Raven Blackhawk LE... am I going to be disappointed?

I demoed Dynaudio Evoke 20s (86db, 6ohm avg) with Quicksilver Integrated amp 20 watts. It sounded great at about 6 feet away at about 70-75 db but above that, it started to distort, not in a grating way but in an unpleasant way. Still, it took a little while. Not sure if you can extrapolate from that, so FWIW.

Lots of theory here, but talk to the maker, Jim Salk. He's been exhibiting with tube maker McGary audio. Here, the speakers are 87 db driven by a 30 watt amp.
https://theaudiobeatnik.com/california-audio-show-drews-picks-for-the-5-best-rooms/

I asked Jim exactly these questions when I bought my Salks. No problem driving them with a 30 watt tube amp, he said. At first, I was going to buy his little 82 db Wow1 monitors. He said this about 82 db monitors:

"I would look for a minimum of about 100 watts for solid state and 30 watts for a tube amp (the more the better in both cases). The reason is that the way these amps clip is different. The solid state amp will be linear until it reaches its maximum output and then clip, becoming overly bright and edgy. As you increase the gain (volume) with a tube amp, it is linear to a point near its maximum output. As you increase it further, it acts somewhat like a compressor and simply limits the maximum output. So it is “soft” clipping as opposed to “hard” clipping. For that reason, you can get by with less wattage with tube amps. People who love tube amps love the liquid-smooth midrange they provide. But they don’t have quite as tight a grip on the bass. If you want tighter bass, then solid state becomes more attractive. The bottom line, then, becomes “what is more important to you...liquid smooth performance or tight bass performance.” Other than that, as long as the basic amp design is good, wattage becomes the most important (since amps are very accurate compared to speakers)."

What this says to me about your present 88 db Salks is that you should be fine IF Raven is well made, again depending on how loud you want to go. And it may be an open question how well they grab the bass. But you have a sub, right?

Talk to Jim.

You have enough power? Well, that's what Jim Salk said about my speakers, too. Need 100w SS or 30 watts tube, to start safely. Of a well made amp; because it doesn't come down to watts.

But he also mentions not to expect that much grip on bass, because that's not what the tube amps at that power will do. And MC said this too. I think that's all you need to know, OP. And trying different taps -- yes, yes, yes. You're on the way. 

Interesting path. You had Carreras and then Salks and the Belles Aria wasn’t doing it so you got a 20 watt tube amp to go with the speakers; but it wasn’t enough power so you’re now getting rid of the speakers to go with the amp? Is that what happened?

My path was different. After a lot of research on speakers, I chose Salks which were 83 db. Huge mistake because I learned what it would take to drive them. So, I asked Salk to swap me out for more efficient speakers in that line -- 90 db. I used a number of online calculators including this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itKqSWH07_Y&ab_channel=TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel
and forum posts to figure out which amps would be adequate -- e.g., here. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/speaker-sensitivity-impedance-and-calculating-amp-power/post?...

At first, I was looking at 20 wpc and 40 wpc tube amps. Not enough. I consider 80 or more tube amps (Octave, Quicksilver, Atmasphere, etc.) but they were too expensive. So I settled at 60 wpc. Preamp and amp for about $4k. Turns out, 60 is fine for my Salks. I drove them recently with 225 wpc and they did not improve overall (they were solid state watts, so better bass but not better midrange, soundstage).

So, choice of speakers, first; amp to match, second.

In your case, I see that you’re seeking synergy by going with a very well regarded amp. I don’t know how the Tektons and the Salks compare in sonic character, quality of parts, looks, etc. That would have been a comparison to make early on with an amp that could drive both of them, ideally. But you are where you are, and good luck!

I really do not see the need for such sensitive speakers. It’s one kind of synergy but there’s so much testimony about other synergies that work equally well, listener-relative, of course.

As a parting comment -- which I expect people to disagree with -- I don’t see the choice of a tube amp in this price range to be all that critical. I see the speaker choice as much more important. I mean, couldn’t one get a number of really good tube amps in this price range to do justice to a speaker in the 87 db and up range? Could it really be that hard? (Looking new or used, might a match not be found among Aric, Cary, Modwright, Octave, Quicksilver, Supratek, Raven, Rogue, Prima Luna, et al.?)

