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

Showing 1 response by fjn04

"I even sent Nola an email about amplification and got no response." Hopefully, he is just slow to respond, or maybe out of town.
"I guess Carl didn't want to come off as biased towards one product or another, and that's cool."
IMHO, this would not be a valid excuse.
I recently heard a Pathos Hybrid amp on a pair of Avalons.
It is one of the best non-tubed amps I have heard.
Best of luck in your search.