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Forte IV or Cornwall IV ???


SL1800

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I’m new to the forum, please forgive me if this topic has already been discussed. 
 

I’m a long time audiophile and I blame that on my friend Johnny and his 1979 pair of Klipsch Belle. I had an all Yamaha system when he invited me to hear his new Yamaha powered Klipsch Belle speaker system. Let’s just say I was shocked at the difference I heard and I’ve been on the search for better sound ever since. 
 

Today I have a dedicated room with some very nice high end gear but nothing in my living room and hence the reason for this post. Recently a gentleman offered to give me his, perfect condition, 1979 McIntosh MA6100 integrated and his B&O Beogram 4002 linear tracking turntable, both in great condition. He said if I didn’t want them he was going to toss them into the dumpster!!!  I nearly fainted when he said that. 
 

The problem is he wasn’t willing to part with his 1979 pair of Cornwalls. So that’s why I’m looking at Cornwall iv’s or Forte iv’s. I actually like the size of the Forte and the price and really no chance to hear either one.  Any input on this would be highly appreciated, especially those that have had listing time with both. Oh and this system will be used mostly as background music. 

Thanks

 

 

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Welcome to the forum. I A/B’d them at my dealer’s this year and you can’t make a bad choice. Not a whole lot of difference in the mids and highs. I thought the Forte’s bass was a little punchier, more compact, compared to the Cornwall’s more open, fuller bass. Overall I thought the Cornwalls were a bit more cohesive/disappeared better. They started with the Fortes and everyone was in agreement that they sounded great 👍.  Full disclosure I am a biased Cornwall I and Cornwall IV owner 😬  *I was also off center in a giant room full of people, to be fair

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Cornwall -Forte -Chorus  speakers come up often for sale ,  as members are purchasing the New Cornwall IV , so if that's what you're looking for , keep an eye on the ALERTS and GARAGE SALE sections ..........2nd thing you can do is seach for  a klipsch Dealer , in your area and audition both speakers ---

the ratings -------Forte III-Forte IV---Cornwall IV in that order-

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If you are truly going to use this system for  “background music”, I wouldn’t spend that kind of coin on either speaker. I haven’t heard the forte IV, but the Cornwall IV is a serious speaker that deserves the best ancillaries and will demand your attention and draw you right into the performance.

 

Unless you’ve got money to burn, look for some used cornwalls or fortes for your application. IMHO……….

 

Shakey

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2 hours ago, Shakeydeal said:

If you are truly going to use this system for  “background music”, I wouldn’t spend that kind of coin on either speaker. I haven’t heard the forte IV, but the Cornwall IV is a serious speaker that deserves the best ancillaries and will demand your attention and draw you right into the performance.

 

Unless you’ve got money to burn, look for some used cornwalls or fortes for your application. IMHO……….

 

Shakey

Agreed!  I wouldn’t even go for used Heritage; grab a pair of reference bookshelves if only for background music.  RB81s would do the trick 

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I say you should bring the memory back exactly with a set of walnut Belles! I just happen to know where some are…at my house. And they can be yours much cheaper that either of the 2 mentioned above. Of course they are in Tn and I have no idea where you are. 

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9 hours ago, RandyH said:

good Man  -look out for B stock --they are rebated

 

3 hours ago, ricktate said:

Cal Cory first.....at Paducah home theater.  

Both of these are great advice, for me B stock Cornwalls at the price I paid were a win, especially space not being an issue. By the way Cory just posted on Facebook that he has 14 pallets of Cornwalls coming in.  Not sure if any are B stock but its worth asking.  Now when I say space wasn't wan issue, that was referring to Cornwalls vs Fortes.  Since I do not have the room for Belles, there wasn't a thought of perusing them.  If you have the space for Belles, I would hold out for nice set that could run around 3k.  Just a thought and good luck, oh and my Cornwall IVs are used for background music as this room is lively and not my main "listening system"  I do not regret my purchase what so ever. 

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2 hours ago, Shakeydeal said:

 +1

+2 - Cory and Paducah are the best place to get Klipsch speakers. Great prices and incredible service. I saved thousands on my Forte IVs and they arrived in just  a few days in perfect condition on a pallet to my driveway. Extremely happy customer.

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I currently own both -- cornwall II and forte II; while both are excellent and can't go wrong with either, but if you have to pick one only, I would go with the cornwall. Bigger soundstage, more open sound than the forte. Ex: with the cornwalls, you not only hear the bass, but you also feel it, with the forte you simply hear it.

 

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Thanks for all the input guys. I have done a ton of research on these speakers and well ………… I ordered a pair of walnut Forte iv for my living room and a pair of walnut Cornwall iv for another audio room I’m going to setup. I have an empty room that is just storage for equipment boxes, it will now be a second dedicated audio room for a tube based and Cornwall system. 
 

Paducah Home Theater had both in stock and should arrive by the end of next week. Really looking forward to hearing these. 
 

Now which integrated tube amp would you guys recommend with the Cornwall??? 

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Interesting that you guys mention Primaluna and Luxman, those are the two I have been looking into. I have a line on a 1 year old Luxman L-590axii at a great price from a friend. We shall see if he decides to part with it or not. I know it’s solid state but it is class A and known to sound fantastic with Klipsch. 

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