to follow up again. I finally lugged my Kef Blade 2s back into the system. I can't warm back up them. Life in music is missing. Maybe speakers like the Blade 2s are meant to play the finest recordings only? They are much more refined and imaging is clearly superior but what about the heart and soul of music? I like all kinds and don't pick what I listen to based on recording quality. The Klipsch will forgive lesser recordings (are they really lesser?) If the recording is a good song that is most important and it's a shame to not hear things because the recording isn't good enough for your audiophile system. I've been and this for a long time and come full circle. Some hi fi systems rob the music of it's ability to deliver it's message.
Klipsch Forte III--Pleasantly Surprised
First off, I have to say that I always had significant bias against Klipsch speakers. I thought maybe some of the Heritage Series were possibly decent, but in no way audiophile grade.
I recently bought a pair of Forte’s in distressed white oak. They look super vintage and the grills are very tasteful. My impetus for the purchase was I moved to a house this past spring that has a dedicated music room for me, and I wanted to experiment seeking a bigger sound as the room is large (25 long x 15 wide x 10 foot high ceilings). My system is the following:
Winter: Primaluna Dialgoue HP Premium Integrated,
Summer: Schitt Freya, NAD M51
Constant Year Long: Bluesound Node 2, NAD M22 DAC, Manley Chinook Phono Pre, Technics 1200 GAE Turntable, AudioTechnica ART9 Cartridge.
I’m really enjoying the Forte IIIs out of the boxes. I haven’t even tried them out with with tube amps (only tube pre) yet. I thought they would be fatiguing and have tons of bass. The treble spectrum (midrange northbound) is sweet and doesn’t sound cupped. The bass is perfectly integrated but not as prominent as I’d expected. The soundstage is seamless and they are not fussy about positioning.
The other thing that surprised me was how much of the NAD M22 juice I can use. I thought that I’d never move volume much due to the whopping power of the NAD M22--not true. So this is making me curious--what will happen when I hook up my 300B tube integrated? I think it has 8W per side. Will I miss the NAD’s power? That’s going to be fun experiment.
And, it’s going to be super interesting to try the Primaluna integrated with them. I can’t wait to see if I like my KT150s or EL34 variants better.
I’m not going to give some glowing review because it’s too soon and I’ve learned some speakers may sound so so with one system and great with another and even more so with different rooms. There is, however, a big takeaway for me personally: I can use reviews as guides but you have to try stuff out in your room with your stuff to really know. I recently sold a near mint pair of KEF LS50s because my $500 Wharfedale Dentons just sang better with my Creek integrated in the specific room they are in (downstairs system). And that doesn't say anything about the KEFs--they are still amazing boxes.
I recently bought a pair of Forte’s in distressed white oak. They look super vintage and the grills are very tasteful. My impetus for the purchase was I moved to a house this past spring that has a dedicated music room for me, and I wanted to experiment seeking a bigger sound as the room is large (25 long x 15 wide x 10 foot high ceilings). My system is the following:
Winter: Primaluna Dialgoue HP Premium Integrated,
Summer: Schitt Freya, NAD M51
Constant Year Long: Bluesound Node 2, NAD M22 DAC, Manley Chinook Phono Pre, Technics 1200 GAE Turntable, AudioTechnica ART9 Cartridge.
I’m really enjoying the Forte IIIs out of the boxes. I haven’t even tried them out with with tube amps (only tube pre) yet. I thought they would be fatiguing and have tons of bass. The treble spectrum (midrange northbound) is sweet and doesn’t sound cupped. The bass is perfectly integrated but not as prominent as I’d expected. The soundstage is seamless and they are not fussy about positioning.
The other thing that surprised me was how much of the NAD M22 juice I can use. I thought that I’d never move volume much due to the whopping power of the NAD M22--not true. So this is making me curious--what will happen when I hook up my 300B tube integrated? I think it has 8W per side. Will I miss the NAD’s power? That’s going to be fun experiment.
And, it’s going to be super interesting to try the Primaluna integrated with them. I can’t wait to see if I like my KT150s or EL34 variants better.
