Tyler/Salk sensible alternatives to Gallos?

Achieving decent soundstaging across a wide listening area requires taking psychoacoustics into account. The ear localizes sound by two mechanisms - arrival time and intensity. Arrival time will inevitably be skewed in favor of the closer speaker if you're off the centerline. So to maintain an acceptable soundstage from off-centerline, ideally you'd want a configuration where the farther away speaker is actually a bit louder than the one you're closer to. Perhaps the simplest solution is a geometric one - namely using an extreme amount of toe-in, like about 45 degrees, such that as you move closer to one speaker you're also moving more on-axis of the farther speaker. Most speakers are louder on-axis than they are off-axis, at least in the higher frequencies where most localization cues come from. Note that most speakers are not designed for this configuration and so most do not really work very well with it. The radiation pattern has to be unusually well-controlled or else the soundstaging or tonal balance (or both) falls apart with this much toe-in. But it's not like you can use less toe-in and get nearly the same results - the tweeter axes have to cross well in front of the listening area if you want that freedom to move side-to-side without the soundstage (and tonal balance) collapsing.

In order to get consistent tonal balance throughout the room, you want the first-arrival frequency response and the power response (summed omnidirectional response) to be very similar. One key here is to look at the first-arrival sound from the two speakers combined, rather than at just one. That same extreme toe-in that gives us decent soundstaging over a wide area can also give us consistent tonal balance over a wide area if the speakers are designed with this as a high priority.

Decent soundstaging across a wide listening area and consistent tonal balance throughout the room are important to me, and I gravitate towards designs that can do this. The Klipschorns suggested by Tvad are among the relatively few loudspeakers that can do both.

Duke
dealer/manufacturer

Opalchip your comment "not...timbrally or harmonically accurate" puts the Gallos down on my particualr dance card. As a musician and student of the sound and technique of great jazz musicians, my goal is to put together a system that is as sonically neutral as possible, or at least one that can be colored as I choose. Hence the tube pre and Halcro amp, whose strengths are transparency and with the guts to drive anything . When I listen to Paul Desmond's melifluous alto, I want to hear what he sounds like - not what the speaker sounds like. As I delved into the possibilities, I discovered the Harbeth's are described as faithful to the sound. This is what I am looking for - along with the soundstage and imaging that the Gallo's are famous for. As I said above, I may already own the speakers I need. The Newforms are well over 6', and seem, to my ear to be faithful - as much as I can tell, never having the honor to hear Desmond, Stitt, Ammons and the like. In my studio, where they can have their space, and driven by the Halcro, I believe I will get that sound. At least it is a good first step. And the Khorns to fill the Newform's shoes in my large living space are a very economical option (used) and will scratch that old itch. Opalchip, I appreciate your musician's perspective.

Deliberate, if you decide to unload your Newforms, let me know as I might be going in that direction (also looking at the Gallos). Best of luck to you in your search!

I dunno, I've never heard speakers I like as well as my Gallos, and I've listened to a lot of speakers, before and since.

"I dunno, I've never heard speakers I like as well as my Gallos, and I've listened to a lot of speakers, before and since."

Dopogue, good for you. Satisfaction is the Holy Grail of the audio experience. The rest of us hang out at this audio equivalent of an online dating forum searching for that perfect sonic mate. We should all envy you.