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Klipsch Forte ii questions


Llem

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Hi, first post here.🙂

5 days ago got some klipsch Forte ii in very good condition.They sound lovely but Its my first horn speaker so i have some questions.

1 . How different is from iii and iv models?

2. Given that they are from the 90s how much life do they have in general for proper operation? Drivers crossover etc.

3. Placement : for the moment best placement is 8 feet (in my 12 feet wall) apart and just a little toe in,  almost straigh ahead that gives a wide scene.  About 19" from the back wall- I cant bring them closer than that because i have a bookself behind one speaker. Behind the passive woofer i took out books and records to provide almost an empty wall.

Looking forward for your comments Thank you!

 

 

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It sounds like you have them set up fairly well.  Toe in depends on the listening distance and the room.  As for 1.---it doesn't matter.  As for 2.--My first pair are from the late 80's (one of the first made) and are still going strong.

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IMHO, the III is far better than earlier iterations of the Forte. I have not heard the IV, but it is reported to be even better still.

 

That said, you still have an excellent speaker. Some ALK xovers will make them sound even better.

 

Shakey

 

 

 

 

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11 minutes ago, Llem said:

Thank you, 

 btw listening position is about 13 feet.. but i do like a nice sound all over the room as i walk or dance :) and i believe less toe in helps that .?

I have Forte 1s from 1986 with Lmahl tweeters and Crites crossovers. I use them as my surrounds and they sound better than new. I also have a set of Forte IVs and to me they sound much better than my Forte 1s. My forte 1s liked being very close to the back wall but the Forte IVs sound best 10-12" off the back wall. I prefer little to no toe in but I like moving around the house and don't do a lot of single location critical listening.

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",,,,got some klipsch Forte ii in very good condition.They sound lovely but Its my first horn speaker so i have some questions. How different is from iii and iv models?"

 

Forte II- different horns/drivers and possibly different crossovers (slopes). Pull up spec sheet on Klipsch site for III & IV's to confirm. I had Forte I and still have Forte II's.

In my opion, Forte I & II's are very, very good performers.

 

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On 6/8/2021 at 11:49 AM, Llem said:

 

5 days ago got some klipsch Forte ii in very good condition.They sound lovely but Its my first horn speaker so i have some questions. Given that they are from the 90s how much life do they have in general for proper operation? Drivers crossover etc.

Placement : for the moment best placement is 8 feet (in my 12 feet wall) apart and just a little toe in,  almost straigh ahead that gives a wide scene.  About 19" from the back wall- I cant bring them closer than that because i have a bookself behind one speaker. Behind the passive woofer i took out books and records to provide almost an empty wall.

Looking forward for your comments Thank you!

 

 

I have '80s Klipsch Forte I in original condition. They show no signs of deterioration and giving up the ghost. You can upgrade them if you want, but I'm satisfied with mine as is.  They sound lively and open w/ a tight bass. Experiment w/ closer to the wall for reinforced bass. I had them in a 10'x13'x9'H room and the room was too small for them to develop. They sound much more complete in our 18'x22'x9'H LR/dining room. They sound good w/ our modern Rega integrated amp in the large room but really sang beautifully w/ paired with my modern Mystere' tube integrated amp upstairs. If I could make the tube amp work in the LR/dining I'd be set, but a remote controlled SS amp works best for TV so sadly I can't complete the pairing of Klipsch/tubes. I wish I still had my '88 Mac receiver as the Mac/Klipsch would be a vintage system form audio heaven.

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On 6/8/2021 at 11:49 AM, Llem said:

Hi, first post here.🙂

5 days ago got some klipsch Forte ii in very good condition.They sound lovely but Its my first horn speaker so i have some questions.

1 . How different is from iii and iv models?

2. Given that they are from the 90s how much life do they have in general for proper operation? Drivers crossover etc.

 

 

 

- the Forte 3 and Forte 4 are an evolution ,  each series has improvements over the previous model ----however The Forte II is still an excellent speaker -if they sound very good to your ears , enjoy them  as is , if you hear an absence of clear HF , then upgrade the capacitors through JEM PERFORMANCE , our inhouse klipsch crossover repair center , by soldering a new kit -

 

congrats on your new purchase and welcome to the forum

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On 6/8/2021 at 8:49 AM, Llem said:

Hi, first post here.🙂

5 days ago got some klipsch Forte ii in very good condition.They sound lovely but Its my first horn speaker so i have some questions.

1 . How different is from iii and iv models?

2. Given that they are from the 90s how much life do they have in general for proper operation? Drivers crossover etc.

3. Placement : for the moment best placement is 8 feet (in my 12 feet wall) apart and just a little toe in,  almost straigh ahead that gives a wide scene.  About 19" from the back wall- I cant bring them closer than that because i have a bookself behind one speaker. Behind the passive woofer i took out books and records to provide almost an empty wall.

Looking forward for your comments Thank you!

 

 

When I answered you before I wasn't 100% accurate. I have Forte 1s and have never heard the Fortes 2s but the IVs I have are really at another level overall. I was listening to my IVs this afternoon and noticed right away how much bigger in scale they sound than my 1s. They have a MUCH greater sense of depth and the soundstage is much wider. They are also much smoother with much more punchy bass and a more even transition between the midrange and tweeter. The 1s are good but the IVs are closer to a slightly scaled down Cornwall IV. Enjoy your Forte 2s - just realize that the 3s and 4 might sound much better to your ears if you were to compare them in the same space with identical gear.

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Thank you for the replies.

Still trying different positions. Closer to the wall i believe gives a punchier leaner bass and a live feeling while more out in the room about 1.5 feet gives a rounded sound with more depth.

Like both:)

Anyone else with similar results?

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On 6/12/2021 at 7:10 AM, Llem said:

Thank you for the replies.

Still trying different positions. Closer to the wall i believe gives a punchier leaner bass and a live feeling while more out in the room about 1.5 feet gives a rounded sound with more depth.

Like both:)

Anyone else with similar results?

Yes. Enjoy experimenting! No distance is sacred. Thanks!

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Congrats on the new Forte's :) 

 

Had some nice Forte I's ... in a small "stereo" room, about 6 ft apart. Thought they sounded great, till I started experimenting with adding K-510 horns. The Forte I's just could NOT keep up with the horns no matter what I tried (dsp, etc.), So; borrowed my neighbors Forte IV's ... sound was marginally better, but with the horns they just sounded "anemic." (FYI; have K-510's with PRO KPT-904's in my main listening area.) Sold the Forte I's and (haha) upgraded to Epic III's ... quite an improvement, but still "duds" when trying them with the horns. :( 

 

So, for me, Forte's are nice speakers for background music. Just do not expect to hear a "live orchestra" with these no matter what "toe-in" or "distance between speakers" you use. If you want to hear "live music," you will have to go "PRO."

 

Add-on ... I would not worry about the age of your "90's" Forte's ... have various Klipsch speakers from the 80's which perform excellent. Haha; have Cornwall I's and replaced the x-overs after reading comments here - no change at all; was NOT necessary :) 

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