I own both Forte III’s and Forte IVs and can absolutely attest to several things. First, Klipsch horns can sound bright in certain systems. I had this problem with current McIntosh solid state, and it required tone control usage to get rid of the harshness. On vintage solid state and tubes I have found the Fortes to be magnificent, thus my decision to buy a second pair when the IVs came out. I am currently running one pair of Fortes with vintage Citation I and II tubes. The other is being pushed by a Marantz 8B. I have also played the Fortes on a Fisher 800c. In all instances, tubes are amazing. I’ve also enjoyed the Fortes with a slew of vintage SS receivers, like Sansui, Pioneer and the like. But in my experience there is truth to the saying, “tubes love horns.” All in all, the Fortes provide excellent value for the dollar IMO. If you have brightness, pair em with something else, or at least employ tone control.
