I must say Shaun....i have been an Audiophile for +35 years or so (i'm 51), and had followed many many various magazines, reading reviews and so forth. The last couple of years, my search for new gear and reviews has been here on YT (for the most), where i follow PS Audio, Michael Fremmer, Steve Gutenberg and all the coolest audio people on line, and of course u. You are one of the best reviewers, in terms of understandable speech, rhythm and inside, in a way that most people can understand, and that's not an easy task. Your way of communicate audio is excellent in every way, so thank you for all the time putting into this. Cheers from Denmark
You all prolly dont give a damn but does anybody know of a tool to log back into an Instagram account..? I somehow lost my password. I appreciate any tips you can give me
@Aldo Gannon i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and im in the hacking process now. I see it takes quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
You are absolutely correct, these speakers are not forgiving with poor recordings. I've owned the 4's for a month now and really enjoy the live music quality along with the increased sound stage. They pair great with my Audio Research VSi60 tube amp and PH6 phono preamp along with a Michell turntable. I primarily just listen to records. Overall, very pleased with them.
Can't afford the speakers, but I really like the review and the care that you put into the visual setup and presentation. I got the impression from recent videos that you were moving away from this, but I'm glad to see you did it this time. Great work, guy. It looks so good.
If you cant't afford these, watch out for klipsch quartets. Bigger than the heresey, smaller than Fortes. I have a pair of Quartets in my Livingroom. Id say they have similar characteristics like the Fortes reviewed here. Although they're older. The liveliness and dynamics are big fun. And as Zero said, its possible to make them Sound less harsh by rearranging Position or Pairing them with a high end tube amp. Its an allmost lsid back sound then ;)
I'm considering the Heresy IV's right now - do you think that what he said about the Forte IV's being less forgiving of "poor" recordings also applies here? Not sure what constitutes poor either really - I guess I'm asking about your average MP3 played through a Yamaha RX-A2A. I'll post this same thing as an individual post also in case zeroF has an opinion.
Years ago Bruce Edgar interviewed PWK for SpeakerBuilder magazine (this was when PWK owned the company). When Bruce asked Klipsch engineer Jim Hunter why they didn't make a subwoofer for the Heresy Hunter replied that was what the Cornwall was for.
I bought the original Forté when they came out in '85. Had them for 30+ years. They were amazing. Thanks for a great review. Hopefully more people will go listen to them and hear them firsthand. If you don't have room for the much larger Cornwall, then this is a fantastic choice. Thanks again Sean.
Excellent review, I have the forte III paired with an Yamaha AS2100 and I love it. After having the speakers for some time already, I still play with set up from time to time trying to find the right place. For me it sounds good no matter where you place them, but indeed the sound changes :)
Good Job! My reference speakers for the last 6 yrs are the Original Forte which are heavily modified (AK forums). Forte will not lie to you about your music :)
Good review Sean. I own the Forte II's (I just replaced the caps) and you hit the nail on the head when you talk about how revealing they can be. Speaker Placement makes a big difference too.
Honest review. Much appreciated. You're also starting to put more effort in how your videos look. Smart move. You have to play the RU-vid game. Well done!
Yes honest review as always. Just wanted to say that I purchased these and they have opened the door to enjoying music I have not listened to in a long time and have made the music I was listening to on some highly regarded speakers that I have enjoyed for years sound better . Win !!
You're not alone. I got Forte ones in about 1995 on Craigs List. College town. Probably one of the best choices I ever made. Except that I now am a klipsch-aholic.
Terrific review! Sean, you present the most cogent information when you review products. You just make sense. Really good. I kinda agree with you on Cornwall V Forte. If you can stretch to them you should. But, I gotta say 2k would be my limit for speakers. So, there’s no Klipsch heritage in my future...they’re pretty heavy too. I’m too old to lift them.
You know he did. Because I would have left them in the box, and just effortlessly flipped them up the stairs. And that's probably what he did for the other one too. 😁
This is about the most complete and analytical review you've done. Well done. Nearly every question I had, you answered. Very thoughtful and organized presentation. I appreciated the comparison to the Cornwall as well. If you have a moment, I think some of your audience would be curious regarding how the Forte iv compares to the Heresy iv. Is it worth the price difference? My guess is that the sonic signature is comparable to the Heresy but the Forte has more authoritative oomph with its 15" passive radiator. Your thoughts? Thanks !
