Anthony Gallo Reference 3 without sub

I've audition the speakers and it sound is quite impressive especially the price as well as performance. I don't think you'll need an extra sub but it'll all depend on your taste.

I auditioned these speakers last week with a friend, and thought they sounded quite good, although for $2600 they should. The demo pair I heard was in a rather poor room (acostically), but despite that I thought they were well balanced. The only sonic quality that mildly concerned me was a tendency to sound just a bit hard in the upper registers when driven hard (they were connected to a NAD integrated amp).

The speakers are much smaller than I expected based on the advertising photos, so they'd be a good choice in a smaller listening room. They created a very nice, wide soundstage that imaged very well.

There are some very good speakers in this price range, such as the Vandersteen 3A, which I think is superior to the Gallo Reference 3 and only costs $200 more. The two speakers have different tonal characteristics, so you might want to audition both to see which speaker you like best.

A great speaker and a fantastic buy. I like my pair better every day.

I auditioned the Ref 3's at CES this past January; Anthony was kind enough to play my reference CD for me, Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms XRCD. Man I like those speakers plenty, I went back three times to his room to listen. I suspect they sound their best well away from walls and whatnot.. the footprint is awful small so they should be easy to dial in. I prefer the Gallos to the Vandys but please bear in mind that a set up at a show is nowhere near the same as what you'll hear at home. If I was in the mood for a change in transducers Gallo Ref 3's would be very high on my list. I know I'll own a pair at some point and that's saying plenty coming from a planar guy.

See the current issue of The Absolute Sound (front page)for a review of the Ref 3. Raves for the speaker but highly recommends the addition of the sub amplifier .