Gale 401's


Hi there,

I've had the good fortune on inheriting these speakers, though, without an amp.

My dad always said they need "power power power", but looking on other forums, people talk about sold state amps, which I know nothing about, and my dad sure didn't have one of those.

  • What's the difference between solid state and your run of the mill amp from Richersounds? 
  • Could a Cambridge Audio AXR85 power these enough to truly appreciate them?
  • or do I need to invest in something more specialist? 

Thanks,
C
c27078

Sorry for your loss. @douglas_schroeder ’s distinction between the casual "good enough" listener and the more serious efforts at trying to reproduce an approximation of live or real music in your room is a good one. Having said that, you might nonetheless choose to keep the speakers, not only for sentimental value, but for the coolness factor if you can afford to treat them as a core part of a secondary system which doesn’t require that you invest serious money in the overall system. I remember them from back in the day, doubt I ever heard them, they are sort of Bose 901-ish on stands but looked more expensive. To me, they are cool in a dated modern design aesthetic. You might have some fun with this even if you don’t intend to become a hobbyist, etc.
With due respect to c27078, while these speakers are wonderful period pieces and striking in their day, with captivating aesthetics if in good condition, they are not exceptional performers in todays environment. They have an average complement of drivers, with no extreme bass extension, so they will not be able to handle well contemporary music with lots of LF. I have not analyzed their internals, but it is likely given the period, that they would have a lot of cabinet noise associated with the design and therefore have a fair bit of distortion from it, occluding the mid/treble. That's just the way it is with such speakers from the past. If there is access to the back, or through the drivers, you could add some dampening material to lessen that ringing of the cabinet. I had the opposite problem with the Ohm Walsh Model F; the thing was SO damped with heavy foam that it was literally killing the beauty, so I removed half of it from the cabinet and the speaker started to shine. 

Their magic is if you can put them in the Landscape orientation, which struck many who heard them as impressive. Well, yeah, I have been doing work with Landscape orientation for years. I noticed it first in the studio, where monitors are used sideways, so I thought I would mimic it. Of course it is a great treat to shift the soundstage horizontal vs. vertical. I have written about it in reviews of the Daedalus Ulyssses, Magnepan .7, and PureAudoProject Trio15 Horn1 reviews at Dagogo.com 

The irony of that is there are some who by their skepticism and lack of experience discount or condemn such things. Quite apart from actual use/experience they mock, condemn etc. Great for them! They don't have to enjoy the cool experience of Landscape! Let them sit with their impoverished experiences! You, OTOH, have a treasure in that these speakers will give you something that 99% of speakers of any pedigree will not, the Landscape orientation. They are worth working into the mix for that reason alone. It is the Landscape orientation that makes speakers like the Gale 401 special. If your intent is to use them Portrait, similar to regular speakers, then you may as well move on if not enthralled. Imo, it would be a shame to have the capability of Landscape and not pursue it. Then again, I had people telling me that I needed to spend up to $7K to completely overhaul the Ohm Walsh Model F speakers, and that was not my objective. So, do as you wish. 

If this is all you can afford in terms of a system, then build it the best you can and be happy. However, it is nowhere near - as typical of the bulk of vintage speakers - what is available today, of course at much higher prices as performance escalates. If this speaker whets your appetite for better, do not think for a moment the Gale is the end of the road. Not even close. People who suggest so are ignorant of the actual performance spectrum of systems. 

I place this speaker properly in the category of the Ohm Walsh Model F, which is similarly interesting but seriously compromised in performance. I suggest you spend time with it, enjoy it for all the right reasons, and if that's the ultimate goal, great! It will bring much joy. If, however, in time you pine for more, then perhaps you can keep it as a causal speaker somewhere else in the home and seek a higher performance setup. But, that most likely would differ significantly because most speakers nowadays are not Landscape but Portrait orientation. Imo, you have a potential win/win with the Gale and adding another transducer in time. 

@c27078
Sorry for your loss.

I’d follow owner’s/previous owners advice regarding the amp (within a reasonable budget for me) and enjoy them, especially if they reminded me of my dad.

Consider letting your motivations toward stereo gear and music evolve. You may find streaming music to your setup is all you want/need.

Above all, don’t be tortured by the damm stuff. It’s a stereo. You’re the master- it’s the slave. Do what you comfortably can afford to pay and spend time enjoying. Run your race, my friend.


Best-
I have to say, there's been some great comments on this post. I've been members of many forums previously, mostly photographic, and this is probably the most helpful one I've used.

Much like photography, I can appreciate the nature of hi-fi and the rabbit hole mentality of getting bigger and better equipment.

I grew up listening to these speakers, but were switched out for something smaller about 20 years ago. I was always facinated by the sound and saw some (wooden ones) at an AirBnb a few years back and was instantly reminded of how awesome they were!

The foam thing may well be an issue and I'll remove the chrome caps to take a closer look and Vinatgegale has some great info. :)

Many thanks again for your warm welcome and advice, I look forward to delving into the world of Hi-Fi, if only brief. :)

Best,
C
If this is all you can afford in terms of a system, then build it the best you can and be happy. However, it is nowhere near - as typical of the bulk of vintage speakers - what is available today, of course at much higher prices as performance escalates. If this speaker whets your appetite for better, do not think for a moment the Gale is the end of the road. Not even close. People who suggest so are ignorant of the actual performance spectrum of systems.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

All that to say there are better speakers?  Not really..

Gail 401s are in a class of their own, just like JBLs. No one said everyone would like them, just the ones that took the time to set them up correctly and really enjoy a great speaker..

I don't own either Gail or JBL now. I have owned and repaired a lot of JBLs.  C45 ranger is not an audiophile speaker according to some, but then I didn't ask them either.

One of my favorite systems to listen to. JBL C45, Mac driven. (My Dads set up, he owned an Edsel too.)

BUT I listen to a Victrola too..

Your speakers will need a little attention, the crossover boards will need new parts and speaker surrounds. Replace the green end copper wire inside. 3-500.00 usd would be a real push on repair cost or parts. If you can do any of it.. 

As far a the speaker being horizontal vs vertical, they image better vertical, just like any MTM setup.. Horizontal you really have to toe them in to get the inside and outside drivers to sound correct

Your Dad had great taste.. Excellent speakers..

Regards