Gallo Reference 3.1 questions...

So I do see that these were at once 3.0’s. Dan at Gallo says they upgraded the last of these sent out to 3.1 but the boxes still said 3.0. No tweeter switch. Weird to see these still strapped and new shipped to them in October of 05. Took a chance. Just always wanted a pair. I to am an open box kind of guy and have been through many Martin Logan’s. Still have my SL3’s, Grottoi, Logos and Aerius i’s. Bought them all new and still love them. Going to replace the panels when the basement is finished. Jtucker have you tried Emerald Physics? The centerpoint imaging is crazy. I have to run a sub with them but when I went to do some room correction it was nearly dead on with the DSP graph. It is a small heavily treated room! Awesome “no box” sound!

I used to own the Gallo 3.1.  I would definitely recommend using the sub inputs.  I rolled my own amplification for the second voice coil on the woofer.  I had at the time a 4 channel Wyred4sounnd amplifier and used to channels for the main input and an active crossover (NXT x1) to into the other two channels for the sub input.  I was able to get the bass as good as it was going to get in my room (woofers facing out).  The tuning with the active crossover really made a difference.  I eventually sold that whole set up.  I am pretty much a planar / dipole guy and went with ML stats with self powered bass, so no more need for 4 channels of amplification or active crossover either.  All that said, the Gallo amp is probably more cost effective, but I already had the 4 channel amp from a previous bi-amped set up.

Aniwolfe these actually say 3.1 on the box. No tweeter switch.

@stereofro 

Does your Gallo's have the tweeter switch? Curious if its the 3.1 with 3.0 label

I know this is crazy but just found a brand new in box pair that was up in the racks at upscale Audio! Breaking them open this weekend!

If you sit 4 or 5 ft from these speakers, no wonder why you love them. Specially over the Paradigm 100's. With the 100's sitting closer then 8-9ft would result in hearing to much top drivers, and likely more box sound. I did like the gallos at 4 ft listening(I recommended for office) but thought they paled to other 3k speakers at typical listening distances.

Thanks Bean, could you please be more specific: which albums do you recommend to highlight the Gallos dynamism? In genres I'm familiar with I'd recommend a few SACD CDs. One is Flim & the BBs Tricycle. It's old but well recorded GRP digital sound that goes from dead silence to 100% saturation on several songs. I think they were really enjoying the ability to record the full dynamic range with zero distortion for the first time. Next I'd recommend Weather Report Heavy Weather, Beck's Sea Change (multi-channel) or Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of the Mood (love the clocks!), and/or Dire Straights Brother in Arms. On that last album the song "The Man's To Strong," has a stun guitar that provides a dynamic assault that will knock you out of your chair! If you don't have SACD I'd recommend Steriophile's Rendezvous disc which has a very wide dynamic range and you'll love that trombone in The Mouche.

So there are a few I'd recommend and I'd really appreciate some specific recommendations for classical well recorded and played albums with startling dynamics. I simply don't know where to start but want to hear them on the Gallos. Thanks in advance.

As a side note I've been listen to the Ref 3.1s all day (and night) long. What a joy! Pure musical emotion, no fatigue :) I am really so very happy with these speakers. It did take a while to get here, and I had my doubts about the midrange, too. But with some attention to setup details it has met my lofty expectations as a worthy replacement for my aging KEFs. I have been able to successfully replace a highly regarded speaker that I truly cherished. Now I have new speakers as good and in some cases better (bass) that should last another 10+ years.

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!

You're right Bean, I didn't mention dynamics, but the Gallos do it very well. In my "journey" I've focused on what was different than my KEF 104/2s. Both speakers are very dynamic and I'd call it a tie.

Also agree that they like to be cranked (or I like to crank them :) from time to time. Mostly I listen with the gain at 9 to 10 O'Clock. Haven't taken a db reading but it's a comfortable listening level that is high enough to mask external noises (those with young children know what I'm talking about :). Loud is 11 to 1 O'Clock. I'm more of a jazz, rock, fusion guy, so I really enjoy cranking some of the more well done SACD rock albums (Deep Purple, Dire Straights, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, BOC, etc). Now some have really no dynamics to speak of, they are just brawlers. But the Brother in Arms and Dark Side of the Moon albums do.

Mostly I listen to smallish jazz/fusion ensembles where I focus on the interplay, syncapation, and flow of the group. What classical albums do you recommend to showcase speaker dynamics?

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.

