I am driving my Sopra's with an amp that is "smooth" sounding. I've heard the Sopra's driven by amps which tend to sound a little shrill and the result was not at all pleasing.
I might recommend that you consider a pre-owned pair of Sopra No2's, instead of the 1038's. I find the Sopra's sound really good at all volume levels, are just as impressive playing natural sounds (classical, acoustic jazz, bluegrass, etc.) as they are cranking out rock and roll.