Gallo reference /TAS vs Me

I agree with Rad 21 -- you're describing a pair that is not broken in. The break-in period begins after they've been playing about 6 hours and lasts for about 100 hours, if my pair is typical. I was also worried about image size, since my speakers were 8-driver Gallo Ultimates, over 4 feet tall. the Ref 3s have at least as large an image with an incredible soundstage.

I'm using 12 wpc SET monoblocks to power them, plus a 100 wpc stereo SS amp, thru a HSU crossover set at 43 Hz, to power the woofers'second voice coils. The low bass is awesome this way, but it is very good even without the second amp. I'd like to at least try Gallo's subwoofer amp, but the current setup is going to be hard to beat.

These are fabulous speakers.

Here's something to ponder regarding dealer auditions, from Srajan Ebaen's follow-up (June) to his original review (April) at six.moons.com (Read these if you haven't already):

"As I've said before, pricing a $10,000/pr beater at $2,595/pr is asking for trouble. Say you were a dealer. Would YOU want such an upstart to undermine sales of your pricier spreads? Hell no. Say you did put it on the floor. Wouldn't you do everything in your power to MAKE it sound like a $2,595 speaker ..."

The dealer where I bought mine said he had sold zero other speakers more expensive than the Ref 3s since he started demonstrating them. On the other hand, he had sold 11 pairs of Ref 3s in something like six weeks.

Just something to think about. Dave

Jeffrey, that's great if you don't mind having your multi-megabuck speaker inventory sitting there unsold and gathering dust until you discount it enough to get rid of it. :-)

Kalan, sounds like either a room problem or a defective pair of Ref 3s. Did your former speakers exhibit a similar upper-mid prominence? Re your last question, my Ref 3s love tubes; yours should sound great too -- can't understand why they don't. Does your dealer have a clue? Good luck, Dave

Kalan, just a thought. Have you tried the speakers pointing straight -- no toe-in? In my room, they sound best that way. They're exactly 8' feet apart, with the woofers facing inward (after a solid day of placement experimentation). Dave

I agree with Rolloff 100%. I didn't think it possible to make them sound like Opalchip says they sound. After three months with mine, they just keep getting better and better. And yes, they are VERY tube-friendly. Dave

Xenithon, I'm sorry you had to cancel. There's no excuse for what you've had to go through. The sad part is that the speakers are really worth the effort to buy them, but you can't be blamed for disagreeing.

Blondears, this dealer is blowing smoke. The dealer who sold me mine has now sold more than 20 pairs (but no other speaker costing more than $2K). Srajan Ebaen in the 6 Moons review predicted this kind of behavior on the part of dealers with a large investment (in money and ego) in other brands.

Just got a Hsu 500 wat subwoofer amp after giving up myself on getting the Gallo sub amp. It makes the Ref 3s sound like there is a huge sub hidden somewhere in the room. Absolutely amazing. Dave

After reading the new 6moons review, I'm happy I got the Hsu 500w subwoofer amp instead of waiting for the Gallo sub amp (and saved $200 in the bargain). Also, I much prefer the Ref 3s' woofers facing in rather than out. Note that in the 6moons review photo, he has the woofers driving directly into racks of CDs that are very close to the Gallos. I experienced the same relatively weak bass (without the sub amp) when my woofers faced out.

Remember that you'll need a crossover, set around 45 Hz. if you use something other than a sub amp. And an infrasonic filter if you play LPs.