It's been a while since I last posted and the Gallos are now fully broken in... and sounding great! But it's not just the break-in that has made them sound better. I also made some key setup and environment changes. Here are the four things I did to bring these speakers up to performance on par with my previous speakers:

1) Z axis + : I went to Home Depot and bought 4 of the heaviest retaining wall stones I could find. At 46 lbs each I placed two under each speaker. This raised the height by 5 inches and provided a more solid base than my thick shag rug. The effect is to expanded and raise the sound stage and further tighten the bass. The tweeter is now slightly above my ear level. So I agree with folks who have replaced the wood base and/or otherwise raised these speakers: It does make the sound stage more realistic.

2) X axis: The speakers are now about 6' feet apart and not towed in at all. Used to be 7' and slightly towed in.

3) Y axis: I'm now sitting 4' back, used to be 5' back. This is closer than I have ever sat to a pair of speakers I've owned. It's almost near field listening, but not quite. I've still playing with this parameter a bit, but love the imaging I get right here right now.

4) WAF: Hung a heavy rug on the wall behind the speakers. This cut some reflections which I suspect was causing mid-range cancellations.

Now the mid-range is dialed in, very present, and if not forward, certainly not laid back I would say the porridge is just right. My mid-range test disks/songs include Sam Cooke's vocals on the live Coppa album and trombone in The Moche on Stereophile's Jazz album. Female vocals (Alison Krause, Eva Cassidy, Jacintha) sound rich and full. All sound as good as I remember the KEFs. Certainly, I am no longer straining to pull out the midrange. That trombone is now totally in my face and Sam is in the room. Sax, trumpets, and pianos all are now sounding great and I'm pulling out albums I haven't listened to in quite some time.

Speaking of older albums, these now sound better, but still not great. For instance, the old Sanborn album Hide Away from the eighties. Love the tunes, but the cymbals still sound very metallic and over processed. I attribute this, as on the KEFs, to excellent detail communication. I've heard this album on lesser speakers (Pardigm 80s) and you don't get that same digital sound. I consider this a loss of information, but YMMV as older albums certainly sound better on the Paridgms.

The imaging is still excellent/exceptional with well placed instruments. Heavy Weather exhibits that all important "wrap around sound" effect on the low synth note mid song. The Gallos and the KEFs are the only two speakers I've heard that can pull this off. I also use Jaco's bass on this album as a good test of articulate expressive bass. For treble I listened to the cymbals on Take Five. The Gallos have great treble and I can clearly hear the wood sticks on the brass plate. Very few speakers I've heard can make cymbals sound like they do live. The Gallos can do this with ease.

So in summary, I made several changes to clear up the recalcitrant mid-range and increase the height of the sound stage. These changes, and a healthy break-in period, have turned these into real keepers that rival the best speakers I have heard.

We all have to remember that the sound is the result of the total system. If Dannyers's system has a more laid back midrange presentation now than before...he should not necessarily blame the speakers (I personally like them). Danny should have auditioned those speakers in his own system with his own electronics and his own cables, in his own room. Now Danny, you seem to have a wart (the midrange) which will eventually drive you nuts. Now comes the change of cables, amps, etc., etc., etc. to find that midrange again.

So, what was the result?

I'm considering replacing a pair of Meadowlark Kestrel Hot-Rods with these and am interested in your comments. They are driven by the 45 wpc Conrad Johnson MV-55. I'm wondering if anyone knows if this will be a good combination and also if this will be a huge step forward with my system.

I just bought a pair of these last week. Overall, I am very happy with them. I do notice them improving as they break-in (love you Sade :)

These are replacing my beloved KEF 104/2s. These are fantastic speakers in their own right with great imaging, crystal clear highs, and a very detailed and forward midgange. Bass is actually port loaded - a unique feature for these venerable loudspeakers. As far as musicality, pace, rhythm, these speakers have it in spades. They are just getting old so I was looking for something special to replace them.

The Gallos are a very different speaker with many of the same qualities. Imaging and sound staging are as good or even better than the KEFs. The bass is certainly tighter already, and I'm sure has a ways to go. The highs are silky smooth, but not as detailed as the KEFs. I've notice some improvement in the highs, just tonight in fact. So I think this will come along with time. The mids are a concern for me. And it's not that the mid are bad, just very different than the "in your face" 104/2s. The Gallos present more of a laid back blended in midrange. When I focus on it, it sounds very good... I'm just not used to having to focus on the mids. This too seems to be slowly improving (or I'm getting used to it :). Ditto on musicality. right out of the box, they didn't have "it" - the reason you listen to music. Tonight, they definitely did. I'd rate them as semi or sometimes engaging compared to the KEFs.

My placement is about 18" out from the wall and only 7' apart. The room is very large and well damped with only a section of it being used for listening. These speakers have no problems filling it.

