Forte III or RF-7 II/III

[Youthman]

On 10/6/2017 at 12:11 AM, aperfectcircle said:

How did the Forte III compare to the RF-7 II at the low end?  

It didn't....at least in my room.  For my room and the music that I listen to and the fact that I am not using a sub in my 2ch setup, the RF-7 II with Deang was the clear winner.  Midrange was a bit better on the Forte III but not enough to make up for the differences I heard in the RF-7 II.  Stock crossovers might have had a different outcome.

 

 

[squadron14]

I'm going to be honest i just bought forte iii a month ago.I have then connect to pioneer Receiver SC91-Elite,and a subwooffer klipsch 10'inch.It sounds terrible not what i expect,maybe because is a 7.2 channels i need a center channel,and a pair of surrounds speakers,to see if it improve sound quality

[Ceptorman]

2 minutes ago, squadron14 said:

I'm going to be honest i just bought forte iii a month ago.I have then connect to pioneer Receiver SC91-Elite,and a subwooffer klipsch 10'inch.It sounds terrible not what i expect,maybe because is a 7.2 channels i need a center channel,and a pair of surrounds speakers,to see if it improve sound quality

I'll bet there's a setting issue on your AVR. Are you listening to 2 channel for music, multi channel for HT? Have you run any room correction on your AVR? Are the Forte llls set as small or large? Lots of variables. Those are incredible speakers that should have you smiling.

[dbomberger]

On 10/4/2017 at 7:12 AM, Sprogk said:

I had to make the exact same decision this week. RF7II or Forteiii....I don't like the black front of the RF7iii so didn't consider them. I have auditioned RF7ii and they sound great but I still went ahead and ordered the Forteiii without auditioning them. There's so much positive reviews of both I figured I'll go for the looks I prefer in 2Ch audio setup. I might still get a pair of RF7II because I know how great they sound & for the price you can get them for right now. Sounds like you are leaning towards Forteiii so I would say go for it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How do you like the Forte III's not that you've had them a while?  Mine are on order and I'm getting anxious.

 

Thanks

Del

[Shakeydeal]

33 minutes ago, squadron14 said:

I'm going to be honest i just bought forte iii a month ago.I have then connect to pioneer Receiver SC91-Elite,and a subwooffer klipsch 10'inch.It sounds terrible not what i expect,maybe because is a 7.2 channels i need a center channel,and a pair of surrounds speakers,to see if it improve sound quality

Pioneer receiver ? Really?

 

I think we've figured out your problem.

 

Shakey

[dtel]

I don't know anything about that receiver, probably some settings messing it up more than anything else.

 

I say this because I have an old one, elite VSX  82TXS, it's used just for pre outs and is very musical. Before this it was just a DAC with a volume knob used as a preamp that sounded very good. Roy was here and wanted to try this receiver to make connecting other thing easier, it was quite surprising the sound quality was at least just as good as a very simple minimum signal chain system, disc player into a DAC and out. 

 

I have no idea how that receiver compares to one he is using, I don't know anything about it, the 82 was from 06 and highly rated. 

 

But in the end the only thing that matters is sound quality, nothing else. Not name brands, price, topolog or anything including personal beliefs, great sound quality erases all of the extra BS, as I was shown.

 

That is why I do not like general blanket claims, it may be general myth but myths are not facts plain and simple. 

 

Roy has very good ears, he knows what to listen for, plus 30+ years of testing them and designing speakers, he knows what does not sound right for whatever reason. He is the one that thought the  change from DAC was NO loss in sound quality at all, he set up and tuned it, we/HE tried it both ways. I actually fought it thinking it would be a step down with all my preconceived BS common ways of thinking, I was proven wrong. He had all weekend to play with it, I left it 100% up to him to get the best sound, he set up his computer and did his thing. 

 

I don't know if this guys problem is the receiver or not, it is for him to figure out after exhausting any setting or adjustments with what he has.

 

I only say all of this because I was shown my thinking was wrong and could possibly give someone needing help a wrong direction to head, prematurely at least, which is not a help.

 

Just another opinion

 

Roy (white t shirt) Kevin Harmon next to him watching as he did his thing, Roy is a NO BS kind of guy. After working with PWK all those years he is VERY quick to tell you what is BS  and why, and can prove it.  

 

 

[Deano1974]

Hope your enjoying them!

[squadron14]

THKS VERY MUCH I THINK I WILL BUY AN INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER BECAUSE THE RECEIVER IS A HOME THEATER RECEIVER AS AN AUDIOPHOLIC WILL CHANGE TO A 2 CHANNELS MAYBE MY FORTE III WILL SOUND BETTER AND THEN ADD RP-280F KLIPSCH SO I ASK SHOULD I SELL MY RECEIVER PIONEER SC-91 ELITE PIONEER

THKS

[aperfectcircle]

On 6/24/2018 at 1:39 PM, Deano1974 said:

Hope your enjoying them!

