Can anyone advise me how you differentiate between the Klipsch Forte and Forte II. The one in question has a serial number of 8658156. These speakers are stock. Are there any commonly known suggestions for modifications that provide a significant and noticeable improvement (i.e., upgrading quality of components in crossover). Would like to hear about improvements that render a 20% improvement or more in the sound - ones that cause you immediately to say I hear a difference. Not interested in costly minor improvements that are very subjective and that one has to strain their ear to hear.

I believe that serial number puts them made in 1986
('86 in front)  so that makes them Forte'...Forte' II came around in 1989 to 1996...

I don't know any quick and easy ways to tell but the Forte' has a 12" passive and the Forte' II has a 15" passive...On Chorus, the ports are in front and on the Chorus II there is a passive in the rear and there is only Quartet...no Quartet II but the Quarts have the Tractrix like the "IIs"

Bill 

I believe the Forte 1 was made from 1985 to 1989, the Forte 1 used the exponential horn and the woofer practically overlaps the horn, there is a couple inch space between the woofer and the horn on the Forte II which uses the Tractrix horn.  I have a pair of Forte 1's and would like to eventually upgrade the caps.  For now I am enjoying them as they are.

 Phill

forte

forte II

Colter, Thank you for the great information. Jerry

 Here's a great mod. Keeps kids and cats away from your passive radiators.

How would i get 2 grilles for my forte II's

 I got mine from Parts Express. I would follow fellow Tech Steve Phillips advice and omit the hold down clamps and do the following.

With forte lying on protective surface on it's front (front fabric grille REMOVED for it's protection) 

 

Remove 4 of the passive's screws at 10,2,4,8 o'clock

take off rubber trim ring from grille

mark and drill out the circumference ring of the grille

notch the back of the rubber trim ring at these locations

reinstall rubber trim ring

mount on top of passive, align holes, pull back front of rubber trim and reinsert hold down screws. 

What do you mean by "mark and drill out the circumference ring of the grille"? Do you mean just use a drill bit to drill holes at 10, 2, 4, and 8 o'clock?

The only foreseeable problem I see with this is that the passive's screws are really short. We ordered the other grill from partsexpress (don't waste your time, it turned out to be cheap and didn't fit), and couldn't mount the ring because the screws were too short. The problem is the rubber/leather ring thing that the passive has glued onto it.

I'm going to order the other grills like you have, but let me know what the deal is before I do. Thanks!

 drill the flat metal under the rubber ring of the grill piece. Leave the passive radiator alone. Check my photo, pull the rubber ring off the GRILLE prior to drilling the metal portion of the grille

original screws holding the passive radiator should be at about 12, 2,4,6,8,10 oclock. I like to drill every other one. 4 is enough to hold the grille on, get 4 longer screws at hardware store.

the great thing about doing the mod this way is you don't have the brackets and extra screw holes in the cabinet so it's entirely reversible (should you ever sell them and someone doesn't like the grilles)

 

which 'other grilles' from PE did you purchase?  

One problem with using the clamps is that they are made for woofer that are surface mounted. The forte Passive is rabbeted into the back panel so it sits flush. I had to wedge some material under the rubber trim of the grille for the clamps to have something to grip to (I put a short piece of black romex wire in there) 

 I replaced the caps on my Forte's and noticed an improvment.  I did one at a time so that I can compare the results directly.  At the same time I re-did my x-overs to allow for bi-amping.  I also did the passive radiator cage but used a different style that has a tighter mesh.  Others have done the Bob Crites Autotransformers and Titanium Tweeters upgrade with favorible results.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=260-430

These are the "other" grills. Don't even bother with them. Honestly, the concept is fine, but they're just not quite the right diameter (too large), and the grill relies on a couple dents in the mounting ring to "snap" the outer grill in place, which is reality is held very loosely. Horrible design, and I'm guessing it would rattle and resonate quite a bit.

These are next on the menu:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=262-866

And I believe those are the ones you have, colter. 

" I did one at a time so that I can compare the results directly. "

 

Exactly, that's what I've been saying to do for years! Can you describe the results and what you did (or have you in another post somewhere?)