Raven Osprey with Spatial M3 Sapphires

@audiosaurusrex -- I got to listen to the Octave V70 courtesy of a great dealer, and I was simply amazed at the beautiful sound it produced. I eventually ended up buying the Audio Hungary Qualiton a50i, which I found to be equally good. I went with the Qualiton because it was a little bit less money and honestly I just fell in love with the chrome/silver finish. But in terms of sound quality, they are both neck to neck. You cannot go wrong with either one.

Blackhawk (sold mine 3 weeks ago) is also a decent amp and great value for the money, but not in the same class as these two. Not even close.

Blackhawk (sold mine 3 weeks ago) is also a decent amp and great value for the money, but not in the same class as these two. Not even close.

Wow.  That’s some serious stuff!

Blackhawk (sold mine 3 weeks ago) is also a decent amp and great value for the money, but not in the same class as these two. Not even close.

uh oh... wait, is that a roaring tsunami i hear in the distance, headed our way??  😆😆😆😆😆

Probably just air rushing in to fill the vacuum.

Audio Hungary is another contender. I would hope a $6k amp is better than $4k.

To be fair to Blackhawk, we really shouldn’t be comparing it to amps twice it’s price (Qualiton a50i -- $8 - 8.5K; Octave se v7 is probably similar in price). But in the end, like always, you get what you pay for. As good as the Blackhawk is, you’d be naive to expect it to slay anything above $5-6K. I think Raven’s Reflection is a better comparison. But the asking price is a bit much in today’s competitive market.

However, if someone wants to spend $4K on a tube integrated amp, Blackhawk is absolutely a top contender. If I were to buy more efficient speakers for my second system, I wouldn’t hesitate to get another Blackhawk in the future. I hope Dave and company can fill in the hole in their line up when it comes to the $5-12K range. There's less competition in this segment from chifi tube amp makers.