Theatrical Forte

[nlt6mor]

Damn indecision,  now I have two pair of Oak fortes to look at.   The ones close to me for 350,   or an 80 miles drive for 250.   The 250 pair even look nicer and exact same vintage as mine.   Round terminal cups listed at 4 ohms.  Is a bird in hand (close) worth two in the bush?

[nlt6mor]

 Brought new Oak Fortes home this week from Craig list add.  Had to take both,  maybe a blessing.   I can just take the feet of one and dig the tweeter and midrange wires out from the back.   Take the mid range and tweeter horns out of the other one and set them on top of the new horizontal center forte!   I knew I would have to darken the color of the Oak,  but didn't know they had different grill cloth??!!

 

Almost theater,  now I have to start the search for some surrounds.  What do you know about KSP-S6?   I see some  of those around.

[WMcD]

If this is to be a center under a TV.

I'd think it would be better to keep the motherboard geometry with the drivers in alignment and cut off the lower section and build a squat box to go under the TV. The passive could go at the side.

WMcD

[mustang guy]

Damn indecision,  now I have two pair of Oak fortes to look at.   The ones close to me for 350,   or an 80 miles drive for 250.   The 250 pair even look nicer and exact same vintage as mine.   Round terminal cups listed at 4 ohms.  Is a bird in hand (close) worth two in the bush?

 

You got great prices!  You must live in a hotbed of used heritage Klipsch. Are you near Hope or Indy?

[nlt6mor]

 

Damn indecision,  now I have two pair of Oak fortes to look at.   The ones close to me for 350,   or an 80 miles drive for 250.   The 250 pair even look nicer and exact same vintage as mine.   Round terminal cups listed at 4 ohms.  Is a bird in hand (close) worth two in the bush?

 

You got great prices!  You must live in a hotbed of used heritage Klipsch. Are you near Hope or Indy?

 

Minnesota here. Covered with a new blanket of snow this morning.   The pair I bought closest to me were on Craigslist for 4 months.   A jockey bought them at an estate sale and started listing them at 500.   He has been coming down regularly.  I bought them at 325.   The other pair that came up the same day I had the appointment to go see the ones I bought,   they started at 250 and only lasted on line 2 days.  Seller told me the buyer felt like he got a steal.  I had been doing the dreary search of Pawn shops,  thrift stores and the like.  Nothing but junk ever, and a depressing way to spend my time.  One of the gals that owned a thrift store said my best bet was estate sales in ritzy areas of the city.  She was right,   the jockey found his there and I was more than happy to let him make some money so I could quit cruising the junk stores.  I have been looking for 6 months.

Last night was interesting A-B ing these new speakers against my original Fortes that I have upgraded through Crites.  They both sounded good by themselves,  but quite the difference also. Results in a different post when I have time. I now have figure out how to use as horizontal and then do the Crites upgrade and tighten the cabinet in that one!

[nlt6mor]

If this is to be a center under a TV.

I'd think it would be better to keep the motherboard geometry with the drivers in alignment and cut off the lower section and build a squat box to go under the TV. The passive could go at the side.

WMcD

Thanks for the advise WMcD.   I am a newby on this forum,  although I bought my round terminal cup Forte new.  You with 6500 posts must be like the Godfather of Klipsch forums!!   lol

 

I didn't understand what you told me however.  Yes, the goal was to get a matching forte to try to use as a horizontal center in a 5.1 theater.  My last thought ( from James, above posts)  was to move the tweeter and midrange to an outbound box on top of the horizontal forte.   When you say alignment,  do you mean there would be a problem with the speakers timber to have the tweeter and midrange horns side by side instead of on top of each other?  Front to back alignment can be fixed the same as current.  I like the idea of not cutting the new Fortes up any more than I have to,  but I was originally thinking of redoing the whole motor board.  Can you give me another explanation of your idea?  (in the dummies format)  lol  Thanks

[nlt6mor]

Have I run the table on helpful ideas and advise?  After listening to the new Fortes I am leaning away from the sacrilege of taking a saw to a matched pair of good sounding Fortes!  I may be closing in on using them for the 5.1 surrounds and continue to shop for a Heresy or KLF-C7  as a shorter center.

[WMcD]

Sorry, this post got messed up.

More later.

WMcD

Edited March 20, 2016 by WMcD

[jason str]

^^^> More work but a great alternative to your question and issues.

