Gallo hi-fi system - A'Diva, Due and Micro speakers with MPS 150 powered subwoofer

Anthony Gallo Acoustics Reference 3: High End Report, Czech Republic, October 2004

One of the basic design and structural aspects of this speaker system manufactured by the American company Anthony Gallo Acoustics is the exclusive use of spherical enclosures for the midrange drivers and cylindrical shapes for the wide-dispersion tweeter and integral subwoofer. In fact, one cannot find a typical rectangular box speaker anywhere in the wide range of products from this firm.

The majority of the chassis parts and in particular the high-frequency Kynar piezoelectric CDT tweeter that represents one of the pivotal innovative elements of this three-way floorstander also sport a cylindrical design. However, this could hardly be called a typical three-way design. This model should more properly be regarded as a two-way three-driver monitor with integrated subwoofer, which can be operated in passive or active mode with the special company-designed SA subwoofer amplifier. The SA Reference 3 stereo subwoofer amplifier has power output of 2 x 240 W and is able to extend the system's bass frequency reach from 34 to 22Hz!

Two sets of universal gold-plated terminals are located at the lower rear of the steel enclosure and could easily be mistaken for bi-wire binding posts. The top connector is labeled 'Speaker In' and offers a simple full-range connection of the complete three-way system including the integral passively filtered subwoofer. The lower terminal labeled 'Sub In' is connected directly to the second voice coil of the specially designed woofer and avoids a passive filter network to connect to the optional/supplemental subwoofer amplifier. This amplifier causes the subwoofer to become active, which in turn enables not only extended lower frequencies but very likely also benefits overall dynamic range and accuracy of timbre. However, should the owner of this speaker system be baffled by the bi-wire appearance and attempt to actually biwire the Reference 3s, one would be surprised by a rather brittle-sounding midrange coming out of the bass modules. In this case, the second coils of the woofers will be connected to the amplifier directly and driven full-range without a low-pass filter. There is no need to be apprehensive, though, because despite the inaccurate connection, the function of the solidly designed audio amplifier or receiver won't impaired. Moreover, the product comes with a Czech-translated owner's manual, which offers detailed information about the proper terminal functions.

Among other specifications and details, this speaker system is also very rigidly built. The main pivotal part of the extremely sturdy frame that supports all speaker modules consists of two robust mirror-imaged aluminum castings firmly set in one compact black-lacquered ensemble. The rear panel of the robust frame consists of a narrow rectangular steel plate secured to the consoles by way of twenty high-quality hex screws. The interior of the product is literally stuffed with low-diffraction porous material. The efficacy of these structural details is evident from an exemplarily voiceless test tapping on any panel of the tastefully angular frame.

The top part of the system consists of the midrange module with its wide-range capacity of 125Hz -50kHz ±3dB. The module contains a tweeter and two symmetrically arrayed midranges with a 100mm diameter. Both midranges are manufactured from carbon fiber and mounted into independent spherical aluminum-alloy casings finished with a brushed surface. The purpose of the spherical shape lies in their minimum-diffraction geometry.

The cylindrical membrane of the centrally located company-patented CDT (Cylindrical Diaphragm Transducer) ultra tweeter mated mechanically to the midrange crossover frequency of 3kHz is made of a very light and extremely pliant plastic piezoelectric material called Kynar. The membrane surface is silver-plated. Voltage connection to the conductive surface causes the membrane to expand. This transducer system does not contain a voice coil, which is typical for conventional dynamic drivers. This revolutionary unburdened cylindrical membrane ensures remarkable accuracy in transmitting high-speed transient signals and the transducer effectively recreates ultrasonic frequencies up to 50kHz. This corresponds with the extension of the new SACD and DVD-Audio high-resolution formats. This proprietary transducer also impresses with its particularly open 300-degree horizontal disperion.

As I have partially alluded to in the introduction, the cylindrical shape is also noticeable in the subwoofer enclosures seamlessly wedged into the lower part of the robust frame. The custom designed bass driver with its 250mm dual voice coil propagates the sound sideways while its diaphragm is based on hardened paper. The system rests on a 45 mm-high wooden plinth available in natural cherry or natural maple finish. The system is protected against any mechanical damage by a detachable and very robust grill screen casing. The main part of the esthetically pleasing grill is a tubular welded steel frame with a stretched fabric. This generously dimensioned grill frame has almost no effect on the sound. The product packaging includes superbly designed adjustable cone feet. As an interesting aside, I will mention that one cone foot weighs a mere 315 grams! For time-alignment and image height reasons, it is usually recommended that the cone feet are adjusted such that the speaker is moderately angled back and the axes of the midrange speakers are positioned on ear level. The product packaging even includes disc-shaped floor protectors.

Sound

I have listened to the speakers in an environment roughly identical to the moderately sized space of a standard family or living room. The Nucleus Reference 3s are outfitted with a three-position tweeter contour switch to compensate for varying room acoustics. The highest setting is ±2dB. The mid position of 0dB was best suited for my specific room. However, the ability to change tweeter output is useful to adapt performance to a minimally (under-damped) or maximally (overs-tuffed) acoustic space. During the product testing, I paid specific attention to the placement of the woofers. The Nucleus Reference 3s are sold as mirror-imaged pairs that can be set up with their side-mounted woofers facing outward and inwards. Following experimentation over several days, I recommend positioning the woofers in the outwards orientation. The speakers were connected to the Dudek DPA 386 SE stereo amplifier while the optional Anthony Gallo Acoustics Reference 3 SA subwoofer amplifier was not at my disposal at the time of this review.

