@@leetingler619 Bob Crites put out a great product and knew the Klipsch line intimately. I used his x-over in my Forte's and he supplied all the parts to rebuild a pair of Heresy's from the ground up in empty cabinets. May he RIP
I recently acquired a pair of Klipsch KG4s. Technically a two-way, with a horn tweeter and two 8" mid-woofers and 12" passive, they're probably not as refined as these, but wow. They're easily the most dynamic speakers I've ever had in my home. I'm in love.
Hello John, two weeks ago one of your video’s came up as a recommended to watch since then I’ve kept on watching & I have subscribed to your channel. I always find your videos to be interesting, informative & a pleasure to watch no matter what your video is about. Kind regards Stuart.
This review plus in person auditions were the reasons I just bought a pair of Klipsch Forte III to replace a pair of McIntosh LXS 360 (circa 2006) speakers. The spatial imaging of the Forte III speakers also allowed me to eliminate my center channel for home theater. The center channel became a pointless accessory. For HIFI, the Forte III speakers really shine. I heard details that were lost artifacts for the XLS 360's. I find it ironic that current McIntosh adverts focus on their legacy electronics, but you NEVER see McIntosh refer to their legacy speakers. Now I know why. Thanks to Mr. Darko and the crew for this eye and ear opening revelation. Cheers! .
Kia Ora from New Zealand JD. I have a pair of 15 yr old Klipsch RB35's. I have replaced every component in my system over the years, except for my speakers. I love Drum n Bass, Techno and Reggae. Enjoy your Forte's! They are my forever speakers, if I can ever afford them.
I grew up with the original Fortes in my house. My Father purchased a pair while he was in the Navy along with a Yamaha Ax-900. Great, live sounding speakers. A couple of months back he replaced the caps in the crossovers to eliminate distortion. These speakers really have so much character. I'd love to grab a pair of Forte III's but they're impractical in an apartment. Every time I go home, I turn on the Yamaha, listen for the power amp stage to click and crank my music. True gems.
Hi, they look super in your livingroom. They look a bit like 70ies speakers my dad had. If they have that kind of sound, I can imaging they fit fine with the kind music you love to hear. And that's what' s about. The right fit ! Have a lot fun with them.
Thank you JD. I owned the original Forté for about 35 years. They cost me $1500 at the time (new). I only sold them a couple of years ago. I bought their larger brother and currently have those. I hope you love your Klipsch as much as I did. Excellent video and analysis once again. Thank you very much!!
Another positive review of the Forte III, it appears there are not many reviewers that do not like these speakers. I've been eyeing these since release, and even with the recent price increase I think the Forte III's are going to be my new loudspeaker . . . This review only reinforces that, I'm happy to see you review a speaker outside of your normal "comfort range". Hell, not only reviewed, but purchased. To me that is a glowing recommendation. Cheers!
Thx for this review. I think it’s awesome, that Klipsch even designed a ‚Forte 3’ lowboard hifi furniture that perfectly fits to their speaker design! Looks beautiful in your room! ;-)
We have pretty much all cherry furniture in our great room, kitchen and dining room so I bought a pair of Heresy iii's in the cherry. My wife was happy with them as they look good with our furniture and are not too big. I have a middle of the road Klipsch sub-woofer and drive them with a Peachtree Nova 300. They sound great with HD Tracks.
Long ago, a kid lived in Okinawa, Japan with a pair of Chorus IIs and Adcom 565 mono blocks. The "THC" sound you give your Forte IIIs almost fits to a "T", this Air Force kid banging those tunes out on late Friday afternoons.
Hello, once again wonderful “review” of your speakers, you’ve definitely got me wondering about trying the Klipsch myself. My favourite amplifier I’ve listened to so far was the Unison Research Unico 150, even though it was a little unrefined, I loved the exciting listening experience and dynamics, so I feel I’d enjoy the Klipsch also. I might be able to have a word and get you a Unison Research full valve amplifier for review if you’re interested - probably the Sinfonia. Let me know. Else, as always, look forward to your next review and where the listening journey takes you :)
Thank you so much for the review. I was already planning the purchase of the Forte IIIs and your review just confirms my choice of purchase. Regards, Johannesburg.
Well done John for getting some big speakers. I have heard these recently myself at Audiogold . I bought from them 2nd hand IMF Ts50 . They are awesome.
John great review as always, I love your channel, but... but as a Klipsch Forte III owner, and long term Klipsch user, I'd like to share you some tricks to let them sound at their best. They need a special care as fas as amplification and source. Mine one are driven by an Accuphase E-370. Instrument separation, tiny details, vocals, depth (earthquakes!!!) ... everything is perfect and they sound as three time more expensive loudspeakers. The sound stage is imposing and they are extremely well sounding at low and high volumes. Match them with Accuphase, McIntosh, Yamaha and they revel you a new world.
