To make a long story short...I own the 3.1 and been around speaker for the past 25 years.
For their price, around 3k , these are by far the best speakers out there if you are a jazz fan.
Hands down.
You need to feed them with a quality tube amp, put maple wood stands under them with brass footers and you get the best jazz speaker in the world for 3k.
That's it.
Thanks!

Well, I have had these for 6 years now. Just happy to report that the quality is such that the sound is still fresh. I play the hell out of them, since I love music and particularly music played through these speakers.
They have nicely survived at least 4 revisions of sources and amplifiers

Nothing to add to what has already been said except do not hesitate to buy used. I can attest to their endurance. Also, the folks at Gallo are polite and smart. Cheers.

I’ve had these speakers (mine are 3.1s) for over two years now, and I totally love everything about them (including their looks, which I wasn’t initially crazy about). They’ve got fantastic bass extension; they’re flat down to 34 Hz, and down to 22 Hz with the woofers’ second voice coils driven (which kind of makes me wonder about people who want to use these with a subwoofer, since they’ve really got subwoofer reach just on their own) -- and their deep, tight bass seems very little affected by placement or room acoustics, making them suitable for lots of different spaces. (In contrast, my Paradigm Studio 60s -- which, to be sure, I really loved -- sounded rather boomy if they were too close to the walls, and my set-up makes it impractical to have my speakers a couple feet out from the walls.) The Gallos' tweeters are absolutely magnificent, reproducing overtones like nothing I’ve ever heard before – Jimmy Cobb’s cymbals on Miles Davis’s "Kind of Blue," Nana Vasoncelos’s bells and percussion on Colin Walcott and Don Cherry's "Codona," the triangles on the Modern Lovers' "The Sweeping Wind," John French's frenzied cymbals on Captain Beefheart's "Sugar and Spikes" – they all just sound fantastically real and alive. I read one review which commented that the sound of these tweeters brings to mind the difference between hearing low bass on headphones, and being *moved* by the visceral feel of low bass heard in a room; in something like the same way, these tweeters really reproduce the *percussiveness*, the movement of air, that's involved in bursts of high treble energy -- that comment gets it exactly right, I think. I assume that it’s the extremely wide dispersion of the tweeter (which radiates 300°), together with the fact that these speakers are without crossovers above 300 Hz (the tweeter acts as a natural capacitor, resisting signals below its range, and even right up in front of them, the hand-off to the tweeter is utterly seamless), that make the stereo imaging of these so breathtaking. Whatever it is that accounts for their widely remarked imaging qualities, these are the first speakers I’ve had with such a wide soundstage, which is appreciable from all listening angles, not just seated immediately between them. Among the many interesting test-cases for the glory of these speakers is the Grateful Dead's "In the Attics of My Life" (on the remastered version of "American Beauty"); the really loud peaks of the band's chorused voices sounds harsh and distorted on many a fine speaker, but my Gallos handle this high-energy mid-range stuff splendidly. They really do everything well: Fantastically deep and tight bass, great imaging, and a matchless tweeter. It's no wonder (and this is among the most telling facts about these) that several of the professional audio writers who've reviewed these ended up buying the speakers themselves.

I don't know whether the new 3.5s are worth the considerably higher price (they sell for over $5000), but since they're way out of my price-range, I'm just really thankful that I managed to score a pair of 3.1s (as demos) for $2,500 before they were superseded by the new models. I'd certainly recommend buying a pair of 3.1s used if you can find them. I've got mine mounted on Soundocity outriggers, which are a fantastic addition -- they make the speakers *way* more stable (less susceptible to tipping), and tighten up the bass.

After using my Gallos with an NAD C370 (which did quite well), I'm now using mine with an Odyssey Cyclops Extreme integrated amp, which is an absolutely splendid pairing. Other equipment includes a Cambridge Audio Azur 740C disc player, which I most often use as a DAC with a Wadia 170 iTransport.

Previous speakers used: B&W DM601s, Paradigm Reference Studio 60s.

