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 todster

I also have the Lotus Elites (predecessor to the Vipers).

My impression has been that Carl voices these speakers with a eye towards tube amps rather than SS. I alternate between a Conrad-Johnson MV-60 (EL34 version) amp and an Audio Research VT-100 Mk2 (6550), depending on whether I'm in the mood for the luscious EL34 midrange of the CJ vs the extended frequency extension of the ARC.

I have tried SS in the form of the Creek 53530SE as well; always ended up preferring the tube amps. Yeah, the Creek is not in the same weight class as the ARC, but it is no slouch.

Good luck with your search...