Raven Audio Nighthawk


So the scuttlbutt on the Raven integrated amps is pretty good. But just how good are they? Are they good when compared to other comparably priced tube integrateds? Or are they better than some heavy hitters?

I currently have a NOSvalves ST-45 amp paired with a Don Sachs Model 2 (latest version) preamp and I am extremely happy with this pairing. With that said, I guess there is nothing really that I'm looking to improve. But since we all know how this game goes, I just wonder how much better (or not) the Blackhawk III would be. Consolidating two pieces down to one chasis is an attractive idea too.

I would love to hear from you if you own a Nighthawk or Blackhawk or have auditioned one against something else. I know they offer a 45 day trial period, but from my calculations if I don't like it it will cost me close to 400.00 out of pocket once the dust settles. So I'd like to go into this with a warm fuzzy that it's pretty darn good.

Oz



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Wow, that was really nice. You don’t want to "hear anything about communications problems because of Covid" I actually wasn’t even talking to you Sir. But I certainly would have, had you ever asked.

But since you are so quick to interject when I am trying to help someone... let’s get to it.

I don’t believe you have ever even tried to contact me? I also don’t think I have ever left you or anyone else hanging - that I know of. EVER.

We have gone through at least four generations of packaging over the past two years alone. To great expense I might add, though it probably doesn’t matter to anyone other than us.

And since COVID shipping situations in this country have become a lot more troublesome due to the volume of people staying at home because of COVID. I have to mention it, because it COVID is HIGHLY relevant in my conversation to the person I was responding to...

If you are disgruntled enough to come on this forum like this when I came to try to help someone else - without even trying to contact me (founder of Raven Audio) after all of the suggestions to that I have just read, I am wondering if you are even open to being helped?

I truly am sorry that we couldn’t have made you happy Sir. But I am always here for anyone that is having problems. I get dozens of calls per week. So I have to wonder why I haven’t a clue as to who you are or why you would interject yourself into a response to help someone. Else.
@chicagoblue1977

hopefully as the pandemic stabilizes, the company will come back onto more solid footing in terms of responsiveness (but then again, they are in texas... maybe slower there than other places for the pandemic to get under control)


my comment posted earlier ^^^^ about texas relating to raven (and not ag member ’skypunk’ and his attempts to sell his used raven amp, who is coincidentally also based in tx) is only to say that while texas, like michigan and florida are indeed ’open for business’, their state governments have made poor choices that have allowed what were declining numbers of covid cases to rebound, now that new more infectious variants abound, and these variants are outpacing the vaccinations being given... the implication being that businesses like raven may be ’open’ but they are limping badly compared to normal times due to the worsening covid situations in their state presently - as we can plainly see, dave @ raven is trying to operate his business but he is struggling mightily, all good intentions notwithstanding

of course i don’t know the specifics but that is the assertion/supposition i made in my post
I think this thread has run it's course. @watersidedave I see your point.

Moderator should kill it.

Some Ax grinding going on here.
I hope to help the person I was talking to first though, if possible.  I am unsure of who he is, and I would really like to make sure that he is taken care of first if that's alright.

I probably should have toned it down a bit, but I was a little surprised at the level of vitriol I was hit with right off.  Maybe it was a bit unprofessional of me.  I will be a bit more er, politically minded next time...  though maybe not in a Texas way....   ;-)
i for one would like to see the thread stay open

folks like dave at raven should have the benefit of the doubt, and it would be nice to see him/raven make a rebound with customers coming back to say all is well, concerns have been addressed and they are happy - dave deserves that - keyboard warriors like us are too far removed from how hard it is to run a small business and hold it all together in these times

there is one ax grinder who has posted it seems, others have posted legit issues on communications and follow up... let’s wait see all this get fixed as they should be