@@DarkoAudio Basically they are warm and refined, extremely well build, they can handle a lot of power and have a perfect synergy with the Klipsch Heritage line. My personal taste goes to the Japanese cause I appreciate the little details they let you hear. These amplifiers matched with speakers let the loudspeaker disappear and leave you with music... that's all about. Give the Forte 100 hours of brake in and you'll hear the difference even with your electronics. Please let us know!!!
My very first speakers were a pair of Klipsch KG 4.2 in the early 90s. I used to go into the local HiFi store which was a Sony Store and listen and lust after the Klipsch Heresy, and the Cornwalls.
I remember shopping Klipsch speakers in a military exchange in the Philippines in 1975. I recall them as a hard hitting speaker we called a West Coast Sound. I settled on the JBL L65 Jubal, which are still my main speakers and look and sound great for being over 40 years old. I could have been happy with a Klipsch offering and am impressed that they still refine their legacy speakers.
Hey, John. That was truly one of the better reviews of these spkrs that I’ve heard or read, and I thank you for that. I really like how the “console” center shelving seems to match the spkrs too. I was on the fence between these and a pair of Tekton, and a ended up going with the latter, as they seemed to fit with my system a bit better, but the Klipsch were a close second choice. Again, thanks for your thoughts, John. I think you hit the proverbial nail on the head with that quick review. 🎶🔊🙂
I came SO close to getting a pair. I got a killer deal on a fancy European brand that I couldn't pass up so my wallet won the debate. But I still regret not giving them a try. Had I seen your review first, (I very much respect your opinion) I would be listening to them now. Your body language, your facial expressions, said way more than your words.
John, I have listened to the Forte, your description is accurate. The forte isn’t the most accurate but it is just a fun speaker to listen to that brings life to your music and it’s character does change depending on the amplifier, but not a lot. If I had the room for them, I would own a pair, but that’s why I own my Vandersteen Quatro, which is a totally different type of sound. I do believe everyone should listen to a pair at least once, it’s a fun listen. I love the that cabinet with the speakers.
I just heard Steve Gutenberg’s review of the “ Big Brother”, Klipsch Cornwall IV! Very similar to your take on the Forte IIIs, but way more of it. They have 15” drivers! They are massive. As far as the visceral body experience you referred to, it sounds like they have it spades. You may want to compare them yourself
I got a pair for half price today (unboxed use for demos at a dealer here in Johannesburg). I am like a 5 year old on Christmas morning because the retail price would really be hard for me to justify. They'll be hooked up to my Anthem STR pre & power amps. Psyched!
I have two pair of these I am so much in love with them I don't think I'll ever buy another speaker again in my lifetime, listening to music from deep purple.. a little album called who do you think we are.. Klipsch 4 TV 3 will give you pictures of home.. and the louder they get the better they sound.. so make sure you have the power.. now may we please have everything louder than everything else thank you very much😮😮😮
Man. Would love to upgrade to these. I have the Forte 2 speakers. And, god, what a joy they are to listen to. I really look forward to getting home from work, sitting in my recliner with a drink, and enjoying some tunes on my Fortes.
That is the strangest thing i have ever seen? You would think that having a passive radiator right behind the woofer, that they would cancel one another out? Im 46 years old and have been making speaker cabinets since i was 14 years old, and this blows my mind!!! It just shows that there are different ways still out there to improve on sound and sound quality!!! Im a firm believer in KEF Audio by the way!! I use to run it in my cars as well as home!!! Nice Video!!
I took the plunge on these speakers when I found a mint used pair for a price I couldn't say no to. This review and others had a lot to do with my seeking them out and eventually buying them. I'm using a Manley Stingray (the original version that stopped production in about 2009) that I can switch back and forth between triode (20 WPC) and ultralinear (40 WPC). Long story short, the Forte's LOVE tubes and I imagine particularly love the Manley penchant for rock and having a really good bottom end. I've usually used the UL setting for most speakers that I've paired with the Manley but I've been rolling with the Triode setting the last month or so, and it's been incredible. I've got the speakers about 30" out from the wall and about 9' apart filling a large space (even though the listening position is about 10' away). It's a great, great match. You need to try tubes!!
Cheers for the Forte lll review John. I have my eye on its little brother the Hersey lll, then Forte later. I have a vintage Mitsubishi DAA15DC mono block amp and DA10P preamp, which I like to replace with the Schiit Freya tube later. Anticipating a rather nice match up with the system...least I hope.
Hi John Happy to see you plug your speakers in diagonal, as they should be, to remove the edge of you tweeter you may replace the metallic straps by a short copper speaker wire, you can remove the medium plastic horn to and apply some blue-tack on the back to kill the resonance as well. Love your review by the way Cheers
In the late 80s I always tried to keep Klipsch a secret. Or at least keep-it on the down low. Back in day, the the Heresies and Cornwalls along with the Klipsch Horn where the ticket. Now the cat is out of the bag. Everybody is rediscovering their music and movies with Klipsch. If that adds joy to their lives then that's a tremendous thing....
