CES, Day 3: A New Reference from Gallo Acoustics
Improving the breed is part and parcel for the high end. Few are as successful and original as the sounds and shapes that stem from the imagination of Anthony Gallo. The new, evolutionary Gallo Acoustics Reference 3.5, based on the popular and critically well-received Reference 3.1, is like its forebear a four-driver, three-way. Like the original Ref 3 it still performs crossover-less from 125Hz on up. It employs Gallo’s patented CDT tweeter, a pair of 4-inch carbon-fiber midranges and new for the 3.5, a custom 10-inch woofer improved with a ceramic-coated aluminum cone. It's also a smidge easier to drive at 87dB sensitivity and a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. An all new aluminum “outrigger” style base not only improves stability but impact and image focus as well. It’s sonics are tighter, more open with knock-out coherence. It’s virtually baffle-free design creates a stunning soundstage with even greater realism thanks to the improved image height and superb vertical dispersion for what remains a relatively short floorstander. It’s slated for debuted in the 3rd quarter and should price out in the estimated $5800/pr range.
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Comments
What is the height of 3.5 compared to the 3.1 overall and the heights of the various drivers? Are the dimesions of the black spine of the 3.5 the same as the 3.1?
Cabinet specs are pretty much identical but the height is slightly greater due to the improved stands which can also be adjusted for rake. Their positioning at the base of the speaker has not been finalized but the rear outrigger will likely be pushed further back for greater stability. Certainly side to side stability is vastly improved, an important issue for a side-firing woofer that "wants" to push the speaker over under heavy SPLs. In fact, Gallo feels the larger sonic difference stems from the new woofer. He stated that he was most satisfied with the greater image height and sense of space he was now getting–an improvement that was easily heard during the demonstration.
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
Has anyone really had an issue with their Ref IIIs falling over while playing at high SPL? I sure haven't. I can imagine that it would help from accidents arising from little hands or paws however. Did AG have anything to say regarding the newer structure of the spheres containing the midrange drivers? Not only are they angled now, it seems they flatten out towards the front with some manner of flange (just like the Stradas). Does that have something to do with ease of manufacture or is it reflective of some other internal change in those drivers?
I imagine the additional width of the base, has more to do with lessening lateral vibrations of the speaker caused by the woofer, than to prevent them from falling over.
Did I catch that price correctly? I thought the current version of these speakers were originally priced somewhere around $3K/pair. Unless I am mistaken, the price appears to have almost doubled in just a few years!
Do the 3.5s have the same dual voice coils of the original Ref 3 and 3.1s? How are they "easier to drive," given the originals' 8-ohm, 88 db sensitivity?
I really don't think that's what Neil meant. That's why "wants" is in quotation. He meant theoretically, not physically IMO. The Ref 3.1's aren't going to fall over. I've never ever heard of that being an issue.
That said, I got to hear these at CES. Oh my they are something else. You can't question the price or anything about them until you've heard them. You absolutely have to hear these.
I have my Ref 3.1's in a 2nd floor media room. I built a secondary base under mine by placing the speakers with base and spikes attached onto 3 layers of birchwood butcher blocks ~ 1" @ on a single piece of 3/4 birch plywood. I have a thin rubberlike shelf liner between each layer for bonding. They are then spiked through my carpeted floor into the wood below. The sonic improvement was only outwieghed by the improved energy. It appears that the floor was sucking about half of the energy out of my Gallos. Now the family downstairs no longer minds when I play music and I have been rewarded with an upgraded speaker. My secondary base is 19" X 13" X 3.75".
I've got the 3.1s - never fallen over, no matter what the volume!
The 3.5s are significantly more expensive than the 3.1 - I think he's also done with the (optional) bass amp as not needed in this case. I thought they were very slightly shorter, but I might be mistaken. The woofer looks a bit smaller than the 3.1's. I also understand that the model on show is not necessarily the final model - there's still a bit of work going on, including the grill to be designed. All in all, I felt the 3.5s were a good improvement on my 3.1s.
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