Price Paid:

Free, $300, $400

Summary:

As a young audio enthusiast, I never had enough cash to buy good speakers (I'd build my own). Still, I always tried to buy good mid-fi components (HK, NAD, Dual) to drive them with. In 1989, when I met my wife, SHE introduced me to the venerable Forte, having purchased new units in 1986 (good taste)! As originally heard, they were hooked up to a 26" TV set. While I was impressed, I was not "blown away", and I never really entrusted any more time to them.

Fast forward to 2003. Married, and in a new home with a useable space, I began compiling components for a home theater. Of course, the Fortes were offered up to use. Mated to my HK receiver, they sounded really good - but I needed more. Across several years, and through several sorces, I obtained no less than 6 of these beauties, and built a 5 channel system with them. Impressive stuff!

But wait - it gets better. Having learned of the Klipsch forum, I joined, and read a lot of discussions about "crossover upgrades". A doubting Thomas, I was still curious to see what would happen if I refreshed my crossovers. Being in the PCB manufacturing business, I took it one step further, and developed a universal crossover replacement called the "K-stack", and installed it in my Fortes.

This is where the speakers REALLY began to "walk the walk". Fortes are a GREAT speaker to begin with; highly detailed, delicate, and flat - designed absolutely right. They embrace classical music (strings are incredible on them - horns, not >quite< so), and really pound out rock (the bass is beautiful - rich, full, not "boomy"). IF YOU take the time to upgrade the crossovers , you transform a great speaker into a SUPERB speaker!

With fresh caps, low resistance inductors, and non-inductive resistors, the smallest details get through. Will the speakers reveal source loss? YOU BET!! But - they will also allow you to hear those subtle, missed details that you would not catch. Sound from Blu-ray DVD's is amazing. Quiet passages reveal new details. I recently listened to a satellite radio program of some jazz and was almost breathless - the voice and accompanying music took on a realness that was amazing - and this, again, was satellite radio!!!

Fortes are a GREAT speaker. Fortes with upgraded crossovers are an EXCELLENT speaker. It is a small investment that makes a great deal of difference to a wonderful speaker. I have owned the Klipsch Academy, KG2, and Cornwall, and the Forte outshines them all in terms of response, detail and presence.

STRENGTHS:
Detail, articulation, flatness, clarity

WEAKNESSES:
If you still own a pair that is 20+ years old, you MUST do yourself the favor of upgrading your crossovers. The caps in them have developed a great deal of ESR, and your sound is compromised, with a higher noise floor. It's a small investment that will make the speaker EXCEPTIONAL.

--Bass is really excellent. I'm sure these would benefit from a sub in home-theater, but for my purposes, even listening to organ music that has 16 hz. tones in it (32’ pipe), I consider them to be full-range. Oddly, the bass isn't colored at all. Every single speaker I've ever heard always has bass tones that stick out more than others, even if only slightly. These don't. They have a very linear response.
--Mids benefit hugely from the dedicated squawker. One of the reasons I decided against reference is that I already have a two-way bookshelf system (my B3’s), I hate to say it, but you simply cannot get a perfect midrange from a two-way system. A 10" woofer and a 1" tweeter have to crossover somewhere, and in many cheaper tower speakers, this can be a scary process. This is simply a well-designed three-way system that covers all the bases.
--Treble is pretty much the most detailed I've ever heard, and at the same time, they stay away from that critical region of treble emphasis that many speakers and headphones fall into in which things sound hyperdetailed, but are extremely harsh. This is yet another pair of speakers that proves that you can be really detailed and not harsh, and all while using horns, which people typically associate with harshness.
--Dynamic range: really, really high
--Value: why haven't you bought a pair yet?