When one uses this unconventional looking product for listening for the first time, it is recommended that the listener be comfortably seated on a couch or other low-seating furniture so that his or her ears are aligned with the axes of the midrange drivers. In this case, the sound is optimal and exceptionally clear. However, if listening while standing or seated on a raised bar chair, the tibmre changes unnaturally. This is explained by the fact that each of the paired midrange transducers emanates relatively high-frequency tones up to 3kHz from different distance to the listener's ears. This causes phase anomalies and lobing. Anthony Gallo prefers a natural and open sound, which can be achieved by crossover-less connection of midrange drivers and wide-dispersion design. Every speaker system, even the most costly one, has its positive and negative attributes. It is always a matter of compromise, from the physical appearance to all the technical parameters. But if you take a seat in a comfortably plush low chair, you will understand without delay what these unconventionally looking speakers have to offer.

They will foremost impress any listener with an exceptionally clear sound every bit the equal of an electrostatic and an airy presentation of the sound stage. Its width and depth are recreated magically clear. My most memorable experience was listening to the Hilliard Ensemble's vocal quartet on the famous Officium album of the saxophone player Jan Garbarek (ECM 1525). The album was recorded in naturally reverberant monastery conditions which the Gallos portrayed beautifully not only with the individual vocals but also with the long reverberation trails of a real space as though the speakers themselves simply disappeared and left behind the actual large three-dimensional venue for the listener to enjoy. It was a uniquely memorable experience. The Nucleus Reference 3s pulled me into the musical action and I sat transfixed until the final notes of this album.

The Gallos have extremely well-balanced directional features. In practice, this means that you do not have to sit centrally or at the apex of an equilateral triangle but can enjoy the stunning sonic clarity while listening well off-axis or even from behind the speakers. This is attributable to the exceptional CDT transducer and the low-volume spherical midrange enclosures. Equilibrium of dispersion is by far the best compared to the existing competition on the market and truly exceptional. If more than one person listens, all will be equally pleased with the unusual transparency and speed.

The correct orientation of the woofers in the listening space will ensure the unobtrusive and seamless integration of the bass. Integrated subwoofers do not unnecessarily draw attention. The absence of ports has a positive effect as it eliminates boom. These subwoofers are however situated relatively low and when placed near room corners, will emphasize certain notes as a function of boundary reinforcement.

I have nothing bad to report about the bass system but it is without a doubt that the Nucleus Reference 3 truly shines in the vocal and treble ranges. Another memorable experience was listening to Joseph Hayden (Concertos for Oboe, Trumpet & Harpsichord, Trevor Pinnock, Polydor 1985 - Deutsche Gramophon, 1992). The oboe came across in a very translucent, clear and timbrally correct manner that allowed its uniquely masterful musical expressiveness to dominate the piece. The brilliant bite of the trumpet, the specific timbre of the flute and other instruments were beautifully captured. The violins had an exceptionally clear and detailed tone. These Gallos clearly demonstrated what is meant by "the exact transmission of the high-speed transient signals". The sound retained its exceptional clarity, detail and light airiness even during dense complicated passages including large musical ensembles. A wide range of musical genres (jazz, ethnic music, blues etc.) had a transparent and spatially accurate sound. I was particularly fascinated by the rich sound of the Talking Timbuktu Album (Ali Farka Toure with Ry Cooder, World Circuit Music, 1994) and the translucent character of the musical piece by Real Life jazz saxophonist and clarinet player Phil Woods (Chesky Records, 1991) in which natural sounds of individual musical instruments came to the forefront. The rhythmic cymbals of the percussionist Bill Goodwin sounded so crisp yet 'sweet' at the same time that I had to remind myself that the cymbals, too, belong to the euphonically harmonious group of musical instruments. The rendition of trumpet genius Tom Harrell was so clear and accurate that it gave a feeling of the musical instrument having a life of its own in the auditorium.

Conclusion

The Nucleus Reference 3s designed by the American company Anthony Gallo Acoustics represent a futuristic and unconventional design, which will likely speak to those unconventional listeners and audiophiles who are not satisfied with mediocre products and who occasionally find the time to devote themselves to single-minded and focused listening. The Nucleus Reference 3 merits attention and should you, for example, find yourself comfortably seated in a nice armchair, this speaker system will reward you with an unusually detailed, large-scale, luminous and spatially airy sound.

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Assets: The Nucleus Reference 3s deliver to any audiophile a uniquely balanced, deep and wide soundstage with exceptional spatial localization of individual musical instruments and sounds. Perfectly balanced on the horizontal dispersion plane. Detailed and transparent sound especially in the vocal and treble ranges. A three-position tweeter level switch to compensate for varying room acoustics. An exploded treble range. Accurate transmission of high-speed transient sound signals. Unwavering lucidity even during complex musical passages. Optional connection to the special SA subwoofer amplifier. Original design.

Liabilities: Timbral imbalance while listening outside the optimal midrange axes window in standing or elevated position. A somewhat confusing configuration of terminals requires attentive perusal of the owner's manual (conveniently translated into Czech). The Nucleus Reference 3 speakers are not magnetically shielded.

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