I have mine partnered with a B&W PV1D subwoofer. My Strada 2's are on stands. This combination is MAGICAL 🙌 in all the audiophile ways that we love. Not only does it sound amazing, but the PV1D subwoofer visually matches the Gallo Stradas exceptionally well. Looks like they were made by the same company they matched so well.
I know this is a year after this video, but I love Gallo speakers. they are fantastic! I got rid of my 5.1 setup years ago, but they are still one of my favorites from all setups that I've had in the past. small and unique, while sounding great in real life. My college kids still wish I had kept them.
Have these on floor stands with two Svs SB16 ultras and a Cronus Magnum 3. Everything I could want in a set up. Off the charts good, and end game for me. Had Gallo 3.5, Goldenear references, Magnepan 3.7, Spatial M3 Triode Masters, ML Montis, all beat by this set up.
What did you think of the Strada/SVS setup vs Spatial M3 --- I added my comments on a similar setup to yours with similar thoughts, but I have heard the M3s in a similar size room as mine, and I loved them and have had my eye out for a used pair (not easy to find). Directly comparing would be one way, but your insights would be wonderful as well...Thanks!
Ron, I haven’t heard the Gallo speakers but there are a few things that I will comment on from my judgement of the design of them. 1. While Gallo has done a fine job of getting as much bottom from the woofers given the small volume, they just cannot reach low enough to blend well with most subs so even if they are paired with good subs, there should be two of them placed below the Gallos because the higher lowpass frequency needed will become noticeable as far as differences in position between the Gallos and a subwoofer that is not near the Gallos. That’s getting really expensive though. 2. The Gallos are superior to probably any other speakers as far as diffraction effects from the enclosure. Harry Olson did a lot of testing back in the 50s on the frequency response variations caused by different enclosure geometry’s and the spherical design was a lot better than any other geometry’s. 3. The dip in impedance at 20kHz will not really cause any problems as the level of music at that frequency is very low compared to the rest of the audio range. These are my main observations about the Gallos.
I have a pair of Gallo Stradas on stands with stereo TR-1 subs next to each w high crossover 125Hz which is same as the 3.1s (which also own). Placement is along long wall. Speakers 15 feet apart and 10 feet from listener. Speakers 2 1/2 feet off back wall. Soundstage is 15 feet wide, 2 feet deep and 4 1/2 feet tall to ceiling. Instruments are pin point. Timber and tone are natural and precise. A cymbal rings and decays as expected. Same with a drum. My electronics are higher end mid-fi Marantz SR-7008 with vintage hafler transnova 9300 stereo amp, tube buffer and Nakamichi CD-4. That is what these can do in such a room for music and double as home theater sides with Gallo a'Diva satellites. Stereo subs that are MUSICAL (fast/tight) is key. You now have a high end full range speaker system with great flexibility and clean aesthetics matched to the right size room doing amazing things.
I had a 5.1 anthony gallo setup with 5 Due's, which are the little brother to the Strada 2's. I had the Anthony gallo sub too, but I used a better one. I loved the setup, which really surprised me, since I loved to play my music really load, but it did well for me. I had that system for about 3 years and miss having a setup that you hardly noticed in the room, but provided great sound.
Another high end subwoofer company (though not with high end prices) is Rythmik Audio. These subs are extremely musical and have the same servo control as your open baffle H-frames but are in sealed and ported configurations. Rythnik's 12" servo subs start at $559 for the L-12 but I would recommend the F-12G which starts at $998. The F-12G uses the GR-Research driver that is in their DIY sub kit 1 and is much better at frequencies above 90Hz than the aluminum cone Rythmik driver in the F-12 model. If you like DIY get the GR-Research sub kit 1 but if you want a commercial sub get the Rythmik F-12G.
@@hifiman4562 Can't do that. The L-12 and F-12G are commercial products made and sold by Rythmik Audio. They are separate models. Also, the L-12 is designed as an entry level sub while the F-12G is a much higher end model. The driver, amp, and cabinet construction are different.
@@Newrecordday2013 or Michael, If one doesn't have an open baffle main speakers, what blends better, an open baffle Hframe sub from GRR or closed like the Rythmik. Is the only different between the two that one is a DIY another is turnkey or is there a difference between these closely matched servo subs (I suppose one can also do a sealed box with GRR Servo kits)?
Your review is exactly what these speakers do and you are correct about the TRD-3 subs and the bass frequencies but this is what I did to fix that. I use 2 TRD-3 subs and I added an Ashley Analog 2 way stereo crossover ( any active analog crossover should do ). I put the subs in bypass mode ( on the back panels ) and do the adjustment from the audio gear rack ( instead of running from one sub to the other to micro adjust the volumes and frequency split on the Subs control panels ) . The Stada 2's are powered by a Classe Audio DR-9 amplifier. The next step is I custom built 3/4" thick aluminum shaped plates and placed the subs on those and attached the Gallo speaker posts to that plate. I wanted to do this so the subs can sit exactly under the top speaker and make them look like a conventional 3 way speaker ( minus the box of course ) what I got out of that is crazy good bass that digs way low and punches tight and strong.The active crossover permitted me to adjust the TRD-3s and fix the mid bass issues of the Gallo Strada 2 boxes. The crossover width notch filter did the trick and the coupling of the Subs to the floor via the custom plates took care of the low end and the mid bass. I know all about speaker isolation and what not, but these subs want to be coupled to a hardwood floor with an adjustable analog crossover to fine tune them. NOT recommended for apartment complexes. You will get evicted.
