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Forte IV


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What changes might a Forte IV bring, apart from swapping out the Ti mid driver? The Forte III already has most of the technology that the rest of the heritage line has. It already has the tractrix mid horn with mumps, and a steep slope crossover. What's missing?

 

Another possibility is that the F4 will introduce new tech to the Heritage line, much as the F3 did with the tractrix+mumps horn. The Forte seems to occupy a "gateway" between the heritage lineup and more modern products. It could make sense for it to drive new technology.

 

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I got a pair of the Forte III in March.  Good timing before the extended home-bound work.

 

I can't really imagine what they would do upgrade the speaker.  They really sound wonderful to me.  I use them for 2 channel stereo hooked up to some late 80's Yamaha gear.  I also have some Gen 1 RF7s that I used for my surround sound setup.

 

My only complaint with the Forte is the wood veneer (walnut on mine) is really delicate.  I have a couple tiny scratches from taking the speaker grills off while gently brushing my fingernails against the fronts.  Maybe I should have got black....perhaps the painted finish is a bit more durable...but I really like the natural walnut look.

 

I listen to a lot of classic rock.  Steely Dan, The Eagles, and Fleetwood Mac really sound wonderful to me.  I haven't really tried much hard rock....since I tend to have them on to relax.  My amp is only 125 watts (Yamaha M-45).  The sweet spot for me is around 35-50 percent output (according to the power level display).  A little volume really gets them to sing and you can hear more of the music details better.

 

I will be interested to see what "improvements" Klipsch decides to make to these in the future.  I'm pretty happy.  They are just the right size to fit into a medium and smaller rooms and have plenty of output.  They are also easy to move due to the modest weight (around 70 lbs) compared to the bigger heritage models.  I would love the Cornwall or LaScalla but between the price, weight, and size....it's just not too practical for me. 

 

They have me laying on my couch and just "listening" to music again.....without other activities and distractions.  Great way to relax and forget about the hustle and bustle of life.

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1 hour ago, Fenderplayer said:

I got a pair of the Forte III in March.  Good timing before the extended home-bound work.

 

I can't really imagine what they would do upgrade the speaker.  They really sound wonderful to me.  I use them for 2 channel stereo hooked up to some late 80's Yamaha gear.  I also have some Gen 1 RF7s that I used for my surround sound setup.

 

My only complaint with the Forte is the wood veneer (walnut on mine) is really delicate.  I have a couple tiny scratches from taking the speaker grills off while gently brushing my fingernails against the fronts.  Maybe I should have got black....perhaps the painted finish is a bit more durable...but I really like the natural walnut look.

 

I listen to a lot of classic rock.  Steely Dan, The Eagles, and Fleetwood Mac really sound wonderful to me.  I haven't really tried much hard rock....since I tend to have them on to relax.  My amp is only 125 watts (Yamaha M-45).  The sweet spot for me is around 35-50 percent output (according to the power level display).  A little volume really gets them to sing and you can hear more of the music details better.

 

I will be interested to see what "improvements" Klipsch decides to make to these in the future.  I'm pretty happy.  They are just the right size to fit into a medium and smaller rooms and have plenty of output.  They are also easy to move due to the modest weight (around 70 lbs) compared to the bigger heritage models.  I would love the Cornwall or LaScalla but between the price, weight, and size....it's just not too practical for me. 

 

They have me laying on my couch and just "listening" to music again.....without other activities and distractions.  Great way to relax and forget about the hustle and bustle of life.

Great post, that's what it's all about....enjoying the music.

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10 hours ago, Fenderplayer said:

I got a pair of the Forte III in March.  Good timing before the extended home-bound work.

 

I can't really imagine what they would do upgrade the speaker.  They really sound wonderful to me.  I use them for 2 channel stereo hooked up to some late 80's Yamaha gear.  I also have some Gen 1 RF7s that I used for my surround sound setup.

 

My only complaint with the Forte is the wood veneer (walnut on mine) is really delicate.  I have a couple tiny scratches from taking the speaker grills off while gently brushing my fingernails against the fronts.  Maybe I should have got black....perhaps the painted finish is a bit more durable...but I really like the natural walnut look.

