Forte I - should I buy?

[nealmd]

3 hours ago, Woofers and Tweeters said:

Where are you?

 

 

I'm in Los Angeles. I like your advice. 

[billybob]

https://gainesville.craigslist.org/ele/d/gainesville-killer-klipsch-forte-ii/7079138222.html

[MeloManiac]

Here in Europe, used Klipsch Heritage speakers are rare. I bought my 1972 Heresy set back in October last year, and the next week, another set was on sale. Since then, no Heresys have been on offer. So I'm glad I paid the asking price of 600 euros, no regrets whatsoever. 

For me, not just the Sq is important, but also the history and 'patina'. 

[KlipschKLF]

On 3/3/2020 at 12:48 PM, nealmd said:

I'm looking at a Forte I in walnut for 750 at a used hifi store. All parts are original-- they sound good to my ears, but wondering what I'd have to put into it to get it up to tip-top shape. anything else besides new crossovers? And, related question, do you need to know how to solder to install a new crossover-- lets say the crites for example? 

 

Also, is 750 a fair price? 

 

I'm new here, so thank you for the help! 

If you buy them, take some time and listen to them.  You may find that upgrades aren’t necessary.  

[nealmd]

3 hours ago, KlipschKLF said:

If you buy them, take some time and listen to them.  You may find that upgrades aren’t necessary.  

For sure. I plan to just enjoy them for at least a month or two before even thinking about tinkering. 

[nealmd]

So I bought them, and they sound so good-- especially with jazz. But with rock I'm noticing my ears get fatigued quite quickly, something I never felt with my old B&W bookshelf speakers. I wonder if just getting used to the horns and the pronounced brightness? 

 

Anyway, right now I'm running them with a Yamaha AS 501. Could a different amp change the ear fatigue? 

[geoff.]

Fatigued by all rock, or are certain recordings better or worse?

 

I have “We Sold Our Soul For Rock And Roll” by Black Sabbath, a greatest hits CD, and without a doubt I can tell which songs came from a different master. Never even noticed any difference between tracks until Klipsch crossed my doorstep.

 

Klipsch is a barometer for poorly engineered tracks.

 

Well mastered songs will continue to give you wow moments.

[willland]

8 hours ago, nealmd said:

So I bought them, and they sound so good-- especially with jazz.

Congrats on the purchase.

 

8 hours ago, nealmd said:

But with rock I'm noticing my ears get fatigued quite quickly, something I never felt with my old B&W bookshelf speakers. I wonder if just getting used to the horns and the pronounced brightness? 

Possibly a getting used to thing but the below review helped shed some light on things when I owned my Forte I's and Quartets, though it is a Forte II review.

http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/greg01.htm

 

8 hours ago, nealmd said:

Anyway, right now I'm running them with a Yamaha AS 501. Could a different amp change the ear fatigue? 

Again possibly but I used anything from an Onkyo mid level AVR to a B&K preamp/amp combo and all sounded very good with proper placement.

 

Bill

[Woofers and Tweeters]

6 hours ago, nealmd said:

But with rock I'm noticing my ears get fatigued quite quickly, something I never felt with my old B&W bookshelf speakers.

A common read on the net about Klipsch speakers is that they can be harsh, bright, fatiguing, etc. IMHO, more often than not, it's the power source or the settings. Trying to AB Klipsch to most others without 'dialing' them in is a bad idea, they might need the mids pulled down compared to others. 

 

You touched on replacing / updating the xovers. As Billybob said, listen to them, then replace them. They are old and tired and need replaced. The before and after sounds should be a real improvement. 

 

6 hours ago, nealmd said:

Anyway, right now I'm running them with a Yamaha AS 501. Could a different amp change the ear fatigue? 

 

Yes, would be my answer, but I wouldn't blame the amp too quickly. The A-S501 has great spec, and it also has several who say it's harsh and fatiguing, and those statements were using other speaker brands. I have the A-S1000 and can say that I have a hard time coupling it. 

 

What is your music source ( Vinyl, CD, MP,....)? 

[Dave A]

52 minutes ago, Woofers and Tweeters said:

A common read on the net about Klipsch speakers is that they can be harsh, bright, fatiguing, etc. IMHO, more often than not, it's the power source or the settings. Trying to AB Klipsch to most others without 'dialing' them in is a bad idea, they might need the mids pulled down compared to others. 

 

You touched on replacing / updating the xovers. As Billybob said, listen to them, then replace them. They are old and tired and need replaced. The before and after sounds should be a real improvement. 

Easy recap and save the money and have  "new" crossovers on the cheap. 1-47uf and two 1.5uf caps per crossover and you are good to go for less than $30.00. A set of Forte's is what started me down the slippery slope of bigger than even bigger yet. Recapping crossovers is the best and cheapest thing to do for old Klipsch speakers and you might be happy for a lifetime with just this. While you are in there check the spade end connections to make sure they are not loose. Loosen and tighten the screws on the barrier strip if that has one and make sure all the woofer, mid, tweeter and passive screws are snug also. Good to go for another 30 years after that.