 

Couldnt be happier, except when the whiskey runs dry 

[ksquared]

On 10/5/2017 at 7:25 PM, MetropolisLakeOutfitters said:

Technically I haven't heard the RF-7III so it would be unfair to prematurely judge them.  I've seen them in person, laid hands on them, just not listened. 

 

OK, 100% guilty as charged for reviving an old thread, and quoting an exactly one-year-old quote from Cory!

 

I'm wondering if there has been any updated opinions now that the RF-7III has been out for awhile.

 

It seems, purely based on the specs sheets, that the RF-7III should be far ahead of the Forte III, and the RF-7II also ahead but by a slighter margin.  But yet, most here are liking the Forte III.  Youthman compared and chose the RF-7II, but that was with an upgrade from Deang, and nobody has apparently followed up with the RF-7III vs. Forte III (at least here that I could find).  The other confusing thing is the pricing for a new RF-7III is exactly the same as a new Forte III.  I will add, in my opinion the Forte III, shorter and wider, looks a bit more substantial and "furniture-ish," but the actual volume of the speaker enclosure is only 63.54% of the RF-7III, if that makes any difference or matters.

 

Is it somewhat the George Gershwin song?

"You like potato and I like potahto,
You like tomato and I like tomahto;
Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto!"

 

And, just throwing this in at the end, how do all of them compare to a La Scala (used of course, the La Scala II is out of my price range)?

 

Edited October 6, 2018 by ksquared
Clarify that "volume" referred to speaker enclosed volume and not "volume" as loudness

[Hasty]

5 hours ago, ksquared said:

 

OK, 100% guilty as charged for reviving an old thread, and quoting an exactly one-year-old quote from Cory!

 

I'm wondering if there has been any updated opinions now that the RF-7III has been out for awhile.

 

It seems, purely based on the specs sheets, that the RF-7III should be far ahead of the Forte III, and the RF-7II also ahead but by a slighter margin.  But yet, most here are liking the Forte III.  Youthman compared and chose the RF-7II, but that was with an upgrade from Deang, and nobody has apparently followed up with the RF-7III vs. Forte III (at least here that I could find).  The other confusing thing is the pricing for a new RF-7III is exactly the same as a new Forte III.  I will add, in my opinion the Forte III, shorter and wider, looks a bit more substantial and "furniture-ish," but the actual volume is only 63.54% of the RF-7III, if that makes any difference or matters.

 

Is it somewhat the George Gershwin song?

"You like potato and I like potahto,
You like tomato and I like tomahto;
Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto!"

 

And, just throwing this in at the end, how do all of them compare to a La Scala (used of course, the La Scala II is out of my price range)?

 

FWIW, my LaScalas with crites tweeters and x-overs are better than the 7ii's I had.  RF7's are really good though.  If I couldn't have subs, RF7iii would be on a short list of choices.  With 200wpc or more you probably wouldn't miss a sub with RF7's.  

 

For whatever reason the RF7iii doesn't seem to have gotten the attention it deserves.  The comparison Youthman posted made me want a set, and I was listening to the comparison through a nice pair of monitors.

[Youthman]

To my ears, my order of preference would be (in order of most favored)

LaScalas
RF7 III
RF7 II

RF7 II with Deang

RF7 with Deang
RF7

[Ceptorman]

9 minutes ago, Youthman said:

To my ears, my order of preference would be (in order of most favored)

LaScalas
RF7 III
RF7 II

RF7 II with Deang

RF7 with Deang
RF7

Where would the Forte lll place on that list?

[Youthman]

8 minutes ago, Ceptorman said:

Where would the Forte lll place on that list?

For my room (with no sub).... it would be

 

LaScalas
RF7 III
RF7 II
Forte III

RF7

[Ceptorman]

4 minutes ago, Youthman said:

For my room (with no sub).... it would be

 

LaScalas
RF7 III
RF7 II
Forte III

RF7

Interesting....thanks. You're one of the few to spend some time with all these speakers. WAY better than a quick listen at a dealer demo.

Would a sub change your decision much?

[Youthman]

1 minute ago, Ceptorman said:

Would a sub change your decision much?

The RF7 series has always provided a very LARGE enveloping sound in my room.  Not sure if you would consider that a wide sound stage or presence.  I always have difficulty expressing what my ears are hearing.  The Forte III didn't have that same amount of presence.  I'm wondering if it's because the tweeters are not in line with your ears.  I've always struggled with that with the Heresy III (which sounded very small in comparison to the RF7 II). 

The RF7 II and RF7 III are also better suited for the style of music that I listen to. 

Here one example of the style of music I like

 

 

 

 

As you can see, this isn't Bob Dylan or Janis Joplin.  It's not Jazz or Classical.  Although Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" sounds great, it doesn't do anything for me and is not the style of music that I typically listen to.

I typically listen to modern pop music and many would not consider it "real music" but that's ok.  I love music with a strong beat, that has meaning and soul. 

 

I also love acoustic music like these two songs. 

