Swingin’ on the Gallo’s Pole

by benanders on custom speakersGalloAnthony Gallo AcousticsLine ArraySound MasterMusical FidelityOppoKorgSubwoofercustom cablesRaspberry PiWicked Aluminum

Description

Speakers (AGA Strada 2 x12) were assembled for question-driven goals with specific priorities.

No special acoustic treatment in room. All boundaries are solid concrete except the window behind the blinds.
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Room Details

Dimensions: 30’ × 16’  Large
Ceiling: 11’

Components Toggle details

    • Gallo Acoustics Reference Strada 2
    x12
    • Gallo Acoustics TR3-D subwoofer
    x2; 300w continuous, 600w peak, per sub
    • Hobby Lab custom cables / interconnects
    sonically superb, so sorted & solved ;)
    • Sound Master No. 88.3 Integrated
    Preamp with 6SN7 / 6SL7; power = KT88
    • Musical Fidelity A3.5 Integrated
    Sure, bit lightweight, but more than enough for this job. Overkill competitors were not remarkably different, and this is one of those cute senior citizens.
    • OPPO Sonica DAC
    The DAC, the whole DAC, and nothing but the DAC (Sonica app is long-dead).
    • Korg DS-DAC-10R
    Fun because it looks like a swanky little Apple product ( #convo_piece ) but sounds enough like other decent DAC’s.
    • Raspberry Pi 3b+ ; 4b
    One or the other model depending on what I’m up to, either/or with “official PSU” (gasp away) and Wicked Aluminum case.
    • Yaqin Audio MS-22B
    Phono stage with the Les “mods”, 3x 12ax7 Full Music’s.
    Phono = phun over phidelity in this setup, so no worries!
    • Pro-Ject RPM-3
    A decade old and still spinnin’ right, roundbaby!

Comments 10

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Owner
tvad March 07, 2024 03:10

@tvad thanks for the comments. I agree, the Gallo Ref 3’s you mention are fun speakers. I’ve still a pair of 3.5’s in storage. Someday they’ll get back into play for HT…

Fully agree re: subs. Additional subs (stacked for possible benefit of their highest frequencies or perhaps distributed if WASP or other software was brought in) would potentially “up the game” but for all intents and purposes purposes, the lifestyle choice of two is enough for now. It’s surprising to me how limited an issue room modes are with the present setup.

benanders

Owner
audphile1 March 07, 2024 01:48

@audphile1 thanks for your questions. 

The array gets full signal and rolls off around 100 Hz (monitors spec’ed lower, but, +/- 3dB doesn’t always apply much past 1 meter…). The subs are crossed slightly above 100 Hz.

The present furnishings in the room are largely sufficient, believe it or not. Conventional treatment borders on over-treatment here. The speakers’ presentation is compromised even if tapestries are suspended on sidewalls (but this was necessary at a previous residence). The same unusual case apparently applies to the relatively new Clarysis speakers. Oddly enough - solid boundaries generally considered too “live” (e.g. concrete, plaster etc.), and avoidance of excessive damping or other treatments, seem preferable. The best treatment would probably be to push the sidewalls further apart.

benanders

Many years ago, I spent significant time at an audio listening to Gallo loudspeakers. They were a 3-way model with side firing subwoofers. They disappeared in the room. Fantastic. 

Given what I imagine must be an immersive sound, you might love what a multi-sub distributed bass array would do. 

tvad

Really cool looking speakers. Is there a crossover or are you feeding the array full bandwidth? Or do you use the crossover in the subs to break it down?
Room looks cool as well. Is it not acoustically treated by design or you just didn’t get around to it yet? 

audphile1

Owner
Thanks, @mjcmt  
I think they do. 
When people who saw Zep live headbang (as best they still can ;) and/or hop around to these speakers, it suggests a decent level of “emotional accuracy” achieved.

benanders

Nice gear set up. So does your system do justice to Led Zeppelin's Gallows Pole?

mjcmt

Owner
Thank you @jond 
I agree :D

I’ve said and typed it before and will do so again here: it’s not the sound everyone wants at home, but I’m still looking for the person who’s listened and doesn’t love it.

benanders

Now that's a cool off the beaten path system for sure! Never heard Gallo's and certainly never seen a pair like that nice line array! And cool integrated it looked a bit like Jadis from afar.

jond

Owner

Hi David ( @dtorc ),


Thank you. My questions aimed at if/how Gallo speakers could meld qualities of hifi x live venue, in-home. The 5LS design had me hopeful. I trialed multiple iterations (1, 2, 4, 6x Strada 2 monitors per Ch).

Adjustments could still be worthwhile e.g. additional subs - 2 more TR3-D’s per channel - to approximate Gallo’s original ratio of <100Hz : >100Hz drivers surface area; certain forms of room treatment; etc. 

But with this setup’s present combo of modularity and what it sounds like, I feel no need for change.

benanders

I live near a hifi store that sells Gallo, and have enjoyed their sound. And Pierre Sprague from Mapleshade was a big fan, especially of their subs. But you have taken this to new heights, literally. Sounds like you were in an experimental mode - what were the questions for which you are trying to find answers? Is this interesting arrangement giving you any of those answers?

I admire your sense of adventure...

David

dtorc

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