Raven Audio and Beyond...


Hello,
I'm hearing from a couple of you all about the RavenAudio product line.
I'm fairly new into listening/building a system for audio.
My current plan/aim is to build components for "rest of life" usage.  I'm not well to do and am looking into the Nighthawk and Blackhawk integrated tube amps.  
Currently, I have a Bifrost 2 Dac, Rega P2 turntable and Dynaudio X14s running out a cheap integrated Pioneer tuner/amplifier.
As I've been considering my next couple moves, Integrated Amp and upgrade in speakers, I bounce between the "first" move being either amp or speakers.
Lots of folks mention speakers first, rest after.  Since I appreciate the X14s for the limited sound, I wonder what kind of sense it makes to bump up the amp, integrate a couple subs and seek the "finish" speakers next.  After that, play with the rest of the components.

Currently, the room we listen to music in is 12' by 25', open frame ceilings that are 8.5' high.  

My questions are this:
What's your take on taking on the amplifier first, and setting up the rest after?
Am I going to notice the X14s responding well enough to help me learn more about the direction of my speaker choice later?

If I have some time before I can fully upgrade the speakers, would integrating a sub amp with the subs be a positive move?

FWIW, I plan to keep the x14s and other requisite equipment for the most part to set up/gift to others as I can.  I am interested in long-term enjoyment for music I love and a love for exploring music yet to be heard.

Thank you

mijale

Showing 2 responses by hilde45

@tomic601 "You have lots of choices. Raven and Tekton are just two."

+100 on this comment. These products are not singletons in their suits, they exemplify design principles and they have a happy synergy. But these qualities can be found in other brands and makers that aren't as "hot." Other posters will propose worthy substitutes for Tekton and Raven, I'm sure. In 3...2...1...

@millercarbon said:

 

No baby steps, each one a major improvement, the kind of thing many audiophiles would say is out of balance or not matched. So? If you are building a system the smart way to do it is great strides....What you want do is avoid incremental improvement, at least in components. In tweaks, fine. Incremental tweaks really add up. Add Pods, elevators, HFT, Podiums, etc they all combine to make something really special. With components though it is better to make a significant commitment with each one. This is how you build for the long term.

I'm new at this -- just a couple years of putting together a system and reading a lot -- but this seems like the right advice. Tarun (YouTube) said the same thing in one of his early videos, saying that if one wants to ensure a change, that spending 2x to 3x is best (if possible). Best part about this advice is that it is scaleable. The person with $700 speakers (e.g.) can save a bit and spring for $2k speakers the next time. But what they should not do is just buy $900 speakers and expect a big improvement (unless they're changing designs or correcting a room or amp-synergy problem)