I’m not going to give some glowing review because it’s too soon and I’ve learned some speakers may sound so so with one system and great with another and even more so with different rooms. There is, however, a big takeaway for me personally: I can use reviews as guides but you have to try stuff out in your room with your stuff to really know. I recently sold a near mint pair of KEF LS50s because my $500 Wharfedale Dentons just sang better with my Creek integrated in the specific room they are in (downstairs system). And that doesn't say anything about the KEFs--they are still amazing boxes.
103 responses Add your response
I agree that vintage horn designs seem to get to the life of the music...it’s soul if you will! I went with JBL 4429’s for my system, but Klipsch also sounded realistic when demoing them. So dynamic and alive sounding without compression...Coltrane comes on stage and performs for me anytime I desire! |
jbhiller, You make a point worth repeating. All great loudspeaker designs have their strong suits, but if you are one like myself who finds that more realistic dynamics are an indispensable part of what makes reproduced music sound more "real", then horn designs are really attractive choice. I look back on certain attributes of speakers that I've owned in the past fondly, and with respect to their designers, but it wouldn't take me away from the horns that I've been using for over 10 years now. |
@ejlif , Yes, your experience is similar to mine. (I had LS50s--great loudspeaker). The Forte IIIs, being a horn speaker, are dynamic. There are massive differences between the loud and the soft. This is enhanced with superb recordings. It's hard to go back from horns. So here I am--45 years old and running tubes and horns. I'm "That Guy" now and I'm very happy. |
My Klipsch Quartets are still number one in my collection. I have installed titanium domes in tweet and midrange horns. Also added modified Klipsch E2 crossovers and more sound absorbing to the cabinets. I recently purchased a Klipsch RP-150M pair and I’m VERY pleasantly surprised by the sound. Wish I could afford Forte llls but I think I’m close with my Quartets. |
Ok i wanted to follow up. I got some Kef LS 50 to replace the Forte III in my garage and they seem a better fit out there. The room is fairly lively so the more mellow LS50 is a better match possibly. I decided to lug the Forte III into my main rig in the house. OMG I can't believe how good these speakers are. I feel like I'm having an affair or something as my Kef Blade 2 speakers look on. These speakers have so much snap and life to them it's going to be hard to give that up. They really have me questioning my prior sound. It's so much more refined but is just plain dull with things like rock and roll compared to the Forte III. It's always fun to hear a new sound and that is what is happening right now. I have some pretty good gear hooked up to the Forte III compared to the garage system so I'm sure that is a big part of it but I had no idea what these speakers could do until now. I really understand the lure and what is said about them bringing life to the music they do just that. |
One thing I noticed when auditioning Forte III is they do recordings no favors. Big difference between good recordings and bad. That’s probably a positive thing in terms of a speakers ability to correctly render a recording. More so than most I would say. Does not mean they will always sound good though. Did not get to do any a/b compares. Streaming, especially streaming newer popular recordings can also be a very mixed bag on any system, I find, due to poor quality of many modern most popular recordings. |
I've had the Forte iiis for a few weeks now. So far no bueno. I'd have to say I don't like them that much. I am feeding a Chord Quetest DAC spdif from a Bluesound node 2i streamer using Roon. This runs into a Creek Destiny Amp. Speaker cables are the AQ rocket 88 and grover huffman interconnect. AQ Hurricane PC on the amp. Just nothing to write home about with the sound. Bass is a little lacking considering the size of the speakers. I have a set of Dynaudio Xeo 4 speakers that are also fed from the Node 2i and damn if they don't sound better. They are in the opposite room so both can be playing at the same time and walking from room to room I'm always more in favor of the Dynaudio sound. It's so boring and simple to just have these powered speakers and no system to play with but dang I paid just over 1K new for the Dyns and I have more than 5-6X as much in this Klipsch system and it's not as good! I keep hoping I'll warm up to the sound but so far it's not happening. |
I agree with this review, the video will get into the Klipsch Forte III review 1 minute and 40 seconds into the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giU7PbNKfg8 |
