ok this is my final impression

[magh8]

I played the nitro with the band today and this amp just slays.it is so well defined that it is scary.the onlt thing I feel the amp needs for what I am using it for is a bit more saturation but it is fine without the added saturation.

compared to the powerball this amp has way more low-end on tap and also has a much crisper crunch to it when palm-muting.if the PB could ontain that same crunch it would be very close.the nitro does have a bit more response.both amps are just about the same in tighness the nitro being a little tighter but not enough to make a huge dif'.the Nitro is also a quiter amp.I never relized how compressed the powerball really is but the compressions works very well with this amp.the nitro can actually get more compressed than the powerball with the res over 1:00 but it sounds sh!tty like that.I am running res below noon on the nitro.

all in all I love this amp.I also am still a fan of the PB for what it does but I am unable to keep both as tempting as it is.I can see me getting another Engl in the future.

[coolarrow]

Cool. I sold my SE to get a Nitro and a Fireball instead. After having the Nitro and Fireball side-by-side, I ended up dumping the Fireball.

[windsen]

mark, great to hear man. if you want a bit more compression, try clean boosting with a maxon od 808. although i prefer to run the nitro unboosted, i was very pleased with how the amp felt and sounded w/ the 808 up front.

and i agree, i don't like running the resonance up very high. i'm keeping it around 9:30 these days.

[magh8]

coolarrow said:

Cool. I sold my SE to get a Nitro and a Fireball instead. After having the Nitro and Fireball side-by-side, I ended up dumping the Fireball.

yeah now I need to get a cheap head as a backup something under 600 used that can still do alot.I'm thinking 5150/6505,B52AT,ampegSS150/140,or maybe a new BUGERA.

[magh8]

windsen said:

mark, great to hear man. if you want a bit more compression, try clean boosting with a maxon od 808. although i prefer to run the nitro unboosted, i was very pleased with how the amp felt and sounded w/ the 808 up front.

and i agree, i don't like running the resonance up very high. i'm keeping it around 9:30 these days.

I'm just glad I am now on the right track as far as getting it to do what I need it for.yeah the res is a bit much over noon.I wonder how the amp differs with kt88's though.this thing is loud as hell.I only need to push the master volume enough to open up and it is way loader than my PB at say like 10 o'clock.

[shreder75]

glad to hear you're diggin the amp, man! I want one!! hheheeh

I would imagine a nitro with KT 88s would be like dropping an atom bomb on an ant hill as far as bass goes...sure it'll get the job done, but overkill comes to mind...LOL

at first I thought it WAS KT 88s when I played it...having not liked the KT 77s in my QR I was shocked when scott said it's designed with the KT 77s in mind and comes shipped that way stock....I guess because of the new more saturated pre amp it just works better that way

[magh8]

that's why I didn't go with the 88's everyone was so impressed with the lows from the 77 version I figured it would be total overkill and the fact that most amps equipt with 88's sound crappy unless the amp's volume is pushed very high.i can only imagine how loud this thing would be with the MV above 11 o'clock.I remember my old dsl 100 at levels like that and that was insane.

[magh8]

windsen said:

mark, great to hear man. if you want a bit more compression, try clean boosting with a maxon od 808. although i prefer to run the nitro unboosted, i was very pleased with how the amp felt and sounded w/ the 808 up front.

and i agree, i don't like running the resonance up very high. i'm keeping it around 9:30 these days.

oh sh!t,I just noticed something.happy B-day d!ck-head...lol

[windsen]

haha thanks man.

yea these fookers are loud. even when playing outdoor venues, i've never had to turn up my splawns past 10:00.