--Speakers weigh 67 pounds a piece (actually a strength audio-wise since the enclosure is extremely sturdy and non-resonant)
--Reveal weakness in recordings, recording quality, encoding quality for PC's, and less-than-hi-fi components in the system... REALLY easily. Literally, the sound will sound completely different from one CD to the next just because they're so sensitive and recording engineers are all different. I think I just got lucky in that I have an amp that doesn't sound harsh... still, on a few rare CD's in my collection (maybe one in 20), they sound a little harsh just because of the way it was mixed and equalized. Honestly, it's not a weakness, but if you listen to poorly recorded music encoded at 128 kbps, you will die.
--Large. They're designed that way.

Note: I have the Forte II's, which were released later and are very slightly different from the original Fortes.

Preface: I play clarinet (primary), bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, alto sax, bari sax, blues harmonica, and pipe organ. I enjoy Classic Rock, some metal, a lot of progressive like Dream Theater and Kansas, Blues, Pipe Organ music, Classical, Funk, Jazz, and a lot of other stuff.

I had been looking at the Klipsch Fortes for a long time. I started on a few cheapo Altec/Lansing and Logitech PC speaker systems, then I got the Promedia 4.1's and they blew me out of the water. A few years later, I had convinced myself I wanted the Fortes, but ended up getting the newer Synergy B3's because I knew my dorm wouldn't have the room. Those have been a great set of speakers, but this year I decided to move into an apartment and decided I wouldn't mind using my internship money to reward myself with a pair of Fortes, since, while the B3’s are a top-notch speaker and can hold their own, even without a subwoofer, they were obviously missing something else other than just low-low bass. I actually got kind of mixed up, looking at all kinds of Klipsch reference series speakers past and present (RF-3's are all over the place, those were tempting), but in the end a few people on the Klipsch forum convinced me I was wasting my time and to just go for the Fortes. Now that I have them, I must say, I can't believe I considered anything else!

Fortes are all over ebay, but I was lucky enough to get a local sale in. Post on craigslist, and keep your eye on ebay if you're going to buy these. It's so much easier to do it locally, and in the end I'm glad I didn't risk UPS or any other shipping service.

Sound: these are, without a doubt, THE most balanced speakers I've ever laid ears on. My seller was kind enough to include the original flyer with them, and it's amazing to think that speakers used to be sold with frequency response graphs this flat, graphs that were actually ADVERTISED to you on top of it! I can guarantee people wouldn't even buy junk like Bose’s consumer incarnations if they saw the frequency response graphs for those things. These are, without a doubt, reference-quality speakers. I've heard that even Paul Klipsch himself used a pair as his office speakers. There's a reason.

These aren't just your typical analytical speaker. They're able to demonstrate a great level of neutrality and at the same time, sound extremely engaging. The dynamic level they're able to achieve even at whisper-quiet volumes is astounding. Absolutely every instrument is still present and just as detailed as when they're cranked.

I'm an avid Headphone Hi-Fi fan/guru and I've heard and owned many reference headphones, and usually, they have one trait or another: they're either analytical, detailed, and cold, or punchy/engaging, but far less detailed and not as suitable for genres such as classical. I use headphones of both kinds, always looking for a compromise. These speakers are strange, because they are that compromise. They seem to be able to achieve everything at once, and, as I mentioned, even at extremely low volumes. High dynamic contrast and range, excellent frequency coverage. They'll get your attention and keep it.

Value: I cannot possibly comprehend how these sound so good considering I paid $400 for them. These are a steal on so many levels, it's not even funny. The original retail price was $1200, and honestly, that's more of an accurate price for how good these sound.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha tower speakers (model unknown), Klipsch B-3, JBL ES90

Some of the best sounding speakers ever built pound for pound.They have incredible range and power and distortion free drivers.

none

I own a pair of klipsch forte twos for about 6 years now.If any of you own a pair of these speakers get rid of any solid state recievers or amplifiers you have and get your self a tube reciever or amplifier and if you do this try to get a unit that uses 6v6 output tubes and you will have one of the best sounding systems you ever heard .The sound will blow you away no matter what kind of music you listen to and you can get a decent tube a stereo reciever or amplifier off ebay for a decent price ok.

Great bass.
Great mid and high range.
Perfect for almost any usage.

