ET LFT-VIIIB V.S. A. Gallo 3.1

Both benefit greatly from stands- a hidden expense, but then most speakers will.

I would add Magnepan 1.6s, which continue to get Best in the price class- see new TAS Recommended Components.

I was very hot-to-trot for the Gallos, when I finally heard them I was not impressed, and I heard them in the right size room with proper components

Unless the MK doubles down at 4 ohms you might need to replace it

Some years back I heard both speakers (8A)at a dealer in direct comparison. Both very, very good. Gallos had deeper, considerably tighter bass. EmTechs had that planar imaging and a sense of mirange detail that were impressive. Integration of the woofer and panel was very good, but not completely inaudible. Both were great, but the EmTech was both more impressive in its strengths and troublesome in its weaknesses. I suspect that some people intuitively lean one way and other folks lean the other way in this type of choice.

Marty

I like my Gallos for their incredibly wide sweet-spot. In addition, guitars and vocals (mid-range) were incrediubly life-like. They are also very "fast", their response to quick transients (cymbals, drums, horns, etc.) is extremely good. I, too, have heard them properly setup, and runnning the 2nd voice coils, in a large room and the sound they presented was astonishing.

Good luck in your search!

-RW-

I own the ET 8As (soon to be a B upgrade). I heard the Gallos in a high end, well respected dealers showroom (who will remain nameless). They imaged great but the soundstage was too low (no stands) and there was a midbass hump that was very bothersome, in a heavy treated room. (although there were other speakers in the room that could have affected this) Didn't think the woofer mated with the mids. I was surprised to hear upon returning to the dealer months later that they no longer stocked that speaker. The dealer was not moving them and felt as I did about the sound.
The ET speakers are wonderful - set up properly and with some reservations. They do need good power. I am running 250 into 8 ohms, and can still clip them if I am not careful.
They do play loud, but because they are so clean, you don't realize how loud they are.
There is a shift in getting used to listening to them going from dynamic speakers - even the Gallos. The sound is not thrown at you but around you so to speak (dipole). It's kind of like going to hear a live orchestra. You say to yourself (after listening to amplified music at home) man I wish they could be louder, until your ears realize this is the way it is suppose to sound - like the real thing. Hope
that helps.