Just FYI putting them on hollow stands destroys the bottom bass octaves I’d recommend tilting them for the same tweeter midrange orientation, I use a simple deck of cards. I also recommend using a s.e.t. Amp decware makes some good ones. Honestly i know there are better speakers for certain quality’s in music, but I have never found a more gear synergy dependent speaker. Every component dramatically changes the sound and reveals nuances of gear that I’ve never perceived before. Good luck and enjoy you new forte’s! They are a tinkers dream!
Back in the late 70s there was a stereo shop in Berkeley that had both Quad Electrostats and Klipsch horns in the same room. However, the K-horns were an unfinished pair and you could see the xover exposed. Also. the owner of the store had removed the tweeter horn from its original spot and mounted it back near the corner on top of the midrange compression driver. I had Altec horn speakers around then and thought they were really colored and bright. We A/Bed the Quad Electrostats with the modded K-horn and the difference was very little. I was shocked. The owner told me that if he put the tweeter back to its stock position I would run out of the store with my ears bleeding. I believe him. The midrange horn on the old K-horn was even longer than those of in the Forte lII. If you buy a corvette for $50K you might take it to a speed shop immediately to have another 100 horse power added, etc. You don't care about the original warrantee....you want performance. Because audio is so subjective (no real race course) then no one wants to tweak......because tweaking audio is not a big business, like tweaking cars. Everyone is afraid to lose money or mess it up. So, people just keep buying stock stuff that is no where near as good as it can be. Hot rodding is fun. Once you know the basics of tweaking then listening to stock components is something you do for a few minutes and then you start tweaking to improve the sound considerably in an hour and sometimes for free or almost free.
Big speakers, big dynamics. I would recommend you also take a listen to the large format JBLs such as the 4700, 4367 etc... I think you would be impressed.
Hi, John. Being my musical tastes very far from yours, I think it would be more than interesting to match these Klipsch with a good tube amp. Since they have a nice 8 Ohms nominal impedance and are very efficient, some 40 - 50 watts would be more than enough to move them to their best. My classic Mc 275 has even more power. I'm intrigued about how they could sound driven by it. Thanks for your excellent work!
Those speakers are my bucket list set. I've heard them powered by a 12 1/2w class A tube amp and they are most definitely Rock and Roll speakers ! Loved them cranked to above normal listening (ie stupid) volumes and it's like your sitting 4th row center at the concert.
In a world full of composite material sculptures that look like something in an art gallery and less for reproducing music, it's refreshing to see some good old fashioned boxes in wood. With big woofers and a lively sound. Barely heard Klipsch, but nobody need to fear they sound as the typical POS PA rig. The Forte III are not the cheapest around - these are not something us average people would ever "buy on a whim", but I have them on a "future possible upgrade (or at least sidegrade)" list.
I have found that Klipsch and tubes are a match made in heaven. You do have to stay away from the tube amps that are mid range heavy, but most of the newer tube amps are more neutral. My Primaluna amps love my older version of the RP600M, they are Klipsch RP-160M.
You would think it sounds like a smaller version of the Cornwall but unfortunately thats not the case. The Cornwall sounds a lot better. Which is too bad cause I like the smaller size of the Forte.
Was just rewatching... You mentioned that the tweeters are a little more tame when not pointing directly into your ears. I find the same with my Avantgarde Duo Mezzo horn speakers - the horn-loaded tweeter is fairly directional and one of the many impacts of towing is to change the tonal balance at the top. I don’t think regular speakers are nearly as directional.
I have a pair of Klipsch Forte 2 from 1990 that I really love and they look just like the 3 and sound great despite being 30 years old. If I had $4,000 laying around I would get the 3 but just not in my budget at present. Music with horns sound especially great coming out of the horns.
TIP: I've had my Forte IIIs since late 2018, and while they've sounded amazing the whole time I could never find the perfect front end. After a year and a half of constant tinkering... Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital into a Parasound New Classic 200 integrated. These Forte IIIs love good class-D power. Detail is phenomenal, not at all bright but the top end is airy ear candy, bass is STRONG and super-fast, vocals are rock solid centered. It should be noted I struggled with center image before this setup. Also, I thought the driver integration on the Forte III was a little lacking... nope. It was my front end.
How refreshing seeing a pro reviewer prioritize fun factor over neutrality. As a Heco Direkt owner i agree there is a benefit doing a speaker the old fashioned way and the high sensitivity opens opportunity for almost any quality amp. A Heed Obelisk would be perfect for these babies. By the way don't you think you would benefit by replacing those metallic jumpers with real cable jumpers?
Just a point of reference. A pallet is a wooden or plastic structure things are put on to move with a fork truck. A furniture dolly has wheels and is what you are using to move the speakers, Just thought you might like to know the names of things.
