@philbarone, I owned Forte IIIs and upgraded to CW IVs. I haven't heard the Forte IVs, but if they sound better than the IIIs you are in for a huge treat.
Showing 4 responses by jbhiller
@jjss49 , two caveats with the CW IVs. 1. Source and amp matter more than I thought; 2. positioning is critical to getting them to potential. I was very surprised at this. I have three amp options: 1. Vincent SA-T7 pre -> Carver Crimson 275 2. Primaluna Dialogue HP Integrated 3. Elekit 300B No. 1 is my favorite. |
Cornwall IV owner here. I'd be super curious to hear a Tekton product. Boy, do they spark up hot debate. It seems one thing that might be a downside to them is build quality and construction. That said, the cost of admission is pretty reasonable. I'll hold my subjective views on their looks aside, as they are just that--subjective. As to the CW IV, this is not a squawky/shouty/shrill horn speaker. It must, however, be paired with the right source and amplification to hear their capabilities. Unfortunately, the CW IV is a bit cumbersome to just try out in the home. Even though dealers allow 30-60 days trials, getting them back to the dealer if you do not like them is more expensive given their size. Folks above are exactly right about the CW IVs amazing dynamics. It can be startling at first. Just as important to note is the size of the musical image they cast--with the right recordings they sound simply huge, delicate and delicious--those are qualities I had trouble getting with systems running smaller drivers. There really is something special about what those large drivers do, giving you big, full bodied but not bloated sound. And, folks are right, these are not bass mongers. They do have tuneful, lifelike bass. I do use an REL T9i to round out that lower octave. With the disclaimer that it's a video, check this out-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXdQ_2oKN98 Having this in my room has given me shivers and smiles during late night listening. |
Yes jjss49, I was a bit awestruck at the Crimson v. the Primaluna. The 300B has something special in its clarity, but not enough power--despite the CWIVs high sensitivity. I'll resist the urge to say too much as this isn't the thread for it. But, if anyone wants to hear a great amp under $3k, the Crimson is it. jjss49, didn't you try the Crimson too? I thought you did a quick review that was spot on--or I'm losing it! |