I'm not laughing. I'm suspending judgment. I have heard them only in their stock form. I have not heard them with the mods people talk about. I am open but skeptical as to the degree in which mods can transform this speaker. Even with the mods the cabinet materials/design and drivers remain the same. Compared to the other speakers listed i would give them a 5/10 and the others a 8.9/10 I have researched them a bit and was hoping they would be a pleasant bang for the buck. One thing i read was how one guy packed plastercine around the plastic horns and he claimed too the difference is significant. So with plastercine, new crossovers maybe, maybe not. Who knows it might have floated my boat, it might not have but with my excellent gear and in its stock form , relative to other speakers i've heard , what i heard , turned me off to them. That was my experience, it might not be someone else's. I prefer rather to take my gamble with smaller manufacturer's who love music and who build speakers 9 to 5 365 with an obsession. Speakers like that sometimes yes, do cost a little more. No, i am not "into sounds" i am an audiophile. I love good timbre, tone, dynamics, sweetness, accuracy, dynamic range, transient speed,prat, soundstaging and musicality as a means to an end. Which is enjoying the music. I dont have a lot of money. I drive a ratty 82 civic worth 500 but own a amp that retails for 11,000 dollars and believe that i have my priorities in tact. In its stock form i give it a 5/10. I have formed no conclusions in its modified form nor am i commenting on a modified forte because i have no basis on which to form those conclusions, only educated guesses and speculation. At this juncture i dont want to persue modifying a klipsch forte. I bet some of the classic klipsch built under the original designer using real wood have some real nice qualities to them. I'm happy you found a speaker you really enjoy. All the best to you and happy listening.