Like I said, overall very happy with these speakers. They have many of the qualities I was looking for and sound pretty darn good right out of the box. I can certainly see, er, hear the potential these speakers have to offer.

Follow-up in a couple of weeks.

I checked Gallos in 3 systems (2 tubes, 1 ss).
There were always problem with the deep of the soundstage.
Any comments?

Thanks Bean and James for your suggestions.

I forgot to mention that my amp is a Musical Fidelity NuVista 300, fed by a MF AC3R pre-amp with source coming from a Wright modded Sony SCD CE775 for SACD and a MF 3D for redbook. Cables by Kimber. I'll just say that this kit is sufficiently resolving that I can't stand to listen to rock CDs recorded in the 70s and leave it at that :) Now, that was with the KEFs and I haven't tried listening to the oldies with the Gallos... yet!

I think these speakers are:
- not yet broken in
- have a very different midrange presentation
- may not be properly placed

To James' point, I haven't spent much time on placement, and won't until they are fully broken in. Sure, I've tried toe'd and not toe'd, but heck, I haven't even tried out vs in firing woofers.

Least anyone think I'm disappointed in these speakers - I am not. They are wonderful sounding speakers. Just very different from what I've been listening to. Kind of like when you get a new car - it feels weird for a while, then a month later you drive your old car again and it feels odd. So for now they are only "half cooked." I'll keep breaking them in and then I'll critically listen to my list of songs that have distinguished themselves on the KEFs and share how I think they compare.

Dan

Now playing: Natalie Macmaster "In My Hands" Rounder
- WOW, that fiddle is making the mids sound pretty danm good :)

Danmyers, what amp are you using? I was using an early generation Adcom 555 for about a year with my 3.1s, and thought there a veiling to the mids, almost like someone placing a piece of paper over the cones. I upgraded to a Music Reference RM-200, and the mids came alive, and were much more transparent than with the Adcom. In addition, it became tonally more neutral - I think the Adcom added some glare as well. The lesson, I think, is that the 3.1 is very revealing of the upstream components.

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.

I have heard the Gallos in a friends house and liked the a great deal. I am looking to upgrade from 20 year old OhmC2s. I live in Hawaii so the room sizes here are small vs the Mainland. I am setup in a 10 x14 foot living room with an arched ceiling. I can put the speakers about 7-8 feet apart and 18 inches from the wall out. I have a Mcintosh MA 5100 integrated and SAE separates. Both solid state with 45w and 100w respectively. Does that sound like either will drive these speakers enough? I listen to lost of acosutic jazz, female jazz vocals, acoustic guitar, signer songwriter, 70-80s rock. I figure it would be an easy year before I could afford to add on a new am setup.

I just bought a pair of these last week. Overall, I am very happy with them. I do notice them improving as they break-in (love you Sade :)

These are replacing my beloved KEF 104/2s. These are fantastic speakers in their own right with great imaging, crystal clear highs, and a very detailed and forward midgange. Bass is actually port loaded - a unique feature for these venerable loudspeakers. As far as musicality, pace, rhythm, these speakers have it in spades. They are just getting old so I was looking for something special to replace them.

The Gallos are a very different speaker with many of the same qualities. Imaging and sound staging are as good or even better than the KEFs. The bass is certainly tighter already, and I'm sure has a ways to go. The highs are silky smooth, but not as detailed as the KEFs. I've notice some improvement in the highs, just tonight in fact. So I think this will come along with time. The mids are a concern for me. And it's not that the mid are bad, just very different than the "in your face" 104/2s. The Gallos present more of a laid back blended in midrange. When I focus on it, it sounds very good... I'm just not used to having to focus on the mids. This too seems to be slowly improving (or I'm getting used to it :). Ditto on musicality. right out of the box, they didn't have "it" - the reason you listen to music. Tonight, they definitely did. I'd rate them as semi or sometimes engaging compared to the KEFs.

My placement is about 18" out from the wall and only 7' apart. The room is very large and well damped with only a section of it being used for listening. These speakers have no problems filling it.

Like I said, overall very happy with these speakers. They have many of the qualities I was looking for and sound pretty darn good right out of the box. I can certainly see, er, hear the potential these speakers have to offer.

Follow-up in a couple of weeks.

Ok, got it.

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.

Bostonbean, I don't know if you misunderstood my thread or I misunderstood your answer, I am extremely happy with the way the gallos handle the highs, compared to the Paradigm they are much better, if they get better later on that will be just icing on the cake.