[WMcD]

Thanks for the kind words. I've been around for a while and a post or two a day ups the tally of posts.

1) I think you should try the Forte on the side under the screen before investing a lot of work.

2) If you want to build something, I think that maintaining the vertical alignment of the drivers is important and very much preferred to putting the mid and tweet to the side.

3) Just for experiment, you might try the Forte vertical even if it requires putting "the one-eyed-monster" at a higher elevation. Of course using it alone to support a big screen can create dangerous tipping issues. Do you have a wall mount system?

4) Like I was saying. If you want to maintain vertical geometry of the drivers and keep height to a minimum, you'll have to build something like a cube. See attached illustration.

5) Rather than build a cube you might consider a prebuilt subwoofer cabinet. Parts Express has many. Here is one. You get the idea.

http://www.parts-express.com/denovo-audio-knock-down-mdf-40-cu-ft-subwoofer-cabinet-with-blank-baffle--300-7088. Probably more volume than you need but look around or modify it.

6) Milling the front board to flush mount the drivers is a real bear. Please know that Paul Klipsch did not for his speakers for many years and claimed it "doesn't make a dime worth of difference."

to

7) Overall. I'm suggesting that you don't drive yourself nuts to that your search for perfection gets in the way of enjoying your equipment and music. Try the center Forte upright. Center channel is astounding. Then try flipping the Forte on its side if height is a "must do." If you build anything, find a premade box to save time and effort and migrate the drivers over while preserving the original veneer box.

WMcD

Edited March 20, 2016 by WMcD

[nlt6mor]

Sorry, this post got messed up.

More later.

WMcD

Ahhh,   so a whole new cabinet,  just move the components over to the new box.   Duplicate the close arrangement (alignment) of three drivers,  and move the passive to the side so that it can be closer to the wall?  Box with the same volume,  just shorter,  much wider, and a little deeper! ( 3/4 MDF sound the same)   Is that it?  Saves the original box in case you want the original forte restored.  Thanks

[nlt6mor]

Thanks for the kind words. I've been around for a while and a post or two a day ups the tally of posts.

1) I think you should try the Forte on the side under the screen before investing a lot of work.

2) If you want to build something, I think that maintaining the vertical alignment of the drivers is important and very much preferred to putting the mid and tweet to the side.

3) Just for experiment, you might try the Forte vertical even if it requires putting "the one-eyed-monster" at a higher elevation. Of course using it alone to support a big screen can create dangerous tipping issues. Do you have a wall mount system?

4) Like I was saying. If you want to maintain vertical geometry of the drivers and keep height to a minimum, you'll have to build something like a cube. See attached illustration.

5) Rather than build a cube you might consider a prebuilt subwoofer cabinet. Parts Express has many. Here is one. You get the idea.

http://www.parts-express.com/denovo-audio-knock-down-mdf-40-cu-ft-subwoofer-cabinet-with-blank-baffle--300-7088. Probably more volume than you need but look around or modify it.

6) Milling the front board to flush mount the drivers is a real bear. Please know that Paul Klipsch did not for his speakers for many years and claimed it "doesn't make a dime worth of difference."

to

7) Overall. I'm suggesting that you don't drive yourself nuts to that your search for perfection gets in the way of enjoying your equipment and music. Try the center Forte upright. Center channel is astounding. Then try flipping the Forte on its side if height is a "must do." If you build anything, find a premade box to save time and effort and migrate the drivers over while preserving the original veneer box.

WMcD

Thanks WMcD,  I think we were typing in perfect alignment.  lol.     I understand your thoughts now!    Just in case I chicken out of the Forte center idea,      how much overkill is the Forte on tall stands for surround speakers (5.1).  Where would you aim them? I was thinking of a wider dispersion surround speaker originally (KSP-S6).   Assuming I find a good KLF-C7? as a center.   Stereo music is still priority over Theater.  

[nlt6mor]

Playing. I think with the foot removed it is shorter than than sitting on this table. I think I will get having all three midrange at the same level and stand it up. L and R will go up on stands.

Have to make a new upright equipment rack. It sounds good, but a narrow focus. Time to get some Crites stuff. Then look for Surrounds and start building some room treatment. Paint the walls and someday get a real TV. lol

[nlt6mor]

\

 

Playing. I think with the foot removed it is shorter than than sitting on this table. I think I will get having all three midrange at the same level and stand it up. L and R will go up on stands.

