Gallo Reference series question

I was hesitant to pose this question, as these forums are really out of my league, but curiosity got the best of me. I'm a newbie preparing to invest in a "low-end" Hi-Fi system. I heard the 3.1s recently and my neophyte ears, and eyes (cringe), were impressed. I've learned from the forums how important the pre-amp, amplifier, cabling, etc. is to the sound quality, in addition to the speakers. So I was wondering- I see a lot of the Reference 3s up for sale for quite a bit less than the 3.1s. Is the difference in sound quality enough that I wouldn't be just as well off getting the 3s and spending the difference on a slightly better amp or preamp? I've been reading your forums a lot (they seem to be the most knowledgeable I've found) and there seems to be a lot of loyalty to older speakers- as opposed to every new incarnation on the market. I don't have the serious money to put in to a system, and maybe never will, so several hundred dollars here or there could make a difference. If anyone wants to give an opinion- I'd gladly listen. I'd like to use the system for both pure audio and some home theater. I also spent 20+ years playing drums, and frankly, my ears aren't brand new if you know what I mean. Sorry for the length of this question.