Excellent sound full range

None

I have had a pair of Fortes for 10 years the only problem was when I brought them home and my wife found the sales ticket. They test to 24 hertz on the Delos prologic test discs. they are clean and crisp handling transparent Chopin piano passages as well as the thunder of Dante's Peak. I've enjoyed these speakers with all types of music and sound effects and have no desire to change.

Makes any music sound great. Soundstage, high efficiency and very detailed highs and lows.

None if you set them up properly.

When I purchased my Forte II ten years ago I had $5,000 to spend on speakers so I had a great time comparing all of the Klipsch speaker models to many other high end products. My first impression of all Klipsch speakers and the Fortes was, wow I can hear the music MUCH clearer instead of the muffled sound I was hearing from the other $1,000 $5,000 brands. After a month of comparing (I tried my hardest to find a reason not to buy the Fortes) I finally purchased them. After 10 years of owning these speakers, not once have I had the urge to upgrade my speakers because I am still amazed at the sound that comes from my Fortes. They sound today like the did 10 years ago, WONDERFUL!!

Efficiency, accuracy, good bass

slight harshness with some CDs

I have owned my ForteIIs for 6 years and I love them. I agree with other postings here regarding the quality of these speakers (rugged, warm, sultry, etc.). They really don't make them like this any more and I would never consider selling them. I too hope Klipsch returns to making speakers of this quality again.

I have not had the opportunity to listen to a lot of other speakers but I have a feeling I'm not missing too much. I am very satisfied with my system's sound.

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none

when matched with the right equipment sound great, no speaker out there does it all, but if you want something that goes loud and I mean very loud!!! without blowing drivers and stays fairly clear with the right amp matched to it, then the Klipsch are worth looking at.

The only weakness is in what the person expects from these, if you want a speakers for female vocalist and really like the smooth liquid sound, then look elsewhere, B&W, Dunlavy, Revel, and so on, but if you want something you can crank out with and not blow drivers in, and really has good low end, then the Klipsch are for you.

Great speaker, plays loud and clear, I use the McCormack DNA-1 amp, and audioquest cables, also mosfet amps work very well with these, worth looking into the Adcom 5802, it really rocks with these, I don't have one, but heard on a friends system, nice amp for the money with the Fortes.

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Vandersteen 2Ce, Infinity CS3009, B&W several moels, Maggies, Klipsch KLF30s

Immense midrange, fast, assured, stonking bass and superb layering

Aesthetics. I could be buried in them!

Run the Fortes on a traditional UK audiophile approach. Sugden CD through EAR pre amp and a 50 year old restored Leak Stereo 20 amp, fitted with UK military Mullard valves. Detail is staggering and really comfortable on all but the heaviest of rock. Sensitivity welcome as Leak ekes only 8 watts but that's ample for creamy, oozing sound. Delighted with the Fortes all round confidence. I'd upgrade but Klipsch have no UK distributor. Odd given the massive valve revival here. Wouldn't sell the Fortes as they cannot be replaced. Contemplating a massive Croft OTL amp which would really make life interesting.

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Snell K

Immense midrange, fast, assured, stonking bass and superb layering

Aesthetics. I could be buried in them!

Run the Fortes on a traditional UK audiophile approach. Sugden CD through EAR pre amp and a 50 year old restored Leak Stereo 20 amp, fitted with UK military Mullard valves. Detail is staggering and really comfortable on all but the heaviest of rock. Sensitivity welcome as Leak ekes only 8 watts but that's ample for creamy, oozing sound. Delighted with the Fortes all round confidence. I'd upgrade but Klipsch have no UK distributor. Odd given the massive valve revival here. Wouldn't sell the Fortes as they cannot be eplaced. Contemplating a massive Croft OTL amp which would really make life interesting.

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Snell K

Music reproduction, Sensitivity, listening is an emotional event.

Size, though not a weakness for something you enjoy.

Bought these at the naval Exchange in 1989. I am still in the military and have moved these babies five times. Still have the original boxes. I have been unable to find a speaker that elicits such emotion as these. I can feel the music as well as hear it, even at low sound levels. The speakers will move again in six months, while I look forward to once again hooking them up at a new location.

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JBL, Boston Acoustics

Powerful, clean sound. Build quality.

No shielding, but not many were 10 years ago. No other weaknesses for this price!

Ten years ago I layed down $1200 for these speakers at a local audio store. I have never regretted that decision, and still to this day friends and relatives are amazed when I turn up the volume. Sure, there are better sounding speakers out there, but not at this price range. My Klipsch's have never let me down, and still produce clean, crisp, full sound. It's time for me to upgrade my front speakers to a shielded pair, and they will most likely bare the name Klipsch. Perhaps the new Reference 5 series. I will still keep my Forte's, and I know they'll last another 20 years entertaining us with music somewhere in my house. Many people claim that Klipsch speakers are too harsh due to the horn-loaded design, but that is an opinion. You are cheating yourself if you don't audition Klipsch when you are shopping for new speakers.

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Auditioned Paradigm, B&W, KEF, and many others.

great highs, perfect mids and nice tight bass, the perfect classical music player

none

well here goes, my father purchased them in 1986, i was 12 at the time and remember the look on his face when he first hooked them up, he loved them and never bothered replacing them he was a true audiophile and knew that he had a great speaker in hand. then a few years back my father got sick and lost interest in audio so he handed them down to me (the moment iv been waiting for for years) and ejoyed them since, will never replace or look for any other speaker for as long as i live, though out all of my trials with various type of amps, i find the perfect match with the forte is a vacuum tube style amp, i only tried one brand of tube amp (jolida) and it put any transistor style amps to shame. but dont get me wrong they do sound beautiful with anything.

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heard many types of many makes

Sound, power, clarity.

None apparent

After viewing the section, I realized I never commented on my Forte's after reviewing the Heresy speakers. I've been using the Forte's for two years now. As I write Kitaro is playing in the living room while I type in an adjcent room. He might as well be performing there in person. Last week I visited a real audiophile's home. He had a set of electrostatic speakers and very expensive cabling and a super high quality phono setup. I honestly couldn't hear any superiority. I played a decent vinyl for him when he came by my house and he said, "it's not bad."
These were purchased in England at a military exchange by the first owner who made typical military moves. I've moved them once, but they are where they will stay until my cold dead fingers are pried from the remote for the Yamaha DSP A1. Or they suddenly implode. Sometimes there are compatability problems with DVD sound. Voices moving away from center get deeper quickly. There's probably a solution in the cinema EQ setup, but I'm not confident enough to mess with that. As long as the music is superb. I'll be happy with these oak-finished beauties. Oh yeah, don't ask--they are not for sale.

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Heresy II, KG 1.5, C-5 and Yamaha and Sony speakers before I knew better.