mijale, consider sending a message to member rixthetrick and get his independent assessment of how the Blackhawk sounded with his speakers versus the amp that he owns, I believe they are the 87db speakers referred to by millercarbon.
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
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- 42 posts total
First, good for you on the dac and the hard drive, there is a world, indeed WORLDs of music out there…besides the LP. Properly implemented subs with a high pass filter on the main amp can be magic for sure. Don’t underestimate Mike Moffat at Schitt…. You might wanna read his and Jason book…. Anyway, i’ve taken up too much of your time..enjoy the music… James |
Speakers or Int Amp huh? You say
Given those 2 that you have listed, its a NO BRAINER to me. I certainly would not try to build a system around a cheap integrated Pioneer tuner/amplifier. It is likely the weakest link. But then I’ve never heard a Pioneer I liked. I don’t know your budget but the Ravens start somewhere near $3K. That could buy a nice tube integrated amp like a Rogue Cronus Magnum III which offers 100 wpc from a tube amp. yes, I like the Raven but not w/85db speakers
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For me, I learned from my mistakes in this hobby....pick a speaker and then match the amp. Amps are easy compared to finding a speaker to your tastes. Raven is an outstanding product and I owned the Raven Reflection MK2. If you are sold on Rave as an amp, I really think you should talk to Raven about their speaker line-up. I have heard Raven amps paired to the Celest'. It was pretty damn good. |
- 42 posts total