Is this Klipsch upgrade worth it?

How big the room?

From what I read people like the Forte very much,  I don't think it would be a big upgrade. LaScala would take you up a giant step.

Fwiw, I demoed the Forte III when that was the current model and was surprised at being underwhelmed. As a Klipsch fan, I had original Heresy and KG 4.2 for years, I then demoed the Heresy IV and thought it superior to the Forte. I was looking for a bigger sound though and tried the Cornwall IV's. I bought them and 1.5 years later I'm still very happy.

I also demoed a range of solid state integrated amps with the Cornwall IV's in the 10k price neighborhood. They all sounded excellent. In the end I bought a Luxman L509X that I liked best. Always loved the clean look and pure, uncolored sound of Japanese gear.

Mofojo, my room is 16x16, with around a 12ft hole opening into the kitchen.

No I would not make that upgrade. I have heard both and the current La Scala (at two different dealers). The Cornwall iv and La Scala were in the same room with the same front end at both dealers.

The Cornwall IV has the potential to have harder hitting bass depending on the room. Get it just right (kind of close to the front wall) it hits harder. The Cornwall is a little softer in the bass on the leading edge but easier to place on the room and far less room dependent. If the bass is good with your fortes I would look at upgrading something else or saving and going for broke later lol. The mids seemed to spread out a little more on the Cornwall. Hard to say as they were in different rooms (heard them back to back though). 

The La Scala is a different animal and could be a worse speaker without subs. They have NO bass extension and need subs. I heard them without subs and they sounded really thin and dry to me. I felt like I could hear the wood but that could be in my head. Sounds different than MDF. They have a very strong horn sound, Wide soundstage that maintains focus. Listen before you buy for sure. With the latest price hike they are getting up there.

Not sure just how much better the Forte IV is over the III. I owned the IIIs for a while and thought they were very good. Moved on to Klipschorns then to Spatials. Came back to horns with the CW IV. My opinion is that it is definitely worth upgrading to.

I now own LaScala IIs and they were a very nice upgrade from the CW IV.

Oz

Oz.. that's interesting, the Spatials were one of the speakers I was considering originally.
I liked the proportion of the Cornwall lV's but was scared to shell out the additional dough because I didn't know whether I'd like the sound of horns.
The Forte lV's, to sound optimal, need to be moved into the room. I was wondering whether the CW's could sit closer to the wall in my room... and sound good there.

According to these guys, the difference isn't nearly as great as one might expect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPJevbwL9VU

My supposition is Cornwall would be better in a few ways, slight extension, and a bit tighter imaging. Apply ’slightly better’ to EVERYTHING you listen to, that’s a LOT.

I haven’t heard Klipsch in years.

Cornwall has 15" woofer, front ports, no rear port or radiator.

The Forte has 12" woofer and 15" rear passive radiator.

My speakers are similar to the Cornwall: horns with 15" woofer, (mine: no front or rear port* or passive radiator).

Note the specs for Cornwall bass is a little lower, and the range is tighter +/- 3db, the Forte is +/- 4db.

*I actually have a rear port, now closed, I used it open in another space with no rear wall. Better closed here.

some placement ... info here

https://www.audioadvice.com/videos-reviews/klipsch-cornwall-iv-speaker-review/

I had the Cornwalls placed about 20" from the front wall. Closer was fine too, but was the placement I found optimal in my room.

Oz

coachpoconnor,

when I demoed the Cornwall IV they were right next to the wall. I pulled them out to roughly 5’ and felt no gain in soundstage and a slight loss of low bass. I ended up demoing them at less than 30” off the front wall and they sounded fine. The Forte placement is a lot tricker with that rearward facing passive radiator. 

I love my Forte IV,  they have a small footprint and huge sound.  I have no plans to replace them anytime soon, or ever maybe.  Lascala if possible,  but that budget would and should include a sub that keep up with them.  

 The Cornwall is the choice though for larger rooms.   If you can afford the Forte you can probably afford the Cornwall, they aren't that much more when you really think about it.    

Forte is the perfect size for my space right now ,   it doesn't look much smaller than Cornwall in a photo but it is.  The CW is WIDE.....  

Nope.

YES, if you have the room. My listening room is 18x24 with my ears being 15’-16’ from each speaker. I had (still have) Heresy II’s with upgraded Crites woofers and crossovers and just recently moved up to the Cornwall IV’s. Honestly, I havent’ heard Forte’s in almost 30yrs. My system consists of a Mac 7104 (bridged) and Mac pre C47, and a Def Tech 15’ sub. I like to listen to my music very loud (for short periods), usually 99-106db at said 16’. I did a db comparison and the IV’s play right at +3db more than the upgraded Heresy’s at the exact level. I absolutely LOVE my Cornwalls! I have always heard folks say Klipsch speakers are terrible when it comes to imaging, soundstage, blah blah blah. When I play movies or watch tv, I turn my tv sound and center channel OFF bc the voices coming trough the IV’s project from the middle of my tv screen (I was surprisingly shocked). Also the mid's are smoother than I expected. So when you ask is it worth it, I believe that anytime you gain a noticeable and positive difference, its definitely worth it! Spending 10’s of thousands of dollars, no, but moving up to the C IV’s isn’t going to break the bank.

Hi all,

Long time reader. This thread is so perfect for me at this moment.Just moved into a new house ,open floor plan 25 x 25 x11h cathedral ceiling open concept. Right front corner wll be listening area. 

Have Maggies 1.7i but to  imposing rather than blending into room and I do not have the room to put them 3-4 ft away from the wall. Add in the right corner where one speaker will be and it's a nightmare. Accoustic treatments for rear are WAF acceptable. First reflection point on right may be a challenge.

listening distance 10-12 ft.

 Hoping the Cornwall IV's will do the trick.Any other suggestions within same buget would be appreciated.

 Parasound a21+ Schitt Freya+ and  Oppo 205 and a DSD sr. also.

Thank you for your help.

 Lou.

Sorry, Front wall is 10' wide, a corner on right and hallway to bedrooms on left.

The Cornwall's arrived yesterday and my dealer delivered them to the house last night. Like the Forte lV's the Cornwall's will require break-in. Already I can tell that this was worth the upgrade. The clarity of voices, especially female voices is un real. In the near future a friend is bringing a 300b for me to listen to. I'm looking forward to listening.

Thanks for the input!

Nice. !  Enjoy