Ever heard Forte II's

[oldbuckster]

Seems like Klipsch at one time or another had a speaker to fit EVERY need the audiophile had..............kinda interesting really............a different level of speaker, in a certain price range...................The more I read about PWK the smarter he becomes..........All Klipsch speakers are nice......Take your pick.........

[mark1101]

I too never had the opportunity to hear Fortes. I have always heard rave reviews about them and I can't remember ever hearing anything negative.

I agree, on paper they do have the best looking freq. response of the heritage line.

What I did do recently is "refurbish" my '73 vert corns by adding all auricapped ALK networks to them. These cost a few hundred dollars more than I spent for the speakers themseves many years ago. I also had the alnico tweeters rebuilt.

They stand in front of my Khorns and while not quite in that league, they almost are. I have a renewed lust for the CWs, and honestly are pretty amazed at their capabilites, especially down low. I feel that every penny spent was justified. They are wonderful, and I listen to them much more now. I would recommend to anyone that improvements to old cornwalls are without a doubt worth the investment.

I can only imagine what a brand new pair of CW3s would sound like. I'm sure they kick butt.

Hopefully someday I'll run into some Fortes for a listen. I'm sure they are fine too.

[sputnik]

Yes, they are a fantastic speaker. To me they give off a full bodied, rich sound that hit my soul. Though the CW are louder, I just don't get the same Thrill with the CW that the Fortes provide.

In my humble option, Fortes are the speaker that Klipsch should bring back.........the best bang for your dollar!

I agree about the thrill factor. The Fortes are generally more exciting than the Cornwalls in my experience as well. I have listened to both side by side (the CWs don't have upgraded x-overs). The Forte II is amazing (I've never heard the Forte I), they shake the house where my Cornwall IIs don't. If you close your eyes, it's hard to believe that all of that clean sound is coming from a mid-size speaker - they can really startle you. The sound is much bigger than their size should produce. More "sound per pound" with the Fortes over the CWs. There were times with the Fortes that, in all honesty, I checked for structural damage to the house after playing them. The Fortes dig down in the bass end just a bit further than the CWs and you can really notice this on some tracks. The CWs render piano, accoustic guitar, and orchestral pieces better (about perfect) in my system and room and there is just something special about the Cornwalls. The Cornwall certainly deserves it's reputation but the Forte is like the Cornwall's under-appreciated smart a$$ little brother who is always pulling off stunts to outdo his big bro. I'm not getting rid of either of em.

Cornwall = [] and Forte = [li][<)][li]

Here they are side by side.

[Duke Spinner]

. Note that PWK invented the tuned port. .

Gil

Huh..??? Whaa happened to Helmholtz, et al ..??

[dtel's wife]

Seems like Klipsch at one time or another had a speaker to fit EVERY need the audiophile had..............kinda interesting really............a different level of speaker, in a certain price range...................The more I read about PWK the smarter he becomes..........All Klipsch speakers are nice......Take your pick.........

When dtel became interested in Klipsch I listened to everything he told me about the speakers, the company and PWK, he really didn't give me any choice about the "listening to him" part. He made sure he had my attention.

I thought okay, okay here we go again. He's just wanting to buy more hi-fi stuff. We purchased a mid-range Synergy set up, (2 fronts, 2 rears and a center). Even in the $1200-$1700 price range there was nothing comparable for quality of sound. I thought the "bug" had passed when we purchased the Synergys.

As dtel became more active in the forum, he talked incessantly (you guys know who you are) about KIipsch, and the Heritage line and PWK. All the while demanding my full undivided attention, as much as possible. (I am ADD so the full attention thing takes a little while sometimes, especially if I forget to take my medicine)

Once I started reading on the forum regularly I became a member. I am of course, in the minority here because I am a female.

That being said, I am completely in awe of the genius of PWK. The more I read and hear about this man, the more fascinating he becomes. One comment we heard from a lifelong resident of Hope(and not a Klipsch employee), "Everyone knew he was the town genius".

I have not seen another company as generous and caring as Klipsch.(again, I don't mean the new Cornwall III's) The relationship they have developed with ELF, a regular company sponsored gathering for "fans", a forum that mainly serves the fans(we are a good marketing team for them!!!) just to name a few.

Even the lowest of the lowest Klipsch product outpaces its competitor.

Finally, the quality of the Heritage line speaks for itself and is by far the highest quallity product line Klipsch has. I do not believe there is another product(of any kind) being made in America that can compete with the quality coming out of the factory in Hope, AR.

Just don't ask me about the "electronic" stuff.[]

[dtel]

Sputnik , Nice looking setup, I really posted because I LOVE those cane grills, I wish they still used them.

[Duke Spinner]

I just sold 1 pr of Chorus 2's

what did I keep..???

Forte 2...

[oldtimer]

You really can't do substantially better than the FII's without paying two to three times or more, especially if you stray from the Klipsch line.

[bdbaba]

Aloha Mr. and Mrs. dtel! And Hey Oldtimer!

I have never heard the ll's. I bought the original Fortes because they

were on island and cheap. Since you own both, how do they sound in

comparison?

Thanks.

Jeff

[Frzninvt]

I purchased a pair of Forte's in 1988 brand new at the Ramstein AB, GE BX since they were on sale. I owned them until 2000 and the only reason I parted with them was to finance the purchase a pair of 1980 Oak Lacquer Belle Klipsch with Cane Grills that I spotted at a local dealer. They are perhaps one of the best balanced speakers that Klipsch ever produced, all the highs of the Heresy but with the bass to go with it.

Prior to getting the Forte's, I tried Cerwin Vega D-8's, Polk Audio SDA2's, Polk Audio RTA-12C's, JBL L120's, and a pair of Bose 601III's. The Forte' easily outperformed all of them in every aspect and were handlind the massive 300W x 2 from my DBX BX-3 amplifier with ease. I later added a JBL B-380 15" subwoofer and man that combo was tough to beat.

I will always be very fond of the Forte'

[dtel's wife]

I really appreciate all the input from you guys and I would have to agree with the statement that the Forte II is like the smart *ss little brother to the Cornwall.

Our new Cornwall III's are very sweet sounding, however I am honestly surprised at a side by side comparison of the Forte II with the Cornwall III's.

Most of you guys that have actually had the opportunity to listen to both sets of speakers are right on in your assessments.

I do believe the Cornwall III is a marked improvement over the previous Cornwall's, more particularly in the bass. The highs and mid-ranges are also very realistic. (This opinion is based on one previous audition of Cornwall's in a "not so favorable" listening environment.)

Our 2 pair of Forte IIs are 20+ years old and are all factory original parts. That being said, the Cornwall IIIs rock and roll. However I do believe the Forte IIs will be knocking on their back door when we finally get around to "upgrading" the "smart *ss quadruplets"