Raven Audio Nighthawk


So the scuttlbutt on the Raven integrated amps is pretty good. But just how good are they? Are they good when compared to other comparably priced tube integrateds? Or are they better than some heavy hitters?

I currently have a NOSvalves ST-45 amp paired with a Don Sachs Model 2 (latest version) preamp and I am extremely happy with this pairing. With that said, I guess there is nothing really that I'm looking to improve. But since we all know how this game goes, I just wonder how much better (or not) the Blackhawk III would be. Consolidating two pieces down to one chasis is an attractive idea too.

I would love to hear from you if you own a Nighthawk or Blackhawk or have auditioned one against something else. I know they offer a 45 day trial period, but from my calculations if I don't like it it will cost me close to 400.00 out of pocket once the dust settles. So I'd like to go into this with a warm fuzzy that it's pretty darn good.

Oz



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Showing 2 responses by feliks

Precisely why I’m trying to convince myself to live with it. But I haven’t put the Parasound on the market yet...
I just got the Blackhawk and can attest to its imaging, soundstage and resolution. It also punches well above its 20 wpc weight in terms of current output and ability to drive less sensitive speakers. However, I’m on the fence about sending it back. There’s a faint 60Hz transformer hum that just wasn’t an issue with the Parasound Halo on the same power circuit that it replaced that just irks me when it emerges in quiet opera passages. Parasound apparently embalms the transformer in epoxy to dampen it, and I understand this is the nature of tubes, but I do crave a more quiet amp