Anthony Gallo Reference 3 without sub

I auditioned the Ref 3's at CES this past January; Anthony was kind enough to play my reference CD for me, Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms XRCD. Man I like those speakers plenty, I went back three times to his room to listen. I suspect they sound their best well away from walls and whatnot.. the footprint is awful small so they should be easy to dial in. I prefer the Gallos to the Vandys but please bear in mind that a set up at a show is nowhere near the same as what you'll hear at home. If I was in the mood for a change in transducers Gallo Ref 3's would be very high on my list. I know I'll own a pair at some point and that's saying plenty coming from a planar guy.

See the current issue of The Absolute Sound (front page)for a review of the Ref 3. Raves for the speaker but highly recommends the addition of the sub amplifier .

I just auditioned the Ref III's yesterday and have a mixed opinion. On the upside - they are "fast", image accurately, and produce transients quite well. They pack plenty of punch for their small size. And they look pretty cool, they will have a high Wife Acceptance Factor.
However - I found them to be a bit harsh/strident. They produce a lot of detail but in a somewhat "etched" manner to my ears. So they are exciting, though potentially very fatiguing. Drums were a standout. My main amp is a CJ 11a which I suspect would ameliorate some of this, compared to the solid state Integrated amps used for the demo - but at 88db efficiency, the Ref III's are not super tube-friendly either.
I found them to be acceptable with small groups and solo instruments, jazz vocals and the like, but with orchestral (i.e. the ubiquitous Fennell w/ Cleveland Symphonic Winds Holst on Telarc lp) - forgive me, but IMHO they were sub-par. As musical complexity and dynamic range increased I found the imaging and tonal accuracy in the lower mids breaking down significantly - your basic muddiness. It's always possible it was the room but this was in a high end shop with room treatments, etc. - so it couldn't have been that bad.
$2400 isn't much for new speakers nowadays, so I suppose they're a decent value, but, of course, with your tube set-up you'll also want/need the additional Gallo Bass module amp - so you're starting to look at REAL money. They might work well in your system and for your ears. But keep in mind that $3500 will buy some pretty nice mint used speakers, with little depreciation risk, here on Audiogon if one is patient.
My advice is - resist the marketing hype so prevalent in the audio media nowadays and make darn sure you audition in person before buying. Every new product is now the "greatest value" or the "most revealing", etc., etc. I have very good ears, and I keep listening to these wonder-speakers as proclaimed by the reviewers and then leave thinking, "Huh????"

The Ref 3s are VERY tube friendly (mine are powered by 12 wpc SET monoblocks). When you heard them they were either (1) in the middle of their hundred-hour break-in period or (2) partnered with pretty sad equipment. Your CJ 11A will make them sing. No kidding. Dave

I have to agree with Dopogue. I have been letting mine play for the eight hours a day that I am away from home. They are just getting better and better. When I heard them in the shop, I found them a bit "bright" too, but that is all gone now. I always had to cut the treble with my mirage M3si's, but not with these babies. I am running them with a panny digi-amp--great pairing to my ears. Clear, airy, transparent.