Hi Mrdecibel! Always good to see you around these parts. I did damp my mid horn. I’m curious about dampening the interior cabinet but I didn’t want to upset the magic that’s there. Do you think swapping out crossovers for “better” parts would be of benefit? I didn’t look for the board inside so I don’t know how hard it is to access, remove and what its layout consists of. |
Yes Mr.Decibel on other forums I am Billion$Baby. Now give me your mailing address so I can send these Forte's for you to work on!! LOL They are still Brand new in Box. Was going to trade them in for some Cornwall IV's. Jetter: Before you go for the 8000F you might want to compare vs the JBL 590 (Now on sale for about 900 a pair) or the SVS Ultra Tower Speakers (Under 2K). Plenty of Youtube Vids on each. They both absolutely smoke the Klipsch RF 7 III Tower. Not even close. |
OP, pardon me if I go off track for a minute. Thomas & Stereo just came out with a very favorable review of the Klipsch RP8000F. Looking around the internet it seems to be getting favorable reviews for an inexpensive speaker. Virtually no one has mentioned it here. I'm tempted to pick up a pair up for a second system and wondering if anyone has heard them? |
RIAA, would I to assume, you are billion$baby ? I have been doing these mods for years on Klipsch, and it is good to see, someone other than the typical Klipsch guys doing it, and taking the crossover to another level. In fact, I have been enjoying, for the last few years, to see the interest, and participation, that Klipsch Heritage models have been getting, from the audiophile community. The fact that Steve Guttenberg has made the CW IV his " 2019 speaker of the year ", is indicative of this. When I knew Steve during my time in NY, doing my audio thing, he, and most audiophiles, looked the other way of Klipsch. Music listeners, on the other hand, payed attention ( I myself, introduced many, to what Klipsch had to offer ). You know what I am talking about, I hope. Getting back to the Forte III kit. The hardest part would be the mounting of the crossover components to the supplied board, and soldering it all together, as everything else is mechanical assembly, using a phillips screwdriver, and wood glue, for the bracing. Myself, I would prefer using Dynamat for the damping of everything ( Danny’s stuff, like Dynamat, has a self adhesive backing ), and, wood glue is easy to use for the bracing. Danny should offer ( likely at an up charge, if you were to ask ) building the crossover board for you. I will say this....and mark my words......it will be a matter of time, that the CW IV, will go through this same transition, when someone brings a pair over to Danny’s place ( All-Star Joint ); get it, lol. I also want to make a last point. The damping I do on the mid horns and tweeters, and, the frames of the other drivers, of every Klipsch ( and other brands) are much more extreme ( examples were shown by others ), than what was done on Tyson's pair of Forte IIIs. In fact, I am wondering if any " damping " was performed on the little Klipsch 600s. Enjoy ! and Happy New Year. Always, MrD. |
Pretty cool Klipsch Forte III upgrade story here:
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=166996.0
|
Should you buy it? Yes. The Klipsch Forte III are easily among the most fun-to-listen-to speakers we have ever tested, and they offer the kind of classic styling and tone that you can pass down for generations. You may pay a pretty penny up front, but the existential question lingers brightly with these speakers in particular: Can you really put a price on musical happiness? |
I think they would sound just fine ensure they are close to a wall as this loads the bass delivery. There is a video on YouTube with a guy testing the Forte iii rolling stands and they sounded great! I would go for the Forte iii vs ii. They are unique speakers and extremely fun to listen to all types of music. Vinyl is fun through these as well. They do like power and sound best with a some watts fed into them. |
Hey guys hoping to revive the conversation. I am thinking of a set of Forte IIIs or even IIs (not sure how much difference there is between the two?) for my garage/gym. It's not a sit down and listen kind of thing and I've had and have lots of other hi end gear in different locations in my house. I thought this might be a different sound that might be fun to explore compared to the traditional hifi. I would use them on a bench that is 30" tall so I would think the tweeter would be near ear level when standing which is how they would mostly be heard. I have dynaudio and Kef powered speakers in other locations and a main hifi rig. Just thought this might be fun to try. I was mostly curious as to the thought on how these would sound 30" off the ground. I couldn't tell if these really needed to be on the floor to sound right. The bench is heavy duty built in with a concrete top basically a counter top. Thanks for any insight owners have on this. -Ryan |
