Forte Replacements

[richieb]

It appears no matter how much I would like Klipshorns, placement remains an issue. I CAN fit Cornwalls or LaScalas, my two remaining choices. Although a newbie, my past threads have told of LaScala ownership some 20 years ago, stlll a pup, of but even then, knew a damn good thing when I heard it. One thing led to another and of course the LaS were sold. (I know, I now realize what I did, I need no more grief from wiser forum members.) Now after several years of

"audiophile" speakers, I have come full circle, back to the real truth in sound reproduction, Klipsch and tubes. My newly acquired Fortes are incredible, particularly placed in corners. Bass is deep, yet remains quick, mids and highs have good texture yet no harshness, soundstage is very good to my surprise, I find it hard to stop listening. Now I want to upgrade, CW or LaS. I really want the three-way horn load design (true Klipsch heritage) but I see the Forte goes much lower than LaS and is about on equal to CW. Will the horn-loaded bass of LaS be closer to that of the passive loaded bass of the Forte with regrads to speed as opposed to the reflex enclosure of CW which may be more difficult to control. Or will the lower register of the CW remind me more of my Fortes. This is for 2 channel only and I have no desire to add sub-woofers. What is my best Forte upgrade. Jazz, female vocal, piano, soft rock, country. Really not interested in the obvious upgrade, Chorus. All answers appreciated.

[greg928gts]

There are two very important things I would consider if deciding between Cornwalls or La Scalas. Room size, and what type of music you like to listen to.

In a larger room, you will really appreciate the bigger sound of the La Scalas. With the right source and amplifier, La Scalas can produce all kinds of bass, and the slight difference in frequency response is a moot point. In a bigger room, the bass horns have a chance to develop the lower frequencies.

The increased efficiency of the LS is not to be overlooked. It is a substantial difference. The La Scala does a lot more with a few watts of power than a Cornwall.

You mentioned female vocal and jazz. There really is no need to expound on this too much, simply put, the big midrange horn is the way to go for these music genre's.

I like my Cornwalls for near-field rock music listening. They have a nice deep punch, and the midrange is a little less forward than my Khorns (or La Scalas). They need good power, IMO 50 watts per channel to really crank.

Greg