The Forte 4 can sound like a Heresy 4, only bigger, more resolute, and quite a bit more natural in the midrange. If somebody has the extra cash, I'd heavily encourage em' to go for the 4's.
I started listening and you did a lot of comparing between the III and IV but I never heard the III. I am grateful I continued watching and got your opinion. I think they will be filling the bill for me. I wanted Cornwalls but just didn't have the room!
Other factor is the Cornwall for myself had relatively slow slightly deeper bass while the Forte can be positioned for faster yet harder hitting bass. So personal preference there as well. To me the Forte can sounds more like a baby Klipschorn then Cornwall depending on positioning in your room.
Your review seems accurate and well covered. I come away with a confident idea of what they offer, possibly because you seem confident. These make a review easier because they are not fussy about their amplifier, which is otherwise complicating. Their rated sensitivity (downrated ~3 dB to 96 dB by me because Klipsch uses a proprietary standard 'room' for testing this) means I mightn't have to include a new amp in the budget. And I appreciate the positioning of the product in the line. (They appear overpriced.) And, their character of exposing the bad in bad recordings. To me, that can be really annoying, but sonically honest.
great review... seems like most speaker companies are betting on more realistic/honest sounding speakers revealing bad recordings flaws. i think is all good. folks, listen to better recorded recordings. the time is now!
I just refurbished a pair of Klipsch Chorus 2. And I agree with everything said. They do many things so well and many things not. When they are playing strings and horns it is magical. When they play average recorded music like rock it becomes a short listen session. I have other systems to turn to when that happens.
Hi, this is a GREAT review! Sean, You really explained in excellent detail how the Forte IV sounds. This is really important when a buyer is going to plunk down 5 grand ( current price). Your review hits the mark in giving us a straight on look at what to accept sound wise if we buy it. I am too old now to invest in the IV and get enough time with it to justify the cost, but I would have loved to have them. They have excellent height width and depth to fit next to my living room double door cabinet. I primarily listen to easy going classical music, strings, piano etc. I also love the NYC small club atmosphere where artists like Judy Collins or Ella Fitzgerald sing their hearts out. I think the IV’s would really put me in the room. I have a new Cambridge Audio AXA35 amp and I think it would be a great match for the IV’s. Thanks again for an excellent review!
Thanks for the great review! I really appreciate hearing your perspective on choosing between Heresy, Forte and Cornwall at the end of the video. Super helpful!
Great review as usual Sean. Thank you. I've always wanted to try a pair of these, or even the Quartets. This style appeals to me more then the Cornwall style. Although really the Cornwall's have a bit of an advantage in that they're designed to be stuffed in a corner, or against a wall (hence the name). So really they don't need all that much space when compared to most speakers that have to be pulled out from the wall. But I think these look better myself. That being said. You're right about the design of the horn being smaller, and it affecting the sound. That's why for my money. Instead of buying any of these. I would get an old pair of Klipsch Belles instead, and just update/improve them a bit. They sound very much like a K horn, and amazingly they can do a decent disappearing act too somehow? At least the pair I heard did. And they're no where near as obnoxiously large as the K Horns. Which are just so tall. And so chunky. I think they're very classy looking speakers. That can double as a couple of nice tables too. 😁
If wife acceptance factor had no bearing then I'd pony up for La Scala's or Belle Klipsch's. No speaker at any price can beat their articulation and dynamics.
@@1mctous I suppose not. I did hear a really nice pair of huge Altecs with added ribbon super tweeters that tried to do a decent imitation. But the room, and the setup (a large gathering in a wood working shop) prevented me from really hearing what they could do. That being said. I totally agree with you. For me it's the lack of space, or I would already have the Belles. Or K Horns. They are after all the same speaker for the most part. And if I had the room, despite their obnoxious size. I couldn't turn away a good deal on a pair, if I were to ever come across one. Same goes for the big Altec speakers too. The best part of any of these speakers is the fact that you would have almost unlimited choice in amps. And could get away with something like a nice 2 watt Decware SET amp one month, and then a 200 watt solid state the next.
