Raven Audio Nighthawk
@robertcropdust I am interested in a Raven Avian series too. How did you both decide on a Blackhawk as opposed to a Nighthawk or Osprey? Thanks!@mickeyb I feel like the upgraded parts will make a difference. And I like the better powder coat finish too. I might have considered the Osprey, but James at Raven says the only difference is the extra power, and I don't need that. I find it interesting that Raven Audio touts their in-home trial as "risk free" when they charge a 7% restocking fee and shipping both ways. As the OP writes, that's a $400 risk-free trial. I have returned some equipment from a big online seller and there was NO charge at all: no restocking fee, no shipping to me, no shipping back to the seller (they sent a pre-paid UPS shipping label). That is what I would call risk-free. @billzame Yeah I'm a little hung on this one too. I understand the shipping, but the 7% restock fee is a tough pill to swallow. I know they can't sell it new, but so few of them come back it would seem like a good business move to eat that 7% on a few amps to get more out the door. I'm still on the fence, but leaning towards a purchase. Oz |
Well these are the first less than flattering comments I have read about Raven products. But as to devilboys situation, even though Raven says the amp will drive 90 db efficient speakers, I would never try that pairing. Might sound good at low volumes, but I can't imagine it would do well with music with large dynamic swings. I understand better why you didn't care for it. Yes my Don Sachs line stage is very good. So is my amp. Collectively they are just a little more than the retail of the Blackhawk. So that said, I guess it doesn't have to be a giant killer. But here's hoping it's at least good enough to be a keeper. Oz |
Why fuss with tubes in an amp? Not sure if serious........? Why? Well because tube amps sound better than SS amps the vast majority of the time. I also have tubes in my phono stage and my DAC. They are just the preferred method of amplification in all applications if sound quality is a premium. That said, I am not of the mind that all tube amps sound better than all SS amps. I have owned some very good solid state amps, but they usually don't hang around for very long. Oz |
Yeah I wish I could hear them side by side. So if the Osprey knocks it out of the park, I'll never know if the Blackhawk wasn't really just as good. But at least this way I am buying the most expensive amp they sell that I am willing to buy. I don't think I'm a buyer for the Reflection @ 15K. And James is pretty adamant that they probably won't fill in that gap because the Avian amps are so good. |
Well the extra power is something that I don't need, but is nice to have "just because". And I understand that Raven is able to better balance the output tubes in the Osprey to match perfectly. I can only imagine the result is better sonically, even if only a little. James didn't try to hard sell me on the Osprey, but sort of led me down that road. And I was a willing participant. Oz |
Are all 30wpc tube amps created equal in terms of speaker driving force? The answer is a hard "no". The quality of the output transformers can vary wildly from design to design. And transformers are the heart and soul of tube amps. Not having heard a Raven amp as of yet, it’s hard for me to say. But all indications are that they sound much more powerful than their power rating would indicate. BTW, I had your amp back in the mid 90s. B&K are fine for a budget design, but nothing great about them. Even if you need a more powerful tube amp than the Raven, I would certainly look to replace that B&K with something else. Oz |
am sure it is quite a decent piece, made in usa, by good guys real enthusiasts... but we are talking about a rather standard push pull 6l6 pair per channel tube amp with output trannies... how ’head and shoulders above the rest’ can it be??? Well I have owned several amps on your list. Music Reference RM 9 (original and Mark II) Carver Crimson 275 CJ LP66S CJ Premier 140 No way to say for sure how any of these compare to what might come through my system today, but at least I’m familiar with their sound. Charles, I have owned Quicksilver Mid Monos and Mike definitely makes good stuff. Oz |
Well I'm not going to be able to give a report on the Osprey. I cancelled my order yesterday. My decision was based on a combination of things. There were delays with the amp being shipped, and to be fair, it may not have been anyone's fault at Raven. But since ordering the amp I have received feedback offline from a few people who had quality issues with Avian amps, mostly due to noise issues. And since I have extremely high sensitivity speakers this worried me a bit. Combined with the delays I just decided to jump ship. I am in no way throwing Raven under the bus. I am sure they make very good sounding amps and I hope to hear one someday. And I do wish them luck with working through any supply and/or customer service issues they are currently having. I understand James has a lot on his plate and just wasn't able to be there for every customer like he wanted to be. Since I started this thread I wanted to provide this information without leaving anyone hanging. But my intent is not to disparage this company in any way. And I hope anyone who has an amp on order will be extremely happy with their purchase. Oz |
@ozzy62 Thanks! Glad to hear the Aric is working out. Is that a 300B amp? No, it's the Super KT88/150 SE. I am currently using KT88s but have a set of KT120s on the way to try. This is truly a great sounding amp. I would love to talk to Aric about where to go next at some point in the future. Oz |