The major flaw is that it does not have the baffle area/woofer area to make good lower midrange. So, there is always a hole between a normal sub and this speaker. The way to get rid of the problem is to use a woofer system (not sub woofer...however the woofer system could go down to the earth core, if designed to do so).....with it and time align the two systems. Here is an example. You have a 10 inch woofer in a box (mounted towards the top and forward facing). You put the stada on top of the woofer box (isolated with cardboard or super isolators) and move the strada backward and forward till it time aligns with the strada. The woofer would need to be the same sensitivity as the strada and the xover on the woofer would have to be tuned so it does not go too high.....you could start with a simple coil.....but probably you would want a coil and cap to roll the woofer off steeper. The woofer would give you the body and heft the speaker will not produce by itself (or with a normal sub) and the time alignment will insure the imaging is just as good as without a sub. The trouble with this "fix" is that it now looks nothing like a strada and requires DIY skills which most do not possess. My own speaker is somewhat the same as this "fix". I use a single Neo 10 on a nine inch wide open baffle that rolls itself off on the bottom starting at 300 hz.....so, i have a box underneath with two 6.5 inch woofs that match the sensitivity of the midrange and use a coil on the woofs.....I have all the "body and heft" I could ask for. The woofs were playing too high with just the coil so I draped some felt in front of them and "bingo".....perfect sound without adding a cap in the xover. If you are a DiY guy then plenty of solutions are available.....of course.....some people have WAF to contend with.....me....man cave dude.....i just want great sound.
Maybe I found also an other solution. Using the Lingdorf TDAI 1120 or 3400. Using 2 ( fast!!) subs in the corners ( Lingdorf calls this " boundary woofers") and with the DSP crossover at 200 hz maybe higher. In the DSP is a time alignment ( distance measured) between the satellites and woofers.
I have a pair of A’Divas. For the longest time i thought subs just went BOOM. I had a canbridge audio minx mini sub. The system always sounded disjointed and lacked slam. After watching this vid and a video about the two kinds of subs in the market, i bought a REL T-zero MKII sub. Jeez my system sound proper now. Maybe too realistic. Spooks me sometimes.
Could the vertical off axis be "bad" like that by design to cancel out the potential for ceiling reflections? Further, the heavily elevated highs, yet these don't sound hot or harsh and we marvel at the cymbal realism. Combined with great spectral decay waterfall, maybe all these things, AG thinking outside the box as we know, add up to some unconventional measurements that however excel under real world conditions? Old thread, but any thoughts?
@@ArrogantBaSStard I have a pair and really enjoy them. They have to be paired with a sub that can crossover pretty high, the RELs do that well. I feel in love with the old Gallo Solo's, these retain the same top end but are quicker in the mids. I also have a pair of Quad 57 and I prefer the Sratas in my set up . Hope that helps. Btw: I don't think he says they are "bad" he rightly points out the do very little bass or even low mid bass, but what they do they do very well.
@@warrenkeppler9217 Thanks. The review started pretty positive so I was hopeful. The review then evolved to mostly negative towards the second 3rd, and then really went south at the end summary. I don’t play loud with booming bass. I just want clear sound and mids with some bass at low volumes.
@@mediascapes2011 Be glad to answer any specific questions you have. The top end is similar (its been 10 years since I heard the Solo), but the strata doesn't do low or mid bass as well... or really at all.
Have you ever tried them with the Mapleshade stands? I had that set up years ago and really liked it (it didn't hurt that I knew Pierre Sprey, the owner of Mapleshade, now sadly deceased). I later upgraded to Legacies. A few years after that, I moved from the east to the west coast, it was too much of a hassle/cost to ship the gear, so I sold it. I am now rebuilding something more modest. Probably with these Gallos.
Hi Ron, following the channel for some years now; love your content. I have the Gallo Due' s for more then 15 years. Now thinking about changing to OB like GR NX Studio, Caladan. Due to i am living in Holland maby better ( more easy/affordable) going for Strada 2. My question; does a Strada 2 comes near to the OB- experience?( that special spatial "thing " your always talking about) I never heard OB before. I now use the Due's with a Gallo sub.amp, cross at 160 hz. Made my own sub open pipe. ( 5.8 feet tall x 8 inch x 10 inch, 2 times 8 inch SB nomex woofers. Never are able to locate the (single) sub witch is placed in a corner. Excuse my Dutch high skool English 😂
I use a pair of DIVA speakers as rears for my cinema setup. They are a bit on the thin sounding side and I think the same ball speakers are used in a pair in these.
I’ve had the bigger Reference AV speakers in my AV setup for 10 years now and they still continue to surprise me. Never been tempted to change. AG make beautiful speakers that sound as good as they look.
The 50-80Hz band for me has proven difficult, but that's mostly down to room acoustics. Half-wavelength of 50Hz (full 100Hz wavelength) is about 11-12 feet, which is a very common small-medium room dimension, and half-wavelength of 70Hz is 8 feet (that good ol' "stand up and the kick drum is gone"). Dipoles are excellent in this regard, as they essentially split the room into two loads front-to-back, with the sides (and top) producing phase cancellation.
