Revered audio specialist Klipsch is marking its 75th anniversary with the release of the Forte IV, the newest iteration of one of its self-proclaimed "best-selling speakers of all time".
The Forte IV is a member of the company's Heritage series (which includes the recently reviewed The Fives) but this floorstanding model now boasts an all-new K-702 midrange compression driver mated to a modified proprietary Tractrix horn with patented Klipsch Mumps technology. The speaker also uses a newly designed wide dispersion high frequency phase plug.
Quick history lesson: the original Forte made its debut in 1985 but was out of production from 1996 until the Forte III was introduced in 2017. The new Klipsch Forte IV feature updated cosmetics and engineering while maintaining much of the elegant design of the originals.
Ready for specifics? It's a three-way design that uses a 12-in woofer plus a horn-loaded midrange and tweeter, with new titanium compression drivers to help deliver a smooth and powerful sound.
Klipsch says that the Forte IV has been completely revoiced compared to their predecessors, to deliver a "truer to life sound with best-in-class efficiency and power handling".
And although these towers certainly look imposing, at just 13 inches deep, they boast a relatively shallow footprint.
Each pair of Forte IV loudspeakers is grain-matched using wood veneer panels that are harvested from the same timber, too. The speakers move together through the factory and the finished product is inspected and labelled with sequential serial numbers, to ensure that each pair is a matched set.
The Klipsch Forte IV loudspeakers cost RRP £5,100 / $4,500 (about AU$7000) per pair and are available now from Henley Audio UK in four standard finish options – American Walnut, Natural Cherry, Black Ash and Distressed Oak.
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