I owned a pair of Forte's in the 1980's and never in my life have I heard anything better short of a live performance. I had my sound system on my second floor and measured 127dB in the street in front of my home at half volume of my 100 watt amp. The sound was perfect. I had neighbors blocks away complaining.
I have a set of original Cornwalls, vintage 1984, original drivers and original crossovers ( estimated 30,000 hours listening time). These will do anything they are instructed to do, so the amp is critical. If you push good then you get GOOD, if you push harsh or boom then you get harsh or boom. They are so efficient that I never drive more than 5 W or the neighbors will call the cops, and I will have to straighten all the pictures on the walls afterwards, so power is not the issue. I suggest a high quality, low power tube amp and these will make you smile. Everyone who hears them just says "WOW" as I still do after all these years.
I bought a new set of Cornwalls off the showroom floor in 1981 and have since passed them down to my son only because I didn’t have room for them when I downsized 😢
I've been a Klipsch dealer for more than 30 years and actually met Paul once. I herd the La Scala"s were made to be the PA Speakers for Winthrop Rockefeller when he ran for governor of Arkansas in 1964. Great video, Jason H. should like it.
@@carewseryou should listen to my AL-3's in a barracks room when I lived in Hawaii. It's the Ronnie Earl video. Just don't listen to the video with your phone, use a sound system or headphones and enjoy.
I absolutely agree with you on this. Absolutely. Sadly, for me, those wonderful old classic speakers are way out of my price range these days. I can afford these Klipsch speakers though.
Forte bass driver is on the front. Passive radiator is on the back. It hurt my heart when you called the PR a "driver". I can forgive you, for now. I've got my CW IVs driven by a Parasound Hint6. I love it, but I'm open to try something else someday.
@@paulgyro you guys act like you've never called a girlfriend the wrong name. give the guys some slack there're here to entertain not to educate... i mean if someone is calling a proper hifi amp 'buttery' you kind of know from that point on the topic of the discussion is not 'high fidelity', and that's perfectly fine :)
This month it's 44 years since I brought my brand new Klipschorns home . I spent a year going out every weekend to HI-FI stores to listen to all different designs and brands and my favorite was the KEF 105.2 BUT I had one last shop to visit and they were the only Klipsch dealer in my city. That day changed the way I thought about music reproduction forever . I do have other systems with other speakers that I respect and enjoy but my Klipschorn system still sounds more like a musical event in my home than ANYTHING I have ever heard they sound real . Dynamic range you feel the music , like your right there at the performance stunning like being in aural heaven .
@@daviddrake6875 Vintage pre and power amp that were bought new 40 + years ago both have been gone through last year by my friend who is a audio tech by trade. The pre amp is a Counterpoint SA-5 and the power amp is Precision Fidelity M7-A dual mono both units all tube units . These amps were selected by me 44 years ago when I bought my Klipschorns this combo beat out the likes of Pereaux Mcintosh Bryston and Audio Research and a few others , to me they still are the ultimate with my K horns and have more than stood the test of time . Thank you for your interest enjoy the music .
@@daviddrake6875 My amp for the Khorns is a Precision Fidelity M-7A dual mono full tube amp pre amp is a Counterpoint SA -5 . Both have been gone over by my tech and retubed and re biased . These amps have proved to be unbeatable for my Klipschorns for over 40 years . I have auditioned other very expensive tube and solid state over the years but the Counterpoint and Precision Fidelity are perfect for my Khorn set up.
The La Scala's are hands down the best.. they are like night and day difference to the next best speaker, unfortunately I just don't have $13,000 to buy them, but if I did, that's what I would buy.😊
Thanks for this! Some interesting facts on the Forte' 4's which my pair are also in the distressed oak. 1- Roy D. (Chief Bone Head), purposely voiced the Forte 4 to have a similar sound signature to the KHorn. 2 - The 12" driver is bespoke to the Forte 4, has a larger magnetic structure then ANY of the 15" drivers or the 12" in the Heresy. It has an extra long excursion to excite the 15" passive radiator on the rear. It is VERY similar to the woofers used the NEW Jubilee which according to Roy have even MORE excursion! I wrote Roy personally, and these were facts directly from him. He also told me NOT to use furniture oil on the oak veneer. LOL (which was one of the questions I had for him). One last thing, amplification for my Forte's is a Willsenton R8 outfitted with EL34 outputs, all 9 tubes are JJ. Electronics. Since Parasound was suggested, in my setup, a Parasound Halo P6 and A21 amp for my Martin Logan Classic 9 ESLs. Thanks again for your presentation.
I bought a pair of used Cornwall's II (1976) for $500, the best money I ever spent for speakers. Original drivers, sounds great. Cabinets need a little TLC, but that doesn't change the sound. BTW, those speakers are made out of plywood, not MDF!
We have a pair of Forte II's that we bought 33 years ago. Awesome use them with our projector...big screen and big sound. We also use a pair of Heresy monitors in our live music room. Again, awesome!
Very nice share. Your solid state pairings were fabulous choices with the likes of Luxman, Parasound, Accuphase and Yamaha you cannot go wrong. Those are premier brands. That said, as owners of a newer pair of AL5 LaScalas, we love powering them with tubes. The sound stage is stunningly beautiful. It is so real and so natural that you can close your eyes during any recording and feel an immediate connection to the performer(s) (front and present in the listening space with you). Female vocalists are breathtaking through the system: Ella, Melody Gardot, and Karen Carpenter offer a clarity that is unparalleled. Sade and artists like Dire Straits and Steely Dan tap every nuance of the speaker's capability. Bill Evans and Chet Baker hits depths of notes that I had never heard before. My ultimate choice would be the Airtight 300B integrated amplifier. At present, we use a Primaluna E300 with superb results. I just expect that the 300B would elevate the listening experience even higher.
My first big impression of the Klipsch speakers was after a invite to my then bosses house, where he had in his living room . Rosewood Klipschorns running from Accuphase separates. His TT was an Ariston with a Ortophon MM. He put on a Half speed Mastered version of Steely Dans Gaucho. Without the word of a lie its like Donald, Walter and the boys were in the room with us. Very few systems have come that close to re creating that level of perfection. To this day i still remember that afternoon.. in fact the next morning i went down and ordered my Cornwall systems.
I have some KG4s, first model. When I first got them I put them on on 18 high stands, replaced all capacitors in the crossovers with polycaps and replaced the original tweeter driver with newer titanium; woofers and passive radiator are all original. I have since put them back on the floor and re-installed the original tweeter drivers. Putting them on the floor gives a better bass response and the original tweeter drivers aren't as brassy sounding as the titanium. They sound great for nearly 40 year old speakers!
I had a good listen to the Heresy’s Fortes Cornwalls and La Scalas. There was no comparison to the La Scalas. In my opinion they outshine every thing in their price range and well above .and they’re well made , I can’t say that for the others Heritage speakers I heard .
Guys I’m late to the party. I’ve heard all of the models, Cornwalls, LaScala the most in my 70 years. My good buddy who I roomed with in the 70s bought LaScalas in 1974 so I heard them daily for a year were amazing. Back the. They were 1 piece and he bought bare black plywood finish. Even then, they were crisp and clean. I was always shocked at their lack of bass extension. I recently spent a couple of days listening to another friend’s Cornwall III. Frankly, I was blown away. I thought they were the best speakers I’ve ever heard. The best results came from this small cube shaped Carver amp. It was simply great.
