strength and honesty

none that i can hear

just bought a pair of "00" series I's on ebay and paid a lot more than the guy who got his for $130! i hear things on tracks i've listened to 100 times that i had never heard before. they will rock, whisper , thunder. just listened to london symphony orchestra cd of 1812 overture turned up loud. these things bring tears to your eyes and a smile to your face that you just can't suppress..the guy who said these are the speakers GOD has must be right. i'm taking them with me to the pearly gates (but I hope not anytime soon!) jdk

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bose 901, advent, ar4x, jbl 112

very good midrange and highs
has a clear bass

none

I bought my first pair of forte II eight years ago and was
very impressed. I have a denon intergrated amp model 3300
I tried Quart tower speakers on my center channel they had
good highs but a weak bass so I went out and traded my Quarts in for a second pair of forte II which I put on my
center channel which can be used on bypass I enjoy Jazz
music very much and the forte's make it very enjoyable to
listen too.

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large inifitys with 15" woofers
cervign vegas with 15" woofers

Great mids, strong base

None

I've owned my Forte IIs now for 5 years and I like the rest have not been able to depart with them. I've thought about it due to the size of my previous living space, but I lucked out and moved into a house with a large space for my entertainment equipment. The Forte IIs are great sounding with my Onkyo 656 which I use with my video only. I also have a Klipsch Academy center channel which also rocks for my video package. I listen to music using an Adcom 555 and my fortes. They are the best at my affordable range and if I could afford anything better they would have cost at a minimum somewhere around $1500.00 plus to match them in my opinion.

Rich, accurate sound

none

I purchased the Forte's in 1989 from a high-end audio dealer in Dallas. I critically listened to 5 or 6 other speakers for 2-3 hours and found none that could match the overall tonal quality of the Klipsch's. I drive the Forte's with a Yamaha CR-2040 receiver (1978- a classic) and play CDs with a Nak unit. Despite prodding by my wife to "downsize" my our speakers, I will NEVER get rid of these Forte's...NEVER.

I highly recommend these speakers to anyone who is looking for an accurate, yet spirited sound quality. Good luck finding a used pair- anyone who selss/trades these speakers is a fool!

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none

I bought my Forte's in 1986 for $1100 after listening to numerous speakers (Vandersteen, Snell, Thiel, B&W, and others). I have been extremely happy with them. They are an absolutely wonderful speaker for the price. I recently decided to upgrade my system and move the Forte's to my second system. Again I listened to several speakers at the $2000 level (b&W, Aerial, Proac), and none could compare to the Forte's. I finally settled on a pair of B&W Nautilus 804's for $3500. Are the B&W's better than the Forte's? No question, but for $3500 they better be. They are more refined, with better clarity and definition. But what this has really reconfirmed for me is what a truly extraordinary speaker the Klipsch Forte is at the price. I don't think anything else really comes close. It's a real shame that they don't make them anymore. If you have a pair, hold on to it. If you don't and can get a used pair in good condition, do it.

Imaging, bass slam, crystal clear "BIIIGGGGGG" sound at any volume, yet subtle enough to allow you to sound like a musical instrument, beautiful walnut cabinetry, incredible build quality

Can't move them around much once they are set up because they are hefty!

Like everyone else, I bought the Forte 1s around 1985. Through many moves and many different associated electronics purchases, I really couldn't part with these. Depending on my living space (and the tolerance of whichever female companion was around at the time), I would either have these speakers set up in the "living room" or boxed away in storage.

I went through my supposed "audiophile" period (you know the stage...spending almost every extra $ you have on better electronics, speakers, amplification, turntables, cartridges, cables, interconnects, tweaks, etc) trying to find that elusive "perfect system". After realizing that my $$$ could be better spent on other things (food, good wine, a good woman), I finally came to the conclusion that I never felt I got the same satisfaction from those other systems as I did when I listened to the Fortes.

Sure, the audiophile period produced sound that just would "hang in the air...almost touchable" (the Maggies give such an experience), they didn't leave me as emotionally involved as the Fortes.

The very first recording I played through the Fortes when I first got them was Dire Straights "Money for Nothing". At the beginning of the song (right after Sting sings "I want my MTV!") is a brief drum solo that no other speaker could reproduce with such authority, clarity and heft all at the same time. I've never forgotten that.

While my musical tastes have expanded into Jazz and classical, in addition to rock, the Fortes would always give me the same thrill, no matter what music was played through them. Miles' trumpet would get so involving throug the Fortes. They will also put you right in "first row, center stage" with Rossini's "William Tell Overture"

I just drug the Fortes out of storage again (that good woman/wife just split...which gave me more living space, and much less nagging) last week. Still as beautiful as ever, using a little Pledge to feed the wood, I hooked them up to my Adcom. Put on "Money for Nothing", cranked it up.....ahhhhhh!!!!!....my Fortes are back! Life is good!!!!

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NHT, Paradigm, Magnaplanar, Vandersteen, Snell, Advent

Tight,clean with great bass and clean highs. Can make a small amp sound great!

None that I can find

I have owned the Forte' and the Forte II's for many years.
Other speakers I've owned have come and gone. I cant quite seem to part with the Klipsch. Super efficient with a wide dynamic range. Dont have to have hi-end or high power amps to make the Forte's sing.

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Wilson Watt/Puppies, Boston VR50

I first bought my Forte's in 1986 as part of my first real adult system (Meridian CD player, Linn Sondek turntable, NAD receiver, Nakamichi tape deck), and they've been with me ever since. In the meantime I've upgraded several times, and now own a pair of B&W Nautilus 802's in my main system and N804's in my bedroom system. My Forte's are now in my basement system featuring a new NAD receiver and a Rotel CD player. Even though I now have far more expensive and better speakers in my primary systems, I still consider the Forte's incredible speakers for the price. They easily blow away speakers at twice the price. My 5-star rating below is based on their relative value. There are only two negatives: 1 they're not made anymore and 2) they're big, boxy and unattractive (speaker aesthetics have come a long way since 1986).

clean precise bass, highs mids, sound quality

none......

system: toshiba DVD
Mittsubishi hdtv 55"
adcom gtp450
adcom gsa700
adcom 5500 amplifier high current
klf c 7 center
Forte's II main
KLF10 rear (for now till i get my rs3's)


nothing compares.........klipsch & adcom together are beautiful clean power clean sound.

i tried for many years to find a new speaker that beats the forte but for anywhere near the price its not gonna happen if you ever get a chance get em and anyone out there that has them and doesn't like them e mail me and ill buy em"

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none....there is no comparison. ive tried energy b & w new klipsch boston you name it nothing for under 2000 dollars comes close

I have owned a pair of these speakers (Model 1's) for twelve years and run them off a Yamaha RX-1100 (125w). All I can say is that I enjoy listening to the MUSIC and not the SPEAKERS. It's as if the music appears out of thin air. Some speakers I have listened to have become tiring to listen to after awile; not the Forte's.I'll probably never look for another system. Go out and find a pair of these (I've seen them on E-Bay) and see what your favorite tunes really sounds like!