Have to make a new upright equipment rack. It sounds good, but a narrow focus. Time to get some Crites stuff. Then look for Surrounds and start building some room treatment. Paint the walls and someday get a real TV. lol

[Frzninvt]

The correct timbre' matched center for the Forte' is the Academy not the Legend series KLF-C7, the Academy is a killer center especially if you can source one of Popbumper's PCB based crossover networks for it or have DeanG work his magic on one for you.

 

Obviously a Forte' for center is the absolute best choice.  Try it laying on it side before cannibalizing and building.

[WMcD]

I really am not qualified to give advice on surround.  It seems a bit of gimmick or at least of much lower priority than other issues.

 

A story.

 

A long time ago I had home made horns in my sister and bro-in-law's garage.  Then set up two EV mid horns in a Dynaco (no delay) system on top of tall cabinets.  And played Telarc Symphonic Star Trek.  Highly recommended.

 

Nothing magic happened until I stood under one of the surrounds and the Tribble track came on.

 

Astounding.  There were three or four Tribbles in distinct locations on the garage floor purring away.

 

WMcD. 

[dtel]

1) I think you should try the Forte on the side under the screen before investing a lot of work.

 

 

 

I have to agree, I would guess the horns oriented in the right direction may be better, but to be perfectly honest I don't know if i could hear the difference. I use a forte ll on it's sides for a center (and rears) and I don't think it could be any better across the front three.  

 

I did take the stands off of all my forte's, they just unscrew, no reason to keep them on for the way I use them. I like woodworking and could make another cabinet but after hearing it on it's side I see no reason to change anything, I doubt you could hear a difference unless you were really close and off to the side and it would still be a minimal difference.    just another opinion    

 

A different thread about a forte center.....   https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/162898-forte-as-a-center/

Edited March 24, 2016 by dtel

[nlt6mor]

I have been playing for a week with the new fort 1 horizontal and vertical,   level midranges and having the new center much lower.   I have to agree,  the differences are very minimal for my tired old ears.  I believe I am staying with forte laying on it side, no mods except Crites.  I may even cut the legs off the table the center sits on to be able to mount a new TV lower on the wall.  If I had to do this all over again,  I would make three casters so that I can just roll these things around to listen to different placement posiitons!

[nlt6mor]

 

Thanks for the kind words. I've been around for a while and a post or two a day ups the tally of posts.

1) I think you should try the Forte on the side under the screen before investing a lot of work.

2) If you want to build something, I think that maintaining the vertical alignment of the drivers is important and very much preferred to putting the mid and tweet to the side.

3) Just for experiment, you might try the Forte vertical even if it requires putting "the one-eyed-monster" at a higher elevation. Of course using it alone to support a big screen can create dangerous tipping issues. Do you have a wall mount system?

4) Like I was saying. If you want to maintain vertical geometry of the drivers and keep height to a minimum, you'll have to build something like a cube. See attached illustration.

5) Rather than build a cube you might consider a prebuilt subwoofer cabinet. Parts Express has many. Here is one. You get the idea.

http://www.parts-express.com/denovo-audio-knock-down-mdf-40-cu-ft-subwoofer-cabinet-with-blank-baffle--300-7088. Probably more volume than you need but look around or modify it.

6) Milling the front board to flush mount the drivers is a real bear. Please know that Paul Klipsch did not for his speakers for many years and claimed it "doesn't make a dime worth of difference."

to

7) Overall. I'm suggesting that you don't drive yourself nuts to that your search for perfection gets in the way of enjoying your equipment and music. Try the center Forte upright. Center channel is astounding. Then try flipping the Forte on its side if height is a "must do." If you build anything, find a premade box to save time and effort and migrate the drivers over while preserving the original veneer box.

WMcD

Thanks WMcD,  I think we were typing in perfect alignment.  lol.     I understand your thoughts now!    Just in case I chicken out of the Forte center idea,      how much overkill is the Forte on tall stands for surround speakers (5.1).  Where would you aim them? I was thinking of a wider dispersion surround speaker originally (KSP-S6).   Assuming I find a good KLF-C7? as a center.   Stereo music is still priority over Theater.  

 

Thanks WMcD,  you bullet point number 7 was most helpful to move forward!

[nlt6mor]

This is a test, but my ears like it!