Hi PEdrillo,
I sought out and auditioned the Gallo Reference speaks when last shopping for speaks + liked them very much. Didn't have a chance to listen in great detail though.
I did like Quad electrostats the same dealer had better, but these cost 5X as much as the Gallos.
I ended up buying the Ohm Walsh (f)5s Series 3. With sale price, trade ins and such these ended up costing me about the same as would have the Gallos. After living with these for a year, I'd assert these are superior to either Quad or Gallo, which are two of my favorite more esoteric designs.
Consider also Ohm 100s Series 3 which could be had new with nice cabinets and with no financial risk if not satisfied for under $2K. These are probably closer in design and sound to the MBLs you covet, are easier to place compared to pure omnis relative to walls, and you could end up saving considerable $$$$s down the road by not feeling a need to go MBL.
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Newbee,
Are you saying that a horn is more directional in nature than a harp?
Probably true in a relative sense, tough I'd argue the sound waves emitted from a horn still radiate largely in a 3 dimensional half sphere in front of the mouth of the horn and will reflect of venue walls and reach the ears of the listener from different directions at different times, depending on his/her location relative to the player.
However, an omni speaker can still handle directional sound which is just a simplified case of omnidirectional sound, so the speaker design is less of a limiting factor.
Not true the other way around because the dispersion pattern of conventional box speakers cannot match the omnidirectional sound pattern produced by the instrument.
Therefore I'd assert the omni design is inherently better able to handle a mix of instruments all the way from more directional to more omni-directional in nature, so , all other things aside, I would pick the omni for the trumpet piano case and for large scale classical or ensemble pieces as well.
Now with electronic instruments that normally produce their sound through conventional speaker design by nature, there is less of an argument there alone for omnis, but good omnis properly set up will do an equally fine job in the simplified case of electronic instruments as well. |
"The Mirage's soundfield dispersion is not a pure omnidirectional or cylindrical soundfield. It is based on 25 years of research into the dispersion patterns of instruments, the reflection patterns of rooms, and how the human ear perceives sound and music."
The dispersion pattern of most conventional speaker designs is nothing like that of live acoustic instruments. This is perhaps the biggest reason why even many of the best stereo systems sound like stereo systems and not live performances.
Designs like the Gallos, Ohms, MBLs, German Physiks, and Mirages of the world attempt to address this inherent issue with how most conventional speakers reproduce sound in various innovative ways. |
"The only issue with Omni's, dipoles or panels are the rear reflections which need to be sufficiently delayed in order not to be in danger of collapsing the soundstage/precise imaging"
That is very true.
Ohms solution to help address this with the Ohm CLS drivers compared to some other omnis or bi or multi polar designs is to physically dampen or attenuate the output towards the rear and side walls using sound absorbing material within the CLS "cage".
I've found this approach to be very helpful with enabling more flexible placement of the CLS Ohms nearer to walls, which also helps provide more meat in the low end without compromising imaging and sound stage.
Also, I think the difference between omnis and conventional box designs tends to lessen when the listener is positioned a good distance back away from the speakers. In this scenario, there is less difference between the two designs in regards to the relative paths the sound waves take prior to arriving at the ears. |
"The Gallos don't sound anything like the MBL's".
No doubt.
They also do not sound like the Ohms.
The Gallo's are a unique design that addresses may of the same issues as the more "purist" omni designs, yet they have a distinctive sound.
The low soundstage issue is one I have heard before, but did not take particular notice of when auditioning. Still, they are very short and do not project upward that I am aware of, so the statement rings true.
Also, they were not as refined, detailed or smooth from top to bottom as the top of the line and 5X more expensive Quad ESLs I heard in comparison and which I still consider to be one of my favorite reference speakers when things are going right.
These are about the only faults could find. For the price, that's pretty good. |
Newbee, yes like most of audio, its a personal choice thing.
TO my ears, the complex spatial queues captured in recordings from the live performance in concert hall or studio are reproduced more accurately by speakers that lean towards a more omni radiation pattern rather than those that tend to beam forward and in the case of bipolars, backwards as well.
In the case of box design speakers, wouldn't most agree though that wide dispersion is always better than beaming straight ahead only?
Some would disagree with this though and state a preference to minimize the interaction between the speaker and the room they listen in. Those folks should avoid Ohms, MBLs, Gallo reference, and the like.
All sound is subject to room acoustics, be it live music or reproduced on a system. My strategy is to accept the room I'm listening in as my own personal concert hall and then try to make it work for me as best as is possible rather than try to fight or avoid it. Why chose a strategy based on fighting the laws of physics? |
HEy Pedrillo, your original question was ABOUT the Gallos, so I think you have to give the others mentioned some kind of handicap accordingly. LOL |
Pedrillo, seriously, these are all fine recommendations, but you really need to listen and decide.
The thing is Ohms are sold direct only so you won't find a dealer to listen.
THe choices are to find someone who has Ohm Walsh CLS drivers and listen or do Ohms in home audition with the latest and greatest CLS drivers.
If you hear Ohm Walsh CLS's somewhere, make sure you know which series driver they are.
You want to hear newer series 3 or maybe even series 2 (closer to 3's but different tweeter), but not originals, which are inferior though still pretty good and also far and away the most common version out there. The cans housing the driver look pretty much the same from the outside with all of these and are not always clearly labeled, so it can be hard to tell what you have unless someone knows for certain.
Also, Ohm offers CLS driver upgrades for every Walsh model ever made, so the model indicated on the cabinets does not necessarily indicate the exact CLS driver used.
This can be very confusing I know, but potentially worth it. I guess the bright side is it helps add to the mystique of the line for better or worse. |
"Seriously, I love my Gallo's and they are imaging fools but I am not sure they are built to hang from bungee cords."
Could solve the low soundstage issue, perhaps at the lost of some low end.......
I'd stick with stands probably though. |