Yup, the lack of bass from the LaScala's is actually incredible, they're enormous, heavy, expensive speakers wth 15" woofers yet somehow can't produce deep bass
@@carewser I think the LaScala beats the Cornwall in every area except the bass. Gotta have nice bass though so at the end of the day I'd take the Cornwall.
Great video guys. Been using Forte Its paired with a Scott 299A Stereomaster tube amp I had restored in 2002. Everyone said "go with tubes for Klipsch" at the time. I played around with tubes the first couple years and honestly could never tell much of a difference. I haven't replaced a tube in 20 years and have been using the original Rega Planet CD player the entire time. I have nothing to compare this set up to but might be fun to experiment.
Hey guys I purchased the Heresy BACK IN 1984, in Germany on base. They still sound great. They are plain wood. Was going to paint them black. Never did. No reason to replace them at this time.
excellent video guys. i wouldn't be too concerned with tube life unless your are just driving the hell out of them. my western electric 300b's should last about 40 thousand hours.
I had a pair of La Scalas new, in the early 1980s that were used mostly for sound reinforcement for a band and had them in the living room when not at a gig. I ran it with my Crown IC-150 preamp and my Harmon Kardon Citation 16. I found that you need a large enough room for them. You need to be a certain distance from them to appreciate the great sound. The mid and tweeter drivers were Electrovoice back then, which is why they are so efficient (and maybe the 15"). The horn loaded bass does not produce real low bass... they need a subwoofer. These are meant to project. In the average ranch style house they sounded harsh. I don't know what drivers are in these new ones. I bought a pair of EV PI-15-3s with 15" woofers, 6.5" Vented Cone Midrange with 16lb magnets, and ST350B bi-radial tweeters in a large vented box. Much better bass, great midrange at a closer distance and a much better tweeter with a large magnet. Got them used for $400 back then. I later added an EV 18" refrigerator sized sub and tri-amped with the Harmon for mids and a Hafler DH-500 and a Hafler DH-200.
I have a pair of Heresy IV’s because I got them for an unbelievable price. I go back and forth between them and the Wharfedale Lintons. I dream of one day just being able to hear the La Scala’s at home because I feel they would be my end all listening experience but I know that will always remain just a dream…
Love this channel. Fun is the operative term. So many audiophiles are either snobby subjectivists (verbal diarrhea) or cranky objectivists (measurements!!!).
I remember telling a guy I was into vintage hi-fi. When he asked me what I had.... Some high-end pioneer and the like... He made sure to let me know that that was not hi-fi, that was mid-fi. He was kind of a dick.
@@tomtompkins7546 Yes, the hobby is full of self styled authorities that act like gatekeepers to the kingdom of audio paradise. It’s funny though, when you ask these people to articulate the difference between hifi and midfi, most can’t. I admit that I am guilty of this behavior occasionally but am trying to reserve my displeasure for the fraudulent elitists. The Older I get the more I value enthusiasm and fun while having less patience for bullshitters, dogmatists and pissing contests.
We've run tubes and SS on the Heresy, La Scala and Klipschorn. The SS is totally listenable, but with a SET amp they are absolutely luscious and more natural sounding.
I am running 2 Klipsch Corner Horns, 2 Bell Klipsch, 1 SW-15 and Yamaha HTR 5250 AV Receiver. My previous amp was a Yamaha Pro-Series P2200 which could really push my speakers to their limit. Still have that setup bought 47 years ago and still used daily.
A good pairing with Heresy could be the Pioneer SA-9800. A good pairing with LaScala the Hafler DH-500 (or in my case the P-500) Another great video. You guys should get a wireless handheld mic!
Great Klipsch session ! I own 2 pair of klipsch. A vintage Heresy II and La scala AL5 that I got from JA last year. The reaction I get from NON audiophiles when I play the La scala is.... wow I never heard anything like it, so clear 😂 The reaction I get from audiophiles is...... speechless and maybe a watery eye here and there 😊 Disclaimer..I do run a micro 3000 with the La scala for rounding up that bottom end. Bass isn’t everything,thinking Diana krall is present singing in my 1000sqf great room, is!
@@storytimewithunclekumaran5004 I like bass as well , but when listening to my La scala it’s more important to feel that the vocalist is standing performing right in my living room, so I don’t mind that they don’t have a big bass extension , for that I got a subwoofer 😉
@@jpaleas yes I was more alluding to other styles of music more fitting of a different soundscape.. I would imagine jazz would suit those speakers.. I listen to a lot of reggae and modern music that takes place down low and in big volumes... I do however have a very diverse set of tastes including classical and jazz...
At 63 years old I found myself with a little extra money. 2 years ago I purchased a pair of La Scalas ( I have always been a audiophile even if my budget didn't allow for expensive sophisticated equipment. At 16 years old I worked in a dish room the whole summer and purchased a pair of Pioneer HPM 100s for my speakers at the time). I have had not 1 regret with the purchase of the La Scalas. While shopping for the speakers I did hear a pair of Sonus Faber speakers that were amazing and comparable to the La Scala but, that pair of Sonus Faber speakers were twice the price (around $30,000.) Every day I listen to the Klipsch I am amazed by the sound quality and feel truly blessed and lucky that I own a pair.
I have a pair or Cornwall IIs I bought from an outlet store for cheap in 1986. The original owner defaulted on his payments and they were repossessed. He upgraded them to have commercial grade woofers. They are still rocking out today. I am driving them with a pair of bridged Carver M1.0t amps pushing out 1000 watts a side. They are the centerpiece of my 2875 watt, 7.2 system. I control the rest of the system through a Marantz SR7008 receiver. The rest of the speakers are Klipsch as well, save the rear surrounds, which are Cerwin Vega D8s. The .2 part of the equation are 2, 200 watt 12" Klipsch subs. They sound great and having taken everything I have thrown at them. Highly recommended.
I remember the first time I heard the horns back in the late 90's. Went in to audition them, even though I was only about 20 and couldn't afford them (I worked at Sears selling Yamaha and Advent). Took one of my quintessential "test" CD's with me. When I listened to Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo à la Turk", I was blown away.
The Chorus II are the sweat spot, they could do it all in my opinion. Not to big or small. Wow per dollar was better than any of the Klipsch Heritage. Some day i will own another pair. I have not heard why they stopped making them. My guess is the Forte is a cheaper build allowed for more profit? And to shrink the line up. The Forte's also have a better WAF due to the size.
I have the original Chorus speakers and prefer this front-ported version over the rear passive radiator. I love these speakers which I purchased new in the late '80s.
I remember as a teenager in 80's down at a local stereo shop and heard the KlipschHorns, and I was just so astounded. And then later my brother had a nice pair of Heresy's and I tried for years to get them from him. When the newer Klipsch stuff came out later on, I never was as big a fan of those.
My experience is these super efficient horn speakers works best with very low powered, Single Ended Triode tube amps (less then 10wpc for sure, some are even in the 2 watt rage) ! I have a setup that I can easily A/B Marantz Class D vs an SET with EL34's or KT88's operating at Class A and SET wins every time. It also doubles as my room heater !