Thank you for this honest review! The first review showing up on youtube sounds way too much like an ad. How could so much little difference between the 3s and 4s create such a huge difference? The four sound better? I can believe that. Way better? no way possible.
As I have done, I think you need two different speakers for the divided musical presentations. If you can live with these guys for everything you listen to, then you are one and done.
Sounds to me like the only real change from the predecessor is an upgraded crossover network. But as for the review, perfect! The comparison to other heritage models is very helpful for potential buyers like myself.
was that the new KLH Model 5 peeking around the corner of this review Sean? I think these new Forte's would mate well with my Yamaha AS 1200 than the Wharfdale Linton's I'm using now. But the Model 5's!. I had a pair of the original's that I regret selling. Great review as always!
Cant wait for the Model 5 review. I got in on the ground floor when David Kelley relaunched KLH and I bought the Kendall’s. FWIW, the Kendall’s are great, but I’ve been waiting for the Model 5 to come out!
That wallpaper/paint combination is absolutely lovely Sean! It look's like a 90yr old woman named "Esther" picked it out! Lmfao over here... I joke, I kid!
Close! My mom picked it out a longggg time ago. I'm basically here to get the place ready for market, and as you can tell, I'm doing an awful job! :D :D. And lord PLZZZZZ do not let my mom ever see this comment and my reply to it. :D.
I'm curious as to whether or not there is some kind "cover" for the passive radiator on the back? It just seems that it would be more prone to being damaged if not. Does it make sense to have at least a grill or something on the rear?
@@jamestartaglia7686 they were good but not great, five stars out of ten but sounded amazing with Glenn Gould playing Bach on organ an good for rock and blues but not so much classical and jazz. I’m using Proac Response 3’s now which I’m still testing but beat the Klipsch and blow away the Tektons. The Tektons are all hype n
Sean, I’m honestly not saying this to be argumentative, but on one hand you said the Forte IV’s made it sound like there really is a performance going on in your room. I’ve also heard you say something like it’s all fake sounding, so pick your fake and enjoy the music. Did the Forte’s remove some of that “fake”? I truly mean that question in a respectful manner. Top notch review as usual, Sean. Thanks, man!
Great question: In my experience, every speaker sounds like a speaker. However, some project sound in a way that better recreates the feeling of being close to a performance. Klipsch tends to make a lot of speakers like that.
Thanks....was really interested in this speaker.....now not so much....lol!Gonna go with other Klipsch speakers.Thanks for including points about the amp.....it's always a big dilemma.
If the recording is crap it should sound like more crap when decoded. The Forte is one of the most accurate speakers on the market, and Klipsch has been doing it for years. Paired with a valve amp its amazing. Klipsch horns have been doing this since the '70's.
Having dabbled in budget horn tweeters from those £5 piezo tweeters, Eminence APT80 and also my Bill Fitzmaurice Omnitop 12 I can sort of imagine what these sound like - like my PA speakers but with any honkyness or clanky upper midrange ironed out. I imagine they don't take as much use of a 31 band EQ to get to sound pleasing. The way they can do a steel guitar and hi hats and maracas at high volume without losing the top end or sounding mushy is very satisfying. I imagine if you played hardstyle on them you'd have to turn down the treble though. I would also imagine the mids and highs outrun the woofer unless you bi-amp and limit the power to the mids and tweeter.
Sean, I sure enjoy your no nonsense but entertaining and informative videos. I can now afford them and am torn between getting the Forte 4's or Cornwall 4's. I do have just enough room space for the Cornwall's 15 x 25 feet but distance from the wall behind it may be a challenge as it seems like Forte's need more room for the different sound projections as I've heard reviewers say, they need a lot of room but some people selling them say no more then the Cornwall's. From your experience do you know how much room, feet or inches each may need from the back wall. Keep up the good work thanks Ted.
Thanks for the excelent review. Hope in time you manage to get a sample of the new KLH Model 5, really would like your POV on them, as others saying the best sub $5k speaker....