I have a package from Gallo, the Diva plus TR-3(?) subwoofer. Worked great for a few years. Then my subwoofer blew its fuse and subsequently blows every fuse I put into it. Very sad. Over time the speaker bind posts have loosened on the backs of the Divas. I wish I could easily get the sub serviced.
John S. If you live in the UK, Gallo Acoustics in Scotland provide exceptional customer service. I bought a TR2 in 2008 when living overseas to partner a set of Advia Tis. 5 or 6 years after buying, it developed a buzz that would not go away. Got in touch with GA and sent it off from London to Scotland by courier. Not only did the guys quickly identify the problem as being on the internal circuitry, they basically upgraded the sub to a T3 by putting the latest motherboard in and only charged nominal labour. They even shipped it back to me free of charge. Best service I have ever had for any product. The sub in question is still going strong. So, if you do live in Britain, go ahead and get in touch with Stephen Pitt at the Scotland office. I would suggest that if you live elsewhere, it would still be worth contacting your local dealer, as I feel that this service is a hallmark of Gallo and should be reflected wherever you are. Good luck.
John, Give "Audio Geeks" in San Antonio a call. We have the TR3d replacement amplifiers in stock that are newer. The issue with the fuses blowing over time has been addressed. We can sort the speaker binding posts as well.
Wow, the same thing happened to my TR3 just a couple weeks ago. I never liked the sub much. Didn't come close to the quality of the Strada 2s. This review of the Strada 2's was spot on. Drum kicks from these guys is terrible, but female voices, magnificent. I just purchased an SVS SB3000 that I hope can clear up some of the mid bass. I'll probably eventually get 2 if I don't upgrade to the 4000 later with their 1 year upgrade plan. I love my Strada's to death but they clearly need help. They say the 3000 can be musical as well in the higher range and I hope that's true. My Anthem MRX 1120 receiver's ARC room correction set the Stada's at 225hz for crossover to the TR3, lol. I think it was right.
Excellent review! In my opinion , accurate , non fatiguing treble and insanely wide and deep soundstage are certainly the forte of these speakers ! As mentioned in the review they love power and will force you to play the music they like ( mainly female voices and Jazz trios in my case). Would be great to know about other speakers that are capable of pulling the same disappearance act but could also deliver on the lower end of the spectrum. Thanks
Got a pair of CL 3 and that 180 degree zone. Power by an anthem 200w amplifier. They definetly need power, thought about getting an emotiva for more power or upgrade to other speakers unsure though. im deaf at one ear for sure though.
For whatever reason 100 watts per channel seems to be a magical number. Perhaps most the testing in designing and prototyping utilize 100 watts per channel?
Speakers need current not watts. I auditioned a 14 watt per channel Milbert tube amp that blew my mind. An old Scott 22 watt per channel tube amp sounded even better. You are correct for a modern class AB Amplifiers 70 to 100 watts of real RMS power seems to be ideal.
Any other speakers you’ve heard that can image like these do, but can player a little lower in the mid bass / bass region? Thanks again for another solid review!
I am suprised that since you own the 3.1's you didn't mention the differences between the those and these.My guess is close enough that it doesn't matter.Yes the sweet spot of these must be good.20 years ago for a short period I owned the basketball Ref 2's from Gallo and yes the CDT tweeter was fantastic set them up right with boundaries and it was spooky town.But even with subs the lower mids lacked.My guess is these are like the smaller Maggies maybe you would use them as a daily driver but they are fun to pull out of the closet of that acoustic music recording with the space thing going
Plus one to this. I started with Strada II’s, 2x TR3Ds and Adiva SE’s. I couldn’t fill that 80 to 120hz gap and really missed that warmth and floor tom sound. I have now swapped the Tr3D’s (now excellent movie subs in another system) for 2x Rhythmic FM8s and, as you say Ron, the warmth is there. Excellent pairing. Great review and giving me the itch to upgrade to a 2-channel power amp for the Stradas. Currently powered by Arcam AVR550 (90wpc). Read a few items remarking on high power making a big difference. I wonder if Arcam PA240 would be a good edition (225wpc@8ohms) for aesthetic parity on power increase?? The illness continues..... 🧐
My question to u Ron .is if u had these Anthony Gallo for a long time u hv lot of negative point on it.if ppl want it give some plus point to it..as u hv had it for ages
I was skeptical and dual subs and they worked wonders in evening out the bass in my room and reducing decay times. A bit concerned about running a single sub- especially all the way up to 120Hz.
i have a dedicated cinema room with gallo micros for all speakers and two gallo tr-3d subs. im thinking of replacing the front and centre channel micros with the strada 2's. would appreciate your thoughts. My amp is the yamaha rx-a3050
Andy, I have a very similar setup to you except that I'm running Due's as my right and left fronts and use an Infinty Sub and as amazing as the Nucleus Micro's are, the Due's are better and I dream of Due's all around. As the Strada's are basically the Due's but using the larger A'Diva instead of the Micro, I can't think of any reason NOT to jump on that...except budget. Let us know how it turns out.
You need really fast clean subs with very good mid bass output to run with the Strada's. Gallos TRD can only give you the deep bass after 90 or so hz they cant keep up. You have to break in your SVSs for at least a month before you even try to match them with the Strada's. If you can get the mid bass right ( it is very difficult) you will have a system that cannot be beaten until you well exceed the 10k mark. The Strada's are that good.
