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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
sthomas12321
408 posts
 
I purchased 2 pair of gallo 3.1's. First speakers Ive sold within 2 months of buying. What a disapointment. They wouldnt be bad for a office, but just dont cut it in a med to large room for me. I didnt find the tweeter as smooth as others, maybe I had the wrong equipment at the time(all bryston with ayre cx-7 cd player.)

I moved to a pair of legacy focus 20/20's and the difference was huge. But as usual for me, big speaker ends up as better sound. At least the speakers Ive had this has been the case.
likecoiledsteel
33 posts
 
If you sold them within 2 months, they were probably not even broken in at that time. I was unimpressed with the Gallos when I first bought them. They were nasilly and constrained on the top end and mid-range. The bottom end was too lean. I thought, how can these be the same speakers I heard at the dealers? Approx 200 hours later of powerful break in (Krell), they are wonderful. A different speaker. I do not think you gave them enough time. All positive reviews are usually post break in, negatives I find are from people who sell the Gallos in the first few months.
Steel
sthomas12321
408 posts
 
I would have agreed with the break in, but one of the pairs I bought used and they were a few years old. I thought they were better then the new pair but still just didnt do it for me. As I mentioned, I just tend to like big speakers that throw big sound. The gallos to me sounded small although they did image nicely and had a decent wide soundstage. I did feel like the soundstage height seamed low. This could have just been in my head from looking at the low to the floor speakers.
likecoiledsteel
33 posts
 
The Gallo's do image wide but not very high. I use Sound Anchor stands with mine to get the image at the right height. The extra mass also helps the bass tighten. They may just not have been for you. I find that they tend to put the image behind them more than previous B&W's that were forward. That may be the weakness you could not live with. Or your room. Only you can decide as we cannot listen to your room.
Steel
sthomas12321
408 posts
 
I thought they had a great look. Something different. I will say they seam to be made with great quality and construction. My only little gripe would be the screws that hold the giant grille on. The holes didnt seam to line up with the screw holes and thus seamed to bend the metal grille framing a little, a little differently every time. Other then this small conn, I thought they were very solid built speakers. Nice spike/ feet system on these.
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