Ok..Haven’t hooked up my speakers since moving over a year ago but you’ve motivated me..Ill be setting up my forte1’s with my modified By Hovland Dynaco & my lone Forte 2 with my JBL SA600 amp..And will be blasting the vinyl version of “Love Forever Changes” live, England..
the real trickle down klipsch experience: stacks of klipsch bass cabinets on the dance floor with stacks of horn tweeters hanging from the ceiling webster hall nyc .
Great choice. Big brother of the Heresey. Makes your music catalog come alive. No more walking dead music. Piano music, jazz and rock are awesome with Klipsch. Classic and orchestra pieces with beautiful tube amp with transport to a new dimension...
Definitely get a good tube amp, preferably something over 50 watts. Klipsch speakers driven by tubes are magical. I have LaScalas and Quartets driven by Rouge tube amps and it’s fantastic! Throw a good turntable on the front end and you will reward yourself with a piece of heaven.
I am using a McIntosh Mc275 V in combination with the Klipsch RP-600M and the sound is absolutely fantastic. Lifelike and full of emotion. I would suggest you test this classic in your search for a great match with a tube amp.
I would say that the Klipsch forte lll are very efficient and have a lot of presence and im also sure the passive radiator reacts very well with the wall giving you much cleaner lower subs....very much like the vintage JBL 4350 or 4343 studio monitors
You can't beat driver size for low level listening, to be able to shove a bit of air whilst barely tickling them is great, in fact quiet listening is why I use a sub. That sensation of scale also works well with rock and shoves the pomp into orchestral music
Thx John, great video. BTW... Those small furniture dollies would be amazing to help people determine the best speaker positioning in a room - especially with heavy speakers. My speakers are a tad too heavy even for that...
John Darko Wondering if you’ve ever considered weighting down lighter speakers (even not so light ones). I have and it is amazing. I used to use 10lbs slabs of steel on my Paradigm 5seMk3. Found them in the lab trash, and they are probably radioactive (I was a physics student). When placed on top of the speakers the weight makes the cabinet sturdier and more rigid and everything improved. These slabs are now above and below my mac mini running Roon. I was just looking for something appropriate from an easy source and found this: www.amazon.com/dp/B008AJJB26/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_VFIQDbR33BFC5 Not pretty but along the lines.
Hey John, awesome review! I now find myself waiting daily for a review from you and the team. Not only are your reviews informative but the video and editing content are top-notch. Keep in mind this is coming from a guy who knows nothing about video or editing . Just Like Music oh, I know what is satisfying to me and I find your videos to be the most satisfying. Tell Olaf and the Gang are doing a great job
I have a pair of Klipsch cornerhorns I bought in 1982. They still sound incredible.
I do too, back in 2017 l rebuilt the crossovers with Bob Kreitz parts and they are better than ever. Cleaner clearer...
@@leetingler619 Bob Crites put out a great product and knew the Klipsch line intimately. I used his x-over in my Forte's and he supplied all the parts to rebuild a pair of Heresy's from the ground up in empty cabinets.
May he RIP
I like how you keep petting them 😄 I can tell there's a bond
I recently acquired a pair of Klipsch KG4s. Technically a two-way, with a horn tweeter and two 8" mid-woofers and 12" passive, they're probably not as refined as these, but wow. They're easily the most dynamic speakers I've ever had in my home. I'm in love.
Hello John, two weeks ago one of your video’s came up as a recommended to watch since then I’ve kept on watching & I have subscribed to your channel. I always find your videos to be interesting, informative & a pleasure to watch no matter what your video is about. Kind regards Stuart.
Listening to all of the adjectives that he used to describe the speakers, it just reminds me that you can only judge them in person by yourself
This review plus in person auditions were the reasons I just bought a pair of Klipsch Forte III to replace a pair of McIntosh LXS 360 (circa 2006) speakers. The spatial imaging of the Forte III speakers also allowed me to eliminate my center channel for home theater. The center channel became a pointless accessory. For HIFI, the Forte III speakers really shine. I heard details that were lost artifacts for the XLS 360's. I find it ironic that current McIntosh adverts focus on their legacy electronics, but you NEVER see McIntosh refer to their legacy speakers. Now I know why. Thanks to Mr. Darko and the crew for this eye and ear opening revelation. Cheers! .
Kia Ora from New Zealand JD. I have a pair of 15 yr old Klipsch RB35's. I have replaced every component in my system over the years, except for my speakers. I love Drum n Bass, Techno and Reggae. Enjoy your Forte's! They are my forever speakers, if I can ever afford them.
I grew up with the original Fortes in my house. My Father purchased a pair while he was in the Navy along with a Yamaha Ax-900. Great, live sounding speakers. A couple of months back he replaced the caps in the crossovers to eliminate distortion. These speakers really have so much character. I'd love to grab a pair of Forte III's but they're impractical in an apartment. Every time I go home, I turn on the Yamaha, listen for the power amp stage to click and crank my music. True gems.
