Vandersteen 3A Sigs vs Klipsch Forte III

yes the 3a will rock and do so with a higher duty cycle than ( for example ) a 1ci / Vandersteen sub combination as the very robust midrange takes load off the tweeter.

i have a pair of 1ci that I run with a NAIM Atom (40 wpc) and they are very sweet....

I did run the 3 with a 200 wpc Mac ( MC202) in rooms somewhat smaller than yours ( but close volumetricly close)...Something like Gabriel Plays Live....shaking the tree will move ya...

you could also get a minty new pair of 2ce sig II  which offer a ton of value ) and then add subs later and really have a fantastic setup.

Hey tomic601,
How's the Treo CT set-up doing? Did you add sub(s) to them? Really envy you. I have a daughter in San Diego. Would love to hear your system(s). HInt, hint :-)

The problem with this thread is you’ll get a lot of opinions based on older Fortes. I’m sure few here have heard the IIIs, which have revised drivers and crossovers. I have Heresy IIIs. Many describe the Heresys as "bright," "fatiguing," or "brittle," but I don’t find that to be the case at all with the H-IIIs, and I’m used to the warmth of Spendor classics.

I owned a pair of Vandy 1Cis for about a month and they were the brighter speakers when their treble trim was set to neutral. This was in the same room, with the same gear. The Vandys did have a wider sweet spot and dug deeper, but as with all mid-efficiency speakers, they required some volume before they’d open up. For low volume listening, it’s no contest, the Klipsch speakers will produce greater bass at low levels.

mr_m

alas the wild veneer Treo are in hibernation ( storage )  at Vandersteen awaiting condo completion....funny how these things go as I led a team that built a 1m square foot building ahead of schedule and under budget....but getting a couple of bathrooms done and finding really flat paint eludes me...

my guess is there wil be music in a month, decent sound in two ish at which point you are very welcome to come hear what they can do with a 40 WPC NAIM Atom...No subs and do not anticipate adding them as we have neighbors below...I am investing in some fairly high end floor treatment between concrete and the engineered hardwood.

Helomech - right you are that I have zero experience with Forte III

i do have about 50 hours on a pair of 1ci, and while I would not characterize anything in the chain i use as bright, there is an Lpad on the rear panel of that and other Vandersteen speakers, it includes cut....

i think IF at all possible the OP should go hear both or even call a dealer who carries hoth for an opinion or a listen
finally, both brands hold value well if purchased right, buy both and flip whatever does not float boat....

@tomic601 

I get that Vandys have a trim pot. As I mentioned, when my pair was set to flat or "0db," they were brighter than my Heresys. This was quite surprising, because I had always read that Vandys are warm and Klipsch is bright.