 

I listen to a lot of classic rock.  Steely Dan, The Eagles, and Fleetwood Mac really sound wonderful to me.  I haven't really tried much hard rock....since I tend to have them on to relax.  My amp is only 125 watts (Yamaha M-45).  The sweet spot for me is around 35-50 percent output (according to the power level display).  A little volume really gets them to sing and you can hear more of the music details better.

 

I will be interested to see what "improvements" Klipsch decides to make to these in the future.  I'm pretty happy.  They are just the right size to fit into a medium and smaller rooms and have plenty of output.  They are also easy to move due to the modest weight (around 70 lbs) compared to the bigger heritage models.  I would love the Cornwall or LaScalla but between the price, weight, and size....it's just not too practical for me. 

 

They have me laying on my couch and just "listening" to music again.....without other activities and distractions.  Great way to relax and forget about the hustle and bustle of life.

I absolutely agree. THE only downside to the F3 is how delicate the finish is. Otherwise, it is an outstanding sounding speaker and like you, I like the size in my medium sized room.

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The veneer on the La Scala IIs is just as delicate.  I managed to scratch up one of the speakers with my stainless steel watch bracelet.  It was really annoying.  When I called Klipsch Customer Service to ask for any suggestions how to fix the damage, I was told that lacquer never really hardens.  It’s possible to use a softening agent to make the lacquer soft enough to allow the scratches to be blended back in, but it was strongly recommended that I find a scrap piece of lacquered walnut to practice on, before I attempt any kind of scratch repair on the actual speakers.  I don’t have such a piece, so I’m just ignoring the scratches for the time being.

 

Yes, scratches are a problem, plus anything sitting on the speakers, like a lamp with a relatively small contact surface, will put dents into the lacquer, which may or may not resolve themselves when the weight is removed.

 

I don’t recall running into this issue with other speakers I’ve had, that had oiled walnut finishes.  Just rub a bit of oil into them once or twice a year, and they’ll be fine.  The Klipsch veneer, on the other hand, seems to be like thick paper.

 

As you can imagine, I’m VERY careful around the speakers now.

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26 minutes ago, Islander said:

 Just rub a bit of oil into them once or twice a year, and they’ll be fine.  The Klipsch veneer, on the other hand, seems to be like thick paper.

 

As you can imagine, I’m VERY careful around the speakers now.

-just curious  did you ever try  this new Pledge Floor Gloss on the scratches -

 

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In my opinion there are at least two serious avenues for improving Forte III: the middle compression driver using the same as on Cornwall IV, I remind you that the Horns are of identical architecture with the mumps, only the size is a little smaller on FIII. And also the new diffusion piece of the new K107Ti from CWIV and HIV for better treble.

 

😋

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2 hours ago, RandyH000 said:

-just curious  did you ever try  this new Pledge Floor Gloss on the scratches -

 

 

Not so far, but that might have been suggested.  I may try it sometime, but I’m very reluctant to experiment in an area that’s easy to see.  I don’t want to chance turning a few small scratches into a big mess.  At present, the scratches are covered up, so, out of sight, out of mind.

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2 hours ago, Islander said:

The veneer on the La Scala IIs is just as delicate.  I managed to scratch up one of the speakers with my stainless steel watch bracelet.  It was really annoying.  When I called Klipsch Customer Service to ask for any suggestions how to fix the damage, I was told that lacquer never really hardens.  It’s possible to use a softening agent to make the lacquer soft enough to allow the scratches to be blended back in, but it was strongly recommended that I find a scrap piece of lacquered walnut to practice on, before I attempt any kind of scratch repair on the actual speakers.  I don’t have such a piece, so I’m just ignoring the scratches for the time being.

 

Yes, scratches are a problem, plus anything sitting on the speakers, like a lamp with a relatively small contact surface, will put dents into the lacquer, which may or may not resolve themselves when the weight is removed.

 

I don’t recall running into this issue with other speakers I’ve had, that had oiled walnut finishes.  Just rub a bit of oil into them once or twice a year, and they’ll be fine.  The Klipsch veneer, on the other hand, seems to be like thick paper.

 

As you can imagine, I’m VERY careful around the speakers now.

My solution is to have a piece of glass cut to sit on top of the speaker with felt pads on the outer corners of the glass. That helps prevent future dents and scratches. Less than a week after unboxing my F3's, an electrician sat his drill on top of one of my speakers leaving a scratch. I was sick, he is a friend and I just try not to think about it.

