Raven Audio has introduced Nighthawk, a 20 watt-per-channel integrated tube amplifier for a relatively affordable price. The company claims it delivers a wideband, smooth, detailed and very present, very palpable sound with a polished look and feel. You’ll hear with your ears with the added dimensions of emotion and excitement, a nearness to the music that makes everything breathtakingly real.
The chassis is manufactured of sturdy 14-gauge carbon steel with an aircraft-grade aluminum faceplate and a handsome small-signal tube plate on top. Raven Audio doesn’t skimp on quality; the handles are made of schedule-20 carbon steel with knobs machined from aircraft-grade aluminum.
The folded carbon steel plate gets a high-quality primer and several coats of high-grade automotive enamel that’s baked and clear-coated several times with aircraft-grade sealant. The result is a deep, lustrous finish that looks great and sounds awesome.
Raven Audio’s Dave Thomson, like many enthusiasts, is convinced that tubes do things better, especially when combining the best of classic tube design with contemporary technology, materials and composites to achieve a wideband, engaging, extremely musical sound that gets beyond the mechanics of playback.
Many audiophiles are captivated by the sound of tubed components. The advantage of integrated amplifiers is that the preamp and amplifier sections are built into one chassis resulting in shorter signal paths. It also takes less space and eliminates the need for another set of cables. Plus all Raven Audio integrates and amplifiers are self-biasing so you never have to adjust tubes for a perfect match.
Price and Availability
The Raven Audio Nighthawk Integrated Tube Amplifier is available now for $1,595 at ravenaudio.com.