I agree with class A but definitly not the 2.5 watt thing. So much Forte IV performance left on the table going from hybrid 140 watt class A Vincent to a Decware Set amp. Decware is kind of amazing how loud but too unforgiving and impractical for me. IMO , Forte's need solid state and decent power to get the weight they are really capable in the lower frequency. Tried a lot different rectifiers on the SET but was way too mid/high focused to point of fatigue. You want Forte's to shine you need class A SS and maybe tubes in a pre or dac IMO
There is something magical about vacuum tube preamps paired with solid state power amps , provided both have low noise & high quality sound . High sensitivity speakers reveal noisy amps
We still use our manufactured in 1996 Klipsch Chorus II speakers. We purchased them in 1998 and honestly have never had a desire to change out to something else. Love em! And now more recently they are hooked up in two, separate systems. An older 5.3 setup and a separate very recent Decware ZenUFO amp for 2 channel. Only source for Zen is an Oppo 103. Maybe a turntable as well one day. But you know ..build back better! Oh man🙃..... Of course one system is turned off for the other. Great vid here~ Good job!🤝
What are doing in there cat!!! Hold on ill get you out 😂😂😂 no i wouldn't do that , but it made me laugh when you started talking about animals in your speakers !!!
It doesn’t matter what speakers anyone currently owns, or how satisfied you are with them (because I actually love my current speakers), everyone still lusts after a Klipsch Heritage speaker. I would just love a pair of Forte IVs.
Fantastic overview of the Klipsch Heritage line! In your opinion, how would a pair of Forte IV's sound connected to a new Accuphase E-380? I have a vintage Sansui 5050 connected to a pair of Heresy III's which sounds absolutely fantastic!
Chorus 1’s powered by a vintage Marantz 300DC power amp is what I got and its impressive in terms of dynamics when turned up and sounds great at low volume too!
I got tired of my Klipschhorns not having enough bass for my large living room, so I sold them and bought a pair of ElectroVoice Patrician 700s (30" woofer) which I ended up selling too cheap when I moved in 1979. Today I prefer 2 sets Fortés, stacked, paralleled, top one flipped downside up
The first time I heard the Star Tracks album on CD (Telarc) at on a pair of Lascalas with a 70 watt/side Technics receiver and Technics CD player. This store sold yamaha, technics, TEAC and polk along with Klipsch. It's amazing how it sounded.
I use a Willsonton R8 to power my Heresy's. The power dynamic of tubes with the high efficiency of the Heresy's have to be heard to believe how close to live it sounds. The warmer high end with tubes is a perfect match with the horns, which can be bright. I personally would never power a pair of Klipsch's with a bright amp.
Have a pair of Cornwall II's with rebuilt Crites crossovers and his replacement woofers with cast frames. Magical. I have a pair of 85 K-horns with Crites replacement crossovers too. I have used my K-horns with a pair of McIntosh MC-30s and a C-20 preamp. Magical. However, I use my K-horn system now with a McIntosh 7200 Receiver. It is my favorite. Precision, bass, the Mc sound for those that like it. Warm like tubes. Reliable. Love it.
I use a pair of 1974 Heresy’s with support from a sub. When we downsize I’m selling most of my restored speakers. Will get Cornwall’s as my lifetime speakers to sit in a dedicated space.
Have a pair of Cornwall IVs and a pair of REL T9/x subs and the combo is absolutely fantastic. I ran the CWIVs for about 3 years with no subs at all, and they're great without subs, but when I added those RELs, my listening experience was greatly enhanced. The RELs are known for their speed and I think that's an important trait to consider when pairing subs with horn speakers. They are fast and they keep up with the CWIV.
I've been in love with clips since 1975. Just recently on a long 2 year hunt. . Was lucky enough to find four two matched pair of Klipsch f o r t e model 3, new in the box never opened never used just sitting there in a warehouse not being known by anybody but possibly the retailer that I purchased them from.. swear it to the Greek gods the f o r t e model 3 sounds identical to the model for the only difference between the two or a few new wires a couple of capacitor caps in a slightly though be it almost identical crossover circle to the model 4.. I received them by the shipping company in 4 days.. total price paid $3,000 plus 400 bucks that's incredible,. So be on the hunt to be patient😊 in search every corner of the internet in the US. And you will be rewarded with what you it is that you were looking for in time.. keep rocking The Free world guys..
The LaScala grilles are so pretty that I refused to find out what they sounded like without them for a year. Unfortunately they sound significantly better (to me), so the beautiful grilles are packed away.
I was one of the idiots that Paul detested back in the '70s. I had 2 pairs of KCBR and powered them with a Marantz 240 then a Phase Linear 700b. Absolutely the worst amps in the world for those speakers. Now I finally got it right. I just bought a '70s pair of KB oiled walnut with black grills. Now I am using a pair of McIntosh Mc30's with a Krell KRC with phono stage. I use them in my movie room with optical soundtrack films. I wanted to get as close as I could to the sound of old Western Electric horns from the late '20s. They look so cool flanking a 12 ft screen. It is funny that my other speakers, a pair of Infinity IRS Betas need hundreds of watts to reach the spl that the Khorns can with a couple of watts. Say what you will but I think the KB series of Khorns are the best looking speakers ever made. And with the right electronics can give everything else out there a run for their money
I bought a new pair of Klipschorns for $2,500.00 in 1974 from HiFi Hutch in Mt. Prospect, IL. Sold them in 1988 for $2,300.00 and have been sorry ever since. Currently have Chorus II and KP-250's in my surround system. It would be great if you guys could do a comparison of the old metal midrange horn and the new plastic horn.
The La Scalas came out before the Belles. Paul Klipsch designed the Belle speaker because his wife wanted something that was more visually appealing than the La Scalas. Paul named them after his wife Belle since she was the inspiration for the speaker. The Belle speaker is the only Klipsch model to not be said with the brand name first, to clarify, the technical name for the speaker is a Belle Klipsch, not a Klipsch Belle.
@@WiliiamNoTell The Belle had a K 500 horn which was used because the K 400 was too long to fit in the shallow cabinet. The downside was it didn’t quite go low enough to blend with the folded horn. Plus the bass horn was too short for the reactants annulment section. That’s the non-expansion part of the bass horn after it rounds the 90° angle. The Belle was very nasal.
I owned the La Scala in the early 70's. Coupled with a MaCintosh MA-6100 and a Model 20 FM tuner from Marantz. Along with a Revox A-77 and an Advent dolby cassette deck it was the Boss!!!
@@howard5992 I had a big pile of Punch magazines which I prized. One day I found out that my then girlfriend, now ex wife, threw them all out without my knowledge. I should have dumped her instead of marrying her. Schmuck
My KG4s are surprisingly good sounding. I have 2 of them and 2 Forte's. They push the Forte's to prove they're better. Bass is very strong. Love that Klipsch efficiency. 120 wpc at low or moderate volume is just perfect. Quick response
La Scala...got that ones naming instantly...never had or probably going to get a chance to listen to them . If I do it will certainly be an opera. I would expect the entire range of vocals and chorus to be stunning. Otherwise naming it La Scala couldn't be right. Probably will never go to Italy now... it just wouldn't right since I won't be able to see an Opera at La Scala with my girl as we dreamed of doing since she passed away. Still I would like to hear an Opera from a pair of La Scalas. In my experience when you finally have gotten a system tuned in and you can put an Opera on without the any part of the presentation falling apart. You have been successful. An Opera has every thing that can possibly go wrong from the microphones initially recording it to the speakers finally playing it back. I do listen almost every thing ( not going into specifics) and when I have Opera down everything thing else is down too. Ideally one could always use a sub for that bottom octave starting at 16 hertz. Then those two pipe organs and Electronica would be fully covered.