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On 10/17/2020 at 4:01 AM, Foxman said:

My solution is to have a piece of glass cut to sit on top of the speaker with felt pads on the outer corners of the glass. That helps prevent future dents and scratches. Less than a week after unboxing my F3's, an electrician sat his drill on top of one of my speakers leaving a scratch. I was sick, he is a friend and I just try not to think about it.

 

Yes, your glass sheets will prevent any new scratches or marks, as long as the felt pads are big enough that the pressure per square centimetre is very low.  Just as in your case, my speakers are protected from any further damage, but I try not to think about what I did before I realized how easy it was to put marks on the veneer.  I feel your pain.

 

Since my speakers are JubScalas, they have the big Jubilee tweeters sitting on top of the cabinets.  The K-402 horns are 1 metre in width, so I was able to make the custom bases the same size as the tops of the cabinets, and I put cardboard sheets on the tops as well.  They’re barely noticeable, and I rarely have company over, so the cabinets are not at risk any more.  I really wish that the veneer was as thick as it usually seems to be on cabinets with oiled walnut finishes.  I wonder if the Black Ash and Cherry finishes are just as thin, or if they’re thicker and more sturdy?

 

After having things like this happen, now when someone comes into my home for the first time, I tell them The Rules.  

 

Rule Number One:  DON’T TOUCH THE SPEAKERS.

 

Rule Number Two:  DON’T SET ANYTHING ON TOP OF THE SPEAKERS.

 

I don’t yell, but I do make it clear that these rules are no joke.  Normally, The Rules only need to be stated once, but in the case of clumsy friends, I’m not shy to say it on their next visit, too.  The No Touch part is not so much about not feeling the veneer, it’s more like if a friend volunteers to vacuum the carpet, Do Not Run The Vacuum Into The Speakers.  It was bad enough when I had the black La Scalas in the front.  They’re pretty tough, so it wasn’t a big deal when they got bumped, but now the black plywood Scalas are in the back, and the thinly veneered La Scala IIs are the main front speakers.  Thus the need for The Rules.

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1 hour ago, mustang_flht said:

In my opinion there are at least two serious avenues for improving Forte III: the middle compression driver using the same as on Cornwall IV, I remind you that the Horns are of identical architecture with the mumps, only the size is a little smaller on FIII. And also the new diffusion piece of the new K107Ti from CWIV and HIV for better treble.

 

😋

I was thinking the same thing align all the parts together like in previous years I imagine though that with the changing of parts some minor changes would need to be done to the crossovers as well? 

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On 10/15/2020 at 11:37 PM, jpc2001 said:

What changes might a Forte IV bring, apart from swapping out the Ti mid driver? The Forte III already has most of the technology that the rest of the heritage line has. It already has the tractrix mid horn with mumps, and a steep slope crossover. What's missing?

 

Another possibility is that the F4 will introduce new tech to the Heritage line, much as the F3 did with the tractrix+mumps horn. The Forte seems to occupy a "gateway" between the heritage lineup and more modern products. It could make sense for it to drive new technology.

 

Moving away from the Ti in the mid (horn permitting) will allow for additional crossover modifications which may make the midrange more palatable to people who don't like Ti midranges and would like to have a lower crossover on the mid vs letting the woofer do the work.

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4 hours ago, Islander said:

The veneer on the La Scala IIs is just as delicate

 

Just to underatand, or make clear... is it the veneer or the lacquer finish that is so delicate? I think the veneer is fine, it is just the lacquer that is the problem.

 

According to woodworking/finishing sites, real lacquer dries fully within minutes. If it's dry, it won't get harder. Another spray or coat of lacquer actually melts the layer below and they will blend together.  This is why it has been used for years for fine musical instrument coatings.

 

Boiled Linseed Oil, does take a very long time to harden, as it requires oxygen to catalyze and harden. Polyurethane is similar, but self catalyzing as the molecule link to each other and harden. Once done, a solvent in another layer/coating won't soften and blend with the layer below. 

 

Many guitar companies, now use a type of polyurethane that is UV cured... in seconds. It allows a couple of positve things. Beautiful finishes and safe for employees an the atmosphere. There is less solvent and more solids in the spray.

 

 

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