Tomcarr...The Tung Sols seemed to have a somewhat clearer overall tone than the stock el mysterioso Russian tubes, and I suppose warmth was a component of that. I like the build quality of them...very quiet. I couldn't leave well enough alone though as the more I read about various 6SN7GTBs, the more I was compelled to try NOS Sylvania Chrome Domes and NOS RCAs...RCAs have more bloom in the bass, and Sylvanias just seem accurate and snappy...or something...small differences of course, but it's always fun to roll around in tubeland. All of these tubes are relatively affordable. |
OP, wow, thank you for your generous offer! Unfortunately, I live nowhere close to Chicago. You are indeed a caring soul and a gentleman. Wolf, after inquiring about tubes with the factory rep, he suggested the Tung Sols were slightly warmer than the stock Russian tubes. Your thoughts? OP, thanks again for such a surprising, generous offer. Tom |
Note that Freyas are so cheap it's utterly worth it to try one and send it back if it sucks...note that mine came with the Russian 6N8S tubes that worked fine with no microphonics, but I had to try the new Tung Sol 6SN7GTB and some NOS Sylvania "chrome domes" and NOS RCAs...currently using the RCAs in the inputs and Sylvanias in the output...this changes often. |
I’ve had fun with a Freya for nearly a year, and it mostly stays out the way...utterly quiet in all modes, which is easy to test as I use horn loaded speakers, and if I put my Schiit Loki EQ in the path and turn up the higher frequencies with my ear to the tweeter horn the Freya is still dead quiet...microphonics free! I run it onto a smallish single ended tube amp. I’ve had a lot of preamps over the years and the Freya, especially with good sounding NOS tubes (of which I now have a pile), is a great preamp regardless of the silly low price. The clicking sound doesn’t bug me at all (because I know I'm causing it), and since my Freya has a lot of air above it (the thing gets a little hot from both the tubes and transformers) I’m used to reaching over for the switch. I say don’t fear the Freya! |
tomcarr, Yes, I have one. I just got it based on a member's recommendation. He (assuming he was a he--we need more women audiophiles!) was right-- The Freya is really great especially for the money. I haven't compared it to a bunch of other dedicated preamps, at least those in recent memory, so it's hard to say it plays in the $4-5k league. It is, however great. I think I posted a little review of it. Let me go look. I may sell it if I figure out how to do a built in where I vent my tube amp through a damper in the summer to release heat into the attic above my third floor listening room. I bought it just to use it in a summer system where I move out a tube amp and use a NAD M22 power amp. I found the Freya to be very quiet. To me the tube stage was best, then FET stage, then passive--yet there are others who find the opposite. I liked the stock Russian tubes. Th only thing I didn't like was the clicking steps in the volume control (note the actual volume pot is a great one that stays out of the sound). It's just that when the volume knob is moved it intentionally by design makes noise. I also didn't like that the main power switch was on the rear of the unit. It's not too hard to grab but not ideal. The Freya was a great introduction to the Schitt brand. Oh, and I experienced none of the microphics some say they did when touching the unit during playback. Mine is dead silent. It's really nice looking too. |
Thanks for the advice mrdecibel. I have looked at it, and there is room for another layer. I actually didn't remember how light and thin the horn was. The ribs on the back are so small and thin that it was easy to just form the pad material right over them. I have plenty of it, so I figured why not. |
roxy, that is awesome. You cannot over damp the horn, but be sure you can still re-install the horn. The lip at the face of the horn needs to still fit into the baffle cutout, so the thicker you go, you need to leave space behind the lip ( widest point of the taper ). Keep in mind, metal horns resonate and ring, and are a bit worse than the newer poly horns, which is why Klipsch switched over. But as you have heard, these newer horns are still in need of improvement. Incredible upgrade, little cost, a few hours of work. Enjoy ! MrD. |
mrdecibel, I wanted you to know that I ordered some damping pads from Amazon a couple of days ago, and it arrived yesterday. I started applying it to the horns of my Klipsch Epic CF 4s last night and was done in a couple of hours. I had already damped them with the strips of grey putty that is used to seal leaky doors years ago when I first bought them, and that was ok, but I took that off and cleaned them very well and applied theses sheets made by Noico, which many amazon reviewers said was the best. Anyway, it's done and sounds better than before. I am seriously considering taking them out again and putting on another layer. These horns are so thin! Thanks for the motivation. I've known about it for years, but I needed a little push. |