I have the Strada IIs and love them for the reasons you stated in your review. Suggestion/idea for a video - the network/crossover system looks pretty simple. Could you send the speaker to Dannie Richie at GR Research and see if he could improve the frequency response? He already provides that service for free and you guys are collaboration already.
Yes they do. GA is HQ out of Scotland now with satellite office in the US. I just purchased a pair of Micro SEs from them direct and will purchase Strada IIs in 2023 when I save up enough cash. Excellent customer service BTW.
I'd take a JL Dominion D110 over a SVS SB-3000 any day. The JL digs down to 20hz for a 10" sealed and has more excursion. They xmax at 3.5" and Xmech at 3.7".
@@Newrecordday2013 jL's are awesome but they come at a price for their musicality. The Dominion is their entry level compact subwoofers that came out around the same time as the E-Series. They have 8" and 10" sealed. I personally have 2 of the 10's and for an entry JL subwoofer, they don't disappoint. In a couple of years I think I will upgrade to the E-Series and do a comparison to see how much of a difference there is in musicality.
Rel is the best in the business they live breath subs.. When you put 2 large Rel subs with these you have know clue what just happened. It's seriously good
Looking at those measurements you would need to cross a sub over at 300hz-ish at the lowest. There is not a sub in the world that could crossover that high without compromise.
Also you meniotned "second favorite tweeter" ????My fave would have to be the Maggie ribbon even though the whole package would not be my favorite.But just tweeter?Hands down
I haven't heard every sub out there, but I will say that for whatever reason sealed subs have always bothered me and I loved, loved, the SVS pb/pc 2000. It was so much better than all of the other subwoofers I heard at Starpower and Best Buy. Granted, a lot of those subwoofers were cheaper, but still.
Please know that not all stainless steel is necessarily magnetic. Magnetism doesn't necessarily determine material construction. Anyone who owns an induction cook-top can prove this.
I owned a pair of the Gallo Reference 3 for about a year but I ultimately sold them. Good speaker but not really a good fit for my system. About a year later I tried a pair of the Gallo Strada speaker after a friend raved about them. I only had them a few months, I really, really dislike the way they sounded. I the right system they may work but I didn't care for them.
A sub woofer is only suppose to be an extension of the mains. A properly installed and configured sub woofer should not be heard. Most people however want you to HEAR them and thus shake the house and windows and doors alike. Then make adjustments to those doors/windows to maintain the subs authority. That might be why you hate subs. Movies, yeah, you want the kick and gun fire and explosions from them but in music, they should be an accompaniment. Subs get a bad rap sometimes.
@@markucla no, I hate subs because no musical instrument with the exception of a pipe organ requires one. A decent full range speaker that remains somewhat flat down to mid to low 30 hz. is all I need.
I have mine partnered with a B&W PV1D subwoofer. My Strada 2's are on stands. This combination is MAGICAL 🙌 in all the audiophile ways that we love. Not only does it sound amazing, but the PV1D subwoofer visually matches the Gallo Stradas exceptionally well. Looks like they were made by the same company they matched so well.
I know this is a year after this video, but I love Gallo speakers. they are fantastic! I got rid of my 5.1 setup years ago, but they are still one of my favorites from all setups that I've had in the past. small and unique, while sounding great in real life. My college kids still wish I had kept them.
Have these on floor stands with two Svs SB16 ultras and a Cronus Magnum 3.
Everything I could want in a set up.
Off the charts good, and end game for me.
Had Gallo 3.5, Goldenear references, Magnepan 3.7, Spatial M3 Triode Masters, ML Montis, all beat by this set up.
What did you think of the Strada/SVS setup vs Spatial M3 --- I added my comments on a similar setup to yours with similar thoughts, but I have heard the M3s in a similar size room as mine, and I loved them and have had my eye out for a used pair (not easy to find). Directly comparing would be one way, but your insights would be wonderful as well...Thanks!
Looking at these. Do you still have the Stradas?
Now, that's the Ron from NRD I like! Great review. This is one of your best reviews. Welcome back.
Ron, I haven’t heard the Gallo speakers but there are a few things that I will comment on from my judgement of the design of them. 1. While Gallo has done a fine job of getting as much bottom from the woofers given the small volume, they just cannot reach low enough to blend well with most subs so even if they are paired with good subs, there should be two of them placed below the Gallos because the higher lowpass frequency needed will become noticeable as far as differences in position between the Gallos and a subwoofer that is not near the Gallos. That’s getting really expensive though. 2. The Gallos are superior to probably any other speakers as far as diffraction effects from the enclosure. Harry Olson did a lot of testing back in the 50s on the frequency response variations caused by different enclosure geometry’s and the spherical design was a lot better than any other geometry’s. 3. The dip in impedance at 20kHz will not really cause any problems as the level of music at that frequency is very low compared to the rest of the audio range. These are my main observations about the Gallos.
I have a pair of Gallo Stradas on stands with stereo TR-1 subs next to each w high crossover 125Hz which is same as the 3.1s (which also own). Placement is along long wall. Speakers 15 feet apart and 10 feet from listener. Speakers 2 1/2 feet off back wall. Soundstage is 15 feet wide, 2 feet deep and 4 1/2 feet tall to ceiling. Instruments are pin point. Timber and tone are natural and precise. A cymbal rings and decays as expected. Same with a drum. My electronics are higher end mid-fi Marantz SR-7008 with vintage hafler transnova 9300 stereo amp, tube buffer and Nakamichi CD-4. That is what these can do in such a room for music and double as home theater sides with Gallo a'Diva satellites. Stereo subs that are MUSICAL (fast/tight) is key. You now have a high end full range speaker system with great flexibility and clean aesthetics matched to the right size room doing amazing things.
