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Anthony Gallo Acoustics: Changing the shape of speaker design

After 17 years of making spherical speakers, Anthony Gallo Acoustics will debut its first box speakers, the Nucleus Classico Series, at CES 2011.

Steve Guttenberg
Ex-movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has also worked as a high-end audio salesman, and as a record producer. Steve currently reviews audio products for CNET and works as a freelance writer for Stereophile.
Steve Guttenberg
The new Gallo Nucleus Classico box speaker, without grille. Anthony Gallo Acoustics

Since the company was founded in 1994, Anthony Gallo Acoustics (AGA) has specialized in designing spherical speakers. I've recounted the reasons for eliminating box, wood-based cabinets in most of my Gallo reviews, but for now let's just say that getting rid of the box can be a huge plus for the speaker's sound. So, why after so many years of dominating the round loudspeaker market would the company dare make a traditional wooden enclosure speaker?

"We learned how to really make it work," says Anthony Gallo, founder of AGA. "Since its inception, the box speaker has been plagued with flaws due to the shape of the enclosure. With the introduction of the Classico line, we are now able to offer the Gallo sound in a more traditional aesthetic." I heard a late Classico prototype a few months ago and it really did succeed in terms of not sounding like a typical box speaker.

The very round Gallo A'Diva Ti loudspeaker Anthony Gallo Acoustics

AGA will debut the all-new Nucleus Classico Series speakers at CES 2011. At the show, Anthony Gallo will reveal--for the first time ever--the technology behind his move to making box speakers. AGA will, however continue to make spherical designs, including the Reference 3.5 speaker I selected as one of the best speakers of 2010.