Gallo Reference 3.1 questions...


Howdy,

Just toying with the idea of owning some Gallo Ref 3.1s...

TOYING!

The sub amp is described by some as mandatory, while others describe the speakers as bass rich even without it. Shall I merely infer from this that those who think it mandatory are big ol' bass fiends? Certainly with a 10" driver, I can't imagine it sounding at all anemic.

If a sub amp really is neccessary, does it HAVE to be the Gallo? Couldn't I just use any old amp to run the woofs? Not for nothing, but they need to have their speaker designers take 10 minutes off and help the amp dudes come up with a nicer looking amp. It looks like a DIY kit.

What would be smokin IMO, looks wise, is a Jeff Rowland Concerto integrated running the speakers and a pair of 201s running the subs.

Next Q... I have a tiny joint. Actually I stopped smoking. I have a small apartment. If I placed the Gallos in the hallowed 1.5 foot squares of floorspace I have allocated for speakers, with woofers facing each other, the left one would be inches away from my TV/audio stand, woofer pointing at the rack. The stand is open sided, not solid sided, but I wonder if this could pose a problem.

If I set them up with woofers facing away from each other, the right one would point into my kitchen area, but the left one would face a window about 2-3 ft away, with a big fat AC in it. In the summer the AC runs quite a bit.

OTOH, reviews seem to indicate that the staging on these is very wide (but short, I know), so I wonder just how critical placement is anyway.

Any insights?

Thanks

Rob
rkny

Showing 7 responses by bostonbean

Don't know about Stereophile but check out the 6moons website. They have 2-3 very in-depth reviews in the archive section. These guys mostly review high end equipment and they love these speakers.
Congratulations! Make sure you follow the directions regarding break-in. Play music with a predominant low frequency at a high volume. If you happen to have Sirius radio there is a Trance/Progressive station that plays music that is perfect for break-in.

It took my speakers around 50-60 hours of this type of break-in to open up into magical territory.
Luigy39, You will find after further break-in that the Gallo's will take on added warmth. I'm guessing that maybe one of the issues with the Gallo's is how they sound when new. I actually liked mine when they were new but the speakers they replaced were satellites so no great shakes there. But I think I can understand how a brand new Gallo from the factory may sound a little "harsh" when compared to a new "box" speaker.

The Gallo's definitely need to go through a proper break-in period in order to reach their full potential.
I was just saying that the Gallo's will sound even better over time than what you are hearing now. My other remarks were somewhat gratuitous and aimed at other posters who don't like the way Gallo's sound when testing them at a showroom or store.
Danmyers, Great write up on your Gallo experience. I have had mine for about 9 months now and they just get better and better sounding. I have found that they also love to be worked. When playing symphonic music, with all of it's dynamics, I play the music loud and the Gallo's just eat it up. After a good work out with loud symphonic music they just seem to sound better overall. Its like a thoroughbred who loves and needs a good run once in awhile.
Danmeyers, sounds like things are progressing with your Gallos as expected. Along with heavy break-in I did quite a bit of experimenting with placement and the rake of the speaker.

Joek, you should have enough power but the Gallos do like lots to reach their full potential. Most reviews point this out and even Mr. Gallo admits this. Read bottom of this review, http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/gallo3/followup.html I run mine of a Pioneer receiver at 140 watts per and will probably put in an external amp with more power in the future.
Danmeyer, For crashing cymbals that will make you jump and kettle drums that will rattle the china then Mahler, symphonies 5-9, are the way to go. But, and this is a big but, Mahler is definitely an acquired taste and not everyones cup of tea. If you are looking for more "classical" classical music then I would recommend Beethoven's Ninth. Many maintain that this is the greatest symphony ever written and you will find many melodies in it that are familiar to you. Whatever you decide to get I have found that the better recordings cost more. Good Luck and enjoy the music!