@millercarbon I worked out the math which said I didn’t have enough power. But what I also learned was that there is a much wider range of possibilities than you would accept. There are many reviewers and forum folks have found a lot of success with speakers below 93 or 95 or higher with modest wattage amps which are well designed. You might say they haven't seen the light or don't know how to listen. That doesn't pass the smell test for me.

What I’ve come to learn is that the path you proselytize for -- high sensitivity speakers driven with efficiency by lower or moderate watt amplifiers -- is indeed a very good way to go. But it’s not the only way. And once one is past a certain range of mismatch, synergy wise, a lot of other factors can make for a happy marriage. And then there are my ears -- which have found that a number of lower db speakers work with a number of modest watt amps.

@millercarbon
Sorry about the word "proselytizing." That word implies that a certain way of doing things is the only best way.

So, would you agree that high efficiency speakers are only one "best" way to go?
Or would you agree that moderate efficiency speakers can also be "best"?

I’m pretty sure you’ve spoke about the virtues of Raven, Tekton, and high efficiency in such complimentary terms that you’re pretty committed to it being best. Viz., 

Buying speakers and amps is so easy. Yet it is not so easy some audiophile can't make it darn near impossible. All you do is eliminate from consideration speakers less than 92dB sensitivity. I know nothing about your speakers, except for having heard the name Magic and knowing that means they are crazy expensive and have a well earned reputation for being hard to drive. So without looking I will guess they are somewhere down in the mid to high 80's. [Fact check: 87dB. Tol ya so!] Which in itself is low enough to all by itself be a problem. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/what-is-floyd-toole-saying-about-extra-amplifier-power-and-he...

It will take you a very, very long time listening to a lot of different stuff to realize this, but amplifier specs simply do not matter. Only one spec matters: speaker sensitivity. Good luck if you buy speakers with less than 92dB sensitivity. Good luck finding an amp. When you read all the problems people have matching speakers and amps first thing you should do is go look up the sensitivity of the speakers they have. Go. Look. You will see. Happens all the time. Guy just the other day took a pass on some very excellent easy to drive speakers, bought some 89dB when could have had 99dB, the ones he got will require TEN TIMES the amplifier power to play the same level.

Good luck with that. Really superb sounding 50 watt amps are all over the place, and are actually affordable. He needs 500 watts. All because he screwed up the one thing that matter about amps, and that is speaker sensitivity. Good luck.

So forget amplifier power. Do this one simple thing right, find speakers that sound good and are at least 92dB sensitivity you will have no problem whatsoever driving them with anything from 20 watts on up. So power ratings, forget em. Why I said they are meaningless. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/difference-between-amps 

These are the kinds of things which are super reasonable and convincing but are they the only "best" way to go? Perhaps I’ve erred and there are other best ways to go and you've posted about those ways, too. But this seems like the idea you are convinced is best, and even the only really good way to go. Happy to hear what an equally good alternative is that does not involve speakers at 92 db and up that does not involve 500wpc

+1 @decooney A preference thing. Not an objective best thing. Exactly. There must be synergy (weasel word but valid in its weasel way) but beyond that preference. Trial and error.

Never said you or anyone cannot build a beautiful satisfying and excellent sounding system with 87dB or whatever speakers. Simply said you are making it unnecessarily hard on yourself to take that approach.

It's only "unnecessarily hard" if there's no real benefit to doing it another way. Got it.

Has anyone compared the drivers on the Tektons vs. the Salks mentioned here? Above and beyond design, how do the parts compare?

Good choice, @b_limo but I'm biased. I don't think the Tektons are in the same league as Salks, and the Raven was clearly not going to power them. Start with speakers, then get amp to match is good advice. Be curious to hear about your new amp. Salk is working with McGary amps, but they are very pricey.... https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2019/11/14/mcgary-audio-salk-sound-anticables-exogal-caf-2019/

@b_limo  [N.B., @decooney]

Here’s your chance to be done, maybe: https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649748784-quicksilver-audio-silver-88-mono-block-amplifiers/

For $6500 the options open way up.