Another Newbie, Another Help Thread

@jetter I think I watched every video they have up on their YouTube. They sure are trying to take on PrimaLuna. It was pretty bold. Not that they shouldn't, but they're taking the gloves off for sure. Not a huge fan of their aesthetics to be honest but still considering a trial if don't pull the trigger on EVO 300 Pre and Amp. I've considered a new direction rather than integrated......😏

@ebanksms thanks for the advice. I feel like coloration from speakers to be more varied than an amplifier. Is that ill informed? My goal is the hear the expansion in phases and start to finish from table to speakers. It might not be the best approach but I want to hear the progression in linear direction as if started with source material coming first. 

@alucard19 this gentleman is near by to me so once the COVID-19 stuff is over I may reach out to him to befriend and check this Monoblocks out (out of my price range but for curiosity sake).

@ j-wall
There are a couple of you tubes showing the Raven audio products, mostly at trade shows.

@J-wall I'm a firm believer in speakers having the greatest impact on the overall sound. As such; if I were in your position, I would take a look at the Kef R7's first (since you are into Kef).  Next a decent SS Amp to drive them. Then the PL Evo 300 for a bit of "color" and tube rolling fun.

Mark

Hahahah

 been there,paid good coin for the Ortofon X5-mc (red)
 one night as you, few drinks, wiping the TT w a cheese cloth piece, too close to the head shell, small string of cheesecloth, barely caught the stylus, and (ping....) broke it off.
 Sent in, was given a slight discount on another head shell.

 Picked up the Archiv , love it, brings out the mids and highs like no other!  Later bought the nightclub II, both Concorde headshells.
never go to anything else.  
 Archiv is a beast for recording to my computer, old records are brought to life, which were lifeless in treble and midrange, where the nightclub II EXTENDS bass for old records.

 Happy

You could try these amps from USAM Raven Audio Silhouette Reference Mono Tube Amplifiers MK2.1 (Pair) - KT88/6550C For Sale - US Audio Mart they are a bit out of your range but they would never need to be upgraded.

I understand the sentiment. After speaking with Raven Audio they made the same case. And I totally understand it, but there are many things made in China that we as Americans still choose to purchase. Though China shouldn't be the culprit, the product should. 

There are so many great American made products it seems a shame to purchase anything from China unless absolutely necessary.

millercarbon and willgolf, 

Thank you two for putting so much effort and energy into helping me. And thank you to everyone who commented as well, I appreciate all the great info and insight. I actually called Raven Audio today and spoke to someone who helped me to understand why they are not PrimaLuna and who they are. And that reason I asked for who Raven Audio was to all of you is I wanted an idea of who the company was because I feel that the value people see in a brand in more valuable than what a brand tells me they are. I also wanted to create a space for the people as little informed as me that may be in a similar scenario to have a resource of each of your viewpoints.  So thank you for you for the insight. Raven Audio explained they do a 45 day I home trial and only have to pay for return shipping. So I'm considering ordering both units and doing an A/B and gathering my own impressions. 

BTW, your speakers do drop below 4Ohms so make sure that - especially for tube amps - the amp you choose is comfortable fully driving that load especially if you like to crank the volume at time at times.  FWIW. 

Raven over PL any day. https://www.ravenaudio.com/

Ok you guys. Would you mind to spend a moment to describe who and what Raven is? To not be too crass, I haven't heard of this brand, nor know who they are.

Raven is a small Texas company specializing in high end tube amps. If you do a search, which is what I did, you will learn they are small and very highly regarded.

Having done this a very long time now I was like you in the beginning very skeptical of tiny little no-name companies having anything worthwhile to offer me. If its so good, I thought, how come I never heard about it before? Over the years I came to realize there are two ways to succeed in this business. One is you plow enough money into advertising (including comping reviewers) to become known. Another is to plow everything into the product, relying on your customers to let others know. 

Some of them like Keith Herron at Herron Audio don't even want reviewers or ads. As Keith explained to me a bad review can kill him, obviously. But a good review can create way more business than he can handle, leading to delays and bad customer service, which can kill him just as well. I looked around, saw nothing but glowing reviews, a non-existent used market in which what few came up sold instantly and for high amounts, and been extremely pleased to own what is certainly one of the finest phono stages made, yet at a very reasonable price.