I sold a pair of B&W N802's because I was moving into a smaller place and when I heard the Ref 3.1's at a friends I decided to order the Ref 3.5's. All I can say is....I don't miss the B&W's. The N802's could definitely play louder, but they sucked power like a camel drinks water. You need something like a Bryston 14B SST or a pair of 7B SST's to make them really shine. Anything less is a major compromise. The Gallo's on the other hand sound awesome with a Bryston 4B or 3B SST or a Parasound Halo A 21 or A23 depending on room size. They have the least fatiguing tweeter I have ever heard, but very detailed. I am powering them in a surround system with an
Axiom Audio A1400-8, digital power amp and I'm using an electronic low pass filter to run 2 of the channels on the amp into the second voice coils in the woofer. I would highly recommend this. For audio only listening it makes a subwoofer redundant. I still use a sub for HT effect, but it is most definitely not required. As far as imaging goes I was astounded. These speakers image as good as anything I've ever heard, Acoustat Electrostatics, Magnepans, Martin Logans. They will surprise you, and they are much better at this than the 3.1's. They are also better than the Strada's with a TR-3 sub... I have both set ups. The Stradas with the sub just don't have the mid bass the 3.5's do. They are very good, but the 3.5's are better, particularly if you drive the second voice coils. I've heard them with the Gallo S.A. amp and they sound awesome.... worth the money in my opinion. You can really tune the speakers to your room by changing the woofers from pointing towards or away from each other and improve bass response dramatically. At the price they are a steal and are giant killers. One major plus to driving the second voice coils that I find is at lower listening levels you can still get excellent bass response. With my B&W N802's they never sounded good unless they were really being driven loud.... and they sounded amazing. These sound very good at much lower sound pressure levels and can also be played quite loud. Overall I am impressed and surprised by the performance offered by these relatively small speakers. They may be physically small, but they project a sound stage second to none.

Got the Gallos and it was like, hooo-weeeeee, that's a speaker!

Listened to them for a while and decided to break them in. Piled on the sleeping bags and all; you know how it goes. Cranked the volume all the way up and left them going for almost 9 months. Well, all I can say is when I took the sleeping bags off it was another wah-wah-wah-waaaaaaaaaah, if you know what I mean. Got these things planted in my room and nine months later a baby was born! I cry a lot now, but I'm not the baby. The real baby is the binky-fisted sucker who spends his stolen cash on brand-x.

You got your 3's and you got your 3.1's. Now, low and behold, you got your 3.5's. I recommend the 3's or the 3.5's. If you spend and spend to up grade to 3.1 you are only getting .1 more! I recommend going for the whole .5 enchilada.

If you are, like myself, into impressing your friends, I want you to know something. When I switch on the amps and shift into play, my friends see my speakers and they drop a deuce while I squint a smile out of the side of my face, to where a video camera would be if they were filming my hi-fi journey. After sharing a secret smile with the viewers it's off to music land, where this baby goes to sleep peacefully knowing he will rise again the next morn to spend a few more thousand...

shhh...

Look at him twitch. He's dreaming about buying something better.

I just have to say that these are the best speakers i have listened to so far. I love the open airy feeling with good recording. I do have to say that it makes bad recordings reveal their ugliness but thats what makes a good speaker. Very detailed and wide sound stage with very nice clean and clear bass. If you get a chance please audition a pair as they are amazing and easy to fall in love with, cheers!

Incredible wide imaging and sound staging. Detailed but non-fatiguing highs, "in the room" mids, and deep articulate bass. All nicely integrated for hours and hours of MUSICAL listening pleasure. Oh, and not to be underestimated in importance: they are small of stature and inexpensive for the level of performance provided.

For me, it took some doing to get these to sound as good as my KEF 104/2s. I'm not sure these are weaknesses per say, but I was concerned when I first hooked them up that they weren't going to measure up. In particular, I mid-range was recessed: I had to strain to pull out vocals and lead instruments. It turns out this was a setup issue. Here is how I remedied that problem and let the Ref 3.1s come into their own.

