n2dablue Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Hello All, I have a question for those of you who have been around the block a few more times than I. Here's a little bacground. Growing up, my folks had a great set of Fortes, always mated to a Yamaha reciever or amp of one kind or another. Now I am no real audiophile, but I do recognize and appriciate the sound that those speakers were capable of. I've been out of the house for nearly two years now and have a bad itch that no boom box is going to scratch. I sampled some RF-35s the other day and they were very nice, they reminded me a little of the Fortes (gotta love those horns) but just didn't quite bring it home for me, they didn't have the same spunk in the low end. This is when I realized there is no way I can afford something new that I will be content with for many years, heck, affording the RF-35s would be painful enough! It doesn't look promising to find a set of Fortes in the price range that I can work with, However there are a number of KG-4s floating around on EBay right now, with wallet-friendly prices. They seem to get nothing but great reviews. So here's the question- Will the KG-4s quench my thirst the way the Fortes could? If not, just how close will they come. I'd be running them on a Yamaha reciever (not sure on the model number) from the LATE 80's/early 90s, at 50WPC. (Actually it's the first reciever my folks used on the Fortes back in the day, and sounded great, yes its old, but also free!) Thank you in advance for your time! Paul Larson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olorin Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Hi Paul, Just what kind of budget are you working with? Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rckpls Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Where are you located. I know of some nice Fortes in Ohio that can be had for less than $500. If that's too much, you might look for some Quartets. I personally prefer them over the KG-4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n2dablue Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 Around 300 - 400 (400 being the max) For right now, I could spend more later on (which is why I looked at the RF-35s and a few others). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n2dablue Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 Im here in Washington state right now (military), 500 is a bit high, unless they are still available later in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olorin Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Yeah, Quartets would be a good option. There are a couple sets on eBay, or at least there were yesterday. Don't try to ship these guys -- buy them where you can pick them up yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n2dablue Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 Shipping is not very safe I'm guessing? I gather that the KG-4s don't really compare? Or is it that there are just better choices out there? Please excuse the silly questions, I have only personally listened to the Fortes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chops Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 There's a real nice pair of KG 4's on eBay right now with a little over 2 hours to go. The price is still under $200!! If I had a little extra cash, I would go for them myself right now! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=61378&item=3092856531&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n2dablue Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 This auction is the reason I was asking about the KG-4s, I lost the bid earler on some beat up Fortes that ended up selling for $375, I was angry, lol. Should I go for them? How much should I max out at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flason Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 KG4's are definitely underrated speakers. Less than $200 is a steal, especially with Forte prices reaching in the $700+. The KG4's have a very balanced sound, albeit smaller sound than the forte. They have a very respectable low end on them, which is a surprise when you consider the size of the drivers. Shipping the KG's won't be cheap. You can expect at least $50 per speaker or more plus packing material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rckpls Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Like I said before....the Quartet is a better speaker, but you couldn't go wrong buying KG-4s for $200! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chops Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Those KG 4's look like they're in excellent shape. If it were me, I would go no higher than $275.01. Yes, that $.01 makes a difference with eBay auctions, trust me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n2dablue Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 I won for $193.01, yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg928gts Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Congrats! Let us know how you like them when you get them set up. What kind of blues are you n2? Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n2dablue Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 Actually, not as much into the blues as I should be, n2dablue is also my ebay user id so I can remember it. It is sorta derived from "...into the wild blue yonder..." I'm Air Force, you see... Thats funny, I didn't even think twice about that, oops! Yeah, I'll let everyone know how it goes, it seems that this is a great forum, Thank you all for your time! Paul Larson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Blacksmith Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Congrats on the score! Under $200 YEE HAA! I am listening to my Forte 1s as I wright this, I picked them up on Ebay also. I was checking closed auctions for pricing and this set of black Fortes HAD NO BIDS! I called the seller and we struck a deal for $450. You will be happy with your new speakers and when you are ready to move up, other speakers will be there for you. ENJOY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 Paul- Great score. KG-4s for under $200 is quite a deal. I'm sure you'll enjoy them...and then get the upgrade bug like we all seem to do. I really enjoy the Quartet/Forte/Chorus line myself. Welcome to the boards. I'm ex-AF myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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