I have the Blackhawk LE with a pair of Nola Boxer S1 speakers and am completely satisfied after having the a Cayin integrated, Rogue Cronus, Cary/AES AE-25 and Cary Sli-80 F1. The Raven is in a different league, better sounding than any of those others, trouble-free, easy on tubes and it lets you in on the fantastic customer service from Dave Thomson. There is other great gear out there but I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Raven amps.
Considering a Raven Audio Blackhawk Integrated for Tannoy Sterlings
I recently purchased a pair of Tannoy Sterling speakers. Rated 91dB sensitive which do not drop below 5 ohms impedance. My room I about 12' x 15' x 8.5'. It is treated with absorption panels to my liking.
I am currently driving the Sterlings with a BEL 1001 MK5 SS amp (50wpc), itself driven by an Aric Audio Special all tube preamp. System is digital based with an Audio Mirror Tubadour III DAC fed by Mac Mini or CD transport.
The system sounds wonderful, however I am looking to simplify, and have not experienced tubes in the power amplifier stage. The Blackhawk is 20wpc. I auditioned the Sterlings with a Luxman 20wpc class A SS amplifier. That amp drove them very well in a room volume greater than my room. I am aware that Raven Audio allows a 45 day trial period with loss of shipping only if one wished to return the integrated.
I find the Tannoys to have a certain warmth that I enjoy. Not thinking that I need any more provided by an amplifier. Love the 'bloom' and 'air' around notes, soundstaging, and imaging provided by tubes.
Obviously, given the trial period I could audition the pairing in my own room. I am just looking for thoughts from members herein, some that own Raven or Tannoy. Thanks in advance.
I am currently driving the Sterlings with a BEL 1001 MK5 SS amp (50wpc), itself driven by an Aric Audio Special all tube preamp. System is digital based with an Audio Mirror Tubadour III DAC fed by Mac Mini or CD transport.
The system sounds wonderful, however I am looking to simplify, and have not experienced tubes in the power amplifier stage. The Blackhawk is 20wpc. I auditioned the Sterlings with a Luxman 20wpc class A SS amplifier. That amp drove them very well in a room volume greater than my room. I am aware that Raven Audio allows a 45 day trial period with loss of shipping only if one wished to return the integrated.
I find the Tannoys to have a certain warmth that I enjoy. Not thinking that I need any more provided by an amplifier. Love the 'bloom' and 'air' around notes, soundstaging, and imaging provided by tubes.
Obviously, given the trial period I could audition the pairing in my own room. I am just looking for thoughts from members herein, some that own Raven or Tannoy. Thanks in advance.
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- 56 posts total
I have experienced the Blackhawk and owned the Raven Reflection MK2. First off the amps have more power than the associated quoted figures and would drive your Tannoy's with ease. Second, the customer service is one of the best I have experiences. Third, Dave Thomson, one of the owners has the market basket of some of the rarest and best sounding tube collection in the world. You definitely owe it to yourself to at least call Dave at Raven to listen to his thoughts. Fourth, you will truly love the sound. Call Dave!!! |
Regarding the comment about "bloom and air" etc without added warmth -- I suppose what I'm curious about, MC, if you could elaborate, is how this characteristic is somehow endemic to the Raven equipment, above and beyond the tubes people choose? In other words, people who choose the Raven and *want* a bit more warmth could, if they wish, roll the tubes and get that warmth, right? And those who have other gear beside Raven that is too warm could roll the tubes and get rid of that warmth, too, right? To put that question more briefly, What is it about Raven gear that is able to deliver the qualities listed above and beyond the tubes (chosen for their contributing characteristics)? I ask this in earnestness, because I know tubes can profoundly affect the sound but once they're subtracted from the equation, what is it that you find so optimal about the Raven gear? I suspect this answer will help a lot of people, including the OP. |
I would take that one with a grain of salt! How about you? I posted this question to MC on another thread about the Raven amp that he raves about and this was his response.I have a stellar record when it comes to figuring out what is good based on reviews and comments. Read willgolf, he had a Reflection MkII. Then watch this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gcd76DZmbdY |
- 56 posts total