Any Owners Of Green Mountain Callisto?

audiophile39 · « **on:** 9 Mar 2006, 01:01 am »

I'd be very interested in your insights and thoughts regarding the speaker. Thanks!

tianguis · « **Reply #1 on:** 9 Mar 2006, 01:41 am »

39:
I'm using them and also have a pair of Europas, which are great for their price. I've previously used Lowther MLTL's, VMPS, Nohrs, Visaton, etc. To date, they're the best speaks I've had in my system in a 13 X 18 NYC condo LR.
My sources are a Redpont TT, CD-Pro2m or RWA-modded Squeezebox -> TacT RCS -> Nixon DAC -> DIY ICE power amp (dual 250ASP) -> Callistos.
With this setup, they disappear and throw an incredibly detailed and huge soundstage. FR ain't bad, either. I measure in-room to mid 20's (thanks to the TacT). I have a VMPS sub, but I no longer use it.
They're fairly sensitive to placement and dialing in, but worth it. Their sound is closer to a point-source than a two-way. They like to be driven hard and take several hundred hours to find their voice. I've been using them for about three months and have enjoyed every minute. Feel free to ask anything specific. Hope this helps a bit.

Regards,
Larry Welsh

audiophile39 · « **Reply #2 on:** 9 Mar 2006, 02:02 am »

Thanks, Larry. I've spoken with Roy at GM regarding his point of view on the importance of time alignment and he is very impressive. The Callistos are on my short list. I've also heard that Blue Circle and Edge electronics go well with GM. Wish I could accommodate the Continuum 3s.

Mijknarf · « **Reply #3 on:** 9 Mar 2006, 03:15 am »

I have owned the Callistos almost a year and owned the GMA Europas for a year prior. The Callistos are very impressive indeed. Their soundstage, detail and transperency are what I appreciate the most. Believe it or not, I prefer their sound to a pair of Totem Forests I owned previously. I echo what "tianguis" details above as well. I've used both tube and SS amps with the Callistos and each makes their own contributions to sound. Good luck with your decision.

Doublej · « **Reply #4 on:** 9 Mar 2006, 12:39 pm »

tianguis

Does "like to be driven hard mean" that they sound their best when played at high volume?

tianguis · « **Reply #5 on:** 9 Mar 2006, 02:24 pm »

Doublej:
Nope, what I meant was that they'll NEVER break in at low SPL's. After the first few hours, some high SPL bursts will loosen up the suspension and allow them to do their stuff.
Since I live in a NYC apartment, most of my listening is done fairly near-field at SPL's below 80 dB. Their voice remains the same whether they're whispering along or cranking out complex orchestral stuff at high volume.
39, I recently had a Blue Circle NSCS in my system for several weeks. It's an impressive integrated and I really enjoyed the synergy with the Callistos. But, I'm a DIY guy and during that time I reworked my ICEpower amp, which I'm back to using.

Larry