mrcircle Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 (edited) Hi everyone, I've been a lurker here ever since I grabbed a pair of 1986 Fortes from their original owner via CL last spring. Based on what I learned in these forums, I had the crossovers rebuilt and tested by Bob Crites and also installed his titanium tweeter diaphragms. After living with them for awhile I've decided that they're just not the best fit for my living space, equipment and ears, so I'm ready to pass them along for what I've invested in them. They are lacquered walnut and in very good condition cosmetically; they do show some signs of their age, most notably a few chips in the veneer along the bottom edge of one riser (the right one in the photos) and a collapsed dust cap on one of the passive woofers (no discernible effect on SQ, of course). But for the most part, as you can see in the photos, they look terrific. They have consecutive serial numbers, with the information cards still stapled to the speaker backs. I even have the owner's original paperwork (dated 1987) and the nice instruction booklet that came with them. I do not have the original boxes, but am willing to ship if buyer pays packing and shipping costs. Packing would be about $100 for both, including custom-built double boxes. Please PM me with any questions. Thanks, Michael P.S. Please scroll down to see photos below. Edited September 5, 2015 by mrcircle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcircle Posted August 4, 2015 Author Share Posted August 4, 2015 I'd also add that, though I've never sold anything on this forum before, I have lots of positive feedback on talkbass.com (the bass player's forum) where I have the same username as here: mrcircle. You can also review my eBay feedback as "mtrcircle" on that site. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Post a few pic's to drum up interest. GLWS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fizik Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 GLWS. Plan on sticking with the brand or switching to something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 PM sent Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcircle Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 (edited) Pictures, finally. I don't know what happened to the rear views. I know we shot them. The backs are very clean and the info tags are still attached (consecutive serial numbers!). [/url ] Edited August 27, 2015 by mrcircle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimjimbo Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Geez, I think you need some better quality photos....just kidding of course, those are gorgeous! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 (edited) Unfortunately, my wife (a professional photographer) fell out of a canoe while on a shoot last weekend, taking both Nikons with her into the lake. Until she's sorted things out with the insurance company, I'm limited to my iPhone for photos, so let me know if you're interested and I'll see what I can do. If those are iPhone photos, I could imagine what they would look like with your Nikon. What is up with these guys named Michael(aka Youthman) that take these wonderful photos? Absolutely beautiful speakers and beautiful photos. If Boise was the next town over I would scoop these up in a heartbeat. Great price. Good luck with your sale. Bill Edited August 27, 2015 by willland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 I'm still waiting for you to give me a price on shipping. I am still interested in these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcircle Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 Plan on sticking with the brand or switching to something else? Honestly, I fell in love with the sound of these. Really magical! But as I said, they just aren't gonna work well in the smallish townhouse I share with my wife. (Yes, my wife is definitely part of the decision to sell them, but that's all I'm gonna say about that. ). Placement really is key to getting these puppies singing and it's just too awkward here. I'd love to try another pair of Klipsch and will actively search for a pair if and when we move to a new place. But for now I'm going back to plan A, which is to rebuild my Polk Monitor 10s. They actually do work pretty well in the space they've got to occupy and are also fun in their own way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcircle Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 (edited) Unfortunately, my wife (a professional photographer) fell out of a canoe while on a shoot last weekend, taking both Nikons with her into the lake. Until she's sorted things out with the insurance company, I'm limited to my iPhone for photos, so let me know if you're interested and I'll see what I can do. If those are iPhone photos, I could imagine what they would look like with your Nikon. LOL! Fortunately, the insurance company came through and my wife is back in business. She actually used it as an opportunity to switch back to Canon. She moved over to Nikon a few years ago when they had a higher resolution camera available, but she never really got comfortable with the Nikon. Now that she's back shooting Canon she feels like she's home again. Edited August 27, 2015 by mrcircle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcircle Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 I'm still waiting for you to give me a price on shipping. I am still interested in these. Sorry for the delay, Jim. You have a PM waiting. For anyone else who might be interested, I edited my first post to include the cost of packing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Got it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 But as I said, they just aren't gonna work