The only thing is they weigh like 56 pounds.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE these speakers. They sound better than anything I've ever heard, and boy did i get a deal on these! i just now noticed how much they sell for anywhere else. I mostly listen to music on these because they're in my room and i watch movies in my living room. They have great bass. They get loud enough to hurt your ears!, never heard any distortion either.

Similar Products Used:

Kg's. quintets.

Qulaity of the components. Design of th enclosure and passive radiators. Excellent value for the money, similar to most other Klipsch products. Classic good looks.

Large and heavy is about the only thing I can mention. They are going to be expensive to ship if you are not able to find a pair from a local seller.

I didn't really need these Forte II's but couldn't resist a bargain price plus I'm a big Klipsch fan (I have a total of 17 of their speakers now). I've used these to replace a pair of 1960s vintage Electrovoice Wolverine LS series units at my office stereo system. I presently have them hooked to a 1963 Fisher X-100 tube amplifier (40 wpc) that I recently had rebuilt by Craig Ostby at NOS Valves.

They sound superb and seem to be a perfect match for an older, warmer sounding tube amp. The first thing I noticed is how much more efficient the Fortes are compared to the old EVs. Also, the bass is considerably more expansive and "punchy". [I have some other, later produced Klipsch reference floor standing units and the bass is not as good.] The trebles from the horns are clearer/ more defined, which I really notice on vocals (I'm listening to Bryn Terfel's "Something Wonderful" at the monent....wow, what a voice).

These Forte IIs really have "presence" and I love turning up the volume. Unfortunately I have them in a small room. They deserve a bigger space. I stayed up until 2:00 am listening on the first day I got them and my teenagers came downstairs to complain about the noise! Hehehe.

Customer Service

Excellent. [Have Greg in the parts dept. tell you the story of his finding a pair of vintage Fortes in excellent condition sitting at a landfill site in Alabama.] The Klipsch website is great, particularly the forum. Lots of good practical information can be obtained there.

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch reference series. Klipsch KSF series. Electrovoice. SVS. ADS L series.

+ the most balanced sound in my experience
+ lovely vocals, both male and female
+ excellent detail on all music
+ rendering of orchestral and rock music in a class by itself
+ the 'blending' provided by the 'vanilla' Forte is very musical
+ excellent construction
+ low price
+ high efficiency - may be used by 'flea' amp lovers
+ after market enhancements can provide dramatic improvements in the overall music experience, taking an exceptional product in the stratosphere.

- slight megaphonic sound that most horns present
- bass on 'vanilla' version is slightly soft.
- network can be improved with after market add ons
- I tried with Fortes with SS amps and did not have the positive experience that so many reviewers have expressed. With the Monarchy SM-70, the sound is much more compressed and the soundstage is small.
- does require some amplifier matching

Let me preference my remarks by saying that I travelled 1500 miles to purchase a pair of these speakers from a guy who was using an antiquated Sony receiver with them. These speakers have become a cult classic with the SET and general triode audio subcultures, so I had to steal a pair. These were well taken care of and the fit and finish was superb. The golden oak matched my Nomadic furniture stereo unit perfectly.

Components:
Yamaha Carosel CD
Better Cables Silver Serpent interconnect
Kimber Silver Streaks IC
Bottled Foreplay III Pre-amp with Auricaps & Brimar 13D5s
Bizzy Bee TAD-60 amp in triode mode with KT-66s & Telefunken tubes

Sound:
The sound can only be described as clarion. These speakers provide the best overall balance of any speaker that I've auditioned. The violins in orchestral music are to die for. They're perfectly rendered! As for rock, I haven't been able to listen this genre, particularly Metallica, on all but a few systems. The Fortes just cruise effortlessly @ 4 watts output and shake your serpentine soul with their brashness.

There is a negative with the 'vanilla' version of the Fortes: the bass is a little soft and I could never make out the fingering on the bass player's line when present. Also, the detail is just pretty good and the soundstage is slightly to the rear of the speakers. I opted to purchase an after market, K-Net network from Chris Munson of Richardson, Tx. These crossovers have greatly improved components of audiphile grade. They even eliminate the electrolytic capacitor, which are viewed with some trepidation by audiophiles.