1) Z axis + : I went to Home Depot and bought 4 of the heaviest retaining wall stones I could find. At 46 lbs each I placed two under each speaker. This raised the height by 5 inches and provided a more solid base than my thick shag rug. The effect is to expanded and raise the sound stage and further tighten the bass. The tweeter is now slightly above my ear level. So I agree with folks who have replaced the wood base and/or otherwise raised these speakers: It does make the sound stage more realistic.

2) X axis: The speakers are now about 6' feet apart and not towed in at all. Used to be 7' and slightly towed in.

3) Y axis: I'm now sitting 4' back, used to be 5' back. This is closer than I have ever sat to a pair of speakers I've owned. It's almost near field listening, but not quite. I've still playing with this parameter a bit, but love the imaging I get right here right now.

4) WAF: Hung a heavy rug on the wall behind the speakers. This cut some reflections which I suspect was causing mid-range cancellations.

5) Break-in: These speakers don't sound that good out of the box. The sound was likely compromised by the setup issues addressed above, but even so, they need a good long break-in time.

Now the mid-range is dialed in, very present, and if not forward, certainly not laid back I would say the porridge is just right. My mid-range test disks/songs include Sam Cooke's vocals on the live Coppa album and trombone in The Moche on Stereophile's Jazz album. Female vocals (Alison Krause, Eva Cassidy, Jacintha) sound rich and full. All sound as good as I remember the KEFs. Certainly, I am no longer straining to pull out the midrange. That trombone is now totally in my face and Sam is in the room. Sax, trumpets, and pianos all are now sounding great and I'm pulling out albums I haven't listened to in quite some time.

Speaking of older albums, these now sound better, but still not great. For instance, the old Sanborn album Hide Away from the eighties. Love the tunes, but the cymbals still sound very metallic and over processed. I attribute this, as on the KEFs, to excellent detail communication. I've heard this album on lesser speakers (Pardigm 80s) and you don't get that same digital sound. I consider this a loss of information, but YMMV as older albums certainly sound better on the Paridgms.

The imaging is still excellent/exceptional with well placed instruments. Heavy Weather exhibits that all important "wrap around sound" effect on the low synth note mid song. The Gallos and the KEFs are the only two speakers I've heard that can pull this off. I also use Jaco's bass on this album as a good test of articulate expressive bass. For treble I listened to the cymbals on Take Five. The Gallos have great treble and I can clearly hear the wood sticks on the brass plate. Very few speakers I've heard can make cymbals sound like they do live. The Gallos can do this with ease.

These Ref 3.1s are fantastic speakers! I've owned them for about 6 months now and couldn't be happier. They look and sound great from top to bottom. The build quality is superb, too. To be honest, I was afraid I would not be as happy with these as I was with the KEF 104/2s they replaced. It took several months of break-in, placement, and tweaks, but I finally got everything just right and am rewarded with a best in class presentation that rivals the KEFs in their prime.

Bottom line is I'm extremely critical of how audio sounds. I not only hear the music, I hear everything. I hear hiss, splatter, compression, edits, hum, etc), I hear the refrigerator running in the adjacent kitchen, the florescent bulb buzzing in the hallway, the dog barking two houses away. Really it's a curse. Anyway, these Gallo Ref 3.1 speakers are just phenomenal. Besides sounding fantastic, they are musical and easy to get lost in. To few speakers can deliver the whole "you are there" experience. These speakers can, and do it with ease and style.

Similar Products Used:

KEF 104/2, DIY BillDan Mk v1, Paradigm 80s, Triangle (somethings tall and skinny)

Amp: Musical Fidelity Nu Vista 300
PreAmp: MF A3cr
CDP Redbook: MF Nu Vista 3DCD
CDP SACD: Wright modded Sony CE-775
Cables: Various Kimbers

Silky smooth, detailed, accurate, full range with stunning imaging. Never grainy/harsh or fatiguing (I am usually sensitive to that aspect).

