Lately I cannot decide between the Dynaudio Contour 1.3SE and Refence 3. Ignorant of any high-end audio retailers nearby, I am left to judge from the talk of others. They are very different speakers and am sure most will tell me to audition both in a store. Right now I am unable to do so. Any word or bit of advice will be helpful. I plan on using an Arcam avr-300 to power the speakers in a modest room. Is anyone familiar with the Gallo Reference 3? their build quality? The reviews are extremely positive for both speakers. I fear the Gallos are partly gimmick for reasons I don't know but feel. It must be the design even though it has sonic merits. Write your thoughts.
the gallos are marvelous speakers, having experience with them, and feel that the tweeter is positively fabulous. I will resist the urge to say that they will go neck and neck with designs such as wilson audio because I am not familiar enough with either of them.
I meant that to read as I am not personally familiar enough with enough ULTRA high end brands (wilson audio, avalon, etc. etc. etc) to make the direct comparison claims in reguards to the tweeter performing in the Gallo Ref3 in the price range of the aforementioned products to be able to say that the tweeter can produce "the nuances of the XYX without the harshness of ABC"
Well I have auditioned both. The current Gallo model is the 3.1 by the way. I do note that on Audiogon you can get the ref 3s for quite the discount due to the recent 3.1 release.
But this is a tough comparison. These are both really excellent speakers. Neither is a bad choice. You REALLY should audition them. The one that makes the hair stand on the back of your neck due to the in room live feel is the right one. The Dynaudios can be placed closer to the front wall and especially the side wall ( the design of the Gallo requires distance both side to side as well as front. I actually think that the Gallos image a tad better but the fiddle factor with regards to electronics and positioning in order to get them to sound their best is higher than Dynaudios, which are somewhat place and go actually.
But you need to audition them to pick the best one for you.