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Gallo REfF3's-All their cracked up to be?

Having won award from Absolute Sound,6Moons etc just wondering if how they compare with others in $25r00-$5K range.With Maggie 1.6/3.6's,Spendors,Harbeths,B&W Nautilus 803's etc not to mention used Quad 988.989,Infinity Preludes that have been seen as low as $3500,Gershman RX-20's used,offerings from Audio Physic (again good values used,heard Sparks where I liked low volume dynamics and read the Gallo's need to be pushed to come alive) well it's a crowded market.But seems like the twop speakers that have major buzz factor are the Gallo and NHT Xd system (selling for a bit over $6K).Live in sticks anbd would like to hear from folks who have put the Gallo's up against other speakers with empahsis on accurate midrange.Had as pair of Ref 2's but never got system set up around them nor dialed them in correctly.Was so nervous that tweeters might blow which were irreplacable got me nervous and I got rid of them pretty quickly.Have heard from dealers that Gallo can be unpleasant in cutomer support and lack of back tweeters could have been his resent ment that they did not sell better.But even though that's speculation is does say that they could be beter in support area.Maybe new models and sales might correct this.,They seemed to have great attributes but also weakneeses.Couldn't shake the feeling they were "gimmicky" in some respects but againn perhaps they were not dialed in proprly.Would lkike to run with 40 watt glass but could go 200+ solid state.Any auditions or owners who could give the good ,the bad and the ugly?
Thanks
Chazzbo
chazzbo
danmyers
135 posts
 
I tried the resistor across the 2nd voice coil tweak and found it made no difference I could hear. So I don't use it.

"Highs are good, but not spectacular, midrange smeared, bass very well extented but muddy" Don't know what to say because I believe the poster heard the Ref 3.1s in this way. In my system the highs are incredibly detailed with big air, the mids are a bit recessed but clear as a bell, and the bass is extended and tight. Imaging to die for.

For the record I think this is one ugly looking speaker. But I buy speakers for their sound, not their looks, and I've been very very happy with the Gallos for a couple of years now.
bostonbean
241 posts
 
Looks are in the eyes of the beholder. I like the looks, without the cover. The cover is ugly.

The Gallo's are very transparent and they will pretty much reflect what the upstream components feed them. They will not make components sound better than they are. I thought they sounded great on my Pioneer AVR but it was not until I went to a Spectron amp that I could really hear what they were capable of producing particularly in the bass. I do use the SA amp bi-wired off the Spectron amp. The result is tight/textured lower bass not muddled at all.

There are some Gallo Ref3 naysayers out there but once they are broken in they are some of the nicest sounding and imaging speakers out there. Of course, that is only my humble opinion.
kabir's avatar
kabir
36 posts
 
These are extremely neutral and very revealing of any upstream equiptment.There just telling you when you are, or not,moving in the direction of audio nearvana. worry not, you will get there.
woifi73
8 posts
 
i have been playing to get the ref3's to sound good for 4 years now. (stands, tweeks..). i am throwing the towel.
i listen to classical music and chamber music. while imaging very well, the sound is tinny and etched. the reviewers praising the 3's tweeter may not listen to life music. violins do not sound right through this tweeter. i have tried tube amps (quicksilver v4 monos) in combination with a vtl5.5 preamp and the benchmark dac. alternatively i used the speakers with the musical fidelity kw500. i find that they sound much better with rock and electronically modded music than with classical recordings. i have my guarneri memento's next to the gallo. they portray the music in all its glory. any similar experience and possible remedy?
dopogue
1,773 posts
 
Woifi73, after giving them your best shot for 4 years and not liking the result, you should definitely replace them IMHO. I've had mine for 4 1/2 years, listen to the same music you do (plus jazz) via an all-tube system and have no intention of replacing mine. Must be some serious lack of system synergy because mine have never sounded the least bit tinny and etched to me, and with the substitution of the Mapleshade bases sound truly amazing, albeit much better on everything BUT "rock and electronically modded music." That's a real head-scratcher. Good luck, Dave
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