Look around you will find similar with Raven. When I see someone like willgolf, who has better things to do, taking time out to post nothing but compliments, and this is a guy who has been all over the world listening to everything from cost no object down, that means more to me than any ad or review. 

 I was looking into Cary amplification, but decided to go with PrimaLuna as a great into to my first tube rig.

I would take PL over Cary any day. Even though PL is made in China. Which is a problem. And getting worse every day.

Also, I understand that due to speaker efficiency I don't need to move up to the Evo 400, my rift is with sonic improvements and details division between the 200 separates, (or 300 integrated) and the 400 integrated so if anyone has experience or can help to elaborate on the why and what I get with bigger capacitors I would be greatly appreciative.

Right. Watts don't matter. Capacitance don't matter either. What matters is everything, the way it all works together. Tube selection is merely the most obvious. Actually if you had to point to one single thing in a tube amp it would probably be the transformers. Technical factors and details in the way they are wound has massive impact on performance. Its just hard to see because they all look the same. They pretty much measure the same. But they are not the same. 

Even the technical factors that do have meaning, like bandwidth, are hard to understand. What is easy to understand is when you hear it. Its one thing to read on a page someone says all watts are not created equal, or that a 20 watt tube amp is plenty of power. Its quite another thing to experience as only then does it sink in that yes indeed this thing sounds and feels like it has more power than some amps that measure 10X the watts. 

With caps you need to be clear what you mean by "bigger". Bigger value or bigger physical size. Caps store power allowing for immediate delivery of large transients and so more capacitance is desirable. But that is only part of the story. The speed and smoothness with which that cap charges and discharges turns out to be much more important. This is why all the best components- not only amps but speakers, phono stages, CDP, everything- uses expensive higher quality caps. 

What all these things do- caps, tubes, transformers, wire, diodes, all of it- when they're well chosen high quality is they reduce grain and glare down to such minuscule levels the sound takes on an effortless natural quality, with dynamics that are both powerful and finely detailed. This really is what you're paying for, an effortless presentation that floats free of the system and room. This is nothing that can be measured. It can only be heard. Which is why listener impressions are by far the most important factor to consider in your search.

There are a couple Unison Research Unico 50 hybrid integrated available here now.  Buying used will reduce your losses if/when you decide to go to separates, but the 50 is plenty good enough that you’ll want to upgrade both your speakers and front end before doing anything on the amp front.  Best of luck in your search. 

Ok you guys. Would you mind to spend a moment to describe who and what Raven is? To not be too crass, I haven't heard of this brand, nor know who they are. I was looking into Cary amplification, but decided to go with PrimaLuna as a great into to my first tube rig. Also, I understand that due to speaker efficiency I don't need to move up to the Evo 400, my rift is with sonic improvements and details division between the 200 separates, (or 300 integrated) and the 400 integrated so if anyone has experience or can help to elaborate on the why and what I get with bigger capacitors I would be greatly appreciative. 

I was thinking of you willgolf but wasn't sure it was you. Now I am. Was already favoring the Reflection MkII even before coming across your comments. Then looking at your experience, what you did then and what you're doing now, that has sealed the deal. All I need now is the money! lol! 

Will definitely be calling Dave when the time comes. Pretty sure either of these- PL or Osprey- would be a step up from my Melody. Its just I would prefer strides over steps, if you know what I mean.

EVO 400 is excellent but I had the Raven Reflection MK2 and it was frikking awesome.  It may be more than what you want to spend but there are others in the Raven Line-up that you could also consider.  Call Dave Thomson at Raven.  

Evo 400, all the way. Excellent choice. Or another one- https://www.ravenaudio.com/product/osprey-mk3/

If only you could hear my system, that would be the end of all your thoughts of having to go to separates. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367
Study this system closely. Read the description. Realize how many little details you have not done that are well worth doing before upgrading the integrated even becomes a factor. Then even when it does consider what you would have to do in terms of separates to equal this
https://www.ravenaudio.com/product/reflection-mk2/
It will be a lot more than $12k, I can guarantee you that!