gallo nucleus 3.1 vs. vandersteen sig 3a

I lived with both speakers at the same time for about a year. Both are great speakers but in the end I kept the Vandersteen's

Thanks again everyone. I am going to try to find some gallos to audition. It seems the 3.1 can be had very reasonably on the used market. I may just have to try a used set.

Ok, I finally had a listen to the gallo 3.5. The room was a 15' square with minimal treatments. Also industrial carpet over concrete. All in all not the most perfect environment. The associated gear was all rotel.

My setup consists of audible illusions pre and dual mono 200w b&k. Very laid back not bright at all. I noted some edge to the gallos. It was probably a combination of room, electronics and limited break in of the gallos.

All in all I was fairly impressed. They are indeed open and the soundstage was enormous. I now understand the various comments regarding the bass. The bass notes were there, there just wasn't much weight. I don't know how much the sa helps as it wasn't hooked up. My vandys have far more weight and punch.

I think they are worth a try as the price point is really good even new. I don't get the 6000.00 retail though when everywhere is selling them in the mid to high 3k range. Weird.

Thanks again to you all. I will keep my eyes peeled for a used set and probably go that route for now.

For what it's worth, I have A/B'd the 3.1 vs the 3.5, and while the 3.5 are more transparent and clear sounding, the 3.1 have a significant amount more weight in the bass.

I think driving those speakers with Rotel electronics is a non starter and probably a big contributor to the edge you heard. The bass weight thing probably has a lot to do with being on a concrete floor. That said, the Gallos may also take some getting used to as older Vandys have sounded pretty laid back at least to my ears. Maybe the dealer would let you take them home for a day or two? That would answer a lot of your questions I'd think. Then again maybe the Quattros would be well worth a listen.

Now that I realize it, you've never mentioned exactly what you're looking to improve. Maybe we should start there, and if you're not sure about that I'd suggest going out and listening to several other brands to create a better frame of reference. Best of luck.