Long time to break in.

7 months ago, I bought some demos thinking they were broken in.
They were not! I was somewhat satisfied with their sound at home but also own a pair of Kef 104.2 which to my ear sounded more dynamic and alive on Jazz music. After few weeks of swapping speakers back and forth, I just couldn’t decide which pair to keep... I chose to give the Gallos more time...
6 months later (approximately 400 hrs of use), the Gallos have broken in a few notches. When I now listen to the Kef (which still sound great to me) the Gallos sound as good to my ears (in a different way, they are different beasts).
They are currently connected to a VTL it85 amp with an additional Gallo Subwoofer MPS-150 (great addition to the 3.1) and I am thrilled with the result.
Another Strength of these is imaging. I use to have a 5.1 Home theatre system ($7500 new) and found that aside for not getting sounds from behind, the Gallos/sub combo sound 200% better in every way , voices are clearer and come from the TV as if there was a center channel!!! Everything else extends like a wide and tall wall of detailed sounds much more realistic than with the 5.1 system. Ambiances are now much more intense, movies scores take on a whole new dimension, watching a movie in 2.1 is much more involving than with my previous system.
I suspect that most used Gallos for sale aren’t quite broken-in yet and recommend patience for them to break in.
Anyone looking for excellent speakers capable of playing music and movies equally should definitely consider the Gallo Ref 3.1
And considering the Ref 3.1 can be bought second hands for about $2000, what a bargain!
Cheers!

Similar Products Used:

Kef 104.2, Rogers LS3/5a, Yamaha NS1000, ADS L400 (which I all love) and many other I didn't care for too much.

Awesome sound. Good looks. Small size doesn't dominate the room. And, err... awesome sound!!

Dodgy tweeter corrosion/discolouration. Sound best sitting on the floor in smaller listening rooms. Was hard to set up to sound their best.

The previous (lengthy) reviews have said more about the 3.1's than i could ever be bothered to, but rest assured that these speakers are excellent.
I did have a lot of trouble setting them up to sound good though, & at one stage thought i'd end up selling them for something different. Others seem to have had no problem with this though, so either they're less discerning or maybe have a better listening room than me!

The main point of this review is to make aware to any potential purchasers the complete lack of customer care & support from Gallo. I've only experienced frustration and disappointment when i've had to have any dealings with them. Please be aware that if you need out-of-warranty repairs or spare parts, you'll be waiting a VERY long time, will be treated poorly, & end up feeling annoyed.

4 months for a set of spikes to turn up, only to be sent some very second hand ones. The tweeter diaphragms have corroded/discoloured (anyone else with this problem?) & look cheap and nasty, & word from Gallo was basically 'tough luck, they do that sometimes, we're not fixing it'.

Customer Service

Exceptionally poor customer service. Fear of breaking in the future only to be ignored & left with a $3000 set of boat anchors.

These are the best speakers I will ever hear in my home. They are levels greater than anything I have owned or now own, or have auditioned. More on this, but here is the big finding for me. My Proacs are the least finnicky speaker I have ever seen. Put them anywhere, put on a good familiar song, wiggle them a little for placement and find nice, reliable sounds. That easy. The Gallos make the Proacs look like an erector set project. Really, these sound good in even small rooms, in large rooms, as headphones on either side of a love seat. Probably the easiest and most forgiving set-up ever. The Ellis speakers require careful set-up but really pan out. These even outdi the Ellis Hiquphon tweeter (not make it obsolete, just out-perform it in texture and clarity of presentation). Same with the Quads. No need to own a small sweet spot speaker in the name of fidelity. Side-by-side Gallos make you feel like you just opened the shades and let the sun in.

