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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
dopogue
1,773 posts
 
I agree with Duke. Re the Gallo SA (subwoofer amp), I have one but it's not essential. The bass of the Reference 3 (3.0 or 3.1) is certainly ample to my taste (anemic it's not) but the SA puts a nice foundation down there if there's anything on the disc to warrant it. Certainly you can use other amps as long as you can cross them over around 40-45 hz.

The Gallos are not plop 'n' play speakers but I've heard them sound great in small rooms as well as large (mine is 18 x 40'). Experimentation is key. They have a lot to offer. Suggestion: Pick up a used pair here on Agon for $1500 or less and flip 'em if you don't like 'em. Good luck, Dave
jamesgarvin
42 posts
 
I agree with the prior two opinions. When I first received the amp., I used it to generate relatively flat response to about 25hz. Which sounds great on paper, but actually had little effect on most music and films. Then, after some playing around, I discovered that my room has a big suckout from about 50hz to up 90 hz. I then used the bass amp in order to fill in, as best I could without really goosing up the low bass around 28hz too far that it sounded ponderous.

The differences are now significant. I would let your room be your guide.
rkny OP
47 posts
 
Thanks guys. 1 last question...do you think 100W would be enough for the speaker?
dopogue
1,773 posts
 
I'm driving mine with SET monoblocks producing 12 wpc in an 18x40' room. Plus the Gallo SA amp on the bottom octave only. Does that answer your question?

:-)
tantra
31 posts
 
I have Gallo Ref3 speakers driven by C-J Premier 12 amps. These amps provide WAY more power than I need, and I like music loud. 100W should be plenty for a small room. The Ref3's are actually much easier to drive than you would think based on their sensitivity. Because they use a serial crossover between woofer and midrange, and no crossover between mid and tweeter, the impedance curve is very benign. I would suggest you feed them with tube amplification. At least a tube preamp.

I also own a Gallo subamp but never use it. Yes it delivers strong fast bass, but it is too dry for my taste. What works really well for me is to use a REL Storm sub driven by the C-J's. With the REL placed near my listening position, I get better bass integration than with the Gallo subamp. The bass is a bit richer and fatter this way, reflecting the low-end signature of the C-J's. I have tried the Ref3's with the woofers firing inside and outside. I settled on outside, but you should experiment. Inside firing may be better for your small listening room.

The Gallo Ref3's are very special speakers. With good upstream components, I am not sure you can do better and any price.
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