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Nola Viper Owners, Lend Me Your Amps

Hey all, I've been trying to do this on my own without a whole lot of success. I even sent Nola an email about amplification and got no response. I guess Carl didn't want to come off as biased towards one product or another, and that's cool.

I have been going back and forth between tubes and solid state gear for my Nola Viper IIa's. I've heard all the claims that Nola/Alons sound best or are viced with tubes, but I see that they also require a good deal of power to sound their best. As a result, I have been strongly considering the tube preamp, solid state power amp combo.

I'd like to know a couple of things; if I go tube power amp, how much tube power is required for the Nolas. If I go solid state can say, 125 watts do the job? Also, what are you guys using, all tubes, tube/ss combo, all solid state, and why?

For some info, I listen to all types of music, but I am a huge fusion fan where I listen to Jean Luc Ponty, Al Di Meola, Stanley Clarke and the like, so the music is hard driving and dynamic a lot of the time. However, I like my vocals too, both male and female, so the midrange has to be up to snuff as well.

Amps I've considered so far: Rogue, Dehavilland, Primaluna, Musical fidelity, McCormack, McIntosh, Primare and Emotiva. The only one that I have not heard is Primaluna.

Budget? I'm really trying to buy used but I will cough up the new price dough if there is a piece of gear that I decide that I have to have.

Thanks for looking and I look forward to responses.
hawk28
nmmusicman
181 posts
 
Being a long time Alon/Nola owner including 2 pairs of Alon 1's, 1 pair of Alon Lotus SE mk ll's and Nola Vipers 1X's, I can tell you they all sound their best IE natural with tube amps although a Pass Labs Aleph 3 did very well with the Alon 1's. I am currently using a McIntosh MC 275 mk V with the Nola Vipers with MIT speaker cables and can say it has plenty of headroom for even a die hard rock and roller such as myself and is musically articulate. The Lotus' are being driven by a rebuilt EICO 2050 integrated tube amp with equal aplomb and also use MIT speaker cables which are a killer match... much better than the stock Alon Black Orpheus cables although they are very, very good but lack an organic wholeness and bass slam the MIT's provide.

The best I've ever heard the Alon 1's and the Lotus' sound was with an EL34 output tube based tube amp but this was with a softer bottom end but the harmonic beauty was undeniable. By the way, a 30 WPC tube amp is plenty for both the Alon and Nola speakers but just make sure you experiment with the different output taps to get the best power transfer.
hawk28 OP
104 posts
 
Thanks for your response, Prince. Its been a while since I've been to the site and just saw this. Im a little surprised with 30 watts being sufficient, but based on what you've owned you seem to be well versed with the Alon/Nola sound and what makes them sound their best.
hawk28 OP
104 posts
 
Has anyone ever heard/tried the Manley gear with Alon/Nola speakers? Please share your thoughts.
hawk28 OP
104 posts
 
Its been 4 years since I started this thread. Im updating to inform that I have a de Havilland Ultraverve 3 pre and McIntosh mc7150, good for 150 watts per channel. I can honestly say that this is the best that I've heard mysystem. I wont be cchanging either amp any time soon.
rleff
1,065 posts
 
Hawk28 I just bought the KO's and will be running them with audiovalve challenger 180 mono's.
Are you still running your vipers; if so what speaker cables are you using?
I bought Nola blue thunder cables and have Transparent's Musicwave super to play with so far.
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