well in the smallish townhouse I share with my wife. (Yes, my wife is definitely part of the decision to sell them, but that's all I'm gonna say about that. ). Placement really is key to getting these puppies singing and it's just too awkward here. In what ways do you think the rebuilt xovers and titanium tweeter diaphragms improved or changed things? Titanium makes me think of increased output from the tweeter, which I myself would be cautious about, in terms of sonic character and overall balance. Anyway, just curious. Boise is very nice. I go there twice a year, just got back from a couple of days at the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, which has a really nice outdoor amphitheater for concerts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcircle Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 But as I said, they just aren't gonna work well in the smallish townhouse I share with my wife. (Yes, my wife is definitely part of the decision to sell them, but that's all I'm gonna say about that. ). Placement really is key to getting these puppies singing and it's just too awkward here.In what ways do you think the rebuilt xovers and titanium tweeter diaphragms improved or changed things? Titanium makes me think of increased output from the tweeter, which I myself would be cautious about, in terms of sonic character and overall balance. Anyway, just curious. Boise is very nice. I go there twice a year, just got back from a couple of days at the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, which has a really nice outdoor amphitheater for concerts. While I know it's not a best practice, I didn't have the patience to install the new diaphragms separately from the crossovers. It's therefore difficult for me to separate the effects of one from the other, particularly since I wasn't all that familiar with the speakers before doing the upgrades anyway, having only owned them for a month or two. So take my comments with a grain of salt. Overall, what I'd attribute to the new xo's was a more coherent and focused sound. For instance, prior to the upgrades I might have agreed with those who say the Fortes aren't particularly good at imaging, but this was definitely not the case afterwards. Vocals, in particular, emanate clearly now from between the speakers, as if the singer is standing right in front of you. Instruments just sound more "real" and positioned in space. My understanding is that when xo components drift out of spec, they're no longer doing the job of sending the appropriate frequencies to the right drivers, rendering the overall sound harsh, dull or confused. That's pretty much what my ears hear--those qualities aren't present like they were before. The new ti tweeter diaphragms, I believe, also deliver as promised: smoother and more extended highs, less harshness but more "sparkle" in the treble. Now, how much of that is due to the new diaphragms and how much to the crossover I can't say. Oh, by the way, here are the rear shots: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Oh, by the way, here are the rear shots: You gotta pull that passive dust cover out. Only "flaw" that can be found on these otherwise works of art. Easy fix most of the time. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jephdood Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 I wish I had time for a road trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcircle Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share Posted August 29, 2015 I wish I had time for a road trip. C'mon, jephdood! Spend Saturday night in our guest room and you can pull it off in a weekend... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcircle Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share Posted August 29, 2015 Oh, by the way, here are the rear shots: You gotta pull that passive dust cover out. Only "flaw" that can be found on these otherwise works of art. Easy fix most of the time. Bill I'd be terrified of trying it with a vacuum cleaner. Do you have a preferred method? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcircle Posted September 5, 2015 Author Share Posted September 5, 2015 (edited) Dear Klipsch community: Here's the end of the saga. I originally decided with some reluctance to put these beautiful speakers up for sale, after much frustration trying to make them work with my modest equipment in my smallish living space. I concluded that they weren't really as great as everyone said. Hah! It turns out that my turntable was actually the issue. The local high-end stereo shop (I won't say who they are, but there's only one in Boise) hadn't set up my turntable correctly. My disgruntlement had nothing to do with the speakers, but was due to the turntable sounding crappy. Bless this forum! A fellow forum member (and Forte owner) came over to check everything out and readjusted the tone arm for me, and suddenly everything clicked into place. I'm now officially in sonic heaven! Thinking the titanium tweeters were part of the problem, I had reinstalled the poly tweets and thought (temporarily) I liked them better. While I'm glad I experienced the original poly tweeters again for reference, the ti tweets are back in and sounding great. I am so happy with my Fortes now, I can't tell you. Please forget anything negative I may have said about the Crites tweeter diaphragms. They are the bomb. My apologies to any potential buyers. I am supremely grateful none of you moved faster. I'm not selling them now (or maybe ever). You can count me among the legions of Klipsch true believers. I'm delighted to be enjoying my music again. Bless you, Michael Edited September 8, 2015 by mrcircle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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