I had a 5.1 anthony gallo setup with 5 Due's, which are the little brother to the Strada 2's. I had the Anthony gallo sub too, but I used a better one. I loved the setup, which really surprised me, since I loved to play my music really load, but it did well for me. I had that system for about 3 years and miss having a setup that you hardly noticed in the room, but provided great sound.
I found your recent uploads to be much more interesting! Thanks!
Thanks!
Yes, I agree, I think Ron’s honing his craft nicely, coming up with unique ways of doing things.
Another high end subwoofer company (though not with high end prices) is Rythmik Audio. These subs are extremely musical and have the same servo control as your open baffle H-frames but are in sealed and ported configurations. Rythnik's 12" servo subs start at $559 for the L-12 but I would recommend the F-12G which starts at $998. The F-12G uses the GR-Research driver that is in their DIY sub kit 1 and is much better at frequencies above 90Hz than the aluminum cone Rythmik driver in the F-12 model. If you like DIY get the GR-Research sub kit 1 but if you want a commercial sub get the Rythmik F-12G.
Good call! Can’t believe I forgot to mention them!
What about using the GR Research driver in the L-12 ? Cheaper than buying the F12G?
@@hifiman4562 Can't do that. The L-12 and F-12G are commercial products made and sold by Rythmik Audio. They are separate models. Also, the L-12 is designed as an entry level sub while the F-12G is a much higher end model. The driver, amp, and cabinet construction are different.
@@Newrecordday2013 or Michael, If one doesn't have an open baffle main speakers, what blends better, an open baffle Hframe sub from GRR or closed like the Rythmik. Is the only different between the two that one is a DIY another is turnkey or is there a difference between these closely matched servo subs (I suppose one can also do a sealed box with GRR Servo kits)?
I have the L12s. No other non-DIY sub is built as well for the $$$.
I like them, very elegant design and they look like expensive luxury speakers!
Your review is exactly what these speakers do and you are correct about the TRD-3 subs and the bass frequencies but this is what I did to fix that. I use 2 TRD-3 subs and I added an Ashley Analog 2 way stereo crossover ( any active analog crossover should do ). I put the subs in bypass mode ( on the back panels ) and do the adjustment from the audio gear rack ( instead of running from one sub to the other to micro adjust the volumes and frequency split on the Subs control panels ) . The Stada 2's are powered by a Classe Audio DR-9 amplifier. The next step is I custom built 3/4" thick aluminum shaped plates and placed the subs on those and attached the Gallo speaker posts to that plate. I wanted to do this so the subs can sit exactly under the top speaker and make them look like a conventional 3 way speaker ( minus the box of course ) what I got out of that is crazy good bass that digs way low and punches tight and strong.The active crossover permitted me to adjust the TRD-3s and fix the mid bass issues of the Gallo Strada 2 boxes. The crossover width notch filter did the trick and the coupling of the Subs to the floor via the custom plates took care of the low end and the mid bass. I know all about speaker isolation and what not, but these subs want to be coupled to a hardwood floor with an adjustable analog crossover to fine tune them. NOT recommended for apartment complexes. You will get evicted.
If it's powder coated it's likely steel. Aluminum is anodized.
Stainless steel is typically high in nickel and not Ferromagnetic.
The major flaw is that it does not have the baffle area/woofer area to make good lower midrange. So, there is always a hole between a normal sub and this speaker. The way to get rid of the problem is to use a woofer system (not sub woofer...however the woofer system could go down to the earth core, if designed to do so).....with it and time align the two systems. Here is an example. You have a 10 inch woofer in a box (mounted towards the top and forward facing). You put the stada on top of the woofer box (isolated with cardboard or super isolators) and move the strada backward and forward till it time aligns with the strada. The woofer would need to be the same sensitivity as the strada and the xover on the woofer would have to be tuned so it does not go too high.....you could start with a simple coil.....but probably you would want a coil and cap to roll the woofer off steeper. The woofer would give you the body and heft the speaker will not produce by itself (or with a normal sub) and the time alignment will insure the imaging is just as good as without a sub. The trouble with this "fix" is that it now looks nothing like a strada and requires DIY skills which most do not possess. My own speaker is somewhat the same as this "fix". I use a single Neo 10 on a nine inch wide open baffle that rolls itself off on the bottom starting at 300 hz.....so, i have a box underneath with two 6.5 inch woofs that match the sensitivity of the midrange and use a coil on the woofs.....I have all the "body and heft" I could ask for. The woofs were playing too high with just the coil so I draped some felt in front of them and "bingo".....perfect sound without adding a cap in the xover. If you are a DiY guy then plenty of solutions are available.....of course.....some people have WAF to contend with.....me....man cave dude.....i just want great sound.
Wouldn't this change the impedance?
When does book come out,?
Maybe I found also an other solution. Using the Lingdorf TDAI 1120 or 3400. Using 2 ( fast!!) subs in the corners ( Lingdorf calls this " boundary woofers") and with the DSP crossover at 200 hz maybe higher. In the DSP is a time alignment ( distance measured) between the satellites and woofers.
