Detail, efficiency, bass, and sound great whether you have em cranked or are playing them real softly.

A little harsh

I first bought the Forte IIs (over 10 years ago) because they played a wide variety of music well without requiring an expensive amp (I listened to many other speakers at the time including KEF, Polk, JBL, Bose, Mission, etc and thought the klipsch gave much more detail). While I have generally been very pleased with the Klipsch, they do sound a touch harsh. Perhaps they are just showing the harshness inherent in my other components (Kenwood M2A 220X220 amp and C2 Preamp and Onkyo Integra CD player (Japanese only model)). I would really like to hear them singing under tube power as I have heard that it makes a huge difference with Klipsche Speakers. I have recently moved again to Japan and had to leave my Klipsch speakers and the rest behind. I miss the speakers greatly and can't find them here ( I looked into shipping the system but it was WAY expensive). But I have recently purchased a pair of B&W 604s2s and Pioneer Amps/CD player and must say that while not as impressive when played quietly, they are just as good when cranked. Also the B&Ws seems smoother. I just feel less stressed when listening to them. But it must be said that it is hardly an equal comparisson as I am using completely different equipment in a completely different room. But my gut feeling is that the B&W speakers are just as good or better for most uses with the exception of low sound level listening. When listening to music quietly the Klipsch speakers seem to still give a full range of sound, even the bass notes sound good. OF course I prefer to crank them! If you dont want to spend a ton of money on an amp then these might just be the speakers for you (I suspect that I will need a better amp soon to realize the full potential of the B&Ws and I simply can not afford that - of course a tube amp might be in the works for the Klipsch in my life and that will not come cheap either but all in all I feel that the klipsch speakers are far more forgiving when it comes to amps). Also if you listen to your music at a wide range of volume levels then Klipsch might be a good choice.

Similar Products Used:

B & W 604s2, Trio 7200, Peavy SP3i

Puts a BIG smile on your face. Effortless bass (tight for a 12" woofer), opulent mid-range, lively highs, HUGE sound, sensitivity.

Not the easiest speaker in terms of space /positioning requirements, directional, separartion only average, colors the music, can sound harsh if mated with glary components.

I purchased my Forte II's in 1996,at my local Klipsch dealer in Athens after a careful evaluation of all the boring high-end speakers of the time. To this day, I cannot part with them (although my wife tried pretty hard)because they bring my music to life. I know this sounds cliche and boring, but really this is the only way I can describe this speaker: lively. It pulses with energy, it's straight as an arrow, it sounds like a tidal wave, and it's about as subtle as a brick. Really, this speaker demands your attention and rewards you with a rich listening experience. On the downside, it can become quite overbearing if not downright obnoxious if played with glary components, so mate it with proper, neutral-sounding kit for best results. It's also quite directional, separation is not on par with the best, and it has a wife acceptance factor of -10. But these are foibles, mere details. This speaker is alive. So go ahead, poke some fun with your "true" audiophile friends and their inevitable attitude against horn speakers. Invite them over for a party and start with Dire Straits' Money For Nothing on full steam. It'll part their hair, it'll bring tears to their eyes, and you won't be able to hear their (or wifey's) wailing complaints over the glorious wallop of the Forte's. After all, the name is not an accident. You work hard for your money, so play harder-buy yourself a pair of these (mine are not for sale!)

The rest of my system:

Electrocompaniet ECI-2 (clean-sounding Amp)
Mogami cables (good stuff)
Van den Hull interconnects (of the better variety)
Sony CDR-W33 (excellent source player and CD-R)
A cheap Sony player (used as a source for recordings)
Musical Fidelity X-10 for the cheap and nasty Sony
Sansui tuner (bit naff, really...)

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch (Chorus II,Klipsch-horn,Heresy II, KLF-30, Kg4) B&W (various), Bang & Olufsen 140, Polk Audio, Bose, JM Labs, etc.

Dynamic design with great detail and bass

Not necessarily a weakness, but cheap bright amps should be avoided

These need some breaking in, as have heard them out of the box sounding somewhat hard. I used the Hafler 9505 amp, a smooth and neutral amp with Kimber wire, and they shounded very well indeed. I prefer them to the larger Khorns or La Scalas, as they are to me, smoother and more accurate. Compared to my Thiels at $3K+, I was surprised by the Forte. They had even more detail than the Thiels, with excellent image. My personal preferance was to listen to them at a low to moderate volume, where they were still able to communicate all the details of the music. When I went back to the Thiels they I felt slightly dissatisfied (I think due to the much higher sensitivity of the Klipschs) Played around with wire and interconnects and improved the Thiels in that respect, but in some ways I miss the Fortes. The Thiels are just excellent speakers, but almost a tiny bit bland after the Forte.

Similar Products Used:

Klipschorns, KG4.5, Chorus, La Scalas

Forte II. Bold, with authority. Clean, tight, great bass, accurate, very nice even for theatre.

