Forte III

kink56

Active Member
Okay so here's the deal. I REALLY like my Forte Is with the Ti tweeter diaphragm and Crites crossover upgrade. I have a pair of Heresy IIIs that I also like very much. I have been trying to get an even sweeter midrange and the Forte II with the tractrix horn is noted for that. And with the reviews of the Forte III, I decided to go ahead with a new set of those instead of going with the Forte II based on the sound of the Heresy IIIs.

So, the Forte III sound too harsh in the midrange for my tastes. The bass is tighter and more defined than my Forte I and the highs are as good or better than my Forte I, but the midrange is grainy and electronic sounding, not human.

I do not want to get in a long discussion on room placement, electronics, "hey you need a SET 5 watt amp" etc, etc etc. I am wondering if there is a phenolic midrange diaphragm I can swap the Ti diaphragm out with for the Forte III driver? Or better yet, is there a better driver that will fit on the Forte III midrange horn? At this point if I can get the Forte III midrange to sound more like the Forte I midrange, I will consider that a great success. (because I like the bass on the Forte III better anyway).

In the meantime, a healthy wad of cotton in the throat in each midrange horn is helping a bit.
 
I wonder what the crossover differences are between the three models? Surely they cut differently at certain frequencies? Perhaps you play with that? Lower the high mid level on the III’s and send more to the tweeters? Play around with different cut off points/cap values?
 
I would contact Bob Crites, he could probably tell you if you can attenuate the mid horn or not with the autoformer or not. If not, I'm sure he could work out a solution for you.


You could always invest in either a Lyngdorf or Mcintosh MEN 220 room processor to calm things down a bit. One suggestion, place them closer to a rear wall and turn the speakers so you listen off axis a bit.
 
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The reviews I read on the Forte III were very positive about the smooth sound. One review placed the Forte in the New England classic sound group, AR3a, Dynaco A-25. I’mjust wondering If you got a bad unit.
 
Bob Crites has not delved into the Forte III yet as he concentrates on discontinued versions, not ones currently in production. He was the FIRST guy I contacted. Besides, I do not believe reviews other than my own, ESPECIALLY as it comes to the cult-like following of Klipsch products. It tends to be a sacred cow. Any criticism is met by a load of excuses and accusations.
 
Just got them. I am hoping you are right. But they are a huge step up from my Belles at any rate. Just a step down from my Forte Is however. The thing is my Heresy IIIs which I also bought new in January did NOT need any break-in to sound satisfactory.
 
You know what is weird and hard for me to accept? I have or have had a LOT of electronics. Spectral, PrimaLuna, Dynaco, Threshold, Crown and Electron Kinetics through my Fortes. All these amps really shine with either my ProAc or Rogers speakers of various models. But when it comes to the Fortes, I cannot get over how seemingly my NAD C326BEE sounds better than ANY of them! What in the heck is going on here?
 
You know what is weird and hard for me to accept? I have or have had a LOT of electronics. Spectral, PrimaLuna, Dynaco, Threshold, Crown and Electron Kinetics through my Fortes. All these amps really shine with either my ProAc or Rogers speakers of various models. But when it comes to the Fortes, I cannot get over how seemingly my NAD C326BEE sounds better than ANY of them! What in the heck is going on here?

Would you consider the NAD a more "forgiving" or "smoother" amp? Do you find it has a specific sound with other speakers? Just guessing, I have no first hand experience with the equipment in question.
 
I don't seem to have lost any detail but the hyper etched character of the Threshold is softened by the NAD. The Crown amp (less so the preamp) is even darker AND harsher with the Forte. For my ProAc super towers the best combo is Spectral DMC-15 and Electron Kinetics Eagle 2C or Threshold S300A (which is class A up to 30 watts, the Fortes probably never see anything above 5 watts).

I guess the NAD is not as forward as any of the other electronics I've used. And we all know Klipsch has a very forward midrange in general.

"The NAD seems to put on a nice suit on the nakedness that the Threshold reveals." (Copyright 2018 kink56).
 
Been doing a lot of research on an integrated amp for my freshly acquired Forte III’s. Currently have them paired to a Yamaha AS1000 integrated. The Yammy by nature is a bit bright and forward and worked brilliantly with my thirsty Mirage MG-28’s. Now, with the Forte’s I’m thinking of the NAD C 326BEE. Kink56 may have confirmed the of all that I have read and the rightness of my decision to order the NAD.
 
I do not find my new Forte III's harsh at all - I would call the midrange sweet and clear. It might depend on what you have been used to hearing with your other speakers.
 
I like this new finish they using for these. The gray ash look is really in right now. I'm glad you can still buy good sounding speakers that don't look like they just came off a spaceship. Kudos to Klipsch for keeping the Forte alive. Classic speaker for sure.
 
I can highly recommend the new Belles Aria integrated amplifier. Sounds excellent with my Chorus II's with Crites crossovers and Ti tweeter diaphragms.
 
Okay so here's the deal. I REALLY like my Forte Is with the Ti tweeter diaphragm and Crites crossover upgrade. I have a pair of Heresy IIIs that I also like very much. I have been trying to get an even sweeter midrange and the Forte II with the tractrix horn is noted for that. And with the reviews of the Forte III, I decided to go ahead with a new set of those instead of going with the Forte II based on the sound of the Heresy IIIs.

So, the Forte III sound too harsh in the midrange for my tastes. The bass is tighter and more defined than my Forte I and the highs are as good or better than my Forte I, but the midrange is grainy and electronic sounding, not human.

I do not want to get in a long discussion on room placement, electronics, "hey you need a SET 5 watt amp" etc, etc etc. I am wondering if there is a phenolic midrange diaphragm I can swap the Ti diaphragm out with for the Forte III driver? Or better yet, is there a better driver that will fit on the Forte III midrange horn? At this point if I can get the Forte III midrange to sound more like the Forte I midrange, I will consider that a great success. (because I like the bass on the Forte III better anyway).

In the meantime, a healthy wad of cotton in the throat in each midrange horn is helping a bit.
I've never see the plots of the Forte III, but I'm guessing they went for as smooth and flat as possible, like the Chorus II.
The Forte I has a dip in the response in the 1000hz to 2000hz region. I think this what a lot of Forte I fans like about them. The treble also rolls of quickly after 10k.
 
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