Thank for an excellent review! Could you please comment on how they sound compared to the Heresey IV? The same way people could go up to the Cornwall you discuss in the review, I am in the position of wondering if I should go from the Heresey to Forte. Thank you very much.
Are you able to provide song examples that fall into your categories of poorly recorded, average recorded, and well recorded so that I can listen to them on my current set of speakers? Thanks
I’ve heard speakers back in the late 70’s that used a passive radiator and I’m confused about the sound. The speakers I heard back then had much more bass than these have. These are ok and the bass is decent but they don’t really hit the lower registers like the speakers of old. They were full range speakers and you could really feel the bass. Not really a complaint but rather confused considering the differences. Does anybody know why the bass isn’t full, loud and deep in these?
I have been a Klipsch fan since 1978. I have had and still own, Hersey's. K Horns and La Scala's. II will always be a Klipsch fan even when owing Klipsch was not cool. All of the Heritage Klipsch speakers do the same thing, they put you at the concert. They are not for everyone. And why we have Chevy's, Fords, imports and more. Pick a speaker that takes you where you want and go In terms of music presentation and go for it. Klipsch is not perfect but neither is any other speaker on the planet, it is really the size of your listening room that will help you decide. The K horns were just too large but the bass, of my goodness the bass once set up right was beyond amazing Paul Klipsch once said when asked what his thoughts were on his speakers, he simply said, "what the world needs is a good 5 watt amp..".. And that is so true. Even on the Heresy's, 5 watts, in particular class A will Rock and Roll big time !!!!
Thank you for another great review! Both the Fortes & the Cornwalls are in my budget. So, having in mind my small listening space, I would like to ask you what is the minimum acceptable distance between the listener and the front baffle of those loudspeakers? And again, what is the case with the Cornwalls, i.e. same distance? perhaps less?. Thanks in advance.
Have not heard the IV. I own the I and the II. I once owned the III. The III was improved when I replaced the Ti tweeter with a phenolic. Not a fan of metal tweeters in general. But of all of these I still like my Forte I best.
I have not used these speakers, but do own a pair of Heresy III's. Heresy's are amazing for vocals and synthesizers. Well produced music pops out and fills the room with sound. These speakers are also very sensitive to EQ. If you are used to cranking the treble that's a bad idea with these. When I run LPs I leave it flat with my receiver. With CDs I might bump it a small amount like 1 or 2 out of 10. Any more than that and it sounds screechy and harsh.
Great and honest review. I had the Forte IIIs and moved to the Cornwall IVs. As you say with an even smaller price difference now get the Cornwalls if you have room. I’ve found even with the large cabinets a good sub helps both if you want that bottom octave.
Pausing : Philips screws on tweeter star screws on mid Allen screws on woofer 😨😨😨 Edit what's with the high fidelity video? Have you got some new camera gear? Quality review m8 👍
My relationship with klipsch is bizarre. I loath the company, and it hurts me to say that because I want to like them.. I have a set of CW4's and I can't put into words how much I love them. Looking at speakers was a obsession prior and now I can't be bothered with it. I can't help but think all the folks that bought the Forte III have buyers remorse now that the Forte IV is released only 2 years later..
Both of ya are correct, and I do love the Cornwall's. I love that the heritage line is crafted here in the U.S. The roots of, and engineering that PWK has done and what Roy Delgado continues is no doubt a gift. However, it's 2020 and in a world of open source and easily obtained equipment we can refine to our taste. Plus, I'm not one to leave things alone. I opened up my Cornwall's and removed the internal crossovers to use a MiniDsp. While inside I braced the sides more and wrapped sound deadening material around the horn lenses. DRAMATIC improvements in my opinion. I posted my results publicly to share and to boast how much more I loved them. The feedback I (and anyone else who even does a simple recap of vintage speakers) received from employees was ridiculous. They talk to you like you've committed a unforgivable crime and deserve to be burned at the stake. I understand having pride for a product you're involved with. But we all have different tastes. Our rooms are not the testing environment they used and quite honestly I was taken back a bit seeing the quality of the inside for a $6k speaker. A simple knock test on the side sounds like a hollow cupboard before bracing. I did what I did in good intentions knowing it may not be to others tastes, but to get angry at me for modifying a very expensive product I bought and corrected a mediocre build quality.. Kinda leaves a foul after taste. So yea, I couldn't be happier with my speakers. I just don't care to give klipsch any attention anymore. My time is more valuable to me to invite the drama.