The tube vs SS about 18 min in is, IMHO way off base! Tube amps do not need a lot of maintenance - I've seen plenty from the mid to late 60's that are still going strong and sure, they may need some safety updates but in many cases, unless it was a poorly designed circuit, the tubes are still original in many cases. The Dynaco ST70 is a classic example. Now as for Kilpsch, I currently have a pair of RP600m in my "second" listening room and I really like them, but for years tried to get Forte's to play nice on solid state and they always sounded hard and brittle. Not the case for tube on the Forte. Of course, I've not compared all tube amp or SS amps so that's not an absolute declaration, but I've tried many. Tube amps from SE 300b to PP EL34's, etc. And some of the best SS including my MC 2105 amp. So... please be careful about exagerating the maintenance of tube gear. Otherwise a nice review of the Heritage line. And it's made in the US!!
Bought some Belles about 10 years ago and then the illness hit. Audioism not Covid, now using them as bass boxes with Celestron 2050i's and Beyma together with Krites steep slope and a Crowe filter on the 2050.s. with two Rythmix R22s. Kipsch are using the same mid in a two way for the Jubilee.
It would be nice to see everybody test the speakers out with a new modern AVR something like my Marantz 8015 and say what the quality of sound will be like
I have a pet peeve. I never put audio components on top of speakers !! Especially turntables ! I understand if you have a small space, sometimes you don't have a choice.
Yes, it is. As a joke, I took a photo of drinks placed on top of my Hegeman Model 1 speakers. These speakers are totally open on top with the tweeter and woofer totally exposed except for a metal, "protective" grill. Any spill would be catastrophic!! Cheers, gentlemen. Thanks for the vid. My friend has the older Heresy 2s I think. The non-ported version. They sound good to me. I've never liked horns too much. Why? Because I've heard some very shrill ones in the past, and that fear never left me. But they were cheap ones. I haven't heard this issue with the Heresy speakers.
I enjoyed that. I have the original Quartets here in the UK. I guess you could call them Fat Fortes, having the passive radiator in the back. They do have Bob Crites Titanium tweeters and crossover upgrades and I like them very much. Currently driven by a Luxman L30 but that is coming out and I am going back to a Rotel pre and original Quad II amps. When it's finished the pre will be replaced by a Bottlehead Moreplay. The Quads with only 12-15 watts will shake the windows. Not ZZ Top concert levels but I value my old ears.
I Have Had ,and still have old School Heritage series Klipsch Belle's, And have two pairs of Heresy's. I also have Paul Klipsch designed Electovoice Patritrions, Regency,Aristrocrats, i know Klipsch!
I kind of miss being where these guys are. Once you get gear that is more resolving, (and unfortunately) more expensive than the stuff featured here, it can get harder to feel the magic and enthusiasm that's apparent in this video.
Klipsch speakers has a tendancy to be on the bright side. I think either a McIntosh or any tube amp would give you the bets sound. Based on my experiences with a pair of KLF-30's years ago.
Ive had alot of klipsch speakers and many others, id break it down like this. I have to give a shout out to the RF7, those are often overlooked compared to the others, and they are very very good, and the pressure and output on those on big power is literally near endless, the low end output is nuts and can bring an earthquake into most rooms (if wanted) but can also be smooth operators as well, i do recommend huge power for those though, dont mind the sensitivity the big power makes those an absolute powerhouse. For medium rooms the forte is perfect and its a serious contender also, lots of kickdrum impact, good mid. The cornwall does wonders in large rooms and can do some magic, and work well with low wattage receivers and amps very well. The ones your overlooking are the klipsch nines, for the money, size and bass response and versatility, hands down the best (pound for pound) in the group, it doesnt even make sense, their low end is insanely good in medium rooms or even large for their size and they look great. My picks i believe would be those pound for pound, and cornwalls for big rooms and versatility on low wattage things, if on high current major horsepower separates i go with the rf7, just a very mean machine. I love em all though! Well...except the heresy, never done much for me.
![JBL vs Klipsch | same song, same setup [4K]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/PDzIe3F1yKA/mqdefault.jpg)
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I owned a pair of Forte's in the 1980's and never in my life have I heard anything better short of a live performance. I had my sound system on my second floor and measured 127dB in the street in front of my home at half volume of my 100 watt amp. The sound was perfect. I had neighbors blocks away complaining.
I have a set of original Cornwalls, vintage 1984, original drivers and original crossovers ( estimated 30,000 hours listening time). These will do anything they are instructed to do, so the amp is critical. If you push good then you get GOOD, if you push harsh or boom then you get harsh or boom.
They are so efficient that I never drive more than 5 W or the neighbors will call the cops, and I will have to straighten all the pictures on the walls afterwards, so power is not the issue. I suggest a high quality, low power tube amp and these will make you smile. Everyone who hears them just says "WOW" as I still do after all these years.
I bought a new set of Cornwalls off the showroom floor in 1981 and have since passed them down to my son only because I didn’t have room for them when I downsized 😢
I've been a Klipsch dealer for more than 30 years and actually met Paul once. I herd the La Scala"s were made to be the PA Speakers for Winthrop Rockefeller when he ran for governor of Arkansas in 1964. Great video, Jason H. should like it.
This explains the noticeable lack of bass but it doesn't explain why anyone would buy them for their home
@@carewseryou should listen to my AL-3's in a barracks room when I lived in Hawaii. It's the Ronnie Earl video. Just don't listen to the video with your phone, use a sound system or headphones and enjoy.
Nice speakers. I also like the big old high efficiency speakers from JBL, Altec, EV. The Americans were world leaders in speakers - in my opinion.
I absolutely agree with you on this. Absolutely.
Sadly, for me, those wonderful old classic speakers are way out of my price range these days. I can afford these Klipsch speakers though.
Forte bass driver is on the front. Passive radiator is on the back. It hurt my heart when you called the PR a "driver". I can forgive you, for now.
I've got my CW IVs driven by a Parasound Hint6. I love it, but I'm open to try something else someday.
😂
I opened the comments to say the same thing. The PR is not a driver on the Forte.
Agreed, this along with Heresy comments Make me question these guys credibility
@@paulgyro you guys act like you've never called a girlfriend the wrong name.
give the guys some slack there're here to entertain not to educate... i mean if someone is calling a proper hifi amp 'buttery' you kind of know from that point on the topic of the discussion is not 'high fidelity', and that's perfectly fine :)
@@paulgyroThey operate one of the most premier audio stores in America, probably gives them a little credibility.
This month it's 44 years since I brought my brand new Klipschorns home . I spent a year going out every weekend to HI-FI stores to listen to all different designs and brands and my favorite was the KEF 105.2 BUT I had one last shop to visit and they were the only Klipsch dealer in my city. That day changed the way I thought about music reproduction forever . I do have other systems with other speakers that I respect and enjoy but my Klipschorn system still sounds more like a musical event in my home than ANYTHING I have ever heard they sound real . Dynamic range you feel the music , like your right there at the performance stunning like being in aural heaven .