Ron Stainless steel is non-magnetic mate, so the magnet test doesn't work 👍
I have a pair of A’Divas. For the longest time i thought subs just went BOOM. I had a canbridge audio minx mini sub. The system always sounded disjointed and lacked slam. After watching this vid and a video about the two kinds of subs in the market, i bought a REL T-zero MKII sub. Jeez my system sound proper now. Maybe too realistic. Spooks me sometimes.
Could the vertical off axis be "bad" like that by design to cancel out the potential for ceiling reflections? Further, the heavily elevated highs, yet these don't sound hot or harsh and we marvel at the cymbal realism. Combined with great spectral decay waterfall, maybe all these things, AG thinking outside the box as we know, add up to some unconventional measurements that however excel under real world conditions?
Old thread, but any thoughts?
Got a pair of these with a pair of REL Srata Subs II...and the bass is tuneful and musical.
And there you go! I’ve heard the Stratas! They are top notch!
Do the Stratas sound as bad as he says? I literally almost bought some today but them saw this review.
@@ArrogantBaSStard I have a pair and really enjoy them. They have to be paired with a sub that can crossover pretty high, the RELs do that well. I feel in love with the old Gallo Solo's, these retain the same top end but are quicker in the mids. I also have a pair of Quad 57 and I prefer the Sratas in my set up . Hope that helps.
Btw: I don't think he says they are "bad" he rightly points out the do very little bass or even low mid bass, but what they do they do very well.
@@warrenkeppler9217 Thanks. The review started pretty positive so I was hopeful. The review then evolved to mostly negative towards the second 3rd, and then really went south at the end summary. I don’t play loud with booming bass. I just want clear sound and mids with some bass at low volumes.
@@mediascapes2011 Be glad to answer any specific questions you have. The top end is similar (its been 10 years since I heard the Solo), but the strata doesn't do low or mid bass as well... or really at all.
Just for a heads up 303 and 304 stainless is not magnetic.
Thank you!
I still use my reference 3.1 speakers used dual purpose for music and in my home theatre I also have a Gallo strada for my centre speaker
Have you ever tried them with the Mapleshade stands? I had that set up years ago and really liked it (it didn't hurt that I knew Pierre Sprey, the owner of Mapleshade, now sadly deceased). I later upgraded to Legacies. A few years after that, I moved from the east to the west coast, it was too much of a hassle/cost to ship the gear, so I sold it. I am now rebuilding something more modest. Probably with these Gallos.
Hi Ron, following the channel for some years now; love your content. I have the Gallo Due' s for more then 15 years. Now thinking about changing to OB like GR NX Studio, Caladan. Due to i am living in Holland maby better ( more easy/affordable) going for Strada 2. My question; does a Strada 2 comes near to the OB- experience?( that special spatial "thing " your always talking about) I never heard OB before. I now use the Due's with a Gallo sub.amp, cross at 160 hz. Made my own sub open pipe. ( 5.8 feet tall x 8 inch x 10 inch,
2 times 8 inch SB nomex woofers. Never are able to locate the (single) sub witch is placed in a corner. Excuse my Dutch high skool English 😂
This might be ridiculous but… could you set each one atop an RSL Speedwoofer 12S?
I use a pair of DIVA speakers as rears for my cinema setup. They are a bit on the thin sounding side and I think the same ball speakers are used in a pair in these.
I’ve had the bigger Reference AV speakers in my AV setup for 10 years now and they still continue to surprise me. Never been tempted to change. AG make beautiful speakers that sound as good as they look.
The 50-80Hz band for me has proven difficult, but that's mostly down to room acoustics. Half-wavelength of 50Hz (full 100Hz wavelength) is about 11-12 feet, which is a very common small-medium room dimension, and half-wavelength of 70Hz is 8 feet (that good ol' "stand up and the kick drum is gone"). Dipoles are excellent in this regard, as they essentially split the room into two loads front-to-back, with the sides (and top) producing phase cancellation.
I would like to know if any other speaker at or around a similar price would match/approach what these speakers do sans the caveats.
I have a package from Gallo, the Diva plus TR-3(?) subwoofer. Worked great for a few years. Then my subwoofer blew its fuse and subsequently blows every fuse I put into it. Very sad. Over time the speaker bind posts have loosened on the backs of the Divas. I wish I could easily get the sub serviced.
John S. If you live in the UK, Gallo Acoustics in Scotland provide exceptional customer service.
I bought a TR2 in 2008 when living overseas to partner a set of Advia Tis. 5 or 6 years after buying, it developed a buzz that would not go away. Got in touch with GA and sent it off from London to Scotland by courier.
Not only did the guys quickly identify the problem as being on the internal circuitry, they basically upgraded the sub to a T3 by putting the latest motherboard in and only charged nominal labour. They even shipped it back to me free of charge.
Best service I have ever had for any product. The sub in question is still going strong.
So, if you do live in Britain, go ahead and get in touch with Stephen Pitt at the Scotland office.
I would suggest that if you live elsewhere, it would still be worth contacting your local dealer, as I feel that this service is a hallmark of Gallo and should be reflected wherever you are.
Good luck.
John, Give "Audio Geeks" in San Antonio a call. We have the TR3d replacement amplifiers in stock that are newer. The issue with the fuses blowing over time has been addressed. We can sort the speaker binding posts as well.
