We’ve done some listening to Anthony Gallo’s speakers in the past (Blast, Globe). So we’re happy to take a look at the first photos and specs on his new Strada main and center speakers.

The Strada will feature a new impulse correction system as well as the latest version of the company’s patented tweeter: the CDT 3.

“Current market research indicates that size and price are the two most important criteria when buying a loudspeaker,” Gallo said. “So, the challenge was to make a small, visually attractive speaker that would sound great just about anywhere, in multiple applications, and still be affordable. We have tested them in a multitude of environments with a variety of mounting options and the Stradas have always exceeded our expectations. We can’t wait to audition them for the industry professionals at CES. Personally, I have a Strada surround configuration in my own family room and could live with that forever.”

The Stradas measure 6.5″ D x 12.5″ H x 5.5″ W. Each can handle 150 watts RMS of unclipped music power.

$1,000 each, so save your pennies.

We can finally declare things interesting in the Blast Audio Issue by looking at the Orb Audio Mod series product line.

Blast got to, well, blast, some tiny little Orb Mod2 and Mod4 setups, done by combining two or four of these baseball-sized speakers and pairing them with their Super 8 subwoofer.

We were quite satisfied with the setup of two speakers each for front left, front right and center and a single Orb for the rear left and right.

The system is completely modular, which is both a pro and a con. The good thing is that you can tear the system apart, pulling speakers to where you want them like a delicious 4-speaker center channel option. The bad thing is that it’s an utter pain in the ass to assemble the setup, and even harder to MacGyver the wiring, as you have to series-wire each speaker into the next.

There would have been a simple solution to this. The speakers use a simple, small binding post for plugging in speaker wire. Orb should have added a banana plug port at the top of the binding post or made the binding post longer with two holes so that you can completely fit the wires in the speaker. Wires popping out during use remained a concern for us, though it didn’t happen in our tests.

When you’re done pulling your hair out, the system sounds great. You really need to have the subwoofer for the whole experience, however. There is good bass definition with just the satellites, but there’s a clear improvement with the Super 8.

Under the hood, the Mod speaker has rare earth magnets paired with Santoprene, Nomex and CCAD voice coils that enable a good audio response.

The speakers also look great. They come in black gloss, pearl white gloss, polished steel, copper, and antique bronze. The subwoofer doesn’t match, however. It only comes in matte black with a gray grille.

You do get a big sound with these little speakers, and that’s always a positive. We’re seeing a ton of little speakers making a splash in home audio, but don’t confuse these with cheap bargain store specials. The setup we tested starts at about $1,000.

The speakers are only rated for about 110 watts, which is confusing and disappointing for such an expensive system.

If you’re really curious, you can get a starter package of two Mod speakers for $239, that are ready to plug into your home theater.

Technical specs on page 2.

Nevada-based furniture designer Alberto Frias LLC has released a space age bed called the “Transport,” and it looks like it can travel across galaxies.

The Transport Bed includes an audio/visual system based on detailed research, Frias said in a statement Tuesday. The audio system features four-inch Anthony Gallo Nucleus Micro speakers and a 240-watt MPS subwoofer that can be integrated into any stereo, home theater or iPod. The inside is lit by an LED optics system giving you a custom lighting experience. It is all enclosed around a temperature-controlled waterbed.

“As a graduate student working on my master’s thesis in architecture, I focused my research on light, sound and space,” said Frias. “I became fascinated with the trance-like effect one gets from meditating upon the crashing ocean waves or when staring at the clear blue sky. I then became determined to create an environment that would recall that heightened state of awareness.”

Each Transport is handmade and custom-ordered. It is available in two sizes: a six-foot standard version or a large eight-foot diameter version. It will be available in white and glossy black.

At around $14,000, the Transport can be tried and ordered at Twentieth, a modern furnishings store in Beverly Hills.

I have been interested in Anthony Gallo products since before my review of the A’Diva Ti system a few months back. If you happen to be in Las Vegas next week, you might want to try to get near room 29-336 at The Venetian. That’s where Gallo will unveil the TR-3 subwoofer and the unbelievable Reference 5LS, (left) which stands 78″ and will house seven tweeters and 12 subwoofers, which — trust me — you can’t afford.

They will also unveil their new powered subwoofer, the TR-3, (above) which features 300 watts RMS in a cylindrical containment.

“The Reference 5LS is really the ‘big brother’ of our award-winning Reference 3.1,” said Derek Covin, vice president of national sales for Anthony Gallo Acoustics. “While it’s not completely omni-directional, it is the closest any line source has ever come to being omni-directional. This loudspeaker is the culmination of more than 25 years of loudspeaker design research.”

Many line sources horizontally offset their various drivers, but AGA alternates tweeter cylinders with mid-range spheres — vertically one atop the other – in perfect time alignment, AGA said in a statement Thursday. The result means that the phase and dispersion anomalies caused by the horizontal driver offsets are entirely eliminated.

The 5LS can be bi- or tri-wired/amped and can handle high power amps as well as high-quality low power sources.

On the deep end, the TR-3 builds off its brother, the TR-2. It offers clear yet powerful lows from 22Hz to 180Hz. Gallo says the new sub is available in black and silver, weighs 36 lb. and is 10.75" W x 12" H x 13.5" D.

“The TR-2 is a great subwoofer and we’ve gotten a lot of great feedback on that product,” said Covin. “The new TR-3 blends incredibly well with the satellites and creates a big, enveloping sound that allows you to get completely lost in your television and movies. This new sub is certainly not for the faint of heart.”