Same here....Though I own a pair of Jubilee's too now.....
What amp with the Klipschorns? What preamp? Or do you just use a receiver?
@@daviddrake6875 Vintage pre and power amp that were bought new 40 + years ago both have been gone through last year by my friend who is a audio tech by trade. The pre amp is a Counterpoint SA-5 and the power amp is Precision Fidelity M7-A dual mono both units all tube units . These amps were selected by me 44 years ago when I bought my Klipschorns this combo beat out the likes of Pereaux Mcintosh Bryston and Audio Research and a few others , to me they still are the ultimate with my K horns and have more than stood the test of time . Thank you for your interest enjoy the music .
Those KEFs were sweet.
@@daviddrake6875 My amp for the Khorns is a Precision Fidelity M-7A dual mono full tube amp pre amp is a Counterpoint SA -5 . Both have been gone over by my tech and retubed and re biased . These amps have proved to be unbeatable for my Klipschorns for over 40 years . I have auditioned other very expensive tube and solid state over the years but the Counterpoint and Precision Fidelity are perfect for my Khorn set up.
The La Scala's are hands down the best.. they are like night and day difference to the next best speaker, unfortunately I just don't have $13,000 to buy them, but if I did, that's what I would buy.😊
6,300 or 13k, went with the Cornwalls and have zero regret.
I love my black LaScala speakers. I don't remember exactly when I got them but it must have been about 45 years ago. They still sound fantastic!
Thanks for this! Some interesting facts on the Forte' 4's which my pair are also in the distressed oak.
1- Roy D. (Chief Bone Head), purposely voiced the Forte 4 to have a similar sound signature to the KHorn.
2 - The 12" driver is bespoke to the Forte 4, has a larger magnetic structure then ANY of the 15" drivers or the 12" in the Heresy. It has an extra long excursion to excite the 15" passive radiator on the rear. It is VERY similar to the woofers used the NEW Jubilee which according to Roy have even MORE excursion!
I wrote Roy personally, and these were facts directly from him. He also told me NOT to use furniture oil on the oak veneer. LOL (which was one of the questions I had for him).
One last thing, amplification for my Forte's is a Willsenton R8 outfitted with EL34 outputs, all 9 tubes are JJ. Electronics. Since Parasound was suggested, in my setup, a Parasound Halo P6 and A21 amp for my Martin Logan Classic 9 ESLs. Thanks again for your presentation.
I knew someone in the 80's with a pair of LaScala's in a dorm room. They were amazing and I still remember the first time I heard them.
I bought a pair of used Cornwall's II (1976) for $500, the best money I ever spent for speakers.
Original drivers, sounds great.
Cabinets need a little TLC, but that doesn't change the sound.
BTW, those speakers are made out of plywood, not MDF!
We have a pair of Forte II's that we bought 33 years ago. Awesome use them with our projector...big screen and big sound. We also use a pair of Heresy monitors in our live music room. Again, awesome!
Very nice share. Your solid state pairings were fabulous choices with the likes of Luxman, Parasound, Accuphase and Yamaha you cannot go wrong. Those are premier brands. That said, as owners of a newer pair of AL5 LaScalas, we love powering them with tubes. The sound stage is stunningly beautiful. It is so real and so natural that you can close your eyes during any recording and feel an immediate connection to the performer(s) (front and present in the listening space with you). Female vocalists are breathtaking through the system: Ella, Melody Gardot, and Karen Carpenter offer a clarity that is unparalleled. Sade and artists like Dire Straits and Steely Dan tap every nuance of the speaker's capability. Bill Evans and Chet Baker hits depths of notes that I had never heard before. My ultimate choice would be the Airtight 300B integrated amplifier. At present, we use a Primaluna E300 with superb results. I just expect that the 300B would elevate the listening experience even higher.
Karen Carpenter -- an angel straight from heaven. I read that she thought of herself as a drummer who could double on vocals.
My first big impression of the Klipsch speakers was after a invite to my then bosses house, where he had in his living room . Rosewood Klipschorns running from Accuphase separates. His TT was an Ariston with a Ortophon MM. He put on a Half speed Mastered version of Steely Dans Gaucho. Without the word of a lie its like Donald, Walter and the boys were in the room with us. Very few systems have come that close to re creating that level of perfection. To this day i still remember that afternoon.. in fact the next morning i went down and ordered my Cornwall systems.
I have some KG4s, first model. When I first got them I put them on on 18 high stands, replaced all capacitors in the crossovers with polycaps and replaced the original tweeter driver with newer titanium; woofers and passive radiator are all original. I have since put them back on the floor and re-installed the original tweeter drivers. Putting them on the floor gives a better bass response and the original tweeter drivers aren't as brassy sounding as the titanium. They sound great for nearly 40 year old speakers!
I like to power the K-Horn with an old MC275 so I can hear the music while riding my Harley up and down the street.
I had a good listen to the Heresy’s Fortes Cornwalls and La Scalas. There was no comparison to the La Scalas. In my opinion they outshine every thing in their price range and well above .and they’re well made , I can’t say that for the others Heritage speakers I heard .
I've heard many speakers in my day, but the La Scala's are the one's that have left the biggest impression on me for almost 40 years now.
Guys I’m late to the party. I’ve heard all of the models, Cornwalls, LaScala the most in my 70 years. My good buddy who I roomed with in the 70s bought LaScalas in 1974 so I heard them daily for a year were amazing. Back the. They were 1 piece and he bought bare black plywood finish. Even then, they were crisp and clean. I was always shocked at their lack of bass extension. I recently spent a couple of days listening to another friend’s Cornwall III. Frankly, I was blown away. I thought they were the best speakers I’ve ever heard. The best results came from this small cube shaped Carver amp. It was simply great.
Yup, the lack of bass from the LaScala's is actually incredible, they're enormous, heavy, expensive speakers wth 15" woofers yet somehow can't produce deep bass
@@carewser I think the LaScala beats the Cornwall in every area except the bass. Gotta have nice bass though so at the end of the day I'd take the Cornwall.
@@BlackHawkPSU I am very happy with my choice of the Cornwalls. My Cornwall IVs were 5k new for B stock, no regrets
I think you'd also like certain classic high efficiency speakers from JBL, Altec and EV...
@@BlackHawkPSUWell they need a sub, preferably a bass horn to keep up.
Cool video... I liked the sound descriptions and the pairing suggestions. You guys rock!
Great video guys. Been using Forte Its paired with a Scott 299A Stereomaster tube amp I had restored in 2002. Everyone said "go with tubes for Klipsch" at the time. I played around with tubes the first couple years and honestly could never tell much of a difference. I haven't replaced a tube in 20 years and have been using the original Rega Planet CD player the entire time. I have nothing to compare this set up to but might be fun to experiment.
I love the part where you guys all started talking about which amp you would pair up with each speaker and why. We need more of this!
Hey guys I purchased the Heresy BACK IN 1984, in Germany on base. They still sound great. They are plain wood. Was going to paint them black. Never did. No reason to replace them at this time.
I Wish Klipsch Would Make The Chorus II Again...I Had A Pair Of Forte II And Chorus II...
This video makes me wish Altec still made the Model 19.