My sister and brother in law came the other day, and to say that they have square ears is to minimize their lack of sensibility about anything resembling sound. they were amazed at the sound these speakers reproduced, and they had been listening to the paradigms for a while and never said a word.

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 see from a previous post that you did not like the Gallos, I guess it all depends on what you have compared it to. The reference 3.1 have made a significant difference in my system, specially the highs, the tweeters on the Paradigm have nothing to do with these. I never thought I could hear musical violins coming out of a cd, well I was mistaken, it was all in the speakers and the whole notion of looking for a better cd player has disappeared. No cd player can make up for the difference in sound quality with the paradigms against what I have experienced with this speaker change.

I have about 65 hours on them and everything sounds much better when compared to the Paradigms which I still have.

I think the Paradigms are very good speakers, specially what they give you for the money, I also believe that a bigger room would have given them a chance to perform better within my system. The Gallos are priced a little higher than the digms but the sound gap in favor of the reference is much bigger. The Gallos are so musical, it's just hard to put into words.

Well, Im glad you liked the Gallo's. I really wanted to. I think the Legacy focus 20/20's have just spoiled me over the years.
I am surprised you thought it was a world of a difference from the paradigms. I owned the studio 100v.2's years ago and found them to sound nice. Maybe they wouldnt sound the same to me after years of better equipment. Anyway, hope the gallo's serve you well.

So basically putting a $3,000 speaker on their "A" list would not look good next to the $30,000 one. I guess it's strictly business. I'm sure some dealers would feel the same way.

To me changing from the Paradigm 100v3 to the Gallos was like buying my whole CD collection on SACD and more. How is it possible for these speakers to make cds sound better than SACDs were on the Paradigms? I'm impressed.

The Gallos are too cheap for Stereophile. If you added a zero onto the price of them, Stereophile would be all over it. They were on the cover of The Absolute Sound in 2004 as speaker of the year.

The Ref 3 was named Product of the Year in 2004 by The Absolute Sound. That's product of the year, not just speaker of the year. This followed quite a glowing review in TAS.

The 6moons in depth reviews were key in my decision to buy these speakers, and I have read several very positive reviews on the Gallo reference speakers from other publications as well. 6moons seems to pretty much say what they really think about a product, but still wonder why would a big magazine name like Stereophile would miss the opportunity to review them, not that what they say would make a difference to any of us, but still interesting.

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.

Is there a review on Stereophile magazine on these speakers? One would think that a speaker with this kind of buzz would be a priority.

I didn't do any hard break ins like most people and just played it when I can. It seems like it took about a year for me to make it really shine. I would say that might be about 400-500 hrs. I'm thinking that a hard break in over days might be more advantageous and really stretch out the parts permanently as oppose to long term break in which migh revert back to it's original state. But be careful not to play it too loud, someone at AA blew his drivers out during a hard break in.

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.

Yeah the Gallo's are said to compete with speakers in the $10,000 price range, they've been said to be legit giant killers so it's not to often they wouldn't walk all over speakerrs that are around the same price.

I truly love mine and I really liked my Paradigms at one time as well.

Well, I finally got the Gallos 2 days ago, and with about 12 hours burn in they are already sounding better than the Paradigm studios ever did. Actually they sounded better than the Paradigms from the get go, specially the highs but the base still needs time to sound its best (I'm hoping)

If these speakers take as long as people claim to break in and indeed they get that much better with time, then they will walk all over the digms, and the 100s are not bad speakers at all.

I had a pair of Paradigm Monitor 11's and Paradigm monitor center for 5 years and now have the Gallo's 3.1's and an AV center. So I can compare the monitors with the Gallo's fairly well.

I like the Monitor 11's but in comparison the Monitors had a bright and narrow soundstage while the Gallo's have a huge soundstage and sound very natural and neutral while still being very detailed.

The Gallo's do have a distinct sound but one that is very natural, very open and very effortless. To me they are quite musical.

The tweeters on the Gallo's are quite amazing where the Paradigms you could hone in on exactly where the tweeters were on the Gallo's they tend to disappear and just throw a huge sound image.

I'm very happy with my upgrade and will be sticking to the Gallo line of speakers for a LONG time.

Thank you for your response. I'm looking for effortless and open sound. I feel that The Paradigms in my room sound congested, They may be too big for my room, but something is not right with the overall sound. The Gallos may be the answer.

