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Gallo Reference 3.1; What integrated amp?

Hello,

I am a proud owner of a pair of Gallo Reference 3.1 speakers. I'm now in the market for a new integrated amplifier with a good phono stage or an additional separate phono stage (cartridge is a Sumiko Blackbird MC)

Unfortunately where I live there are virtually no stores that carry really high end hi-fi gear so I can actually go have a listen and I've been doing all of my research on the net.

I would love some opinions of what you think would be a good match for the Gallo's, amplifier and separate phono stage if required. My budget is up to around $3000-4000, hopefully less.

I've read really good reviews about the Copland CTA 405, a hybrid, which apparently has a good phono stage as well. I was also looking into the Primare I30 which is a high current amp with oodles of power but no phono stage. In tubes Cary Audio SLI-80 looks interesting as well and Eastern electric M520 seems a bargain. What do you think? What would you recommend as a phono stage?

Thanks!
Alexis
a_philippides
spiritualized
138 posts
 
I haven't experienced any degradation of the sound due to the second voice coil being active. They still have very stable imaging, and a deep soundstage, but now with bass into the mid 20 Hz range in my room. Structurally, I feel the design is very well thought out.
simontju
257 posts
 
Anthony Gallo uses Spectron Musician III Signature to voice Reference 3 speakers and even displayed this amp CES 2007 at Las Vegas. He is not alone, many other speaker manufacturers also uses the Musician III amp.
Its not integrated preamp but you can find inexpensive TVC passive preamp to match it.
cytocycle
1,043 posts
 
One of my friends owned the Musical Fidelity A5, and while the unit has tons of current, the phono stage is nice for a $100-200 cart... so don't buy it for the phono. He was amazed as the improvement upgrading phono stages. He replaced the Musical Fidelity with a Primare, and now he has seperates for lots more dollars..

For those in Europe $2000 is not a pretty number for the sub amp, I would throw that toward a better 2 channel amplifier....
viclondon
19 posts
 
Cytocycle,
I perfectly agree with you. The problem is that over here a better 2ch amp will cost again double price compare to the US...
BTW at the end I went for a pair of Nuforce Ref 9SE v2 whick I found fabulous at the audition; they should be at my home tomorrow.
itsgriffo
1 posts
 

I'd be VERY interested in hearing your thoughts on the Primare I30 and Gallo 3.1 combo. I'm in a similar boat to you - difficult to demo locally and I end up having to demo when I travel interstate (in Australia). I've been v impressed with the Primare I30 and CD31 and am thinking seriously about it. Other contender at the moment seems to be the Creek Destiny.

To give back a little.. I recently added the SA to my system (NAD 352 integrated) as part of a gradual upgrade. I reckon whether or not to add the SA depends entirely on listening tastes primarily, but also room size etc. For me, it's a reasonably big room but I listen to a range of material. When testing, you need tracks playing real low stuff. In truth, I could live with the 3.1's performance sans SA, but Massive Attack's 'Unfinished Sympathy' is just not the same without it! Let me add a caveat - I'm still tweaking the many dials on the SA and don't feel I've got the best from it yet.
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