Pass Lab XA-25, Primaluna Preamp on the ForteIVs and a First Watt Sit-3 on the Cornwall IVs..
excellent video guys. i wouldn't be too concerned with tube life unless your are just driving the hell out of them. my western electric 300b's should last about 40 thousand hours.
I had a pair of La Scalas new, in the early 1980s that were used mostly for sound reinforcement for a band and had them in the living room when not at a gig. I ran it with my Crown IC-150 preamp and my Harmon Kardon Citation 16. I found that you need a large enough room for them. You need to be a certain distance from them to appreciate the great sound. The mid and tweeter drivers were Electrovoice back then, which is why they are so efficient (and maybe the 15"). The horn loaded bass does not produce real low bass... they need a subwoofer. These are meant to project. In the average ranch style house they sounded harsh. I don't know what drivers are in these new ones. I bought a pair of EV PI-15-3s with 15" woofers, 6.5" Vented Cone Midrange with 16lb magnets, and ST350B bi-radial tweeters in a large vented box. Much better bass, great midrange at a closer distance and a much better tweeter with a large magnet. Got them used for $400 back then. I later added an EV 18" refrigerator sized sub and tri-amped with the Harmon for mids and a Hafler DH-500 and a Hafler DH-200.
I have a pair of Heresy IV’s because I got them for an unbelievable price. I go back and forth between them and the Wharfedale Lintons. I dream of one day just being able to hear the La Scala’s at home because I feel they would be my end all listening experience but I know that will always remain just a dream…
I was in the store last month with some buddies, and we really enjoyed the LaScala.
Love this channel. Fun is the operative term. So many audiophiles are either snobby subjectivists (verbal diarrhea) or cranky objectivists (measurements!!!).
Great feedback!!! FUN!
I remember telling a guy I was into vintage hi-fi. When he asked me what I had.... Some high-end pioneer and the like... He made sure to let me know that that was not hi-fi, that was mid-fi. He was kind of a dick.
@@tomtompkins7546 Yes, the hobby is full of self styled authorities that act like gatekeepers to the kingdom of audio paradise. It’s funny though, when you ask these people to articulate the difference between hifi and midfi, most can’t. I admit that I am guilty of this behavior occasionally but am trying to reserve my displeasure for the fraudulent elitists.
The Older I get the more I value enthusiasm and fun while having less patience for bullshitters, dogmatists and pissing contests.
That is about as good of a summation as Ive ever heard.
At 60 years old the Cornwall IVs will be my last speaker. After 2-1/2 years, I feel they were an excellent buy.
We've run tubes and SS on the Heresy, La Scala and Klipschorn.
The SS is totally listenable, but with a SET amp they are absolutely luscious and more natural sounding.
I've been a SS guy my whole life, but I bought a tube amp for my LaScalas and I don't see myself going back.
I am running 2 Klipsch Corner Horns, 2 Bell Klipsch, 1 SW-15 and Yamaha HTR 5250 AV Receiver. My previous amp was a Yamaha Pro-Series P2200 which could really push my speakers to their limit. Still have that setup bought 47 years ago and still used daily.
A good pairing with Heresy could be the Pioneer SA-9800. A good pairing with LaScala the Hafler DH-500 (or in my case the P-500) Another great video. You guys should get a wireless handheld mic!
Great Klipsch session ! I own 2 pair of klipsch.
A vintage Heresy II and La scala AL5 that I got from JA last year.
The reaction I get from NON audiophiles when I play the La scala is.... wow I never heard anything like it, so clear 😂
The reaction I get from audiophiles is...... speechless and maybe a watery eye here and there 😊
Disclaimer..I do run a micro 3000 with the La scala for rounding up that bottom end.
Bass isn’t everything,thinking Diana krall is present singing in my 1000sqf great room, is!
I am of the bass school .. but hey to each their own...
@@storytimewithunclekumaran5004 I like bass as well , but when listening to my La scala it’s more important to feel that the vocalist is standing performing right in my living room, so I don’t mind that they don’t have a big bass extension , for that I got a subwoofer 😉
@@jpaleas yes I was more alluding to other styles of music more fitting of a different soundscape.. I would imagine jazz would suit those speakers.. I listen to a lot of reggae and modern music that takes place down low and in big volumes... I do however have a very diverse set of tastes including classical and jazz...
@@storytimewithunclekumaran5004Klipschorn would do that.
At 63 years old I found myself with a little extra money. 2 years ago I purchased a pair of La Scalas ( I have always been a audiophile even if my budget didn't allow for expensive sophisticated equipment. At 16 years old I worked in a dish room the whole summer and purchased a pair of Pioneer HPM 100s for my speakers at the time). I have had not 1 regret with the purchase of the La Scalas. While shopping for the speakers I did hear a pair of Sonus Faber speakers that were amazing and comparable to the La Scala but, that pair of Sonus Faber speakers were twice the price (around $30,000.) Every day I listen to the Klipsch I am amazed by the sound quality and feel truly blessed and lucky that I own a pair.
I have a pair or Cornwall IIs I bought from an outlet store for cheap in 1986. The original owner defaulted on his payments and they were repossessed. He upgraded them to have commercial grade woofers. They are still rocking out today. I am driving them with a pair of bridged Carver M1.0t amps pushing out 1000 watts a side. They are the centerpiece of my 2875 watt, 7.2 system. I control the rest of the system through a Marantz SR7008 receiver. The rest of the speakers are Klipsch as well, save the rear surrounds, which are Cerwin Vega D8s. The .2 part of the equation are 2, 200 watt 12" Klipsch subs.
They sound great and having taken everything I have thrown at them. Highly recommended.
I remember the first time I heard the horns back in the late 90's. Went in to audition them, even though I was only about 20 and couldn't afford them (I worked at Sears selling Yamaha and Advent). Took one of my quintessential "test" CD's with me. When I listened to Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo à la Turk", I was blown away.
Oh, and it was on a McIntosh tube amp, but I couldn't tell you what model. *chefs kiss*
The Klipshorns never stop giving. Almost a perfect speaker. Very loud! Turn it up!!
And definitely not powerhungry.
We have kg4s and 1980s heresy speakers! Love them dearly!! But I heard a pair of belles once and that’s the speaker for me!! Great job!👏
The Chorus II are the sweat spot, they could do it all in my opinion. Not to big or small. Wow per dollar was better than any of the Klipsch Heritage. Some day i will own another pair. I have not heard why they stopped making them. My guess is the Forte is a cheaper build allowed for more profit? And to shrink the line up. The Forte's also have a better WAF due to the size.
I have the original Chorus speakers and prefer this front-ported version over the rear passive radiator. I love these speakers which I purchased new in the late '80s.
Love the LaScala look, I love the sound quality of my Cornwalls.
Thanks Dave!
I remember as a teenager in 80's down at a local stereo shop and heard the KlipschHorns, and I was just so astounded. And then later my brother had a nice pair of Heresy's and I tried for years to get them from him. When the newer Klipsch stuff came out later on, I never was as big a fan of those.
My experience is these super efficient horn speakers works best with very low powered, Single Ended Triode tube amps (less then 10wpc for sure, some are even in the 2 watt rage) ! I have a setup that I can easily A/B Marantz Class D vs an SET with EL34's or KT88's operating at Class A and SET wins every time. It also doubles as my room heater !