There were a few glitches with the installation. One of the power resistors had been sheared off in shipping, so I had to resolder. Also, my version of the Klipsch network board did not match that of the instructions. Otherwise, installation simply involved swapping the old wires with the new.


Impressions with the 'new' crossovers:

Sound:


At first I heard a great deal of sibilance with vocals, but this was reduced after about 25 minutes of play.

Detail: improved across the board, although the blending provided by the old network was quite pleasant.

Bass: Dramatically improved. It's much tighter and seems to go about 1/2 octave deeper, which may be a psychological effect. Because of the detail, you can now hear the fingering on a bass viola on jazz pieces. I really missed this with the old network.

Soundstage: The most surprising effect was how the vocals now came forward and instruments were much better separated. It's almost a 'mixed blessing' effect, since this now causes me to listen to individual instruments too much and miss the overall impact of the music.

The speakers really recede with this network. A mild criticism of the former incarnation is the flatness of the soundstage.


Conclusion: This was easily the least expensive way to coax the most sound from tube-based system. I'm always amazed at the sound that the Fortes produce. Their drivers are pretty amazing. It still shocks me to see that Klipsch no longer produces speaker lines of this quality.

Customer Service

Chris Munson who provided the K-Net is exceptionally easy to deal with.

Contact:
Munson

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Madisound Odin, Tyler Linbrooks, ScanSpeak Bookshelf, Von Schweikert 4, Soliloquy 6

Build quality and construction that if purchased today, would be BIG $$$$!!!!!! Southern built furniture. Requires nominal wattage. Rock&Roll MACHINES! A truly wonderful speaker.

Size does matter. The laws of physics win! They are big. But if you buy a hummer, why would you complain it's to big?

More than 80 reviews of these speakers, and all seem to agree. WOW! That in and of itself, should tell you something. I thought I might offer some help to the Ebay buyer or person lucky enough to find them local. My Fortes are series 1, circa, 1986. The cost was $1200.00 new. I have not encountered a spaeker system that has the build quality of these in a long time. Built like a tank! 70lbs each. They have an almost "retro" 70's look to them and compliment my vintage system well. I do not subscribe to the $500.00 interconnect club nor do I believe that mega buck speaker wire "brings my system to life". I am practical and realistic with my buying decisions. I enjoy Rock music 90% of the and these speakers do it well. They will THROW DOWN! They require very little amplifier power! I use a 45 watt vintage Marantz, and I am impressed everyday, with the output! Everyday! I enjoy the sound I have received from my Kef speakers and have owned B&W's in the past. I think the British speakers generaly have a nice flat responce. In most respects the Klipsch Forte's capture that "flat" overall presence. Yet the Forte's are able to outperform the Brit's in one critical area, They play Rock music like no other speaker I have heard. (Must admitt, JBL can take the "pepsi challange" with many of thier vintage models.) The are American made rock & roll speakers! If you don't understand the importance of a speakers sensitivty, you should read up on the subject. The klipsch Forte's can play loud all the time! Even a modest amp or receiver can drive these powerhouses. Bass is Powerfull, (I do not see the need for a sub. with 2 channel music, however in a home theater a sub. could be a great addition ) mids and high's, detailed. Strings sound like strings, voices sound as they were recorded. The soundstage is not as broad as in some speakers I have owned, however that may have more to do with my placement. I have owned MANY loudspeakers in my past. I will not own many more, these will be handed down to my Son someday, as they will never be sold! Sound is subjective, but everyone that hears my Klipsch, is blown away. They are everything you have read in the other reviews. Stereo Review did a write up on these, years ago. It was a glowing, gushing review from what once was a conservative group. They loved them to. Buy them if you can, the are wonderful!

Customer Service

Never needed.

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JBL, B&W, KEF, BOSE, ALTEC, JAMO, B&O.

