Original Klipsch RF-7's?

adam2434

audioluvr wrote: »

As for my Forte's, even after all the upgrades I did. I can't listen to them long as the mid-horn is just too obnoxious.

Did you also install Ti diaphragms on the Forte mid and high freq drivers, or are they the stock polymer diaphragms?

I also find that the Forte (I) can be a bit mid-forward at higher volume with some material. I'm using the stock diaphragms and Dayton Precision caps.

Interestingly, per Julian Hirsch's review/test of the Forte (1) in '86, they have one of the widest and smoothest frequency responses he ever measured, and one of lowest distortion and highest sensitivity too. In short, a very well-engineered speaker, based on his measurements.

pitdogg2

adam2434 wrote: »

Interestingly, per Julian Hirsch's review/test of the Forte (1) in '86, they have one of the widest and smoothest frequency responses he ever measured, and one of lowest distortion and highest sensitivity too. In short, a very well-engineered speaker, based on his measurements.

Trust your ears not what is wrote on paper. Over the years i have found many pieces of audio gear that test close to theoretical perfect on paper sounded like poo in real life. When you put cold and sterile gear in front of it, it just compounds the problem

adam2434

pitdogg2 wrote: »

Trust your ears not what is wrote on paper. Over the years i have found many pieces of audio gear that test close to theoretical perfect on paper sounded like poo in real life. When you put cold and sterile gear in front of it, it just compounds the problem

Oh, I agree and believe that measurements only tell part of the story. One's personal taste and ears, as well as the room are big factors.

But for speakers, I would view a flatter in-room frequency response and low distortion as more desirable than a peaky response with higher distortion.

mhardy6647

Distortion in loudspeakers is an interesting topic. Many folks don't realize that essentially all loudspeakers have at least (!) a couple of orders of magnitude more harmonic distortion than do amplifiers. Much of that is in the form of low frequency doubling, but it's true across the audio bandwidth.

To his credit, Col. Klipsch did understand that. He also understood, or at least believed, that other forms of distortion played an important role in the 'realism' of loudspeaker reproduction of music.

In terms of keeping levels of harmonic distortion low, Klipsch's strategy was to use drivers with very little diaphragm excursion. The only way to do that, and still have high output, was to horn load, which of course is what he did.

Klipsch was also a big proponent of minimizing Doppler distortion. Y'all know the Doppler effect -- the frequency of a moving sound source changes (as in the change in pitch of a whistle heard from a passing train). In Klipsch's point of view, any cone driver reproducing frequencies of significantly different wavelengths is subject to Doppler distortion -- the shorter wavelength frequency is riding, like the train whistle on a moving train, on (and affected by) the longer wavelength frequency. This was Klipsch's reasoning for three-way loudspeakers when the standard was still two (or even one).

As a long-time owner of Klipsch loudspeakers (and many others, some of diametrically opposite design philosophy to the Col's), I would just say that the "truth" is in the ears (neurophysiological auditory processing system!) of the beholder.




PS FWIW, I espy a McIntosh C8 preamplifier and an HH Scott integrated amplifier (not sure which one, probably a 299) behind the Col. in the photo of him with the see-through K-horn The Col. did have fine taste in electronics

audioluvr

adam2434 wrote: »

Did you also install Ti diaphragms on the Forte mid and high freq drivers, or are they the stock polymer diaphragms?

I also find that the Forte (I) can be a bit mid-forward at higher volume with some material. I'm using the stock diaphragms and Dayton Precision caps.

Interestingly, per Julian Hirsch's review/test of the Forte (1) in '86, they have one of the widest and smoothest frequency responses he ever measured, and one of lowest distortion and highest sensitivity too. In short, a very well-engineered speaker, based on his measurements.

Bob Crites custom built my crossovers using all new components and Sonicaps. As far as I know the only upgrade for the mid- horn is the A-55G driver. I never upgraded my tweeter diaphragms even though I have them. The stock tweeters sound is quite smooth and pleasing to me after a crossover upgrade. If it wasn't for the cost of the A-55G's I would have installed them by now.

I used the D. A. Precision's in my SDA 2.3's and REALLY like how they sounded after break in though I think it took a lot longer for those to break in than Sonicaps.

mhardy6647

The Scott amps were pretty good sounding and (by and large) very beautiful. Plus, they hailed from Maynard, MA.

Coupla-three HH Scott pieces gatherin' dust here - even a few of their early, US made, soiled state pieces.

mhardy6647

Oh, back - sort of - on topic: speaking of amplifiers, PWK is widely reputed to have 'voiced' his Heritage loudspeakers using Brook push-pull 2A3 amplifiers. A bit more powerful, of course, than a single tube, single-ended 2A3 amp, but near legendary for their sound quality.

Scan_Pic0016 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
(yeah, the ad's for their preamplifier, but it's hooked to one of their amps in the photo!)




http://www.ampslab.com/vintage_brook12a.htm
http://www.itishifi.com/2009/12/brook-12a-and-pwk-mod-12a3ki.html

Full disclosure


https://community.klipsch.com/uploads/monthly_10_2013/post-9312-1381933954699.jpg

EDIT:

PS Col. Klipsch was famed for his bon mots. This is (IMO, of course), one of his best:

"What this country needs is a really good five-watt amplifier."

https://www.stereophile.com/news/11338/index.html

for more Klipsch wit & wisdom, see:
https://www.klipsch.com/quotes-anecdotes