I agree with class A but definitly not the 2.5 watt thing. So much Forte IV performance left on the table going from hybrid 140 watt class A Vincent to a Decware Set amp. Decware is kind of amazing how loud but too unforgiving and impractical for me. IMO , Forte's need solid state and decent power to get the weight they are really capable in the lower frequency. Tried a lot different rectifiers on the SET but was way too mid/high focused to point of fatigue. You want Forte's to shine you need class A SS and maybe tubes in a pre or dac IMO
@@davidwald2938 a sensitivity of 99 db with the Forte it doesn't need much at all to get it where it needs to be
I have the CF4 and lovin it
There is something magical about vacuum tube preamps paired with solid state power amps , provided both have low noise & high quality sound . High sensitivity speakers reveal noisy amps
I made a scaled down version of the ALTEC A9. Well worth the work. !
We still use our manufactured in 1996 Klipsch Chorus II speakers. We purchased them in 1998 and honestly have never had a desire to change out to something else. Love em! And now more recently they are hooked up in two, separate systems. An older 5.3 setup and a separate very recent Decware ZenUFO amp for 2 channel. Only source for Zen is an Oppo 103. Maybe a turntable as well one day. But you know ..build back better! Oh man🙃..... Of course one system is turned off for the other. Great vid here~ Good job!🤝
Thank you! I have always enjoyed the chorus speakers! Oppo RIP :(
Never, ever, ever place components or (even worse) plants on Klipsch Heritage Speakers. Its a crime of epic proportions. :) Great video.
What are doing in there cat!!! Hold on ill get you out 😂😂😂 no i wouldn't do that , but it made me laugh when you started talking about animals in your speakers !!!
It doesn’t matter what speakers anyone currently owns, or how satisfied you are with them (because I actually love my current speakers), everyone still lusts after a Klipsch Heritage speaker. I would just love a pair of Forte IVs.
I just picked up a pair of Forte 1's and OMG,they sound freaking awesome!
I have two RSX-5’s in sealed boxes in black. Not a heritage speaker but I’m kinda excited.
Those horns on the Cornwall IV's you showed are huge compared to my Cornwalls built in '75.
Fantastic overview of the Klipsch Heritage line! In your opinion, how would a pair of Forte IV's sound connected to a new Accuphase E-380? I have a vintage Sansui 5050 connected to a pair of Heresy III's which sounds absolutely fantastic!
Chorus 1’s powered by a vintage Marantz 300DC power amp is what I got and its impressive in terms of dynamics when turned up and sounds great at low volume too!
Heresy IV's here with an Audio Note Cobra integrated tube amp - awesome combo!
I got tired of my Klipschhorns not having enough bass for my large living room, so I sold them and bought a pair of ElectroVoice Patrician 700s (30" woofer) which I ended up selling too cheap when I moved in 1979.
Today I prefer 2 sets Fortés, stacked, paralleled, top one flipped downside up
Great video! I’m a new, but loyal Cornwall owner, so it was great to hear your input.
Awesome! Thank you! Glad you are loving those Cornwalls!
I'll tell you ... Today, it's the La Scalas!! The video I just saw, the Scalas were best balanced and had present and very sweet top end.
I have Heresys and love them. My room is small too
The first time I heard the Star Tracks album on CD (Telarc) at on a pair of Lascalas with a 70 watt/side Technics receiver and Technics CD player. This store sold yamaha, technics, TEAC and polk along with Klipsch. It's amazing how it sounded.
Thanks for sharing!
My wallet said Heresy but my ears want Jubilees
"Any speaker built that was not all horn and had all of the drivers on one board would be heresy!" -Paul Klipsch
I use a Willsonton R8 to power my Heresy's. The power dynamic of tubes with the high efficiency of the Heresy's have to be heard to believe how close to live it sounds. The warmer high end with tubes is a perfect match with the horns, which can be bright. I personally would never power a pair of Klipsch's with a bright amp.
Have a pair of Cornwall II's with rebuilt Crites crossovers and his replacement woofers with cast frames. Magical. I have a pair of 85 K-horns with Crites replacement crossovers too. I have used my K-horns with a pair of McIntosh MC-30s and a C-20 preamp. Magical. However, I use my K-horn system now with a McIntosh 7200 Receiver. It is my favorite. Precision, bass, the Mc sound for those that like it. Warm like tubes. Reliable. Love it.
My younger brother has had the heresy’s for decades, still going strong.
Nice!!
I use a pair of 1974 Heresy’s with support from a sub. When we downsize I’m selling most of my restored speakers. Will get Cornwall’s as my lifetime speakers to sit in a dedicated space.
Have a pair of Cornwall IVs and a pair of REL T9/x subs and the combo is absolutely fantastic. I ran the CWIVs for about 3 years with no subs at all, and they're great without subs, but when I added those RELs, my listening experience was greatly enhanced. The RELs are known for their speed and I think that's an important trait to consider when pairing subs with horn speakers. They are fast and they keep up with the CWIV.
I've been in love with clips since 1975.
Just recently on a long 2 year hunt.
. Was lucky enough to find four two matched pair of Klipsch f o r t e model 3, new in the box never opened never used just sitting there in a warehouse not being known by anybody but possibly the retailer that I purchased them from.. swear it to the Greek gods the f o r t e model 3 sounds identical to the model for the only difference between the two or a few new wires a couple of capacitor caps in a slightly though be it almost identical crossover circle to the model 4.. I received them by the shipping company in 4 days.. total price paid $3,000 plus 400 bucks that's incredible,. So be on the hunt to be patient😊 in search every corner of the internet in the US. And you will be rewarded with what you it is that you were looking for in time.. keep rocking The Free world guys..
The LaScala grilles are so pretty that I refused to find out what they sounded like without them for a year. Unfortunately they sound significantly better (to me), so the beautiful grilles are packed away.
I was one of the idiots that Paul detested back in the '70s. I had 2 pairs of KCBR and powered them with a Marantz 240 then a Phase Linear 700b. Absolutely the worst amps in the world for those speakers. Now I finally got it right. I just bought a '70s pair of KB oiled walnut with black grills. Now I am using a pair of McIntosh Mc30's with a Krell KRC with phono stage. I use them in my movie room with optical soundtrack films. I wanted to get as close as I could to the sound of old Western Electric horns from the late '20s. They look so cool flanking a 12 ft screen. It is funny that my other speakers, a pair of Infinity IRS Betas need hundreds of watts to reach the spl that the Khorns can with a couple of watts. Say what you will but I think the KB series of Khorns are the best looking speakers ever made. And with the right electronics can give everything else out there a run for their money
I bought a new pair of Klipschorns for $2,500.00 in 1974 from HiFi Hutch in Mt. Prospect, IL. Sold them in 1988 for $2,300.00 and have been sorry ever since. Currently have Chorus II and KP-250's in my surround system. It would be great if you guys could do a comparison of the old metal midrange horn and the new plastic horn.
When I use to go into high end stereo stores in the late 1970s I typically saw a single laScala sitting between the cornerhorns.
KLIPSCH SPEAKERS....pissing off the neighbors since 1946 !! If anyone from klipsch reads this please bring back the BELLE KLIPSCH !!!
The La Scalas came out before the Belles. Paul Klipsch designed the Belle speaker because his wife wanted something that was more visually appealing than the La Scalas. Paul named them after his wife Belle since she was the inspiration for the speaker. The Belle speaker is the only Klipsch model to not be said with the brand name first, to clarify, the technical name for the speaker is a Belle Klipsch, not a Klipsch Belle.
