Yup, I own a pair now... They are still low on hours (70-80) and so they still need some time. they replaced Paradigm Studio 40 v3/Signature S-4's for my 2-channel system and I am very happy. Gallo informs me that the prototype LCR Ref. 3's will be ready for CEDIA... Until that time, my Paradigm setup will be used for HT and the Gallo only for 2-channel.
What I like:
1) Holographic speaker! The width and depth of soundstage are still changing for the better but wow! I am in awe of the holographic nature of these small floorstanders
2) Non-fatiguing highs - I am not a fan of the spitty sounding tweeters in most metal dome speakers (even Paradigm straddles the line between resolution and spitty highs) and the Gallo's have replaced this with very natural sounding sibilants that no longer sound "hi-fi". The tweeter is truly remarkable at getting the details correct without sounding harsh. Very transparent.
3) Good bass - if you are a bass freak these will need to be supplimented with a sub but for a speaker this small, the bass seems pretty good down to the mid 30's. The bass is nice and fast, not resonant at all and not boomy
4) Size - here we have a very small floorstander that is small enough to get out of the way yet casts a HUGE soundstage. They work well in the room and are not eyesores like most big speakers
5) Image height - after tilting the speaker back via the feet the soundstage height is around 5 feet in my room, great if you consider the tweeter is about 2.5 feet off of the ground.
6) Musical - I find myself doing less "surfing" of songs and just listening to the music - these speakers are terrific for those that find they can;t listen to hi-fi for more than 30 min becuase of fatiguing highs.
Other stuff:
1) Imaging is not a pinpoint as the best I have ever heard. Mind you it is still terrific but the image is not a razor sharp as some. This may be due to more layering of the music in the soundstage which is quite apparent and very neat.
2) These speakers really do dissappear better than any other speaker I have heard - maybe becuase there is no cabinet but if the lights are off you simply caqnnot localize any of the sound to the speaker - impressive. This is vs. Maggie, Gershman, Paradigm Signature, Vandersteen, B&W, etc.
3) Positioning is crucial. The speakers are that fussy but objects to the sides of the speakers really seems to imapct the sound quality more so than box speakers with a directional tweeter. pull these speakers out until there is no central obstruction and the imaging between the speakers will improve.
Overall I am very happy - I'll be keeping these for many years to come
What I like:
1) Holographic speaker! The width and depth of soundstage are still changing for the better but wow! I am in awe of the holographic nature of these small floorstanders
2) Non-fatiguing highs - I am not a fan of the spitty sounding tweeters in most metal dome speakers (even Paradigm straddles the line between resolution and spitty highs) and the Gallo's have replaced this with very natural sounding sibilants that no longer sound "hi-fi". The tweeter is truly remarkable at getting the details correct without sounding harsh. Very transparent.
3) Good bass - if you are a bass freak these will need to be supplimented with a sub but for a speaker this small, the bass seems pretty good down to the mid 30's. The bass is nice and fast, not resonant at all and not boomy
4) Size - here we have a very small floorstander that is small enough to get out of the way yet casts a HUGE soundstage. They work well in the room and are not eyesores like most big speakers
5) Image height - after tilting the speaker back via the feet the soundstage height is around 5 feet in my room, great if you consider the tweeter is about 2.5 feet off of the ground.
6) Musical - I find myself doing less "surfing" of songs and just listening to the music - these speakers are terrific for those that find they can;t listen to hi-fi for more than 30 min becuase of fatiguing highs.
Other stuff:
1) Imaging is not a pinpoint as the best I have ever heard. Mind you it is still terrific but the image is not a razor sharp as some. This may be due to more layering of the music in the soundstage which is quite apparent and very neat.
2) These speakers really do dissappear better than any other speaker I have heard - maybe becuase there is no cabinet but if the lights are off you simply caqnnot localize any of the sound to the speaker - impressive. This is vs. Maggie, Gershman, Paradigm Signature, Vandersteen, B&W, etc.
3) Positioning is crucial. The speakers are that fussy but objects to the sides of the speakers really seems to imapct the sound quality more so than box speakers with a directional tweeter. pull these speakers out until there is no central obstruction and the imaging between the speakers will improve.
Overall I am very happy - I'll be keeping these for many years to come