Raven Blackhawk LE... am I going to be disappointed?


Only reason I ask is because it will be pushing Salk Veracity Ht2-TL’s...  Im coming off a Belles Aria, which was fantastic, but wanted to try something different.  My concern is the low wattage of the Raven and low sensitivity of the salks, but my Belles 75 watts sounded better than 3 other nice 225 watt integrateds.  
So, anyone with experience with the Raven Blackhawk LE pushing somewhat low sensitivity speakers chime in and let me know.  



128x128b_limo
How long does it take to get a tube amp warm?  Its been 30 mins now, shes radiating some heat, and it sounds really damn good.  
I switched to 8 ohm tap... whats the difference between the two?  My speakers are nominal 6 and dip probably too 2 or 3 I assume.  
I started with the 4 ohm tap.  Can I use either?  Is it just going to be a difference in sound quality or does it put a bigger strain on the amp?

I am definitely seeing the appeal in a good tube amp though, whoa.  The openess, bloom and freq response is amazing.  I think its going to have enough power too which is really really surprising...
I'm seeing a lot of baloney here.  The amp designer, builder and marketer recomends speakers between 85 and 95 dB efficiency.
Take it up with him.
Sounds like you got a winner. There is nothing wrong with the Sub Out. It does not adjust level, you do that on the sub not the amp. All the Sub Out does is pass the input signal to the sub. It is outside the pre-amp circuit. That is why it works even when the amp is off.

Warmup for any amp of this quality level is more a continuum than a destination. My Melody is not as good as a Raven, but I turn it on half an hour before listening, run some demagnetizing tracks through it, and still the sound gets better and better for quite some time. I would say the "warmup" is something like a matter of minutes to sound pretty good, an hour to sound really good, and then who knows how long to finally top out. This is of course a combination of not only the amp quality but the overall system transparency and listener skill level. Many people will not notice anything different after 20-30 minutes.

Your amp here however, while used it sat idle who knows how long. This first time being fired up it may be a little longer coming into full form. Not a lot, but that is just the way it is with anything high end that has been off a long time, jostled around, exposed to temperature extremes, etc.  

Taps are purely for convenience and to give you the option to find one that might sound a little better. Which tap you run means nothing as far as the amp itself is concerned. There is a technical difference of course but all that matters is if one does sound better, use that one. Regardless of what the speakers are rated or the amp says. This is sort of like loading a phono cartridge, you try different ones and go with the one you like the best.

I am definitely seeing the appeal in a good tube amp though, whoa. The openess, bloom and freq response is amazing. I think its going to have enough power too which is really really surprising...

Surprising to you, my friend, and some others. As for me? Situation normal.

So Im able to get an average of 90dbs with 95db peaks spl at my listening seat...
I am missing a bit of dynamics / slam that I had with Belles but the Raven is slightly more open and clear.  
@b_limo 
Enjoy your amp. But what you're describing is a lack of current to fully drive the low-end and areas of low impedance.


That’s one interpretation. Another is, it is typical of solid state performance to exaggerate leading edges relative to the full body of the tone. They almost always get this balance wrong, which does have the effect on some guys of thinking this is tight, greater definition, more detail, etc. When in reality it is just added glare.

Instead of trying to fit everything into a preconceived narrative, how about reading the actual listener comments?
The openess, bloom and freq response is amazing.

These comments are totally at odds with "lack of current to fully drive" anything. You simply do not get openess and bloom with a lack of anything. What you get instead is compression and congestion. The idea the amp is running out of current is not based on anything in evidence here. It is pure preconceived narrative.