Am I going to regret the Gallo 3.1s?


I am not rich. I am college student that doesnt have a ton of money and love music. It all started years ago with AV123.com and the purchase of the Onix SP3/Reference 1 combo. Over the years, I have loved the combo but wanted to move into a more dynamic full range speaker... Years went by and as the Gallos came out, there was something about the design that just sucked me in, making me really want a pair. The problem was, they were just waaaay too expensive. Well, times have changed and I now have the money to finally get my hands on a pair for under 2k. My question is... is it too late? Are they outdated? Is there "something better" for the money now?
vedder323
Your room is not too small. Your amp is powerful enough. I had the original Reference 3s for 7+ years playing thru a 12 wpc SET amp -- yeah, it has big transformers and the Gallo subwoofer amp to help out, but still.

BUT, the Stradas are better sounding. I'm planning to use two Gallo TR-3 subwoofers with mine. You can easily get away with one TR-1 sub, IMO. I think you would be amazed by them. Good luck, Dave
His room is not too small, I had Gallos in a room that was just marginally bigger and had a great success with it.
I cant help but think that both Branislav and Dodogue are the voices of reason here. Not because its what I want to hear but because I have read so many reviews/experiences in countless forums that suggest the same. In fact, the first review that turned me onto the idea of power was from Srajan in 2005. Keep n mind, this was with the 3.0s but id think the same would apply to the 3.1s in terms of sensitivity.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/onix/onix_3.html

"The SP3 and Gallos tangoed as well together as the two impossibly intertwined professional young dancers during the closing credits of Robert Duvall's Assassination Tango that make the otherwise questionable movie."

"I found myself looking for road-house and boogie-woogie piano because the SP3 and Gallos really loved to rumble down low."

"Being a 1st-order series design without a network on the mid/tweeter transition, the Gallos are arguably somewhat of a forgiving load. But the plain fact remains that a $1,000 tube integrated has no business manhandling 10-inch acoustic suspension woofers with Sunfire-type surrounds like today's babe managed as easy as humble pie."

And here is a followup review on the 3.1s from John Potis that indicates the questions about using the Gallos in a small listening room.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/gallo5/ref31.html

"For a long time, I've been wondering why nobody produces a SOTA speaker designed for small rooms. And I'm not talking about monitors. I'm talking about a speaker that gives near full-range bass reproduction and works well with small rooms by not overloading them. There aren't many (if any) speakers that can produce 34Hz (let alone 22Hz) in a small room without creating all manner of problems. Well, the Gallos do that kind of bass without the problems and for considerably less money than comparable monitors that won't touch them in the bass."

"Am I seriously calling the Ref 3.1 a state-of-the-art loudspeaker designed for small rooms? You bet."
Obviously, I do not have intimate knowledge of your schooling and fiscal health, so this is a general piece of guidance...You may regret spending that kind of money on audio when you're in school. How many tens of thousands of dollars school debt are you racking up? Unless you've got a serious benefactor footing the bill, you're going to have a boatload of debt.

Perhaps you are quite well set, and if so you are very blessed. I used a humble stereo through my days in school, which both kept me from spending significanly in unproductive ventures and giving me a fundamental appreciation for the entry level of sound. I flipped gear with virtually no loss of income and found out how much improvement can be attained by alternating components. Later, this was very helpful in the attainment of a serious rig once I was earning, because I knew the sound quality threshold which could not be breached through economical gear and what I had to put into the rig financially to attain the quality I desired.

Basicially, I'm suggesting a little delayed gratification. If you're a true audiophile the desire will never go away and you'll be perahps in better fiscal shape down the road to advance your rig when it's not at odds with larger goals.
01-21-12: Douglas_schroeder

Basicially, I'm suggesting a little delayed gratification. If you're a true audiophile the desire will never go away and you'll be perahps in better fiscal shape down the road to advance your rig when it's not at odds with larger goals.

Sage advice for sure.