@@WiliiamNoTell The Belle
had a K 500 horn which was used because the K 400 was too long to fit in the shallow cabinet. The downside was it didn’t quite go low enough to blend with the folded horn. Plus the bass horn was too short for the reactants annulment section. That’s the non-expansion part of the bass horn after it rounds the 90° angle.
The Belle was very nasal.
@@WiliiamNoTell Except ive given you just facts. Except the nasal comment, but that applies to all horn mids.
@@WiliiamNoTell magico
Wemen knows everything..
I owned the La Scala in the early 70's. Coupled with a MaCintosh MA-6100 and a Model 20 FM tuner from Marantz. Along with a Revox A-77 and an Advent dolby cassette deck it was the Boss!!!
Great feedback!
I’ve got some feedback.
Stop making your stuff in China, traitors.
I believe the driver in the back of the Forte is passive.
I once saw an ad for Klipsch Heresy in an old English magazine called Punch. Now defunct. Not a magazine about hifi. The heading was Klipsch Kills.
Punch = arch English humor
@@howard5992 I had a big pile of Punch magazines which I prized. One day I found out that my then girlfriend, now ex wife, threw them all out without my knowledge. I should have dumped her instead of marrying her. Schmuck
La Scala as a HT front stage is amazing
My KG4s are surprisingly good sounding. I have 2 of them and 2 Forte's. They push the Forte's to prove they're better. Bass is very strong. Love that Klipsch efficiency. 120 wpc at low or moderate volume is just perfect. Quick response
Did you do any upgrades or mods to the KG4's?
La Scala...got that ones naming instantly...never had or probably going to get a chance to listen to them . If I do it will certainly be an opera. I would expect the entire range of vocals and chorus to be stunning. Otherwise naming it La Scala couldn't be right. Probably will never go to Italy now... it just wouldn't right since I won't be able to see an Opera at La Scala with my girl as we dreamed of doing since she passed away. Still I would like to hear an Opera from a pair of La Scalas. In my experience when you finally have gotten a system tuned in and you can put an Opera on without the any part of the presentation falling apart. You have been successful. An Opera has every thing that can possibly go wrong from the microphones initially recording it to the speakers finally playing it back. I do listen almost every thing ( not going into specifics) and when I have Opera down everything thing else is down too. Ideally one could always use a sub for that bottom octave starting at 16 hertz. Then those two pipe organs and Electronica would be fully covered.
What about the Klipsch Jubilee Flagship
The tube vs SS about 18 min in is, IMHO way off base! Tube amps do not need a lot of maintenance - I've seen plenty from the mid to late 60's that are still going strong and sure, they may need some safety updates but in many cases, unless it was a poorly designed circuit, the tubes are still original in many cases. The Dynaco ST70 is a classic example. Now as for Kilpsch, I currently have a pair of RP600m in my "second" listening room and I really like them, but for years tried to get Forte's to play nice on solid state and they always sounded hard and brittle. Not the case for tube on the Forte. Of course, I've not compared all tube amp or SS amps so that's not an absolute declaration, but I've tried many. Tube amps from SE 300b to PP EL34's, etc. And some of the best SS including my MC 2105 amp. So... please be careful about exagerating the maintenance of tube gear. Otherwise a nice review of the Heritage line. And it's made in the US!!
Bought some Belles about 10 years ago and then the illness hit. Audioism not Covid, now using them as bass boxes with Celestron 2050i's and Beyma together with Krites steep slope and a Crowe filter on the 2050.s. with two Rythmix R22s. Kipsch are using the same mid in a two way for the Jubilee.
It would be nice to see everybody test the speakers out with a new modern AVR something like my Marantz 8015 and say what the quality of sound will be like
I have a pet peeve. I never put audio components on top of speakers !! Especially turntables !
I understand if you have a small space, sometimes you don't have a choice.
It's a common pet peeve
Yes, it is.
As a joke, I took a photo of drinks placed on top of my Hegeman Model 1 speakers.
These speakers are totally open on top with the tweeter and woofer totally exposed except for a metal, "protective" grill. Any spill would be catastrophic!!
Cheers, gentlemen. Thanks for the vid. My friend has the older Heresy 2s I think. The non-ported version. They sound good to me. I've never liked horns too much. Why? Because I've heard some very shrill ones in the past, and that fear never left me. But they were cheap ones. I haven't heard this issue with the Heresy speakers.
I enjoyed that. I have the original Quartets here in the UK. I guess you could call them Fat Fortes, having the passive radiator in the back. They do have Bob Crites Titanium tweeters and crossover upgrades and I like them very much. Currently driven by a Luxman L30 but that is coming out and I am going back to a Rotel pre and original Quad II amps. When it's finished the pre will be replaced by a Bottlehead Moreplay. The Quads with only 12-15 watts will shake the windows. Not ZZ Top concert levels but I value my old ears.
The original Klipschorn wasn't open baffle, but they needed the corner to complete the the folded bass waveguide.
I Have Had ,and still have old School Heritage series Klipsch Belle's, And have two pairs of Heresy's. I also have Paul Klipsch designed Electovoice Patritrions, Regency,Aristrocrats, i know Klipsch!
Getting ready to add a pair of restored Forte I speakers to my vintage Marantz 2285b receiver. Gonna be great 😁😁👍👍
I've enjoyed my KG-4s for decades. Klipsch bring this one back and add to the heritage line.
I have the pre-Kg Series, the Tangent 400... awesome if you can find them!
A nice mcintosh amp will do justice to these speakers
Believe me I know
On a side note.. have you ever seen a pair of Mcintosh ML-2C? I found two listed right now for sale..
I kind of miss being where these guys are. Once you get gear that is more resolving, (and unfortunately) more expensive than the stuff featured here, it can get harder to feel the magic and enthusiasm that's apparent in this video.
Klipsch speakers has a tendancy to be on the bright side. I think either a McIntosh or any tube amp would give you the bets sound. Based on my experiences with a pair of KLF-30's years ago.
Admittedly, I like the CORNWALLS the best.
Have you ever listened to Realistic Mach Two , and if you have, what’s your opinion of them are used to own a pair .
Yes, and they sound really really deep and rich and clean
Ive had alot of klipsch speakers and many others, id break it down like this. I have to give a shout out to the RF7, those are often overlooked compared to the others, and they are very very good, and the pressure and output on those on big power is literally near endless, the low end output is nuts and can bring an earthquake into most rooms (if wanted) but can also be smooth operators as well, i do recommend huge power for those though, dont mind the sensitivity the big power makes those an absolute powerhouse. For medium rooms the forte is perfect and its a serious contender also, lots of kickdrum impact, good mid. The cornwall does wonders in large rooms and can do some magic, and work well with low wattage receivers and amps very well. The ones your overlooking are the klipsch nines, for the money, size and bass response and versatility, hands down the best (pound for pound) in the group, it doesnt even make sense, their low end is insanely good in medium rooms or even large for their size and they look great. My picks i believe would be those pound for pound, and cornwalls for big rooms and versatility on low wattage things, if on high current major horsepower separates i go with the rf7, just a very mean machine. I love em all though! Well...except the heresy, never done much for me.