The Dahlquists and Snells are (like the other speakers I compare the Gallos to here) all worth owning. But like the Quads each of these are really big speakers with low wife approval factors. I cannot overstate how small the Gallos actually are. Like 3 feet high and 8" wide at the base (the base). These are inconsequential in a room as to how much space they take up. All three of these older classics are excellent. But the Gallos have a wider soundstage than the arrayed D-10s and the mids and bass are not even a contest with Gallo winning as if it were a Star Trek product in a 1950's audio store. The Quads are the Quads. I am keeping all three of these old clunkers and especially the Quads. But, nostalgia aside, the fact that the Quads are powered, require warm-up, and have this extremely narrow sweet spot can not be overstated. The Gallos fill a room and have a low end the Quads can not approach.

The Snell A's are a different story. My A's are set up right (after years of fidgeting out of respect) and using Nordost cables and a Jolida tube amp with a Rega Planet and an Aragon D2A2 Dac, they are hard to beat. The Gallos have all the soundsatge of the Snell A's (which are the size of a juke box), and better highs and lows. There may be a tie in the Bass area. Both are terrific. But overall, Snell A's as a unit sound perfect loud and at a whisper. Until the Gallos none of my speakers could touch that quality. The Gallos win easily.

So, what about the Gallo wife approval factor? Here's a tip from my experience. Unless your decor is "modern" (ours is not) it might be wise to get the Gallos in the house and cover them with sleeping bags and break them in before showing them to the family. Others might find this perfect but my wife saw thew pictures and began to make jokes regularly about the 3.1s in the weeks it took Gallo to make and ship them and before they came home. Three months in it is a different story. This is our reference system and it gets lots of couple listening time, it's that enjoyable and that much above the other hifi we own. I would add that I used the cages at first. They a fine and no audible difference on or off. But the Gallos are an artform out of the cages and watching new listeners try to take the shape and sound in all at once is a real study. These a little speakers with a great big wonderful sound.

I'll write about weakness in the next section, except for the "to short" and "need to be taller" issues. Let em say I tihnk that is really an odd thing to say about a set of speakers that is wider than and probably taller than anything but Maggies or stacked D-10s etc. The Quads are so narrow in sweet spot that two pele need to sit with shoulders touching to have a similar experience, but you don't see that in reviews. So I think this might be two things. (1) the listeners are all like 7 feet tall because it doesn't come into play for 5 foot to 6 foot listeners, or (2) it's at least a weakness and no speaker can be perfect and we need to find something. For me, I had to stand and search for this lack of vertical soundstage. I never listen while bouncing on a pogo stick so it has not come into play. Here is what I did anyway. I bought four solid 2" cinder blocks at Home Depot, a set of cork stick-on dots (about an inch each in size) and put this under the Gallos as risers. Maybe there is some difference. But not for a 5'6" guy. This is already an amazing speaker, mod if you like but hear it for sure. For its price I think it must be the biggest audio speaker bargain ever. And to think this started for me with trying to get audiophile sound from wedge-shaped, over hyped Bose 901s about 20 years ago. Omar meet Anthony. Waaaaaaa!!!!

I am at a loss sonically to "dis" these speakers in anyway. If you own Watt Puppies or some similar audio gem you might find minutia to indicate here. Of course if you put those speaker systems in a normal home and used reasonable equipment it might lessen the minutia heap.
Against great speakers that are well worth owning like Proacs, or Kef Refence 4s, or classics like the Snell A's, Quad 57's, or Dahlquist 10s, these Gallos argue for something new in my life. They tell me that I may have bought unknowingly my last speaker system and my first "reference" speaker system.

I am not selling my other speakers (yet). But no other speaker ever came home and created such turmoil amongst listeners than these Gallos. They stop people in their tracks for all the right reasons.

As for physical build, if you can handle the look which I love, there are no issues either. These are built like tanks and have a 5-year warranty.

The real weakness here was described in a Top 40 song by Jim Croce when Anthony Gallo was likely a boy: "There never seems to be enough time to do the tinhgs you want to do once you've found them. I've looked around enough to know that you're the one I want to go through time with..."

