Gallo reference /TAS vs Me

I have my pair for only about 3 weeks, and I can say the sound opens up dramatically even with partial break-in. Of the several stores I visited trying to find them in stock, none on display were broken-in to the extent recommended by Gallo (100-300 hours) -- and you could hear it. Now at home, with music the harshness had smoothed out (to the point where I changed the tweater level from -2db to 0). With HT, the soundstaging is much more open and the spacial effects (or is that "affects" ) are more engaging.

I'll be amping my Ref 3's subwoofer inputs this weekend with a Parashound Halo amp and a Outlaw Audio ICBM cross-over. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

The added amping of the second voice coil adds a nice tight depth to the sound. Surprisingly subtle at times, it obviously shows in bass-heavy material like hip/hop or dance. The ICBM unit works perfectly with an outboard amp to drive the second coils.

I would NOT recommend using the full-range Gallos in lieu of a subwoofer for HT, as suggested in the owner's manual. I've been testing various hook-ups with the new extended-version release of "LOTR--The Return of the King." You will still need an decent sub for the LFE effects. However running the Gallos full-range yielded a much-enhanced sound stage, and dynamic feel to the movie.

I've also replaced my rear surrounds with Gallo Dues which are a perfect match for the Ref 3s.

Ted