It goes so well with your furniture. I liked it with the grills on. Nice video.
They go perfect with that cabinet/table
Hi, they look super in your livingroom. They look a bit like 70ies speakers my dad had. If they have that kind of sound, I can imaging they fit fine with the kind music you love to hear. And that's what' s about. The right fit !
Have a lot fun with them.
Thank you JD. I owned the original Forté for about 35 years. They cost me $1500 at the time (new). I only sold them a couple of years ago. I bought their larger brother and currently have those. I hope you love your Klipsch as much as I did. Excellent video and analysis once again. Thank you very much!!
Klipsch and THC have a long history together. I remember the two making pretty good bed fellows from my college years 40 years ago.
Another positive review of the Forte III, it appears there are not many reviewers that do not like these speakers. I've been eyeing these since release, and even with the recent price increase I think the Forte III's are going to be my new loudspeaker . . . This review only reinforces that, I'm happy to see you review a speaker outside of your normal "comfort range". Hell, not only reviewed, but purchased. To me that is a glowing recommendation. Cheers!
Thx for this review. I think it’s awesome, that Klipsch even designed a ‚Forte 3’ lowboard hifi furniture that perfectly fits to their speaker design! Looks beautiful in your room! ;-)
We have pretty much all cherry furniture in our great room, kitchen and dining room so I bought a pair of Heresy iii's in the cherry. My wife was happy with them as they look good with our furniture and are not too big. I have a middle of the road Klipsch sub-woofer and drive them with a Peachtree Nova 300. They sound great with HD Tracks.
Long ago, a kid lived in Okinawa, Japan with a pair of Chorus IIs and Adcom 565 mono blocks. The "THC" sound you give your Forte IIIs almost fits to a "T", this Air Force kid banging those tunes out on late Friday afternoons.
thumbs up for attention to low volume listening! The volume at which people listen is so important to how their systems sound!
I predict these speakers will tell you more about amplification than you expect with a fine tube amp.
Hello, once again wonderful “review” of your speakers, you’ve definitely got me wondering about trying the Klipsch myself. My favourite amplifier I’ve listened to so far was the Unison Research Unico 150, even though it was a little unrefined, I loved the exciting listening experience and dynamics, so I feel I’d enjoy the Klipsch also. I might be able to have a word and get you a Unison Research full valve amplifier for review if you’re interested - probably the Sinfonia. Let me know. Else, as always, look forward to your next review and where the listening journey takes you :)
Thank you so much for the review. I was already planning the purchase of the Forte IIIs and your review just confirms my choice of purchase. Regards, Johannesburg.
Well done John for getting some big speakers. I have heard these recently myself at Audiogold . I bought from them 2nd hand IMF Ts50 . They are awesome.
All in all, very valid comments on what I think are quite enjoyable loudspeakers indeed. Thanks for your views.
John great review as always, I love your channel, but... but as a Klipsch Forte III owner, and long term Klipsch user, I'd like to share you some tricks to let them sound at their best. They need a special care as fas as amplification and source. Mine one are driven by an Accuphase E-370. Instrument separation, tiny details, vocals, depth (earthquakes!!!) ... everything is perfect and they sound as three time more expensive loudspeakers. The sound stage is imposing and they are extremely well sounding at low and high volumes. Match them with Accuphase, McIntosh, Yamaha and they revel you a new world.
Thanks for the heads up. What is it about those amp brands that make them so well suited to the Klipsch?
@@DarkoAudio Basically they are warm and refined, extremely well build, they can handle a lot of power and have a perfect synergy with the Klipsch Heritage line. My personal taste goes to the Japanese cause I appreciate the little details they let you hear. These amplifiers matched with speakers let the loudspeaker disappear and leave you with music... that's all about. Give the Forte 100 hours of brake in and you'll hear the difference even with your electronics. Please let us know!!!
I had a pair of '75 LaScalas paired with a Yamaha AS-1100 and found them to be a great match.
Each to there own, I use a class A Sugden A21 sig with mine sweet as a nut and fatigue-free
Good tube amps are a natural for Klipsch but don't assume all tube amps sound alike because they don't. Very good assessment of these John, thank you.
My very first speakers were a pair of Klipsch KG 4.2 in the early 90s. I used to go into the local HiFi store which was a Sony Store and listen and lust after the Klipsch Heresy, and the Cornwalls.
I remember shopping Klipsch speakers in a military exchange in the Philippines in 1975. I recall them as a hard hitting speaker we called a West Coast Sound. I settled on the JBL L65 Jubal, which are still my main speakers and look and sound great for being over 40 years old. I could have been happy with a Klipsch offering and am impressed that they still refine their legacy speakers.
