Geo1 Posted June 15, 2003 Share Posted June 15, 2003 Twenty-some-odd years ago I almost bought La Scala's when I was in the Army in Germany. I had heard about Khorns and the PX carried La Scala's and Heresy's. I fell in love with the Klipsch sound. The La Scala's were $1,100, but they were just too big to haul around. My best friend bought the Heresy's, but I thought they lacked bass and I got JBL L150's. Anyway, I'm back in the market for some Heritage line speakers, but the La Scala's are still too big. I'm looking on eBay for Forte's or Heresy. I notice that the Heresy's sell for almost as much as Forte's. I remember the ads for the Heresy 20 years ago: "Two-thirds of a Klipschorn at less than half the price." Is there some general consensus about which is the "better" speaker, the Forte or the Heresy. There's no way I can listen to them to compare. I've heard both, but it's more than 20 years since I've heard the Heresy and more than 15 years since I've heard the Forte and I've never heard them together. Now, I'm not concerned about the difference in bass response since I don't think anyone buys Klipsch Heritage for the sound of the bass and if worse comes to worst, I'll just get a sub. I'd appreciate any thoughts from you guys who are more experienced with the Heritage speakers. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomac Posted June 15, 2003 Share Posted June 15, 2003 I have heard Quartets described as Heresy's with base. A Quartet is a little larger than a Heresy but not close to the size of a La Scala. I have heard both side by side and I own and prefer the Quartets. The bass is there. Six months ago I bought a pair of Forte IIs. If you have the room, I would recommend you take a hard look at them. They will cost a bit more than the Quartets or Heresys but that cost is justified in my opinion. A lot of people are using the Heresy for surrounds in their HT set-ups and I suspect that has driven the price up. Quartets may be the best deal out there. Look for either a pair of Fortes, Forte IIs or Quartets in your area. Save on the shipping and lower the risk of damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reel 2 reel Posted June 15, 2003 Share Posted June 15, 2003 I guess it depends on how much room you have and how much cash you have....the fortes' will deliver a more natural sound ..and the herseys just kick $@#..so it depends on what YOU want out of a speaker..ive had both,and will take the fortes' any day of the week..they also look better and your friends will envy you It also helps when the wife agrees... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo1 Posted June 15, 2003 Author Share Posted June 15, 2003 Thanks for the responses. My wife is OK with either. I hadn't heard of the Quartets. Heresy with bass? Could be the answer. Do the Quartets have the same tweeter and midrange horns at the Heresy? I listened to the Forte's in the mid 80's and enjoyed them too. Just didn't have the money at that time. Decisions, decisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomac Posted June 15, 2003 Share Posted June 15, 2003 The Quartets are very similar to the Forte IIs. Both share the K-61 midrange and 90X40 Tractrix Horn. The crossovers are the same and the tweeters are very close. Forte IIs have a bit higher sensitivity rating. Woofers on the Quartet 10" with 12" passive, Forte II has 12" with a 1" passive. I really think, if $$$ is an issue, the Quarters would be a great choice. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3030065386&category=14993 Go to the Klipsch Homepage - click on Classic Product - then Heritage. You can compare the Forte, Forte II, Quartet and Heresy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerohm Posted June 15, 2003 Share Posted June 15, 2003 The Quartet is to the Forte II as the Heresy II is to the Forte I. The Forte I's really sound closer to the (original) Heresy (with BASS!). I somewhat prefer the K61 midrange, but I really like them all; if you like the Klipsch sound, I think you will too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo1 Posted June 15, 2003 Author Share Posted June 15, 2003 Thanks again. I saw the specs and also saw those on eBay. Definitely somehting to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j-malotky Posted June 15, 2003 Share Posted June 15, 2003 Geo Sounds like you are doing your homework. Thats great. I think the Forte 1 is one of the best speakers ever built by Klipsch. It is very under-rated IMO. It performs extremely well in any size or shaped room. Probably why PWK used them in his office. since you love the Klipsch Heritage sound, you would be happy with Quartets or Fortes. Good luck in your search. JM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted June 15, 2003 Share Posted June 15, 2003 Someone named GIO won the 1980 walnut cornwalls for $625 from ebay tonight. Was that you GEO or just coincidence? Good buy no matter who got them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo1 Posted June 15, 2003 Author Share Posted June 15, 2003 Just coincidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted September 12, 2003 Share Posted September 12, 2003 I wasn't sure if I should start a new thread... but since there is already a bunch of good info I here, I decided to piggy-back this one. Just happened across a used set of Forte I, and I was wondering on how they compare acoustically to the Heresy I or even the Cornwall I ? I'm actually waiting a confirmation that they are "I" and aren't "II" I realise that they use entirely different components, but it is often referred to as a ported (PR) Heresy, right? 1) How similar are the mids and highs? Timbre match? 2) The bass response would be obviously better than the Heresy... but how about the Cornwall? I realise published specs usually don't give a feeling for speaker performance... but a couple of old Klipsch brochures I have state 50-20k ±3 (HeresyII) 32-20k ±3 (ForteI) and 45-20k ±3db (ChorusI). 