Very Small Room: Quartet, Heresy III, or Forte III

[altec210]

Hello - I'm wanting to experiment with some smaller Klipsch after having Altec A7, split Altec 210, and other beasts in my small (8X14X9-high) room.  To be clear, all of these very large speakers sounded great, but they were just to dominant.  I've toyed with La Scalas, but their footprint is still too big for what is acceptable.  I have my equipment on the front wall, and I need speakers that will allow me to access the wall racks and put on an LP... I use a Tortuga-based "preamp" and a Lance Cochrane PP 6AQ5 amp.

 

I'm about to purchase a set of Quartets from a member in Chicago, but I'm also looking to compare the Quartets with a modern Klipsch.  Based on my room size, what experiences do you have that might have me lean toward a Heresy III or Forte III? I'm looking for good impact when played at a low level and a good match with my Cochrane amp.  I can't quite put the Heresies in the corners due to the front wall of equipment, but they can be placed near the corners and angled in.  I don't have any issues with any of the speakers coming out up to 30" from the front wall. 

 

I also generally play at a high volume, but on occasion, I don't mind letting it rip with some Black Keys or Alabama Shakes.  Next up I'm playing Dexter Calling and after that it might be a string quartet.

 

Your feedback is very much appreciated!  Thanks in advance.

[willland]

Well, if the Quartets don't work out for you, I say go with the Heresy III's.  If you are able to reinforce them a bit and get some boundary gain that would be great.

 

I am able to get some boundary gain myself with my Heresy II's.  As the below photo shows, that gain comes from the positioning on my dresser as well as their placement in a sitting room/niche room horn that is 6.5ft x 8.0ft and opens into the larger part of my bedroom.  The bass they produce is fast and punchy and not bloated in the least.

 

 

 

Of course those Forte III's are all the rave and just might be the best option for your room.

 

Bill

[Peter P.]

Photos of the room would certainly help.

 

You're smart to consider the physical size of the speaker relative to the room, even if it's just aesthetic.

 

I couldn't get over the size of the Quartets I had; same with the kg4.2's, so I sold each of them. I prefer the size of my Heresy's, and merely augment the low end with a subwoofer.

 

Honestly, it sounds like the Forte's and the Quartet's will be physically too large for your room.

 

 

[altec210]

Willand and Peter - thanks for taking the time to weigh in.  I'll start with the Quartets and see how they do - may refresh the caps if they are original before making any judgements.  There's something telling me that the Heresy III in my  space might be killer.  They are low enough to the ground to be ok with the other family members, and I think there might be some room gain for the low end that will make them punchy but tight.

[avguytx]

I would go with something that doesn't have a rear passive, personally. With rear passives, you'll be bringing them out from the wall. Front ported or sealed won't bring them out into the room like all the other large speakers. Just my $.02.

[altec210]

avguytx - I'll see what the Quartets sound like, and if I don't like how they set up to make the passive work, I'll know that the Heresy III is my best next option.  Although, I do hope the Quartets sound good enough to keep in the system for a while since I'm going to the trouble of bringing them home.  It will be a fun experiment.

 

[WMcD]

 

I think you're going to love the Quartets. 

 

I hope things don't get as crowded as the Heresy's on the bureau.  If you're really in a phone booth, then, yes, very small mains with small sub might be better -- something like Pro-Media or a scaled up equivalent.  We know you can't park a Buick in a closet.

 

But as far as performance, my Quartets work well even away from the wall and up on risers.  Forte II's worked well a smallish office in corners.  The speakers are not fussy about placement and perform well in most circumstances, in my experience.

 

Maybe you can start with them on the floor (and angled up?) to get a clear line of sight from the mids and tweeters to your ears.  If furniture is in the way you may have to use risers of some sort -- at least to experiment.  Getting them up to ear level is best though not to be considered absolutely necessary if you're happy otherwise.

 

Invite a buddy over (they're fairly heavy) and experiment with placement.  Milk crates?

 

Except for extremes,  no person can give you pat answers.

 

WMcD

[JohnA]

I think you will like the Quartets.  Their footprint is similar to a Heresy, but taller.  Looking at the attached brochure, placing them close to a wall, but out from the corner would tame the bass a little and I think they'd play well in a small room.

https://f072605def1c9a5ef179-a0bc3fbf1884fc0965506ae2b946e1cd.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/product-specsheets/Quartet-Brochure.pdf

 

[altec210]

WMcD - thanks for the writeup on your experiences.  I'm really looking forward to getting these in the house.  No furniture between the speakers and couch. The distance between the front of the speaker and the listening position will be about 9', so that should be enough distance for the drivers to converge - might need a slight angle.  I'll have to post some photos once they are installed.

 

JohnA - thanks for your positive post.  Years ago I heard a used pair of these in a local showroom, before it closed..., and they sounded amazing in the mid-size room with my 2 watt "sex" amp from Bottlehead.  I don't know why I didn't pick them up, but I wish I had.  The most exciting part will be hooking up my recently acquired Lance Cochrane tube amp.  He has quite an underground reputation, and after hearing a few of his amps, it's well deserved. It's about 12 or so watts of liquid music - should be an excellent match.

[Olorin]

I have a set of Quartets for bedroom speakers and in my opinion they do just fine in a smallish room.  I'm also of the opinion that installing acoustic treatments will make a much bigger difference than changing between any of those speakers will.

 

I should add that I own Heresys and have owned Fortes as well, and I prefer the Quartet/Forte to the Heresy and don't think the move from Quartet to Forte is cost-justified for small room use.  If you want them because you want them that's cool, no judgment here, but it bears repeating that the room will make a much bigger difference than the speaker swap will.

[Maximus89]

Just stuff Jubilees or KHorns  in there. Bigger is better.  

(out of the choices, i'd go Forte III)

[314carpenter]

[Dave A]

Or a set of Forte I's if you have the space. Once again the footprint is about the same for the Heresy Forte and Quartet but on the used market you can find Forte I's for $600 sometimes and they are much better than Heresy and Quartet and a darned sight cheaper than Forte III's if that is a consideration. I have had all three and the Forte I's win hands down. Never heard a Forte III. Quartets are very scarce and seem to be over priced when I spot them compared to the Forte which is much better for maybe $100 more. Even crazier is Heresy prices which come way to close to Forte prices and you get so much less when you go there.

[Dave A]

I know this is going to sound crazy but I have my very first Klipsch setup next to my shop PC. It was a ProMedia 2.1 and it still surprises me with the level of bass and sound quality over all. I can turn them on and be satisfied and if I am working it is nice to have the stereo separation right there in front of me. Certainly would help out a small room problem. I bet there are many Klipsch owners near by you that you can find through the forum. If you have not heard the various options mentioned here look for someone who does have what you might want and listen first. Big speakers could overwhelm a small room.

[DizRotus]

28 minutes ago, Dave A said:

I know this is going to sound crazy but I have my very first Klipsch setup next to my shop PC. It was a ProMedia 2.1 and it still surprises me with the level of bass and sound quality over all. I can turn them on and be satisfied and if I am working it is nice to have the stereo separation right there in front of me. Certainly would help out a small room problem. I bet there are many Klipsch owners near by you that you can find through the forum. If you have not heard the various options mentioned here look for someone who does have what you might want and listen first. Big speakers could overwhelm a small room.

 

My thoughts exactly, although much of what I enjoy about the ProMedia 2.1s at my computer is the nearfield experience.  I’ve never tried them as primary speakers in a small room with a listening position beyond nearfield.