Queen must sound amazing on these!! 👏👏👏👏👏
Hey, John. That was truly one of the better reviews of these spkrs that I’ve heard or read, and I thank you for that. I really like how the “console” center shelving seems to match the spkrs too. I was on the fence between these and a pair of Tekton, and a ended up going with the latter, as they seemed to fit with my system a bit better, but the Klipsch were a close second choice.
Again, thanks for your thoughts, John. I think you hit the proverbial nail on the head with that quick review. 🎶🔊🙂
Nick Pantazi what model of Tetons did you go with? I have been looking at these for years. Especially the Double Impact.
I came SO close to getting a pair. I got a killer deal on a fancy European brand that I couldn't pass up so my wallet won the debate. But I still regret not giving them a try. Had I seen your review first, (I very much respect your opinion) I would be listening to them now. Your body language, your facial expressions, said way more than your words.
John, its nice to see you reviewing speakers with BALLS!!! Any chance you will review the Tekton double impacts??? Thanks John, keep up the good work
Not a speaker person but this video definitely made me want to go just check out a bunch of different setups.
Please do. RP600M are worth a listen.
John, I have listened to the Forte, your description is accurate. The forte isn’t the most accurate but it is just a fun speaker to listen to that brings life to your music and it’s character does change depending on the amplifier, but not a lot. If I had the room for them, I would own a pair, but that’s why I own my Vandersteen Quatro, which is a totally different type of sound. I do believe everyone should listen to a pair at least once, it’s a fun listen. I love the that cabinet with the speakers.
I just heard Steve Gutenberg’s review of the “ Big Brother”, Klipsch Cornwall IV! Very similar to your take on the Forte IIIs, but way more of it. They have 15” drivers! They are massive. As far as the visceral body experience you referred to, it sounds like they have it spades. You may want to compare them yourself
I got a pair for half price today (unboxed use for demos at a dealer here in Johannesburg). I am like a 5 year old on Christmas morning because the retail price would really be hard for me to justify. They'll be hooked up to my Anthem STR pre & power amps. Psyched!
You and Michael Borzenkov are the best!😀
Magic is mine 1978year Technics SB-E100 double horn + subwoofer which You can drive separately by active crossover, pure magic 💥🔥
loving the aesthetic of these speakers. when i can afford them ill definitely be treating myself to a pair of these.
Awesome! They look fantastic in your room matching the cabinet. I need to have a session and give them a listen finally. Cheers!
I have two pair of these I am so much in love with them I don't think I'll ever buy another speaker again in my lifetime, listening to music from deep purple.. a little album called who do you think we are.. Klipsch 4 TV 3 will give you pictures of home.. and the louder they get the better they sound.. so make sure you have the power.. now may we please have everything louder than everything else thank you very much😮😮😮
Love your videos John, keep them coming with more of your music taste.
Neil Young & Joni Mitchell? Damn John- so you do listen to "normal music". Good on ya-Cheers from the States
They fit really well with the interior
I cannot thank you enough for telling us that these speakers go well with electronic music... who does it these days🖤🖤🖤
Yep. With these videos (and my website) I'm talking to a different type of audiophile.
@@DarkoAudio
GodBleSS
Honest review, thanks for posting.
Man. Would love to upgrade to these.
I have the Forte 2 speakers. And, god, what a joy they are to listen to. I really look forward to getting home from work, sitting in my recliner with a drink, and enjoying some tunes on my Fortes.
That is the strangest thing i have ever seen? You would think that having a passive radiator right behind the woofer, that they would cancel one another out? Im 46 years old and have been making speaker cabinets since i was 14 years old, and this blows my mind!!! It just shows that there are different ways still out there to improve on sound and sound quality!!! Im a firm believer in KEF Audio by the way!! I use to run it in my cars as well as home!!! Nice Video!!
I took the plunge on these speakers when I found a mint used pair for a price I couldn't say no to. This review and others had a lot to do with my seeking them out and eventually buying them.
I'm using a Manley Stingray (the original version that stopped production in about 2009) that I can switch back and forth between triode (20 WPC) and ultralinear (40 WPC). Long story short, the Forte's LOVE tubes and I imagine particularly love the Manley penchant for rock and having a really good bottom end. I've usually used the UL setting for most speakers that I've paired with the Manley but I've been rolling with the Triode setting the last month or so, and it's been incredible. I've got the speakers about 30" out from the wall and about 9' apart filling a large space (even though the listening position is about 10' away). It's a great, great match.
You need to try tubes!!
Cheers for the Forte lll review John. I have my eye on its little brother the Hersey lll, then
Forte later. I have a vintage Mitsubishi DAA15DC mono block amp and DA10P preamp, which I like to replace with the Schiit Freya tube later. Anticipating a rather nice match up with the system...least I hope.
Hi John
Happy to see you plug your speakers in diagonal, as they should be, to remove the edge of you tweeter
you may replace the metallic straps by a short copper speaker wire, you can remove the medium plastic
horn to and apply some blue-tack on the back to kill the resonance as well.