@@euclidallglorytotheloglady5500 wow, that is quite an essay and now a fully understandable notion. I get it....for the $$ spent you'd think some basic tweaks like that would improve things and not hurt the company bottom line. In all honesty, if any company responded to me like that, I would be certain to go out of my way to not recommend them also. Too many choices. Thanks!
Awesome review. Do the Forte IV’s deliver a sound on the lean side (to be able to be quick and dynamic) as opposed to a more meat-in the bone/rich sound? Or would that be a function of the amp paired up with? Thanks!
Speakers like that are best placed in the corner maybe Crossing in front of you. Wouldn't it be just easier just replacing the crossover and mid-range driver if you had the forte 3 be lot cheaper, cabinets the same size? I heard some people saying they are boomy in the cabinet resonance at 100hz? I think they're overpriced klipsch speakers especially these range should be around 1500$
The crossing pattern you suggest resulted in a sound that was more or less similar to just pointing the speaker straight towards the ears. Probably best for people who have untreated walls. As for the suggestion to swap out parts: You'd need to replace the tweeter/horn assembly, an entirely new compression driver/midrange horn, and then you'd need to get ahold of the new xover to go with it. Doesn't sound at all worth it to me. Not unless you picked up the Forte III's for basically nuffin'. As for boomy cab resonance: Yes there's a bit of that, as is the case with nearly any large, thin-wall box design. What I heard seemed a bit higher than 100Hz. All the same, I decided to forgo mentioning it in the review due to there being many variables that will dictate whether or not you'll be able to pick up on it.
@@ZeroFidelity the crossover could be adjusted for the forte 3, you saying the woofer is completely different...! possibly the tweeter you might be right, you'll probably get away with just redesigning the crossover lv-order on horn mid-range and V order on the tweeter. Must be somebody out they're in DIY hi-fi done it, yeah around 105-130Hz a lot of that can be reduced by putting a 6-mm thick beard of Blu-Tack as a gasket around the woofer and do the same for midrange and tweeter 3 mm thick. might be worth getting 4 sheets of Blu-Tack as well and placing two on each side of the cabinet on the inside opposite the woofer roller on with a wallpaper roller
@@johnsweda2999 The new xover accommodates the new midrange compression driver. I believe the slopes are also different all throughout. Like I said, that sounds like a ridiculous amount of work given the price difference between the two speakers. In fact, I doubt you'd be saving much, if anything at all. The only time this project would make sense is if, again, you got the Forte III's at a song. Either that or you don't want to take an equity hit after purchasing the Forte 3's at full list price. And even in the latter scenario - it'll take a particularly motivated individual to do all of that work - especially if they are already in a financial position to drop thousands on a pair of speakers.
Could you clarify what you mean by "poor recording"? Are we talking compressed contemporary pop recordings? What about older recordings, like early jazz and blues (likely on CD), or even 50's era rock and roll and R&B? I currently have a pair of Heresy III's and a lot of these older recordings sound pretty good on those. But I'm curious about the Fortes.
Naw. They are fine as-is. If you want, you could get something about half an inch tall and slip it under the front of the speaker to tilt them up a bit more . Easy and cheap to experiment with.
Do you like these better than your Totems? I have Forrest sigs upstairs and Im going back and forth between the fortes and the Model 5’s for downstairs. Thanks
I just went to a store and listened to the Cornwall and the Forte and I thought the Cornwall mid-range was super loud and thought the Forte was just right balanced that's strange to hear you say that
Sean the closet listener Fidelity... Yes i’m jealous that he is given stuff to review in a room so small everything is going to be near field listening. :)
Bhaha. Intimate listening spaces for the win. Honestly, I think it's the only reason why I'm able to come up with decently reliable assessments. I hear darn near everything, without all the problems that come with a big room.