3) Are they true Heritage Klipsch is sound? I know this is the 2channel forum, but I'm looking for a critical listening opinion even though I might swap these into my multichannel setup (rear). Oh, the reason for all these questions is these are difficult to get to, so I can't see/borrow them before committing to them. Thanks guys... Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leok Posted September 12, 2003 Share Posted September 12, 2003 Geo1 Forte-II has rear-firing passive radiator (maybe Forte-II does too). Best in corners for bass, which does go down to 32 Hz. Formica, Forte and Chorus do what their specs say. The ones with passive radiators like corners for the bass. It could be the Chorus has a smoother high end. But, by the time I figured out how to convince my amps to get along with the Chorus-II, I realized similar tweaking would have smoothed out their performance with the Forte-II (which I used to have). Forte and Chorus are dynamite speakers .. careful with the amplification. leok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted September 13, 2003 Share Posted September 13, 2003 So a Forte would be a step up from the Heresy? It used to sell for 70% more than the HeresyII... but currently costs less on Ebay. No one mentioned if it's timber matched? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerohm Posted September 13, 2003 Share Posted September 13, 2003 ---------------- On 9/13/2003 1:44:55 AM formica wrote: No one mentioned if it's timber matched? ---------------- The original Forte and the Heresy II use the same K-53 midrange horn and match well. The Forte II and the Quartet use the same K-61 midrange horn and match well. The Heresy II, Quartet and Academy all use the same K-76 tweeter (although it is crossed at a much lower 2200Hz on the Academy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert Posted September 13, 2003 Share Posted September 13, 2003 Easy questions, even for me. Get the FORTE's dude, THE FORTE's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted September 20, 2003 Share Posted September 20, 2003 Given the asking price and that they are available locally, I'm going to buy those Forte I ... and see how they perform compared to my Cornwall I and Heresy I . If they match well (they have a different mid and tweeter), I may switch out a pair of Heresy and integrate them into my multichannel system instead. Heritage are such bargains given their quality and durability... only if they were smaller.... I'm running out of room! Thanks guys... Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted September 20, 2003 Share Posted September 20, 2003 I'm an owner and fan of Forte II and its smaller brother, the Quartet. I heard Heresy and Forte (I) a very long time ago. I must agree that the Forte is a lot like a Heresy with more bass. It also benefit from being a floorstander which gets the tweeter a little higher. You'll have to look at the specs in the product section of the website to see about the specifics. Perhaps the "footprint" will make a difference. The Chorus was made as a replacement for the Cornwall. As one Klipsch engineer said, "The Cornwall is like having a refrigerator in your living room." That must have spoken to the geometry. It says nothing about how to describe the even larger K-Horn. Both get very good reviews. No one has accused the Chorus of not living up to the Cornwall in most ways, but the Cornwall is truly a classic. I believe there was a big step up when the tratrix mid was added. It created the Chorus II and Forte II. The latter got a bigger passive radiator too. There was never a non tratrix Quartet, so the Quartet is simply a Quartet, but it is little brother to the -II. You'll see that the Forte II is specified to have a lower F3 than either the Chorus or Quintet despite being the middle brother. As far as size, it may be like the accomodations for the three bears. I've bought a second pair of Quartets for home. Some of it is price, availablity and size. Good performers particularly at or near a corner. However, if you want a bottom line opinion . . . the Forte II may well be the best overall direct radiator (bass) speaker Klipsch ever produced. So if I had only one purchase to make, the Forte II would be it. If you're in the Chicago area, I'll love to show you the Forte II at the office and the Quartets at home. Best, Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted September 21, 2003 Share Posted September 21, 2003 I appreciate the offer but unfortunately I'm a good distance away, in Montreal... It's my understanding there is a small concentration of members in your area. I've confirmed to the seller that I'll take the Forte I's in any case, and will have them end of September when he comes to town. Less than a year ago, I almost purchased a set of Lascala... and even though they are a little shorter than the Cornwalls... they are truly little refrigerators! So the way I see it, I'm still ahead in the space dept.... I just got to convince my girlfriend of it... Thanks... Rob PS: I have always wanted to visit Chicago, as I am quite a fan of Frank L Wright's buildings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted September 21, 2003 Share Posted September 21, 2003 I don't say bad things about the Forte I. A great "Little Giant" of a speaker. You are going to love it. Your girlfriend is going to love it too. Chicago is a coffee table book of architecture (sp); but we have it in hardware, rather than printing. Best, Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 After settling on a price, date, and location... the deal fell through! The seller couldn't wait till this weekend and without warning sold them to someone else... It's not the first time this has happened to me but it's frustrating every time, especially since we had an agreement and I assured him that I was going to buy them. I guess it's more a question of courtesy... Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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