Love your review by the way
Cheers
Jesus, somebody is testing speakers with Richie Hawtin's mix..my man!
Goes fantastically well with your set up. Hope they sounds a good as they look.
In the late 80s I always tried to keep Klipsch a secret. Or at least keep-it on the down low. Back in day, the the Heresies and Cornwalls along with the Klipsch Horn where the ticket. Now the cat is out of the bag. Everybody is rediscovering their music and movies with Klipsch. If that adds joy to their lives then that's a tremendous thing....
Just FYI putting them on hollow stands destroys the bottom bass octaves I’d recommend tilting them for the same tweeter midrange orientation, I use a simple deck of cards. I also recommend using a s.e.t. Amp decware makes some good ones. Honestly i know there are better speakers for certain quality’s in music, but I have never found a more gear synergy dependent speaker. Every component dramatically changes the sound and reveals nuances of gear that I’ve never perceived before. Good luck and enjoy you new forte’s! They are a tinkers dream!
Back in the late 70s there was a stereo shop in Berkeley that had both Quad Electrostats and Klipsch horns in the same room. However, the K-horns were an unfinished pair and you could see the xover exposed. Also. the owner of the store had removed the tweeter horn from its original spot and mounted it back near the corner on top of the midrange compression driver. I had Altec horn speakers around then and thought they were really colored and bright. We A/Bed the Quad Electrostats with the modded K-horn and the difference was very little. I was shocked. The owner told me that if he put the tweeter back to its stock position I would run out of the store with my ears bleeding. I believe him. The midrange horn on the old K-horn was even longer than those of in the Forte lII. If you buy a corvette for $50K you might take it to a speed shop immediately to have another 100 horse power added, etc. You don't care about the original warrantee....you want performance. Because audio is so subjective (no real race course) then no one wants to tweak......because tweaking audio is not a big business, like tweaking cars. Everyone is afraid to lose money or mess it up. So, people just keep buying stock stuff that is no where near as good as it can be. Hot rodding is fun. Once you know the basics of tweaking then listening to stock components is something you do for a few minutes and then you start tweaking to improve the sound considerably in an hour and sometimes for free or almost free.
I am enjoying some of the "THC warmth" right now haha
Amber is my favourite Autechre album.
Big speakers, big dynamics. I would recommend you also take a listen to the large format JBLs such as the 4700, 4367 etc... I think you would be impressed.
Hi, John.
Being my musical tastes very far from yours, I think it would be more than interesting to match these Klipsch with a good tube amp.
Since they have a nice 8 Ohms nominal impedance and are very efficient, some 40 - 50 watts would be more than enough to move them to their best. My classic Mc 275 has even more power. I'm intrigued about how they could sound driven by it.
Thanks for your excellent work!
Those speakers are my bucket list set. I've heard them powered by a 12 1/2w class A tube amp and they are most definitely Rock and Roll speakers ! Loved them cranked to above normal listening (ie stupid) volumes and it's like your sitting 4th row center at the concert.
In a world full of composite material sculptures that look like something in an art gallery and less for reproducing music, it's refreshing to see some good old fashioned boxes in wood. With big woofers and a lively sound. Barely heard Klipsch, but nobody need to fear they sound as the typical POS PA rig. The Forte III are not the cheapest around - these are not something us average people would ever "buy on a whim", but I have them on a "future possible upgrade (or at least sidegrade)" list.
Yes, Yes, Yes. I like your approach to hifi. Give me more !
I have found that Klipsch and tubes are a match made in heaven. You do have to stay away from the tube amps that are mid range heavy, but most of the newer tube amps are more neutral. My Primaluna amps love my older version of the RP600M, they are Klipsch RP-160M.
Great video, especially loved the music throughout...👌🏿
You would think it sounds like a smaller version of the Cornwall but unfortunately thats not the case. The Cornwall sounds a lot better. Which is too bad cause I like the smaller size of the Forte.
I like Klipsch Forte III with First Watt SIT-3 together. The sound is wonderful
Was just rewatching... You mentioned that the tweeters are a little more tame when not pointing directly into your ears. I find the same with my Avantgarde Duo Mezzo horn speakers - the horn-loaded tweeter is fairly directional and one of the many impacts of towing is to change the tonal balance at the top. I don’t think regular speakers are nearly as directional.
I've always wanted to hear these - and Cornwall 4, and Danley Hyperion
I have a pair of Klipsch Forte 2 from 1990 that I really love and they look just like the 3 and sound great despite being 30 years old. If I had $4,000 laying around I would get the 3 but just not in my budget at present. Music with horns sound especially great coming out of the horns.
I run these speakers with a Primaluna Evo 300 integrated tube amp and they seem to match up perfectly
Thanks for a quality review. I might be sold.
Great review! Dig the new specks!
Klipsch and tubes go hand in hand. At least their heritage type stuff. They tend to take the harshness from the horns and make it sweet.