Wow, the same thing happened to my TR3 just a couple weeks ago. I never liked the sub much. Didn't come close to the quality of the Strada 2s.
This review of the Strada 2's was spot on. Drum kicks from these guys is terrible, but female voices, magnificent.
I just purchased an SVS SB3000 that I hope can clear up some of the mid bass. I'll probably eventually get 2 if I don't upgrade to the 4000 later with their 1 year upgrade plan.
I love my Strada's to death but they clearly need help. They say the 3000 can be musical as well in the higher range and I hope that's true.
My Anthem MRX 1120 receiver's ARC room correction set the Stada's at 225hz for crossover to the TR3, lol. I think it was right.
Excellent review! In my opinion , accurate , non fatiguing treble and insanely wide and deep soundstage are certainly the forte of these speakers ! As mentioned in the review they love power and will force you to play the music they like ( mainly female voices and Jazz trios in my case). Would be great to know about other speakers that are capable of pulling the same disappearance act but could also deliver on the lower end of the spectrum. Thanks
Got a pair of CL 3 and that 180 degree zone. Power by an anthem 200w amplifier. They definetly need power, thought about getting an emotiva for more power or upgrade to other speakers unsure though. im deaf at one ear for sure though.
For whatever reason 100 watts per channel seems to be a magical number. Perhaps most the testing in designing and prototyping utilize 100 watts per channel?
Speakers need current not watts. I auditioned a 14 watt per channel Milbert tube amp that blew my mind. An old Scott 22 watt per channel tube amp sounded even better. You are correct for a modern class AB Amplifiers 70 to 100 watts of real RMS power seems to be ideal.
Any other speakers you’ve heard that can image like these do, but can player a little lower in the mid bass / bass region? Thanks again for another solid review!
If you have the room to breathe and can handle diy, the NX-Oticas have gotten very close.
Spatial M3 Triode Masters disappear quite well. You need room though.
Yes, BUT Tweeter not great on the Spatials Triode Masters.
I am suprised that since you own the 3.1's you didn't mention the differences between the those and these.My guess is close enough that it doesn't matter.Yes the sweet spot of these must be good.20 years ago for a short period I owned the basketball Ref 2's from Gallo and yes the CDT tweeter was fantastic set them up right with boundaries and it was spooky town.But even with subs the lower mids lacked.My guess is these are like the smaller Maggies maybe you would use them as a daily driver but they are fun to pull out of the closet of that acoustic music recording with the space thing going
I use these in my Dolby Atmos system and they are great in that application. Good for music, but great for movies.
Enjoyed your video.
In regards to appearance, I think they look like dumbells or old fashioned telephones.
Any comparison between these and GR-AV-2's for around $350 a pair?
Best subs besides the GRs that play high, like 200 hz, are the Rythmik FN8s. Barry White will come back.
Awesome!
@@Newrecordday2013 The FN8s are no joke, and not well known.
Plus one to this. I started with Strada II’s, 2x TR3Ds and Adiva SE’s. I couldn’t fill that 80 to 120hz gap and really missed that warmth and floor tom sound. I have now swapped the Tr3D’s (now excellent movie subs in another system) for 2x Rhythmic FM8s and, as you say Ron, the warmth is there. Excellent pairing.
Great review and giving me the itch to upgrade to a 2-channel power amp for the Stradas. Currently powered by Arcam AVR550 (90wpc). Read a few items remarking on high power making a big difference. I wonder if Arcam PA240 would be a good edition (225wpc@8ohms) for aesthetic parity on power increase?? The illness continues..... 🧐
9:04 Is GR Research no longer making the H-Frame open baffle subwoofer kits? Your link goes to a 404 page, and I can't find it on his website.
www.gr-research.com/diy-subwooofer-kits.html
@@Newrecordday2013 I saw those, but did not see the h-frame listed. Maybe it's discontinued?
what about watching a movie with them ?
PS How would they sound with SVS Micro 3000?
My question to u Ron .is if u had these Anthony Gallo for a long time u hv lot of negative point on it.if ppl want it give some plus point to it..as u hv had it for ages
I was skeptical and dual subs and they worked wonders in evening out the bass in my room and reducing decay times. A bit concerned about running a single sub- especially all the way up to 120Hz.
That’s awesome!
will be great for center chanel for the voice movie parts?
i have a dedicated cinema room with gallo micros for all speakers and two gallo tr-3d subs. im thinking of replacing the front and centre channel micros with the strada 2's. would appreciate your thoughts. My amp is the yamaha rx-a3050
Andy, I have a very similar setup to you except that I'm running Due's as my right and left fronts and use an Infinty Sub and as amazing as the Nucleus Micro's are, the Due's are better and I dream of Due's all around. As the Strada's are basically the Due's but using the larger A'Diva instead of the Micro, I can't think of any reason NOT to jump on that...except budget. Let us know how it turns out.
I went for it and now have stead centre and fronts.
Sound is a lot crisper and when pushing the volume it really comes into its own.
You need really fast clean subs with very good mid bass output to run with the Strada's. Gallos TRD can only give you the deep bass after 90 or so hz they cant keep up. You have to break in your SVSs for at least a month before you even try to match them with the Strada's. If you can get the mid bass right ( it is very difficult) you will have a system that cannot be beaten until you well exceed the 10k mark. The Strada's are that good.
Stainless Steel comes in magnetic and non magnetic formulations.
