KLF C7 vs Academy

[Trikxx]

Over the last year, I’ve collected a number of heritage speakers (heresy, CW, CH, Forte and the KLF). Always managed to find an academy and a C7. 
I got the C7 for the KLF and the academy for the heritage (and extended heritage speakers). Most of my speakers are oak/walnut aside my chorus. So for aesthetics, I used the C7 with the Chorus. 
I was pleasantly surprised. To my ears, the C7 sounds blends in so much better with my chorus. Dialogue is clearer. Sound is fuller. It just seems to pair better with the chorus.

I’m curious what other peoples experiences are. 
if it matters, I’m running a 5.1 (with heresy surrounds) 

[billybob]

Yes that just goes to show for me that center timbre matched speakers in are not the end all, be all of an HT system.

Also, is the Heresy for surrounds with Chorus.

Good thing is both centers are still available used for reasonable prices.

Thanks!☕

[wuzzzer]

I tried an Academy with my Heresys.  Just couldn't get used to the sound.  Now with Heresys for LCR and surround, I'm finally very happy.

 

I have heard from others that they prefer the C7 over the Academy.  The larger horn certainly helps.

[Trikxx]

5 minutes ago, wuzzzer said:

I tried an Academy with my Heresys.  Just couldn't get used to the sound.  Now with Heresys for LCR and surround, I'm finally very happy.

 

I have heard from others that they prefer the C7 over the Academy.  The larger horn certainly helps.

I have 4 heresy’s (a pair each of the 1 and 2) . I run the 2s with a heresy 1 as center and thought it was okay but I wanted a smaller center so I could use my tv stand. I had the academy paired with the heresy 1s and thought that sounded really good too. Tbh, I didn’t think I was missing that much with the academy instead of the 3 heresy LCR. 
 

EDIT: I haven’t tried the C7 with the heresy.

Edited April 27, 2022 by Trikxx

[MMurg]

I never thought the Academy was a great match for any of the 3-way Klipsch speakers.  When the era of Dolby Digital surround started (probably around 1992), I had original Forte speakers for the mains in our first home theater.  I was looking to get my first center speaker and had the following experience.

 

At the time Klipsch only had three speakers marketed as center channel speakers: the KG 1.2V, the KG 2.2V, and the Academy.  At first, I tried going as inexpensive as I thought I could reasonably go and purchased a KG 2.2V.  This speaker was totally inadequate to match the Fortes.  It sounded nothing like them and could not “keep up” due to much lower sensitivity/max output.

 

So, I traded that in for an Academy.  I did not find it to be a sonic match for the Fortes either (despite Klipsch marketing it as such).  It was definitely a much better center than the KG 2.2V but still didn’t work for me.  It sounds more like a match for the original kg series, not the Forte family.  From the moment I started using it, I was aware of the sound character change in the center as sounds panned across the front.  It was very disconcerting and was a constant distraction.

 

Soon after I got the Academy I went back to the dealer and made a deal to trade it in for a single Heresy II.  The 3-way design was a much better match for the 3-way Fortes.  I was very happy with that decision.

 

Just recently I acquired a KLF-C7 for another system.  So, I did a quick comparison using KLF-30 mains with the KLF-C7 and my Heresy II.  The KLF-C7 is a decent match for 3-way Klipsch mains.  It's definitely not as good a match as a Heresy but it's a better match than the Academy in my opinion.  I imagine the KV-4, which is very similar to the C7 but with a larger tweeter diaphragm, might also be a decent match as well.

[billybob]

Think alot of Academy speakers out there could stand having a cap refresh.

[MMurg]

12 minutes ago, billybob said:

Think alot of Academy speakers out there could stand having a cap refresh.

 

Perhaps, but my experience was based on purchasing when it was a current product.

[jjptkd]

36 minutes ago, billybob said:

Think alot of Academy speakers out there could stand having a cap refresh.

I've had a few Academy's early on never impressed with them. The C7 was better but I thought the KV-4 was the best match for my Chorus II's and used one for some time quite happily, bigger voice / sound than the C7. Eventually curiosity got the best of me and I tried the RC-7-- there was no going back after that for me, spent several years with at least one in the house, even after trying the 64 & 64-II, I preferred the RC-7. 

[billybob]

Interesting and have been seeing occasional KV-4 on Craigslist. Must really shine

on voice. 

Cool, wow RC-7, interesting again. Lol 

Deals still in FL.

[Trikxx]

On 4/27/2022 at 8:53 PM, jjptkd said:

I've had a few Academy's early on never impressed with them. The C7 was better but I thought the KV-4 was the best match for my Chorus II's and used one for some time quite happily, bigger voice / sound than the C7. Eventually curiosity got the best of me and I tried the RC-7-- there was no going back after that for me, spent several years with at least one in the house, even after trying the 64 & 64-II, I preferred the RC-7. 

Interesting. I have seen others that preferred the c7 to the kv4. 

[jjptkd]

13 hours ago, Trikxx said:

Interesting. I have seen others that preferred the c7 to the kv4. 

One thing I have learned over the years is that I may prefer one thing over another in any given situation-- best thing is just to try things out for yourself, let you be the judge for what best works for you in your current time and space, only real way to know for sure. 

[ka7niq]

On 4/27/2022 at 10:10 PM, billybob said:

Think alot of Academy speakers out there could stand having a cap refresh.

LOL, a whole LOT of older speakers, could stand a capacitor refresh. I have been playing with, and refreshing speakers for many years.

This is my experience. A Bipolar Electrolytic Capacitor is always the most mellow sounding. A Mylar is in the middle sonically, and  a Polyproplyne is the brightest of the 3 Capacitors. It all has to do with ESR. The Bipolar Electrolytic Caps almost always have the highest ESR, so they are the most mellow, unless you go to a Paper In Oil Capacitor. Some of them have very very high ESR values, so they are even more mellow than a Bipolar Electrolytic Cap. 

I have compared very very expensive Capacitors with the same type of inexpensive Caps, and guess what ? I found no difference. None. However, I can hear a difference between different TYPE of Capacitors. 

 

I happen to have an old Academy Center Channel Speaker that I have not used in over 12 years, since I sold my Cornwalls. I plan to use it with my newest speakers that are not quite up and running yet. It is the most efficient center channel I own at this moment, and it will need all it's efficiency to keep up with these Monsters

 

 

[billybob]

Dang, I guess so, lol !

Appreciate the work you have done. Thinking you called it a refresh for a reason. Agree with that term.

Always figured there must have been a good reason for the Academy being created.

Let know how the center works out for your what, HT?

Thanks!

@ka7niq

[ka7niq]

5 minutes ago, billybob said:

Dang, I guess so, lol !

Appreciate the work you have done. Thinking you called it a refresh for a reason. Agree with that term.

Always figured there must have been a good reason for the Academy being created.

Let know how the center works out for your what, HT?

Thanks!

@ka7niq

Thanks! Yes, the center channel will be for HT, and a have a digital parametric equalizer in case it is not a close match to the left and right speakers.

[billybob]

Just now, ka7niq said:

Thanks! Yes, the center channel will be for HT, and a have a digital parametric equalizer in case it is not a close match to the left and right speakers.

Well, sounds to me you are going to put the Academy through it's paces then.

Wring out the last fwiw.

Good idea imo.

[ka7niq]

Just now, billybob said:

Well, sounds to me you are going to put the Academy through it's paces then.

Wring out the last fwiw.

Good idea imo.

Thanks!