Yeah John you absolutely owe it to yourself to try these on tubes.
Yes, those horns absolutely do no add enough distortion on their own - add a tube amp to maximise THD!
TIP: I've had my Forte IIIs since late 2018, and while they've sounded amazing the whole time I could never find the perfect front end. After a year and a half of constant tinkering... Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital into a Parasound New Classic 200 integrated. These Forte IIIs love good class-D power. Detail is phenomenal, not at all bright but the top end is airy ear candy, bass is STRONG and super-fast, vocals are rock solid centered. It should be noted I struggled with center image before this setup. Also, I thought the driver integration on the Forte III was a little lacking... nope. It was my front end.
How refreshing seeing a pro reviewer prioritize fun factor over neutrality. As a Heco Direkt owner i agree there is a benefit doing a speaker the old fashioned way and the high sensitivity opens opportunity for almost any quality amp. A Heed Obelisk would be perfect for these babies.
By the way don't you think you would benefit by replacing those metallic jumpers with real cable jumpers?
Yes John - a tube amp will tame them some ... and/or a step to the Cornwalls for further control and relaxed power.
Nice! Been looking for this one:)
The fact they match your sideboard perfectly and have that retro feel must also have something to do with your love of these speakers?
Sansui AU-D 907 F Extra completely revamped by Terry Dewick is absolute MAGIC..
Just a point of reference. A pallet is a wooden or plastic structure things are put on to move with a fork truck. A furniture dolly has wheels and is what you are using to move the speakers, Just thought you might like to know the names of things.
I would replace those metal strips across the bi-wire terminals with quality jumper cables.
It’s all about the Cornwall IV now. You have a great system!
Ok..Haven’t hooked up my speakers since moving over a year ago but you’ve motivated me..Ill be setting up my forte1’s with my modified By Hovland Dynaco & my lone Forte 2 with my JBL SA600 amp..And will be blasting the vinyl version of “Love Forever Changes” live, England..
the real trickle down klipsch experience: stacks of klipsch bass cabinets on the dance floor with stacks of horn tweeters hanging from the ceiling webster hall nyc .
when testing new speakers, always go with autechre
Great choice. Big brother of the Heresey. Makes your music catalog come alive. No more walking dead music. Piano music, jazz and rock are awesome with Klipsch. Classic and orchestra pieces with beautiful tube amp with transport to a new dimension...
Definitely get a good tube amp, preferably something over 50 watts. Klipsch speakers driven by tubes are magical. I have LaScalas and Quartets driven by Rouge tube amps and it’s fantastic! Throw a good turntable on the front end and you will reward yourself with a piece of heaven.
You may want to give this Klipsch loudspeakers with a McIntosh MC275 amp! It'll just be music all the way.
I am using a McIntosh Mc275 V in combination with the Klipsch RP-600M and the sound is absolutely fantastic. Lifelike and full of emotion.
I would suggest you test this classic in your search for a great match with a tube amp.
My dream would be these (or the Cornwall) with Schiit Aegir x2, Freya and Denafrips Ares II DAC.
I would say that the Klipsch forte lll are very efficient and have a lot of presence and im also sure the passive radiator reacts very well with the wall giving you much cleaner lower subs....very much like the vintage JBL 4350 or 4343 studio monitors
Listening to RP600Ms with bit of THC. Now I just need 4k
You need 4K? Screen size and viewing distance might say otherwise.
“Wheely good” lol, very good old chap.🧐
You can't beat driver size for low level listening, to be able to shove a bit of air whilst barely tickling them is great, in fact quiet listening is why I use a sub.
That sensation of scale also works well with rock and shoves the pomp into orchestral music
Thx John, great video. BTW... Those small furniture dollies would be amazing to help people determine the best speaker positioning in a room - especially with heavy speakers. My speakers are a tad too heavy even for that...
Damn, you blew the topic of an upcoming video.
John Darko It would be amazing to have a video where you literally find the best spot for your speakers... Most people have never seen it done...
John Darko Wondering if you’ve ever considered weighting down lighter speakers (even not so light ones). I have and it is amazing. I used to use 10lbs slabs of steel on my Paradigm 5seMk3. Found them in the lab trash, and they are probably radioactive (I was a physics student). When placed on top of the speakers the weight makes the cabinet sturdier and more rigid and everything improved. These slabs are now above and below my mac mini running Roon.
I was just looking for something appropriate from an easy source and found this: www.amazon.com/dp/B008AJJB26/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_VFIQDbR33BFC5
Not pretty but along the lines.
Hey John, awesome review!
I now find myself waiting daily for a review from you and the team. Not only are your reviews informative but the video and editing content are top-notch. Keep in mind this is coming from a guy who knows nothing about video or editing .
Just Like Music oh, I know what is satisfying to me and I find your videos to be the most satisfying. Tell Olaf and the Gang are doing a great job
They look great in your room!
O had the Klipsch P-17B and I loved them.