Introducing the Newest Klipsch Heritage Speaker: The Forte IV

The Klipsch Heritage line of speakers has always been about putting all of the company's audio know-how and experience into producing exemplary speakers. A Heritage speaker might be the last one someone buys; they can last for generations and often get passed on to the next.

Klipsch Heritage speakers are the ones that hew closest to founder Paul Klipsch’s vision of reproducing the live sound of the orchestra inside the home. They’ve always been engineered to bring the emotion of the music into your living or listening room.

High-end speakers don’t get updated every year like your smartphone operating system. HiFi speakers are mostly analog components, using the tuning and acoustic know-how of decades of experience in speaker design. However, Klipsch has been on a roll with updates to their best speakers, the latest of which is the Forte IV. Sitting in the middle of the lineup and sporting a room-friendly size, is this the “just right” Klipsch Heritage speaker for your Woodstock, GA home? Keep reading to find out.

SEE ALSO: Three High Fidelity Speakers from Klipsch You Must Experience

The Forte IV – What’s New?

The original Klipsch Forte debuted in 1985 and quickly became a fan favorite and bestseller. But it was discontinued in 1996 and made a return as the Forte III in 2017. The new Forte IV, released just recently, follows the same path of evolution rather than revolution.

The Forte IV continues the 3-way design with a 12-inch woofer and horn-loaded midrange and tweeter. Unusual for this type of speaker, the 15-inch passive radiator on the back helps it deliver more bass impact in the lower octaves. There’s a new K-702 midrange compression driver with Klipsch's proprietary Tractrix horn for smooth, even mid frequencies and wide dispersion. The crossover network is all-new, resulting in best-in-class power handling and efficiency.

Elegant Retro Yet Modern Design

All Klipsch Heritage speakers are hand-built using book-matched wood veneers. They are modern with their rectangular, clean designs and metal grills, but they also harken back to a different age of hi-fi speakers. Rather than thin and deep, they tend to be wider but shallower. In the case of the Forte IV, the 36-inch-tall tower is only 13 inches deep, making it an easier fit than other speakers in this class. But the Forte IV is a heavyweight when it comes to sound quality, true to the Klipsch mantra of bringing all the emotion of a live musical performance into your home.

Quality is abundantly evident in the construction of the Forte IV. The hand-built, reinforced cabinet uses thick .75-inch MDF construction, there are heavy-duty gold-plated dual binding posts for bi-amping and bi-wiring, and the book-matched veneers are available in walnut, cherry, black ash, and distressed oak. Unlike many of today's disposable electronics, this is a component built to last.

Performance

The Klipsch sound can be described, but it’s best heard. Klipsch continues to use horn-loaded drivers for their efficiency and liveliness, but they have also carefully tuned them to deliver the lively, forward sound without fatigue. If you like a laid-back speaker, this may not be for you. But if you want the music to excite and grab you – even at low volumes – then this is a speaker you must hear for yourself.

Ready to listen to the last speaker you might ever need to own? Audition Klipsch Heritage speakers with Atlanta’s top Klipsch dealer at our Marietta showroom, contact us here or click the chat box below to quickly connect with one of our home audio experts. We look forward to working with you!