A new A/B test has begun

[Grizzog]

Fastest review ever.  [emoji3]

Don't worry, I'll still write my thoughts. But I guess I gave away the ending.


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[Fido]

Lol

[Rivernuggets]

Thought about your review recently.  What's the word Griz?

[Grizzog]

So...the end of this was given away a few days ago, as I sold the RF-7II. Both are great speakers, but I could only keep one set.

 

When I did the comparison, the fortes were stock.

 

The RF-7II have more bass, without question. Let's get that out of the way right off the bat. Fortes are rated to 32, RF-7II to 30. 4 10" woofers can move some serious air though, and the fortes lost in that respect. It doesn't matter too much to me, though, since I've got the R-115SW, which really levels the playing field. Both sets have very good bass that is tight and accurate. The 7s may be ever so slightly tighter - not sure on that one.

 

Bass quantity is the only area the fortes lost. From top to bottom, the fortes sound very well integrated. The 7s are more forward, and "in-your-face." That type of sound works great for movies, but not my favorite for music. The fortes have a fuller midrange and most everything sounds natural. The 7s don't seem as "full" even though they have a more powerful bottom end.

 

The 7s are brighter, and may sound a bit more "open." This certainly doesn't sound bad and is the sound many may prefer. For me, I prefer the 3-way design from Klipsch. The fortes may have a slight bit of "box" sound, but I enjoy it. Instruments vibrate, and a totally inert cabinet doesn't seem to portray this sound quite right. I wouldn't want a cabinet that vibrates much, since that can add unwanted resonances and distortions, but the fortes seem to strike the right balance. Harbeth actually designs their cabinets with thin walls in an effort to have the box vibrate in a way that adds to the sound.

 

Detail I'd say is a pretty even match. Music sounds different on both pairs, but the details surrounding the music sounded about equal - it was more a matter of what was more pronounced on each set.

 

I'm sure the 7s could play louder, but I didn't test that. It's not often that loud music is played in my house. I think the Fortes have about the 117db max, the same as the heresies, which is more than enough for me. However, the 7s can probably keep going past this.

 

Everyone that has stated that the fortes are a very well-balanced speaker, I couldn't agree more. It's that balance that made me choose them. The 7s are more powerful, and dig deeper, but aren't quite as musical to my ears. You certainly can't go wrong with either set.

 

 

[jjptkd]

Nice review! I really like the openness and detail my RF-5's / RC-7 provide but look forward to the day when I can resurrect the Chorus II's.

[derrickdj1]

A lot of what you said is dead on with my impression of the Forte's and RF 7.  I did find the Forte a bit boxy which is a common characteristic of some of the older speakers.  The RF 7's win in the bass department.  As far as midrange, I thought it was very close with the Forte's having a narrow edge.  But, if I reduced the bass a tad from the RF 7's they were even.  It's a win, win situation with the RF 7's or Forte.  I still miss the Forte.  This thread is going to get me thinking about buying another set, lol.

[Shodrewken]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts bud! I really enjoyed my Forte's, and it was hard letting them go. However, they were a present for my bro when he graduated from UCLA so at least they are still in the family.

 

I have to agree on the boxy sound as well. Though it's not present enough to take away from the enjoyment of the speaker, it's still there. With that said, I did really enjoy the bass and mids on mine. Music wise for me, I think the Forte's sounded better them my RF-7 II's, but not by a lot. However, my 7 II's are on full time ht duty so they'll be staying for the time being. My Scala's are the best I've heard in my house for two channel music though.

 

 

[Grizzog]

I definitely have a soft spot for the heritage and extended heritage lines. I guess I also prefer the older sound. PWK had a liking for the Forte as well...so I guess I'm in good company!

Was it the forte 1 or 2 he had in his office?


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[derrickdj1]

For me, it came down to the RF 7's match the rest of the speakers in the man cave.  The LaScala are a great speaker for 2 channel!

[Grizzog]

For me, it came down to the RF 7's match the rest of the speakers in the man cave.  The LaScala are a great speaker for 2 channel!

The 7s definitely do look better and match my 64-II. My wife wanted to keep the 7s because she preferred the way they looked. A blind A/B and she chose the Fortes though.

Since the Fortes I picked up are walnut, I like the way they look. I can't do any more oiled oak speakers.


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