alon model 5 mk 2

i do not have the black orpheus sp cable when i bought the
alon hence the custom made aq midnight 3
solid stste amps are my preference cause i dislike
tweaking
thanks norman

I'm driving a pair of Model V's with Antique Sound Lab AQ-1008. There's a warmth and spaciousness with this combo that I haven't heard with SS.

I heard a pair of Alon Circe's powered by a VAC PA100/100 not long ago. It was the most spectacular system I've heard to date. The sound stage was holographic and mesmerizing. The images were so solid you felt like you were in front of an orchestra.

But back to amps... Carl designs his speakers with tubes in mind. If you read any reviews where he set up the system, you'll see that he uses tubes. I've seen references to VTL, VAC, Conrad Johnson and Antique Sound Lab in his systems. There's no doubt that Alon's sound better with tubes. I've done it both ways. I drove a pair of Model I's with a pair of McCormack DNA-1's, but the magic wasn't there. It wasn't until I picked up a pair of Quicksilver Mid Monos (50 watts) that the midrange and vocals came alive. The Mid Mono's were wonderful at low listening levels, but ultimately didn't have enough power to reach the SPL I wanted. 100 watts is a good benchmark for 87 dB Alons.

If you won't consider tubes, check out this forum: SS Amp for natural vocals

My cable is pretty basic (Canare 4s11), but as far as I can tell, it hasn't hindered performance. Experimenting with other cable is on my list of things to do, but it isn't a high priority.

If you're bi- or tri-wiring, here's a quote from Carl in a 1993 Stereophile review:

I would like to point out the importance of tri-wiring the Alón IV for best performance. The Alón IV was developed as a triwired system and employs three separate crossover boards which provide magnetic, electric, and physical separation for the three sections of the loudspeaker. It is important to use identical lengths of identical cable for this purpose, so as to maintain the coherency built into the system. For instance, it may be "common practice" to use larger-gauge cables for the bass section, but this will invariably upset the tonal balance and coherency of the system.

CARL MARCHISOTTO

thanks mingles
i am now using the odyssey stratos // the $ is right
and hope to try simaudio moon w5 later

Norman, I don't have any experience with the Stratos or Sim. I'm sure they're both very good amps, but I encourage you to audition a pure Class A amp if you stay with solid state. -Mark

While I don't have a pair of the Model 5's, I do have a pair of Model 1's and a pair of the Lotus SE mk ll's and found that both models benefited from using MIT2 Bi-wire speaker cables and another option is AQ DBS Bi-wire cables which really brought my Alon 1's to life.

I agree about the tube amplification but if care is taken, one can get away with SS without too much loss. I am getting VERY good results with a Sonic Euphoria PLC passive preamp driving a Pass Labs Aleph 3 via AQ DBS Bi-wire Volcano speaker cables upgraded to 48VDC DBS/Alon 1's.
The Lotus' were/are being driven by a refurbished EICO 2050 integrated amp with spectacular results. There is a magic that vintage iron and Alnico have that is hard to deny :-) (The 2050 just needs a new PS FE cap to bring it back to life which I have on hand but have been away on business)

I have the Alon Black Orpheus Tri-wire cables and while it is better to use the tri-wire harness over using jumpers, the MIT and the AQ cables bested the Black Orpheus in all areas but the results may be different if different amps/IC's/system were used.

Cheers,

Nmmusicman