klipsch forte III
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American Klipsch Forte III Horn Speaker-Relive The Beauty of The Golden Age of Audio

ByGordon Lyn

This Forte III Horn Speaker belongs to the Klipsch Heritage series. Breakdown of the Heritage series of products, including Klipschorn, La Scala II, Cornwall II, Forte III, Heresy III, etc., regardless of size, all look quite ancient. Does Klipsch deliberately design a whole series of retro speakers, to attract consumers who like retro? It can be said, yes or no.
The Heritage series are indeed all retro-styled products, and their appearance is very different from today’s speakers. But they were not created deliberately, and the shape already exists on the market. They are all classic models of Klipsch. Klipsch re-gives them life so that they can continue the fine tradition of Klipsch and continue to serve the lovers. The Klipsch Forte series came out as early as 1985. Because of its just-right size, Forte has become one of Klipsch’s most popular models in the past few decades.

The treble and midrange are all horns


Klipsch is famous for its horn. In 1946, Paul W. Klipsch founded Klipsch. The first product launched was a large 3-channel horn. The model is called Klipschorn, which means the horn made by Klipsch. Klipschorn treble and midrange both use compression driver horns. The 15-inch woofer is hidden in the cabinet and emits low frequencies to the sides through the tortuous channels, so Klipschorn is very large. La Scala, Cornwall, Heresy, which launched later, are also not small in size. The distinctive product characteristics make people directly associate with horn speakers when they see Klipsch. To this day, Klipsch has not changed its mind, as long as it is not a small model, it must still be equipped with a horn.

Forte is the latest product in the Heritage series. Probably because of this, its figure is thin and tall, and the proportion of the cabinet is closest to that of modern speakers, and it is also the most suitable for today’s home use. The Klipsch Forte III launched in 2017 is almost the same in appearance as the Forte listed in 1985, but that is just the appearance.

Forte III uses many new technologies to make Forte III’s sound performance more outstanding. Klipsch Forte III is a 3-way back radiation design. Both the treble and midrange use a newly designed titanium diaphragm compression driver with a horn. The treble is 1 inch, and the midrange is 1.75 inches, with a smoother response. The midrange horn also adopts new patented technology, which can improve the spread of the intermediate frequency and increase the coverage. The bass uses a 12-inch composite fiber diaphragm monomer, which looks like a paper cone, and the hanging edge is like a wrinkled cloth edge. On the back is a passive radiating unit with a diameter of up to 15 inches. The so-called back radiation unit only has a diaphragm, and no voice coil and magnet. It does not rely on the amplifier. It can push more air and effectively increase the sense and extension of low frequency.

Quickly show the texture of the instrument sound


The appeal of Forte III is not only the treble and midrange of the horn but also its ancient style and excellent craft. Forte III belongs to the classic Heritage series, and the exterior is carefully selected solid wood veneer. All are hand-made by skilled artisans in Arkansas, USA. The same pair of Forte III veneers must be matched to ensure a consistent appearance.

Klipsch Forte III SPECIFICATIONS

  • FREQUENCY RESPONSE : (+/- 3 dB) 38Hz – 20kHz
  • SENSITIVITY1: 99dB @ 2.83V / 1m
  • POWER HANDLING (CONT/PEAK): 100W / 400W
  • MAXIMUM SPL: 116dB Continuous
  • NOMINAL IMPEDANCE: 8 ohms Compatible
  • CROSSOVER FREQUENCY :HF: 5.2kHz MF: 650Hz
  • HIGH FREQUENCY DRIVER: K-100-TI 1” (2.54cm) Titanium diaphragm compression driver on a K-79T horn
  • MIDRANGE: K-70 1.75” (4.45cm) Titanium diaphragm compression driver on a K-703-M horn
  • LOW FREQUENCY DRIVER: K-281 12” (30.48cm) Fiber-composite cone woofer, KD-15 15” (38.1cm) Passive cone radiator
  • ENCLOSURE MATERIAL: 3/4” MDF
  • INPUTS: Dual binding posts / bi-wire / bi-amp
  • HEIGHT :36” (91.4cm)
  • WIDTH :16.5” (41.9cm)
  • DEPTH :13” (33cm)
  • WEIGHT: 72lbs (32.7kg)