSER Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 This is going to sound funny to RF 7 owners, the 7's are more laid back in character. This was my finding as well, when comparing my RF-7s to Forte IIs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 This was my finding as well, when comparing my RF-7s to Forte IIs. It is good to hear someone else reached the same conclusion. The Forte, for a lack of a better term may seem more like a live performance and the 7's similar to a studio cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 try listening to your Forte with the mid horns centred on your ears when seated. I have my set (which now reside with my son) up on four post Skylan Stands which are about 14 inches high the risers are off the speakers. This makes for a substantial difference. Remember also that dual tens push about 50% more air than a single 12" woofer does. Have fun listening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 Moray, I remeber you saying raise the speaker to get the midhorn higher. I may build some risers for them down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Which RF-7 do you own? The original? Or the RF-7II? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Which RF-7 do you own? The original? Or the RF-7II? He stated he did the transistor mod in the first post so that would be the original 7's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cantilope Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 I would like to try some Mc gear on the Forte I I have recently joined the SS McIntosh world. I am very, very happy with the heritage and Mac marriage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 (edited) I have heard a few MC SS and tube amps. Both were very good and to close to pick out any sonic difference since I could not A/B test them side by side. Edited February 26, 2015 by derrickdj1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Which RF-7 do you own? The original? Or the RF-7II? He stated he did the transistor mod in the first post so that would be the original 7's. Interesting, I didn't know there were transistors in the RF-7? I'm not familiar with that mod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Which RF-7 do you own? The original? Or the RF-7II? He stated he did the transistor mod in the first post so that would be the original 7's. Interesting, I didn't know there were transistors in the RF-7? I'm not familiar with that mod. My bad, resistor good Dr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I'm thinking it is the resistor modification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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