 

 

 

 

[Ceptorman]

I liked all three of those, especially Tauren Wells, very nice, thanks.

I had a quick listen to the RF7llls, they did sound nice. I really liked the fit and finish on those. It wasn't anything like bringing them home for a demo, but I heard enough to know they are a special speaker.

[Paducah Home Theater]

Biggest difference is that the RF-7III is more aggressive on the bass and more forgiving in terms of fatigue, they're just pleasant to listen to even in a reflective room.  Fortes are cool and well designed, dig deeper, have a more Heritage-y sound, probably brighter, bass isn't as aggressive.  

[Maximus89]

The RF-7 III has beautiful and smooth highs.  Absolutely an improvement on the RF-7 II's which were too fatiguing and harsh to my ears.  I've had a shoot out with my Chorus II(Ti tweeters-stock networks) vs Craig's RF-7 III's. I prefer the musicality of the 3 way Chorus II, though it was very close for the environment we were in and the CHII placement.  It was a large open living room and the Chorus II were on top of rsw-15's.  In a more intimate listening room, things like 4x 10's vs 2 15's and a 2 way or 3 way start to really matter.  To me personally, there's something about the way a 15" woofer sounds that i absolutely love(consider saving for CWIII's?) but the RF-7 series has a slam factor much like the larger KLF series that i can totally understand people would love.  In the shootout, for me, the RF-7IIIs only win was in its incredibly detailed and sweet highs.  Not even factoring in the CHII are due for a recap or new crossover build and they were placed high off the floor.

While i haven't heard the FIII and it's a single 12" woofer which is pretty different from a 15" in a Chorus II(which also has a larger mid horn), i still can't imagine that new mid horn being "only slightly" better than the RF-7 III 2 way.  People have different tastes.  Some have a more critical ear for mid range frequencies and others love crisp and clean highs and others are bass heads and then probably most just want balance which is the hardest to achieve in a full range speaker with size limitations.  It's awesome yet also unfortunate we've only got Youthman to do a shootout between the FIII and the RF7III because he's just one guy with his own personal tastes(No offense Youthman).  Youthman has stated he prefers the more modern look of the RF series vs vintage speaker look IIRC, so that's taken into account and if i'm not mistaken, he loved the RF-7 II's more in your face sound that many find harsh and fatiguing.  That already goes against many people's tastes so just beware if you are on the fence of purchasing one or the other to lean on your own experiences.  Have you heard 2 way Klipsch? Have you heard 3 way Klipsch?  Have you heard dual 10's of a KLF-20 vs a Forte II for example?  Can you listen to an RF-7 II locally? If you can, imagine it with smoother highs and none of the fatigue.  Can you listen to a Forte II locally? If you can. Imagine it with a slightly smaller mid horn with new patented mumps and more detailed titanium diaphragms that were voiced to where they seem to be universally raved about.   Is it going to be primarily 2ch or home theater or both? Which will be more important to you? If it's home theater, the RF-7 III has a matching center channel and there's surrounds for example whereas the Forte III has no matching home theater speakers as of now.  Do aesthetics/decor come into play with personal tastes and WAF? Etc, etc.

In the end, i think it's a very safe bet that you can't go wrong with either one. 

 

[Maximus89]

BTW a quick note on the FIII.  People seem to be very sensitive to Titanium in mids and i've read some harshness/brightness comments with the Forte III and the loved or hated Ti diaphragms from the CWIII and HIII, but from my own experience, i believe the Titanium diaphragms need sufficient time to break in.  It was a night and day experience from the first time i heard them in my Chorus II(without the bandpass) to one day they just suddenly became so...SOFT.  I mean, it was quiet to me after putting up with them sounding so loud and bright the first time i installed them. They were almost unbearable at first and then maybe 3 weeks later or longer, they just got so much more quiet than i had been used to up to that point. It was a shock of a difference.  I had some tell me that i just got used to the sound. I couldn't believe i was supposed to just dismiss this huge difference seemingly out of nowhere.  So i did an A/B test with the stock phenolic and the Ti at that point and it was very hard for me to hear the differences.   Yes the Ti are more detailed, which can be good and bad in a clinical way compared to the phenolic but just very hard to hear differences(this was with no bandpass). At times, i heard harshness from the phenolic rather than the Ti.  This wasn't about getting used to the sound now that i was A/B'ing.  I was being told "break in" is BS and any kind of break in happens almost immediately and i gotta say. After that experience, i'm totally with the crowd that says they need a lot of time to break in. Especially those Ti diaphragms. 

So Forte III owners, let them play loud and hard for a while before you do any critical listening IMO.

And if you're wondering, i've had my Ti diaphragms removed and up for sale just to help fund with KHorn mods now that the Chorus II are moved to movie duty. The Ti's just have such a bad rep by now that not a single person has been interested and i think tomorrow when i get a chance i'm going to put them back in the Chorus II so i can get some time with those bad boys and give them some love.