Hello,

I own the Gallo Ref 3.1's and I have heard the Paradigm's in a store. So I am much more familiar with the Gallos. To my ears the Gallos come a lot closer to the musical sound I'm looking for. Particularly in the mid range where they really shine. I have never heard the Gallos sound congested once I finally got my room properly set up. I have my Gallos about 5.5 feet from the back wall and about 6 feet apart but my room is strictly for music. Although my room has similar dimensions, approx 9 feet wide and 22 feet long. Hope that helps a bit. The Gallos have a very distinctive sound so I really feel an audition would be necessary. They don't sound like a box and the don't sound like Planars or anything else I have ever heard. The go down very low but it isn't the hit in you chest low some people are looking for. It's what bass is like if you are listening to a baritone vocalist, cello, tuba etc live without amps. They are an amazing speaker but like everything else they are not for everyone.

We all know that listening to speakers before buying is a must, but getting that out of the way I would like to ask a couple of questions to those who have listened to these speakers, and have placed them in different settings.

My room is 11' wide and 17'long. The room is carpeted and it serves as a theater as well as my music room, I do not enjoy the economic benefit or the extra room for separate systems, for that reason I have to make compromises in order to accommodate both movies and listening to music into a single room in order to enjoy my hobby as best as I possibly can.

I currently own the Arcam 350 receiver which I use as a pre-amp in analog direct in conjunction with a bi-amped Bel Canto evo4 version II which produces 400 watts per channel at 8 ohms, and 600 watts at 6 ohms just for music, the receiver's amplification only kicks in when I watch movies to power the center and surround channels.

I think that the speakers that I now have in my set up (Paradigm 100v3) are very good speakers, but I have a tendency to listen to music 70% of the time against 30% movie watching. I also have to place the Paradigms too close to the walls because of the room size as well as the screen size as they will get in the way when watching a movie. I do not know how good the Paradigm will compare against the Gallos in a large room where there's plenty of breathing room for them to shine, but in my situation with limited space and based on some of your experiences, Will the Gallos give me a less congested sound than the Paradigms?, which seem to be too big for my room? (I also have 2 rows of 3 recliners seats each for movie watching)

And the toughest question of them all, and this question is posted with all honesty, as I am always searching for better sound to enjoy the music that I love. Are the Gallos simply a more refined and sophisticated speaker for critical music listening than the paradigms?

Your educated help will make my decision a more pleasant one.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

I have a few useful hints on how to properly set-up Gallo 3.1s.
- do not point them straight ahead. The tweeters have excellent dispersion and really do not need toe-in, however, to achieve proper focus on the midrange you will need to adjust toe-in, paying attention to well-centered and fleshed-out vocals. I prefer a slight toe-in, so that i can see the speaker grille's internal sides.

-To avoid plummy bass (not a Gallo problem BTW), toe-in at least 20 degrees, to avoid paralell room boundaries and adjust the distance to the back wall until there is the right amount of bass. The woofers work only up to 150 Hz, so do not worry about reflections on your rack...

There are two options to further adjust bass:
-woofers facing each other: more bass.
-woofers facing away from each other: less bass. Season to taste.

-Also, adjust the front spikes/feet to achieve good midrange focus at the listening height and a slightly elevated soundstage.
In summary, there are 3 ways to adjust bass weight and evenness and two ways to adjust midrange focus, making this a very flexible speaker.
Do not worry about treble focus, the Gallo tweeter is good for 300 degrees dispersion, you will hear great soundstaging even if you sit way off-center.

-100W is plenty of power to drive them, though the best sound I got from them was from a Mac Mc402 amp (between 10 and 40W on McIntosh's calibrated VU/power meters). They also love high-power tube amps with 4 ohm taps.

-Lastly, if you do not listen to movie soundtracks and have a smal to medium-sized room, there is no need for the SA amplifier (I bought one to experiment). It sure looks utilitarian but it has an auto-on feature (powers up 10 seconds after receiving an input signal), therefore you can hide it if you want.

I hope this helps

I think the response very much depends on the room. My room has a big suckout from about 50 hz to 90 or 100 hz. A hump would be a good thing in my room. I use the Gallo Reference amplifier to fill in, as best I can, that portion of the range.

Another possibility, which, although I've only heard the 1Cs briefly in less than optimal conditions, I doubt, is that the 1C is lean in that area, and your ears have been conditioned to that leaness, and the Gallo sounds like it has a hump. I doubt this because I did not hear any such leaness in the 1C in my brief listen.

The bass hump or lack thereof depends on both the room and the orientation of the speaker. In my room, I use a long wall placement and have the woofers firing outwards and they are spaced very wide apart--maybe as much as 10 feet apart. This gives me the best results in MY room. I've also tried placing them closer together and within a certain range--about 6 feet apart or so, I have to orient the woofers so that they are firing inwards to get the best response. Again, exprimentation is key.