Raven Audio Celest’ Towers First Impreeions


I recently purchased a pair of Raven Audio’s amazing Celest’ Tower Speakers to go along with my Blackhawk MK3 Tube amp. I have had the speakers for about three weeks, and the Blackhawk since mid November. I wanted to let the speakers break in for awhile so I could have a better idea how they would ultimately sound before writing down my impressions of them. I believe I have around 200 hours on them now and they have opened up significantly, though per Dave Thomson they will continue to loosen up and become even more real sounding over the next 600-800 hours. 

When I first heard the Blackhawk I was struck by how clear, detailed and musical it sounded right out of the box, and how easily it drove my 86db speakers, especially given its 20 watt power rating. 

One of the first things I noticed was how, to my surprise, I was suddenly hearing lyrics that with prior amps just seemed to get lost in the noise. This phenomenon has taken another leap with the Celest’ speakers, which are incredibly transparent and accurate in their own right. The result of this greater clarity of the lyrics has really added to my enjoyment of the music I listen to, and is something that I would not want to live without now that I have experienced it. 

At the same time, it is not the charity of the lyrics that caused me to want to share what I have been experiencing with the Celest’s, it is the incredible music I hear coming out of them. Not being exactly sure where to start I will just list various elements of the sound that stand out to me, in no particular order, knowing that I will not be able to adequately convey how special these speakers are. 

Bass - The base is powerful, dynamic, accurate and responsive. It just seems to want to jump out from the speakers when called upon. The bass also has tremendous depth and slam. 

Tonality - The instruments sound more real than anything I have heard in my home before. This is one of those things I have a hard time putting in words, but the depth and richness of the sound is just wonderful and has to be experienced to truly appreciate. 

Percussion - The various drums have amazing depth, dynamics and accuracy. The cymbals are clear and open. Even the triangle I heard in one song was crystal clear. 

Soundstage and imaging - The soundstage is both wide and deep in my room. In fact it is the deepest I have experienced. 

Detail, accuracy and transparency - These speakers are very revealing, and especially in combination with the Blackhawk, really excel in this regard. The background  is black and the instruments are alive and separated from each other. 

Overall impression - I haven’t listened to every genre. Mostly a singer songwriter type, so can’t comment on classical, R&B,  jazz (other than Diana Krall), country etc. However I have listened to some classic rock and other dynamic music and it all sounds good to me. Much of the music I listen to I have listened to for years and not only does it all sound better than I have heard it before, I am hearing new details and even instruments that I haven’t heard before, and that alone has made it worth the investment.”

Greg


dgcurtis36
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Not really sure what your point is. My post was about my impressions of my Celest speakers, which has nothing to do with moving coil cartridge etc when I don’t even have or mention a turn table. Also, I apologize for the typo in the heading - oops!
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Thanks, but this would be much more meaningful and helpful if you could divulge which speakers you’re comparing the Ravens to. 
I can see your point but really don’t want to go there. I will say my prior speakers are well regarded and retail for around 9K. I owned them for about 7 yrs and if it wasn’t for a friend urging me to give the Celest’ a try I would never have sold them. Thanks to Raven’s 45 day trial offer I was able to check them out and am glad I did. 
Thanks
I have been a Raven fan for 5 years.  They make some of the best tube amps money can buy.  I owned the Reflection MK2 integrated and had them paired to SF Amati Tradition Homage Speakers.  Wow is all I can say.  I did do a test of Raven's new speakers and they were a finalist until I went with a horn speaker.  Dave Thomson is truly a class gentleman who has developed and created an awesome line of amplifiers for anyones budget.  He also has some of the most unique classic tubes if you are into tube rolling.  I have just recently purchased their new speaker cables and interconnects for 1/10th of the cost of others that I have purchased.  I wish them well in their new speaker line and congratulations on your purchase.  You will be a happy camper.  
Thanks willgolf. I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of Dave and have availed myself of several of his collection of tubes. Have wondered about the Reflection but it is a little bit out of my price range. Amazing bang for the buck on all of their products, including their new cables. 
@dgcurtis36 Thank you for this review.  I placed an order for Tekton Electron SE but I'm now thinking of cancelling my order and get the Raven Celest' instead.  Since you've heard both Tekton and Raven speakers, I would love to hear your opinion if the Celest' would be better than the Electron SE.  I currently have Tekton Impact Monitors and I really like them and wanted to get floorstanding speakers. Any input on this would be appreciated.
I read the OP's review with interest, but I have to say that I don't understand why he doesn't want to disclose his previous speakers.This seems to happen frequently in reviews. 
@mhutama Just wanted to let you know I can’t help you with the Tekton vs Celest. I haven’t owned any Tektons. My brother has owned both. You could try him. His member id is ballhog. Also, Dave Thomson at Raven owned a pair of Double Impacts. Though he has an obvious bias, he can still provide some insights into the differences between the Celest’ and the DI’s, which I believe he owned for quite some time. Seems to me you can’t go wrong with either brand given their stellar reputations.