Jump to content

Forte II or CF-3/4


Recommended Posts

More like LaScala's? Then you don't want CF3's or 4's. The Forte's have more of that Klipsch sound than the 3 or 4's. The CF's are great speakers, but the sound is unique. If you want the CF tower type, try to find a KLF30. They have more of that Klipsch signature sound, at least to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You know, I had this same question a while ago and was really on the fence on whether I should go with the KLF 30's or the CF 3 or CF 4.

By chance, I ended up getting a great pair of 1977 Cornwalls. I love the Corns, but they do overwhelm my mid-sized living room. I also feel the bass is great, but a bit boomy (for lack of a better term). The Cornwalls are a classic though and have great presence. No real complaints at all other than that they just overhwhelm the listening room I have them in and the highs tend to be a bit too harsh on some recordings. Of course, it's all subjective though.

Still, I wanted another pair of speaks and the KLF 30's or CF3's were available to me.

If I hadn't wanted a tower-type speaker specifically, I think I would have gone the Forte route.

Folks here, when asked, seemed to mention that the KLF Legend line would sound more like what I was used to with the Cornwalls. It is for this reason, among others, that I am going to get the CF3's. Of course, I have yet to hear them 6.gif

If anyone here has heard BOTH the CF3/4's and the Cornwalls, I would welcome your compare and contrast type thoughts on them. Tony?

Opinions seem to very widely on their sound, but all who have heard them seem to agree that they are a very good speaker with great imaging.

The only negatives I have heard on them is they don't quite have the "Klipsch-sound" with their slightly rolled off highs and that their soundstage/sweet spot is fairly narrow. The horn sits between the woofers and is also relatively low to the ground so that is the only thing that really concerns me.

At any rate, good luck with whatever you decide on .. I can say with Klipsch, that it is nice to have so many good choices

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, first, I counsel patience! - it might take a few days to get the answer you want. You might also try asking this same question over at Audio Asylum's high efficiency speaker forum, or Audio Karma.

I'll tell you, if you don't like or want towers, and think the KLF-30 is too big, you sure DON'T want the CF-4! It only weighs 6 lbs more than the KLF because of the lightweight, super-efficient neodymium magnets, but that's somewhat deceptive. While it's just an inch shorter than the KLF-30, it's a full 3" wider AND deeper. Put it this way - the CF-4's cabinet is 8.2 cu feet, vs 5.8 cu feet for the KLF-30. It's a big speaker. LOL. The CF-3's are only 2" narrower and 3" shorter than the CF-4's. They're not small either, with 6.9 cu ft of cabinet volume!

EDIT - misread your post - somehow got Forte confused with Chorus. LOL. Frankly, I just don't see a Forte being in the same class as a big Epic speaker - at least bass-wise. Smaller cabinets, and smaller active driver area = less bass, all things being equal. The cabinets are only 4.1 cu feet, only half the size of the CF-4 cabinets and the power handling capacity is only 1/3 that of the CF-4.

That's paper. If you want real world comparisions, you should maybe PM the forum user named Mr. Magoo. He's owned both CF series and Heritage speakers so he can give you some perspective. I've only owned the CF and the Reference series, so I can't help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also..If anyone knows anything about this. Hows the forte II compares to the Totem rainmaker?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You need to listen.

you are in a bit of a hurry.

Start with RF-3 or RB-5 or KSB 3.1 and start to understand the sound first.

A Totem is nothing like a Klipsch.

Tower 2 way dome tweeter, is nothing like a horn.

Good luck through your search.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

EDIT - misread your post - somehow got Forte confused with Chorus. LOL. Frankly, I just don't see a Forte being in the same class as a big Epic speaker - at least bass-wise. Smaller cabinets, and smaller active driver area = less bass, all things being equal. The cabinets are only 4.1 cu feet, only half the size of the CF-4 cabinets and the power handling capacity is only 1/3 that of the CF-4.

----------------

I think the bass of the Forte would surprise you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

AintjoMama....Your systems electronics, and the room there in are vital to your decision on any of these speakers. I have CF-2's, bought them new in 95 and have no intention whatsoever of buying different speakers. The CF-2's have the same horn, just smaller woofers than the 3's and 4's. I have compared them to heresys, KLF 20's and 30's in my system so I have a fairly good idea of how they all compare and sound. Out of the three I've had time to audition in my system I liked the 20's the best. Overall they were much smoother than the 30's. My CF-2's with only eight inch woofers went deeper than the 20's and 30's. I know this has to do with the room there in but the Epics have mucho box size and can really go deep, staying tight and in control. As for the Epics horn being in the middle, the benefits far outweigh the negatives, if any. It makes the imaging incredible and unless your sitting too close to your speakers, you can easily sit with the horns pointing at your ears. As for high frequency roll off compared to fortes or cornwalls, this is most likely a good thing, unless you have plenty of advil around. The only problem is finding a pair of Epics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...