I listened to a pair of Heresy III’s today and came away very impressed and would like to know if there’s anybody out there who has also heard the Forte III’s and how they differ from one another and how they’re alike. I guess I’d really like to know if in the same room would the mids/highs be basically the same or would the Forte’s be a bit better? I’m guessing the Forte’s would be better on the low end, or could be.
The Heresy III’s sounded so huge despite their small stature and the tube amp that was being used with them sounded like a great match. I have a Melody AN845 integrated that I could use with either speaker but I’m just wondering if the Forte III’s are worth the extra cost besides just providing more bass. Any thoughts or comments?
The Forte is a completely different speaker than the Heresy. IMO it sound much more detailed and has a much larger soundstage and presence than the HIII yet is just as musical; maybe more so. But it's also significantly larger cabinet.
As good as the Forte III is I still prefer Chorus II. Only available on the used market and rather rare.
I listened to both and although the Forte sounded fine I bought the Heresy IIIs which are great sounding, much less expensive, a considerably smaller speaker, and do sound very substantial in my medium largish room using a 12wpc SEP amp. You do need a sub or two with Heresy IIIs and I had those already, which allow me to adjust bass here and there if needed...Fortes are gonna give you rear firing bass galore that's non adjustable.
I forgot to mention I have a pair of Rythmik subs I could use and do like being able to control the bass rather than getting what you get from a passive radiator. I’m intrigued though to hear how the mids and highs sound on the Forte’s and what improvevements or differences they bring. The HIII’s were very musical and enjoyable being driven by a Line Magnetic 219 that I think my Melody would be just as good a match.
I heard both at a local dealer but in different rooms and off different amps so hard to compare apples/apples.
I liked both very much and would consider owning either. Neither offended in any way.
Heresy III was actually in a much larger room and sounded thinner and perhaps a tad more forward accordingly. A good powered sub integrated well would resolve that most likely if needed especially in a larger room.
Bottom line I preferred the Forte III setup but the deck was stacked with the room. Forte III is big and bulky, would not fit into my home as easily. That is the main drawback for me. The extra cost is probably worth it if you want something more full range.
Next I need to hear a pair of Cornwall IIIs... :-)
The current Klipsch product line seems very nice and cost effective overall indeed!
I love my heresy speakers. In the small room my wife has provided... I was unable to find anything I liked more. They are fun to listen to, easy to drive and in my opinion a fantastic value.
I am extremely pleased that listeners are finally taking Klipsch speakers seriously ( specifically the Heritage line ). I have been using and listening to them for almost 50 years, have been modifying them for almost that long, and have provided many people the proper introduction to them for that long. The Heresy and Forte are different designs, for different rooms and applications. Listen to both, side by side if possible, and determine which is better for your room. The Heresy will greatly benefit with the addition of a good subwoofer or 2. Enjoy ! MrD.
Thanks guys for your thoughts and experience. There appears to be no authorized Klipsch dealer in the Phoenix area so having a demo room to go to is out of the question but hopefully somebody who owns the Forte III’s will pop up some time down the line and I’ll be able to at least get a taste of what that new midhorn sounds like.
From the little I’ve read so far it seems those who have owned both say they are similar in sound with one actually preferring the Heresy III. So it seems to be a lot closer comparison than I thought it would.
They are similar, but auditioning only gets you so far unless you bring along a truck with an exact replica of your home listening space. I bought the Heresy IIIs still not knowing how they were going to sound with my stuff, not knowing what break-in time to expect...blah blah...but was surprised that they defied everything negative I'd read about them, and amazed at the coherence and otherwise clarity of them. No "cupped hands" horn tone, no super bright tweets, and a synergy with my 12wpc little amp that reveals the character of tubes, wires, and my often violent mood swings (not really, but this post was getting tired). Besides, I can see over the right speaker to my tube amp that I like to look at. A plus the Forte would not have allowed.
Well I ended up getting a pair of Klipsch KI-396's which is part of their pro line and go down to about 60hz so I have my 15" Rythmik subs supplementing the low end. They are the best speakers I have owned to date and got them for a great deal at $2500. They're natural and life like in their soundstage and imaging. Really great speakers and have no interest in going after another type of box speaker. If I do try anything different down the road it will be open baffle.
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