Hi skeptical,
Let's see if we can help you out... So, the Kicker is going to be the most focused on bass. It will have smoother treble that allows the low and midrange frequencies to really shine. It was designed with bass players and drummers in mind. It has a single 9.25mm dynamic driver.
However, the Forte will still pack a punch in the bass (actually, this entire series was designed with bass in mind), and with the additional hybrid-dynamic tuned balanced armature, it's able to enhance the midrange for more present vocals and spaciousness. You can also see in the comparison chart we posted that the frequency range jumps to 8Hz - 24kHz.
This is Aurisonics describing their new custom tweeter:
"The HDBA tweeter was designed from the ground up for specific application in our patented Hybrid Dynamic driver configuration. Our HDBA tweeter incorporates a new reed design along with other tuning enhancements to make it complement our dynamic drivers perfectly. The HDBA driver is exclusive to Aurisonics Inc."
You also may want to check out this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/606471/aurisonics-impressions-reviews-discussions-thread/3720 It has some initial impressions of the series that might be helpful!
Let us know if you have any further questions! We are expecting to receive our shipment of the series this week, and will start fulfilling orders asap!
Thanks,
LiveSoundwave Team