Author Topic: Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??  (Read 13931 times)

Offline RnR

  • Audio Geek!
  • ***
  • Posts: 336
  • Karma: +0/-0
Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??
« on: November 25, 2013, 02:42:51 PM »
Hello,


I am interested in a pair of speakers on CL and was wondering if I could get some feedback...  Anyone have any experience with Klipsch Forte II's that could give me their opinion on their sound characteristics??  Here are some pics also if that that helps with feedback


SunnyDaze

  • Guest
Re: Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2013, 03:21:27 PM »
The 3-way Klipsch sound is hard to describe. Mind you I've never owned Fortes, but, I do own Choruses. Choruses are the same configuration except they use a 15" woofer.

They're very detailed, dynamic, and dare I say, bright. They're enjoyable at low volumes unlike many speakers that I've experimented with. They reveal subtleties that otherwise remain buried below the surface provided that your source(s) are up to the task. They aren't accurate, they're not a "monitor", some people detest the Klipsch sound. Personally, if I could sum them up in a word, it'd be fun. They are a fun sounding speaker. They're very hard to walk away from if their character is indeed one that suits your listening taste.

It may be worth pointing out that the Forte II uses a Tactrix midrange horn as opposed to an exponential midrange horn as is used by the Forte I. Generally speaking, the Tactrix horn produces somewhat of a smoother presentation and a bit less "twang" or "honk" than an exponential horn. If you like that gritty sharpness in your music, you may want to opt for an older set that use exponential horns. For example, the opening guitar rift in War Pigs on my exponential horns is just mind blowing. When I run the same song through Tactrix horns on my KG's, it sounds a bit more tame and less raw. Just some food for thought.

Either way, if you can get these for a reasonable price, you most likely won't be disappointed.

Offline Sir Thrift-a-Lot

  • Ready For Intervention!
  • ******
  • Posts: 3813
  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2013, 06:52:56 PM »
The best way I can describe the Klipsch sound is to say they are the least veiled speakers I have ever heard (I spent a lot of time with LaScalas, I've never heard a Forte).   The LaScalas are the only speakers I have heard (okay, Ron's Harbeths not withstanding) that are as clear and revealing as my Grado headphones.

SunnyDaze

  • Guest
Re: Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2013, 07:49:49 PM »
Revealing is a great way to characterize any Klipsch 3-way speaker.

The La Scala also uses an exponential horn as opposed to the Tactrix horn on the Forte II. The highs and mids on the La Scala sound practically identical to those of the Forte I. The Forte II will have slightly more refined midrange signature due to the variation in horn design.

SunnyDaze

  • Guest
Re: Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2013, 08:24:39 PM »
Also, RnR, what will you be amplifying these with should they become yours?

Offline RnR

  • Audio Geek!
  • ***
  • Posts: 336
  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??
« Reply #5 on: November 27, 2013, 10:04:47 AM »
a carver m-500t, dont have a preamp yet.

Offline RnR

  • Audio Geek!
  • ***
  • Posts: 336
  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2013, 10:11:54 AM »
---yes i also read that about the II's having a more tamed mid horn compared to other a lot of older klipsch.  God I hate saying klipsch,  strange name! Anyway... What is a passive radiator like, im confused?  Does it produce sound or does it just allow the cab to have flexible tuning depending on volume or what?

Offline gdv

  • Audio Connoisseur
  • ****
  • Posts: 624
  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2013, 10:16:42 AM »
A passive radiator (pr) "acts" like a port...  It tunes the bass driver to allow "deeper" bass than without a pr

g
5 out of 4 people have trouble with fractions...

Offline Slim-Shaddy

  • CARVER KILLER!!!
  • ******
  • Posts: 1555
  • Karma: +0/-0
  • Tubes are for boobs
    • This is Bullshit
I am confident that an SL-1200 is capable of outperforming turntables of much higher expense with minor modification.

SunnyDaze

  • Guest
Re: Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??
« Reply #9 on: November 27, 2013, 01:17:59 PM »
An enclosure that utilizes a passive radiator is functionally equivalent to a ported design of the same volume. The same frequency response can be achieved using one design or the other.

One disadvantage to the Klipsch passive radiator design is the fact that they typically require more floor space than their front ported Klipsch cousins. The PR cabinets require a decent amount of spacing between the rear of the cabinet and the wall where as front ported cabinets are a bit more flexible in this aspect.

You may wish to read a little on Thiele / Small parameters. Most Klipsch Heritage speakers use a low frequency driver with a relatively large Xmax (maximum excursion) coupled with a box volume that tends to be on the small side of ideal given the woofer used. In addition, the cabinets are tuned to produce a hump in SPL output that is slightly above the free air resonance of the woofer.

Typically when a woofer attempts to produce a frequency that is below the tuning frequency of a given ported or passive radiator loaded cabinet, linear excursion increases uncontrollably and damage can occur to the voice coil. Klipsch purposely avoided this issue by tuning the box "higher" than the resonance of their woofers, meanwhile, they utilize a woofer that can handle significant linear excursion.

A similar design was employed in the legendary JBL 4311 monitor. The result is an increased midbass output between 60 and 45 Hz with a roll off below the 45 Hz peak.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2013, 01:21:57 PM by 8 Watts of Fury »

Offline RnR

  • Audio Geek!
  • ***
  • Posts: 336
  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??
« Reply #10 on: December 09, 2013, 01:54:40 PM »
Ok, so I went to demo them and really enjoyed their sound.  I got them for $385.00.  The cabs are black and in perfect shape, grills perfect, sound to be fully functioning internally.  Anyway, there is a hole in the one passive radiator the size of a dime.  Not really sure how well I did. What do you think?  I think average...  Anyway can you guys give me some direction on the PR.  Should I try to repair it?   If so, how do I go about it?   Should I replace it with new PR?  Any advice on how much I paid/PR repair/general comments on spekaers would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

bmwr75

  • Guest
Re: Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??
« Reply #11 on: December 09, 2013, 04:35:26 PM »
How about posting a picture of the hole in the PR?

SunnyDaze

  • Guest
Re: Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??
« Reply #12 on: December 09, 2013, 05:30:54 PM »
$385 ain't bad assuming that the PR can be repaired for next to nothing.

If you decide a repair is not feasible, the part number on the passive radiator in the Forte II is KD-15-K. They can usually be had on ePay for under 100 dollars.

As bmwr said, a picture or two of the hole would be very helpful. Also be careful when removing the PR from the cabinet. You may be best off laying the cabinet face down with the grills on and removing the PR with the rear facing upward.
« Last Edit: December 09, 2013, 07:16:15 PM by 8 Watts of Fury »

Offline Sir Thrift-a-Lot

  • Ready For Intervention!
  • ******
  • Posts: 3813
  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??
« Reply #13 on: December 09, 2013, 09:32:16 PM »
Dime size?   I have a blown 15" that we can cut a patch from.   We'll blend the edges from the front, then glue it from the back with Aileens and black tissue paper.   From three feet nobody will be able to see it and it will have zero effect on the sound.   I'm happy to help you.

Offline Sir Thrift-a-Lot

  • Ready For Intervention!
  • ******
  • Posts: 3813
  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: Opinions on Klipsch Forte II's??
« Reply #14 on: December 09, 2013, 09:33:20 PM »
Give it a shot before you spend +$100 on a new PR.   If you think the repair sucks, you can still buy a new one after.