  I am in the group that says some of your music files are probably not very good. Klipsch will play good music well and crummy music really crummy because garbage in garbage out.

[ScooterMcTavish]

12 hours ago, nealmd said:

So I bought them, and they sound so good-- especially with jazz. But with rock I'm noticing my ears get fatigued quite quickly, something I never felt with my old B&W bookshelf speakers. I wonder if just getting used to the horns and the pronounced brightness? 

 

Anyway, right now I'm running them with a Yamaha AS 501. Could a different amp change the ear fatigue? 

 

Interesting experience, and one that mirrored my first impression of my Forte.

 

First note, I wouldn't pair the Forte with a Yamaha.  The Yammy pieces I've owned have been voiced "not warm" and I find this can make forward speakers tend towards harshness.  In contrast, I've paired the Forte with tube amps, vintage SS, and an Arcam, all to a decent result.

 

In the interim, a tweak could be to hook an eq between your source and the Yammy.  This will allow you to tip down frequencies you may be sensitive to.  I believe the Forte has a bump in the 2-4kHz range - this can certainly make them sound strident, but can also be adjusted.

 

Third, others correctly point out the importance of source material.  I have especially found many CDs and virtually any lossy digital file to sound bad on the Fortes.  

 

Finally, placement is important.  From an old hand on these very forums I discovered that aiming the speakers towards a space in front of you dials down the harshness, and opens up the soundstage.  If you are looking right down the throats of the mids from your listening spot, it is likely these mids (although exciting at first) are simply too prominent for extended listening.

 

As a final note, I've often said my Fortes are not the perfect speaker, but with the right power, source, and recording, they are the best speakers I've ever heard.

[nealmd]

 

9 hours ago, Woofers and Tweeters said:

A common read on the net about Klipsch speakers is that they can be harsh, bright, fatiguing, etc. IMHO, more often than not, it's the power source or the settings. Trying to AB Klipsch to most others without 'dialing' them in is a bad idea, they might need the mids pulled down compared to others. 

 

You touched on replacing / updating the xovers. As Billybob said, listen to them, then replace them. They are old and tired and need replaced. The before and after sounds should be a real improvement. 

 

 

Yes, would be my answer, but I wouldn't blame the amp too quickly. The A-S501 has great spec, and it also has several who say it's harsh and fatiguing, and those statements were using other speaker brands. I have the A-S1000 and can say that I have a hard time coupling it. 

 

What is your music source ( Vinyl, CD, MP,....)? 

 

Music source is vinyl-- and I usually buy the the vintage pressing with the best mastering I can find-- often the first press unless it was considered poor and I can get It in vg+ condition without a mortgage. 

 

11 hours ago, willland said:

Congrats on the purchase.

 

Possibly a getting used to thing but the below review helped shed some light on things when I owned my Forte I's and Quartets, though it is a Forte II review.

http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/greg01.htm

 

Again possibly but I used anything from an Onkyo mid level AVR to a B&K preamp/amp combo and all sounded very good with proper placement.

 

Bill

 

This soundstagenetwork article is great. Seems like I should investigate an integrated or separates known to be laid-back. I've read a lot about the 22xx series from Marantz as an example that could pair well. anyone use that paring with your Klipsch? There's a nice recapped 2270 I keep eyeing in my area. But really open to any suggestions to get the most from these Fortes. 

 

9 hours ago, Woofers and Tweeters said:

A common read on the net about Klipsch speakers is that they can be harsh, bright, fatiguing, etc. IMHO, more often than not, it's the power source or the settings. Trying to AB Klipsch to most others without 'dialing' them in is a bad idea, they might need the mids pulled down compared to others. 

 

You touched on replacing / updating the xovers. As Billybob said, listen to them, then replace them. They are old and tired and need replaced. The before and after sounds should be a real improvement. 

 

 

Yes, would be my answer, but I wouldn't blame the amp too quickly. The A-S501 has great spec, and it also has several who say it's harsh and fatiguing, and those statements were using other speaker brands. I have the A-S1000 and can say that I have a hard time coupling it. 

 

What is your music source ( Vinyl, CD, MP,....)? 

 

I'm going to reach out to Crites about the crossovers. What are your thoughts on adding the titanium diaphragm while I'm ordering? 

 

8 hours ago, Dave A said:

Easy recap and save the money and have  "new" crossovers on the cheap. 1-47uf and two 1.5uf caps per crossover and you are good to go for less than $30.00. A set of Forte's is what started me down the slippery slope of bigger than even bigger yet. Recapping crossovers is the best and cheapest thing to do for old Klipsch speakers and you might be happy for a lifetime with just this. While you are in there check the spade end connections to make sure they are not loose. Loosen and tighten the screws on the barrier strip if that has one and make sure all the woofer, mid, tweeter and passive screws are snug also. Good to go for another 30 years after that.

  I am in the group that says some of your music files are probably not very good. Klipsch will play good music well and crummy music really crummy because garbage in garbage out.

 

Dave, I'd be scared to recap myself because I've never soldered before... but maybe that's a bad excuse! I just watched this video and it doesn't seem too hard.