I have the Strada IIs and love them for the reasons you stated in your review. Suggestion/idea for a video - the network/crossover system looks pretty simple. Could you send the speaker to Dannie Richie at GR Research and see if he could improve the frequency response? He already provides that service for free and you guys are collaboration already.
The best crossover is no crossover. These speakers are designed with that ethos in mind.
Hey Ron, which would you prefer between 0.7 Magnepan with two svs pic 2000 Verse golden ear Triton towers?
Daaaang thats a toss up! Which Tritons are you referring to?
Triton 3+, the ones You reviewed
Do they still make these things. They've been out for at least 15 years. Definitely a style over substance loudspeaker.
Yes they do. GA is HQ out of Scotland now with satellite office in the US. I just purchased a pair of Micro SEs from them direct and will purchase Strada IIs in 2023 when I save up enough cash. Excellent customer service BTW.
You might have to run to 8 inch subs to cover the upper base and then run to bigger Subs to cover the real sub frequencies.
I'd take a JL Dominion D110 over a SVS SB-3000 any day. The JL digs down to 20hz for a 10" sealed and has more excursion. They xmax at 3.5" and Xmech at 3.7".
Ive never heard that particular model but of the JL Audio subwoofers I have heard, they are seriously legit! Thanks for the comment Richard!
@@Newrecordday2013 jL's are awesome but they come at a price for their musicality. The Dominion is their entry level compact subwoofers that came out around the same time as the E-Series. They have 8" and 10" sealed. I personally have 2 of the 10's and for an entry JL subwoofer, they don't disappoint. In a couple of years I think I will upgrade to the E-Series and do a comparison to see how much of a difference there is in musicality.
Awesome, thanks for letting me know
Ron you can remove the grills, its just a force fit and no glue! 🙂👍 that will reveal the screws too
There are no screw under there my man. I have looked in light and it’s just a rubber surround.
Thats so wierd 😄 we really took one apart and installed in a car. Oh well. Thanks Ron for the videos. Keep it up
Great review, Ron. You are so right about cymbal sounds. Not all loudspeakers get that right. It's always a fine line.
Thank you and yes it is!
Rel is the best in the business they live breath subs.. When you put 2 large Rel subs with these you have know clue what just happened. It's seriously good
To bad they discontinued the subwoofer amplifier reference SA.
FYI: In case no one else has mentioned, not all stainless steel is magnetic.
what about watch movie with them ?
Looking at those measurements you would need to cross a sub over at 300hz-ish at the lowest. There is not a sub in the world that could crossover that high without compromise.
Chris, Those measurements are not in room measurements. There is no way to determine the -3 of the speakers using those measurements that I took.
Floor mounted with the speakers tilted up will increase bass response significantly and improve imaging.
They're staring into my soul.
(Min 16) Sounds like a nice room
Hi Ron, did you ever hook up the Strada II's with Danny's open baffle H frames?
Yup. That combo is very good
Also you meniotned "second favorite tweeter" ????My fave would have to be the Maggie ribbon even though the whole package would not be my favorite.But just tweeter?Hands down
I haven't heard every sub out there, but I will say that for whatever reason sealed subs have always bothered me and I loved, loved, the SVS pb/pc 2000. It was so much better than all of the other subwoofers I heard at Starpower and Best Buy. Granted, a lot of those subwoofers were cheaper, but still.
From looking at it, I thought the SVS PB 2000 would just be a 'boom boom' subwoofer, but I was wrong. It's actually pretty agile and musical.
Please know that not all stainless steel is necessarily magnetic. Magnetism doesn't necessarily determine material construction. Anyone who owns an induction cook-top can prove this.
Ok. Sound ?????
I owned a pair of the Gallo Reference 3 for about a year but I ultimately sold them. Good speaker but not really a good fit for my system. About a year later I tried a pair of the Gallo Strada speaker after a friend raved about them. I only had them a few months, I really, really dislike the way they sounded. I the right system they may work but I didn't care for them.
Magnets don't stick to stainless steel.
There are many different grades of stainless and stainless alloys, some of which are magnetic.
I wish my setup didn't specifically require being close to the walls. If only more speakers were engineered for that.
Pretty sad how Anthony Gallo was basically robbed of the company he founded.
Is that what happened? I don’t know the details.
Gotham61 - that is not even remotely what happened. Brilliant speaker designer? Yes. Brilliant business manager? No.
I stopped listening when he said $2000.
No worries! Lots of great options below 2k
@@Newrecordday2013 anny sugestions not wider than strsds 2
. . . most speakers sound better, with more power . . . stainless is non-magnetic.
uuuuummm...... stainless steel is not magnetic
Subwoofer up to 120hz!!!!! wow....seems the Strada 2 are all about design thing, they look cool!....... not about sound!
I hate subwoofers.
A sub woofer is only suppose to be an extension of the mains. A properly installed and configured sub woofer should not be heard.
Most people however want you to HEAR them and thus shake the house and windows and doors alike. Then make adjustments to those doors/windows to maintain the subs authority. That might be why you hate subs. Movies, yeah, you want the kick and gun fire and explosions from them but in music, they should be an accompaniment.
Subs get a bad rap sometimes.
@@markucla no, I hate subs because no musical instrument with the exception of a pipe organ requires one. A decent full range speaker that remains somewhat flat down to mid to low 30 hz. is all I need.