Matching Academy Center with La Scalas -- Nos Valves VRDs solve the problem

[BE36]

I have thrown the following to help an Academy match La Scalas. 1) Upgraded Speaker wire. 2) $60 each for RCAs times 3 across the front 3 speakers, big improvement in sound quality but did nothing to help match the speakers. 3) Chris's Network, was a big help 4) Fixed the wiring in the speaker, having 2 woofers is better than 1 woofer. 5) BUT WHAT REALLY SOLVED THE PROBLEM WAS HAVING THREE VRD AMPs DRIVING ALL THREE SPEAKERS. I expected the VRDs to better control of the bass and be more coherent, involving and less forward in the mids than the Mc240 but the biggest surprise is how well an Academy can blend with La Scalas! I had two different brands of amp drive the front three before but never like this. When ever I would roll the different stereo, mono, THX modes (Only real draw back to a MX132 IMHO -- cant just jump to the one you want you have scroll through the ones in between) when i would hit mono it would sound terrible, muddy and the Timbre was way off, I thought most of the change was going from stereo to mono -- Not so the amps just did not like driving an Academy.

[Coytee]

Are you saying that your Academy will 'keep up' with your LaScalas?

I had three Academy's and two LaScalas, all connected to the same Yamaha unit (2070 if I recall). My Academy's could never keep up with the higher output of my LaScalas. They were easily drown out.

I am not sure exactly what you are saying but I would personally, always suggest someone stay away from having an Academy in between two LaScalas. It might be the only choice given its size and for that tradeoff, I say go for it. Sonically though.... two different classes of output in my opinion.

What I mean by the above is, an Academy might be better than nothing but if you have the room for it, a third LaScala is really the right choice. I personally stopped using my Academy's and simply went back to the phantom center.

[BE36]

Out put measured in Db wise the Academy is way below the La Scalas. Doubling the Power to the Academy seems to match the volume. Having the 3 VRDs versus a Pioneer Elite, or Pioneer or McIntosh Mx132 Processor with Adcom amps did not help the timbre mismatch. The VRDs have made the Academy much closer to the La Scalas, so much so when an audiophile comes over I will no longer make excuses for the set up I will just sit back and let them be surprised by how well they match. I might have gotten lucky by having the option to run 60 watts on the center VRD at 60 watts vs 30 for the La Scalas, something with this mode or the different Power Tubes on the Center amp make this combination very good when compared to other setups. Before they were any where from 100 mismatch to 80 percent mismatched now I would say they are only about 40% mismatched, over 100% improvement. This is when you compare them directly switching back and forth. When the mix during an actual movie blends some sound from all three speakers it hard to notice even when the noise of a plane for example sweeps from the Left, then Center over to the right channel, still noticable but much better than before.

In a Heartbeat If I could fit another La Scala in I would do it. When we convert the Porch into a 4 season reading/TV room for my wife, I will relocate the theater where I plan on having 3 La Scalas or 2 K-Horns and 1 La Scala and the Academy will be seen in Garage Sale Forum.

The point I am trying to make is that anticipated the 2 channel improvement/changes when switching to VRDs but not the improvement in the Center Channel.

[Audible Nectar]

I'm guessing the matching amp plus Academy fills in enough to provide the illusion of fill in - which is what the Academy is good at! I had an Academy between two Cornwalls and was quite pleased with the matching, the only problem was that it couldn't keep up at higher volume. Within it's operating capability the Academy was surpisingly good, though. If ya gotta "cheat", that's one way to do it, and as my Academy did for me it will provide a solution until you can do it the ideal way.