Klipsch Forte ii

Cayuga
Cayuga Posts: 480
edited October 2011 in Vintage Speakers
I wanted feedback on the Fortes, I picked up a pair two weeks ago and sold them (thank God) this week. I started out powering them with a Sony receiver 80 watts/ch and after a minute or two my ears were bleeding. I changed to my Fisher 500C and was able to give them five minutes. Now I'm sorry to all the Klipsch lovers, but did I have a bad pair or are these the harshest speakers money can buy? I know horns like tubes and my EV's sound great with all my tube gear. How or what could I have done to tame those Fortes?
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Comments

  • chandler9a
    chandler9a Posts: 878
    edited October 2011
    Well I have experienced horns to be harsh on the ears as well but I would give them a chance with some other gear if you really want to like them.
    I generally like Klipsch speakers for loud listening with other noise going on like parties. Easy to drive and pleasant to listen to. I just don't like them for critical listening but thats just me, some guys like it and that's fine. then again, I've never heard them with tubes... I imagine its nice though.

    BTW, thanks for the contact with those modded 1C's, picking them up tomorrow...
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  • Cayuga
    Cayuga Posts: 480
    edited October 2011
    I'm glad you got those 1C's, Chris is a good guy. The Klipsch stuff does work well for bars and outside events, but inside not so much.
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  • chandler9a
    chandler9a Posts: 878
    edited October 2011
    Yes I agree with that. I still think they are great speakers with good build quality, I just prefer something softer.
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited October 2011
    Klipsch Forte's are very harsh to me. The Heresy on up is a better mix of horn to bass IMHO. And if you really don't like that horn sound then stay away from the Cornwalls. They hurt bad. The Klipschorn by far is the smoothest of the bunch. I have owned a few different Klipsch speakers and they have there traits one and all. That being said I don't own any at the moment and that is telling. I should have kept my Klipschorns but they are huge, need very smooth clean power and are just a little to finicky for me. Plus listen to some heavy rock music and your ears will hate you for the rest of the day.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited October 2011
    I heard Indyhawgs Forte's on a 3 watt tube amp through a NAD pre using a Carver cd player and thought they sounded pretty good. But this entire hobby is subjective as well all know. And I have heard tubes make a big difference.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • Mr. Bubbles
    Mr. Bubbles Posts: 736
    edited October 2011
    I picked up my 1C's from a guy who had just acquired some heresy's and loved them. I listened and although decent, i could not imagine trading the SDA's for them. I paid him the $200 and left before he changed his mind.
    If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of Progress?!


    Monitor 5Jr, Monitor 5, RTA12, RTA 15TL, SDA 2A, 1c, SRS 2, 1.2TL, CRS, Atrium.
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  • Cayuga
    Cayuga Posts: 480
    edited October 2011
    As i said before, I had these running with my Fisher 500 and the tubes still didn't tame them to the point where I could play them for more than a minute.
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