Extraordinary speakers. I love them and will never ever part with them, no matter how difficult to move, etc. I wish Klipsch still manufactured them, at least for special order or something...I can't describe with words how these speakers make you FEEL when you hear and feel them during music and theatre. So, I won't try. They are superb.

Similar Products Used:

Quartets, Chorus II, Kg4s, Kg5.2, Kg5.5, Kg 3.5, BW801, Paradigm-most models, Energy, Monitor silver 3's and 4's.

Absolute clarity and dynamics.

Bass

After I had heard a friend of mines Forte IIs, I was hooked. I paid WAY too much for my Martin Logans and when I found a pair of original Fortes for $150 I wondered if I shouldn't be wearing a ski mask when I went to purchase (steal) them. These speakers are absolutely the finest that can be had by anyone who enjoys clarity and just plain jamming. I lovemy music loud and most of all clear. It is clear that Klipsch is the king in this category. I prefer more bass than these can produce, but I will buy a floor sub for that. I am using what I consider to be the finest receiver ever conceived by man a Yamaha RX-1100. Those of you around in the late eighties remember this monster. Also, believe everything you have ever heard about cables making a difference. Buy some real interconnects (Monster Cable Reference series is the best for the money) and speaker wire. Only then will you see the potential that your equipment has.
Back to the speakers, when you read all the outstanding reviews posted below, it's because they have had the klipsch experience. It's true that some speakers can do some things better than these, but NO WAY for the price! Even at $1000 these are a steal. Anyone who doesn't like these speakers is doing something wrong.
The only recommendation I would make is if you ever get rid of them, upgrade to bigger klipschs!
I'm willing to trade these for some Chorus or Chorus 2.

Similar Products Used:

Martin Logan Aerius

I have listened to many good speakers and many more bad speakers but the Fortes have to be the best for anything less than mega-bucks a pair! I enjoy classical and rock primarily. These speakers do not color the sound. They are bright and full. The best way I can describe the sound: the music sounds live....like live music in a perfect environment. The bass is strong and punchy but not artificial sounding like so many sub systems. I'm happy!

I have owned Klipsch Fortes for at least 12 years (they survived my college years, a pair of Klipsch Chorus speakers and at least 4 stereo components). All I can say is that I have bought replacement drivers (when I'll need them is anyone's guess; 2099?) which is all I can do to establish my "insurance policy" to preserve the incredible sound that these speakers have afforded me. Too bad Klipsch lost sight of some of their best designs; they should re-issue this model to regain their position in the industry and re-build the loyal customer base which made them a success!

My pair of Forte IIs are ten years old this month (June '99)! I thought I'd celebrate with a review of the best speakers I've ever had the pleasure to own: JBL, Polk, DCM, ADS, PSB, and Design Acoustics are a few of the brands I've owned over the past 20 years. B&W, KEF, Sound Lab, Martin Logan, Mirage, and Paradigm are some of the better speakers I've been impressed with in various audio salons over that same period of time. Let me tell you; nothing -- I mean NOTHING! -- comes close to the Klipsch Forte in the sub-$3000 range.

Are they easy to live with? You bet! Use any amp you want (mine seem happy hooked up to an old ADCOM 545.) Use any old wire you want (I get good sound from 8' runs of Kimber 4PR.) Put them just about anywhere you want in any size room (within reason.) And tweak the heck out of 'em (I have.) It's pretty hard to make these speakers sound anything less than fantastic.

And boy are they rugged! I use my Fortes when I DJ dances. The HUGE sound seems to delight the dancers and the speakers have never once even hiccuped.
110dB+ for, oh...say five hours or so? NO SWEAT! The Forte will take a knockin' and keep right on a Rockin'!

I could go on and on about these speakers but let me just say one last thing to anybody who may be considering picking up a used pair of Fortes (or Choruses, or Quartets, or Cornwalls, or Heresys, or any other Klipsch "classic"): Don't even think about it -- DO IT! If you got the cash, snatch 'em up because they don't make speakers like this any more.

Signed,
A (Very) Satisfied Customer.

Thank you for your reviews. I recently picked up a pair of Fortes used for $130. I think it is the best $130 I have ever spent. These speakers are extreemly efficient. I am using a Pioneer Receiver that I am borrowing from work currently but I am planning to upgrade to an Onkyo 575 soon. I love the horn tweeter and midrange. The vocals of this speaker are excelent. The bass is extremely strong but not overpowering. Instead of hearing just boom you acctually hear the skin of the drum. I have paired these up with a Klipsch KSP-C6 center channel speaker they blend great except the Fortes are much more efficent so I have to turn up the center to get an even balance. Just like someone else mentioned I would not hesitate to pick up a used pair of these speakers.

I bought my pair of Forte IIs and a matched Klipsch center channel in 1993 as part of a DPL system. They were mated with the Denon AVR-3000, the powerhouse receiver of the day, and I spent many hours just listening. I am considering selling them to make way for a DD/DTS system.