There is not enough time to listen. You'll want to hear everything you own on these. and while no one is in the room talking so you can hear every part of the Stones "Salt of the Earth" or the Incredible String Bands "My Father Was a Lighthouse Keeper." Put on XTC's drip-drop "River of Orchids" or Ian Matthews acapella "Carefully Taught" or Wilderness Road's "Death Dream Sequence" and you will not want anyone else distracting the beauty and clarity of Gallo's Wonders in any way.

Same vein. Many people use Little Feat's plucked bass opening on "Long Distance Love" as a measure of speakers. Sure the Gallos are the best I have heard here as well, but upon listening something else is easily noted. Lowell George's growling voice was supposed to hover in the air unattached to that bass pluck sequence... very revealing. So you don't miss my point by music highlighted here, these speakers play classical and jazz extremely well and rock "rocks." All genres I listen too were terrific.

FINAL THOUGHTS? Well, I don't sell these, or own stock. I have beat my share of products that were in vogue into the ground upon using them (as less than promised). The famous Bose 901s (which I once owned two pair of) are the easiest of these to recall. But I also found the AR3A to be all hype and memory, same with the ESS and the Heil Air Motion Xfrmr craze, and the Klipschhorns. Not home friendly or performers of note in my "lived there, done that" history.

So I can beat and sell products that are not exceptional in my home.
What is exceptional? All of the speakers compared here with the Gallos in my home I love for different reasons. Same with Nordost cables and Kimber KCAG connectors. I tried a Creek 4330se - another lovely item - on the Gallos and it was okay, but they like power and I think solid state power.

Best combination in my home? Gallo 3.1's with Nordost Solar Wind cables, Kimber KCAG interconnects, the Adcom gold-plate amp and preamp duo (5802 and 750) with the Music Hall MMF-7 (Sumiko blackbird) and Grado phono stage, and the Rega Planet with the external DAC mentioned above. The Adcom has 300W a side. When I use the Jolida with 80w a side (tube watts) it sounds great, but the Adcom shows how much power can add for punch. Both setups are incredible and this is a minor difference.

I am left with great happiness over getting a pair of these for my own. Sort of the opposite of buyer's remorse. Thank you Gallo Audio. There must be a big prize somewhere we can all give you.

I own the Gallo Reference 3.1's. I didn't purge sell all my other speakers and I found a place in my home for the Gallos to co-exist to see how well they performed with various cables and various power sources and inputs. I own Proac 2s, Quad ESL-57s (yes, the real reason I couldn't resist Gallo), Snell Type A's and the Dahlquist 10's, and a terrific pair of Ellis Audio 1801b. All of these are great in the home. All have different attributes. The other gear is the gold-plate Adcom 1802 and its preamp and matching CD deck (these are terrific), a Jolida 502b, Rega Planet, Music Hall MMF-7 w/ Sumiko Blackbird, and so on. I use Nordost Solar Winds, AQ Type-4s, Cardas and Tara Lab cables. And over the past few months I have been trading these out to see what feeds the Gallo's best and if the Gallos are truly the stuff legend is made of. Here is what I found, following about 120 hours of break in time on the Gallos (under sleeping bags).

Customer Service

I emailed Gallo before I got these to asked several things. If they felt the Adcom solid state amp was a better match than the Jolida tube, if they felt certain speaker cables worker better, and if breaking them in under a pair of sleeping bags could cause damage.

I got a prompt and detailed and thoughtful response. Now, I have written Music Hall and gotten emails from Roy Hall, and that is impressive beyond impressive. But Gallo has taken some customer rep negative raps so here is my positive experience.

Finally, Gallo warrants these for five years ONLY if bought from a Gallo dealer. For me this meant a lot since the famous "no crossover after in the mid and tweeter areas is made possible by Gallo only drivers. I expect no issues, they are terrific speakers. But, for me, a 5-year warranty is why I sleep at night and drive these things as often as I want. I'd consider that before I bought them at an auction site with no warranty (new), and I'd ask Gallo if a second owner can transfer a first owners registered warrany. That's how I would measure customer service myself.

Similar Products Used:

Listed in the above.