Clarity, Responsiveness, Monster Sound, & Craftsmanship.

Nothing, other than size.

I have owned my Klipsch Forte II's since late 1993, early '94. My system has the following components: Adcom GTP 500 II Preamp/Tuner Adcom 5500 Amplifier Adcom GCD 600 CD Player Velodyne HGS 15X Subwoofer Prior to the amp listed above the original amp I had when the speakers were purchased was an Adcom GFA 555II. These are the cleanest sounding speakers I have ever set ears on. Capable of the most demanding loads, your ears will give out before you put these speakers to the test. I respect the other reviewer's opinions, however I do not detect any harshness from my non-tube amp. You need a large room for these speakers, my recommendation is nothing less than 700 Sq. feet. Aim them dead on, or straight out, no angling. Also no closer than two feest to a wall. I have enjoyed these life time speakers for over 12 years now, they have not given me any problems what so ever. You can spend more but why?

Efficient and detailed

Room placement and size - will reveal every weak link in your system. Not good with mid-fi components (Pioneer, Sony, Kenwood, Rotel, Adcom etc.).

This is my third pair of Klipsch speakers (FORTE IIs) and I would like to offer my experience with them for you folks who own or are thinking of owning Klipsch - especially to the folks who stated that they are harsh. Until about 7 years ago I was on the solid state track - not bothering to consider tubes because I had the notion that old technology is not as good. If you would have asked me to pick an amp and speakers back then, I would have chosen a Krell with Martin Logan Requests (within budget). However, I picked up a used pair of KG-4s for $200 in a yard sale one day figuring to use them as part of a second system. Well, I proceeded to hook them up to mid-fi pioneer gear and my pre conception about old technology was reinforced. They were harsh at any volume. They grated on me like nails on a chalk board compared to my smooth sounding PSB silvers. Nonetheless I kept them around in case I ever needed a PA system :). Good thing I did because shortly after that I stumbled on a package deal that included a Musical fidelity CD player and a Jolida JD 202 int tube amp. I hooked the Jolida up to the Klipsch and I was astounded. The KG-4s were so very different! They were like completely different set of speakers. All my friends were as shocked as I was. A cold and harsh sounding mess turned into lucious, jaw dropping, powerfull art. If you have a pair of old Klipsch and have not tried them with tubes, you need to. I have done some research into why this is and there is an explanation. It appears that transistor amplifiers - even good ones have transient charecteristics that tend to overload the compression drivers which creates the harshness. I currently have a Jolida 502b which I modified and FORTE IIs. I could not be happier. There is no hint of harshness The Forte is smooth and transparent. However, they are not perfect. Room placement is important. The bass can get boomy if placed too close to walls. They will also sound strident in small rooms and will force you to upgrade a mid fi CD player to get rid of cybalence. These are things I can live with because, bang for the buck wise, there is nothing close. There is still some music that seems more beleivable on Martin Logans, i.e., classical piano, strings etc., but not most. Consider that you can get a good used tube amp and the Forte for about $1000. If you have not caught on yet - what r u waiting for? P.S. I tried a single ended tune amp and it delivered smoother more live sound, but I found myself missing the punch I came to love with the push pull tube amp. I compromised.

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PSB Stratus, POLK SDA, Vanderstein IIce, Martin Logan Arius.

Full range, classic Klipsch horn high end. Handles power cleanly. Beautiful crafted cabinetry.

Need a lot of space.

I can't thank the reviewers in this forum enough. I got the chance to listen to and purchase the original Forte's from a private party, and I would have to agree with the 99% of you out there that LOVE THEM. They are awesome! I replaced a set of used Klipsch KG 4's I recently bought and I must admit they are a much warmer, full range speaker that will take anything you throw at it. (the KG 4's are outstanding too!) These are large and benefit from a large size room. The oak cabinets are beautiful as well. Smooth and classic jazz is clean and crisp as is classic rock. I think one reviewer said "buy a good used pair and you are set for life". Amen brother!

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Klipsch KG 4