In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Klipsch. Klipsch Heritage Forte IV is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Rebellion is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch Forte IV and Klipsch Heritage Rebellion first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch Forte IV | Klipsch Heritage Rebellion |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" horn-loaded | Compression Horn |
|---|
| Midrange | 1.75" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 12" Fibercomposite | 8" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-20k Hz | 60-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 99 dB | 95 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 100 watts | up to 200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 32.73kg / 72lbs | 14.51kg / 31.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 35-3/4" x 16-5/8" x 13"
909.0 x 423.0 x 331.0mm | 19-1/8" x 12" x 9-3/4"
485.0 x 305.0 x 247.0mm |
|---|
Forte IV and Rebellion are members of Klipsch's Heritage series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Klipsch Heritage Series
History
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Forte IV is a 3-way design whereas the Rebellion is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Klipsch Forte IVKlipsch Heritage Rebellion
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Klipsch Forte IV |
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 1.75-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 12-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
Forte IV features a 1" titanium-diaphragm compression horn-loaded Tweeter, a 1.75" Midrange and 1 x 12" Fibercomposite Woofer. On the other hand, the Rebellion features a " K-702 driver Compression Horn Tweeter and 1 x 8" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 715Hz.
Frequency Response
Forte IV has a frequency range of 38-20k Hz whereas Rebellion has a frequency range of 60-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the Forte IV can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Rebellion's min frequency of 60Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Forte IV and Rebellion have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Forte IV sensitivity is rated at 99 dB and the Rebellion's is at 95 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Klipsch Forte IV a more sensitive speaker compared to Klipsch Heritage Rebellion, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Rebellion can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Forte IV has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Rebellion.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Forte IV features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Rebellion has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Forte IV and Rebellion have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Klipsch Forte IV's and Klipsch Heritage Rebellion's external dimensions. Klipsch Forte IV has external dimensions of 909.0 x 423.0 x 331.0mm (35-3/4 x 16-5/8 x 13inch) whereas Klipsch Heritage Rebellion has external dimensions of 485.0 x 305.0 x 247.0mm (19-1/8 x 12 x 9-3/4inch).
Klipsch Forte IV is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 118mm wider, 424mm taller and 84mm deeper than Klipsch Heritage Rebellion.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Klipsch Forte IV is approximately 1400.1cm2 / 217.0inch2 and base area of the Klipsch Heritage Rebellion is approximately 753.4cm2 / 116.8inch2. The Forte IV requires 86% more surface area than the Rebellion which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Klipsch Forte IV?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Forte IV:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Owners Manual
- Congratulations letter
- Klipsch brochure