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Raven Audio Nighthawk MK3

Well, I finally did it. After about two years and looking at Vincent, Primaluna, Leben, Rogue, I decided to buy the Raven Audio Nighthawk. I've had it for about a week. Running NOS RCA Clear top tubes in preamp front besides the rest stock. My speakers are Klipsch Lascala II, Yamaha CD player S2100, Uturn Orbit turntable with Ortofon Blue, Cambridge Audio phono preamp, Tellurium Q cables/interconnects. Interested? Having already played several of my favorite Cd's and LP's I have been amazed, shocked, stunned, mesmerized, I'm running out of words. Probably a tad less expensive than I was planning to spend. My wife had tears of rapture as she heard her favorite Pink Martini CD. She asked, "How can it be this much better?" It is completely blowing me away. Power? Seems to have more than my previous 175 RMS at a mere 20 watts! Bass is so right before I added the Sunfire sub (HRS10) I've decided to leave it out. I really believed LaScalas couldn't do real bass. Wrong, Curious to hear more? 
allears4u
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 

allears4u.

Congratulations!  Your obviously successful pairing  of the Raven and Klipsch is an example of quality versus quantity  which is a frequent topic in High End audio. Your speakers are high sensitivity and have an easy impedance load so they aren't difficult to drive.

The Raven amplifier is 1/9 the power of your previous amplifier yet sounds much better to you and your wife. I'd have to assume this is the result high quality output transformers/parts/wire and a very stout power supply. 20 watts but very high quality watts for certain.


Many people familiar with Klipsch believe they sound their best when driven by a good tube amplifier. Your comments seem to support this perception.  I'm glad you took the chance and gave tube amplifiers a try in your home  audio system. Tubes are capable of presenting  a heighten  sense/feel of naturalness or as you put it, realism. I hope you enjoy your Raven for many years.

Charles

allears4u OP
164 posts
 
One of the downsides of being an audiophile is the tendency to OCD focus on the slightest flaws in reproduction quality. Yet that also is one of the upsides of this hobby. Refining the sound to meet one's expectations can be extremely satisfying. The fun of ordering upgrades with the expectation of delivery, adjusting gear, tweeking everything. This is the greatest, most rewarding hobby. IMO When I bought my  Klipsch LaScalas I said I now had legs, when I bought my Yamaha S2100 CD player I said I had a brain, now with my Raven Nighthawk I have heart. Adding top interconnects and speaker wires has been done. Brothers, this combo simply blows my ears off. No incremental upgrade here. Tubes rule....
corelli
1,078 posts
 
allears, what amps have you had in the past?
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allears4u OP
164 posts
 
Back in the old days...McIntosh (solid state only), Crown, Luxman,  most recently the Cambridge Audio Azur 651r, (which has a direct mode to bypass all the crap circuitry of a AV receiver) ....I knew my amp was my one big weak spot. But I didn't want to repeat my normal practice of buying incrementally with slight upgrades spending a ton of money until I get sonically where I want to go. 
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