Gallo Nucleus, Reference 3.1... Spectacularly Designed Full Range Speakers

As has been said many times, Anthony Gallo thinks outside the box...boxy speakers that is. Removing tweeters, mid-range drivers, and woofers from their boxed captivity within the traditional wooden cabinet allows the sonics to run free and unbridled, un-distorted by acoustic noise, resonances and vibrations produced when transducers are confined...a pure and natural sound can therefore result. There is no cabinetry to tune. Hence the Reference Series was born. Gallo has accomplished his goal and these Nucleus Reference 3.1 were his crown jewel. 

So to speak anyway. The Reference 3.1 is simply a short, hollow, curved and up-tapered, cast aluminum "stalk" as Anthony Gallo calls it, with speakers attached to the front of its exterior. The most prominent of which is a single 10" drum-shaped, stainless steel side-firing woofer enclosure at the base.  As you climb the stalk you immediately notice the two stainless steel, somewhat spherical 4" mid-range transducers that resemble small 1930's car headlights that bracket a single semi-cylindrical piezoelectric tweeter with a metal mesh grille. This resembles an D'Appolito-style array (invented by Joseph D'Appolito, where a tweeter is sandwiched between two stacked mid-range drivers). The resulting look is interstellar meets African tribal sculpture.

WHAT DO THE REFERENCE 3.1 SOUND LIKE...
With the 3.1s eight feet apart, slightly toed in at about 10-15 degrees and tilted back at the angle created by the supplied plinth spikes...tweeters at ear level, the 3.1s began to sing jazz, then Dire Straits, Fleetwood Mac, and some Mozart, just to start. The 3.1s immediately disappeared  into space. Totally transparent. A huge sound stage at once appeared, a touch lower than usual though I never sensed that I was in a box seat, but rather higher than lower seating. Three dimensional music, holographic imaging, flowed from where the recording was made. The musician's locations and their placement were at the correct height, width and scale. The micro-resolution, the absolute absence of noise or distortion, made for clear as crystal music with unparalleled transparency and neutrality along with a super wide sweet spot. These sound like large loudspeakers...do not let the diminutive size fool you! High notes tinkled and echoed naturally and realistically. The extremely wide dispersion produced by the 300-degree piezo-electric tweeter made what I heard even more real. Attack and decay were perfect. Mid-range notes, the so-called meat of music, were silky and romantic but distinct and dimensional - satisfyingly well-resolved. The bass did not boom or get muddy and seemed to be tightly thumping in proportion to the highs and mids, integrated and seamless. In each piece of music, no matter the genre, all seemed as if you were there, on stage near the musicians. I could not detect anything that I did not like...no sibilance in the highs, no indistinct mids, no bloated, distorted bass. Couple that with an easy listen, no fatigue after three hours. None. The speakers pull you into their world. We were stunned... so, these might not be as good as it gets at the highest of the high end, but boy, we could care less. These speakers are simply fabulous. Just astoundingly great and in spectacular condition - only the slightest signs of wear anywhere. Small snag on one grill cage but NO ONE would ever keep them on and hide the spectacular techy vibe going on under their sails.

Come to the NEW shop in Andover to demo these fabulous Gallo speakers.

Gallo Nucleus, Reference 3.1: $2199 plus sales tax and shipping when applicable.