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The Ultimate MC/MM phono stage, F-117, Nighthawk... - Page 2  

post #16 of 210
12/10/09 at 8:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shaizada View Post
Einstein "Turntables Choice" Phono



Love it to death!
That is a nice phono stage. I have eyed them on AudioGon when I have seen them.

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post #17 of 210
12/11/09 at 5:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Samuels View Post
We are inviting every head-fier to own one of the best phono stages ever designed by RSA for a price that is so tempting, specially when you realize how expensive phono stages are, yet don't have the flexibility of this phono stage, when it comes to adjusting the load or the gain on the fly while you are listening to you vinyl.
The Into price for the Nighthawk is $650.00 ONLY. If you are looking into buying a phono stage for your existing rig or building your new vinyl rig, I would highly recommend this piece of art, it will put the biggest smile on your face. I use it with my $10,000.00 VPI HRX turn table & $4,000.00 Shelter cartridge. The F-117 even though being so little, as it is dwarfed by the size of the HRX, it Holds it's own & demands respect when it plays with the big boys.
RSA
I was dying to listen to the 117 at RMAF and was sorry that we didn't find a rig the first night to hook it up to. If I recall you mentioned it would be around $700 at the time, so it sounds like a nice deal based on what you told me about it.

I picked up a used NAD C555 TT with Ortofon Blue 2M cart about 4 weeks ago in a trade, but I returned the new NAD PP2 preamp that I picked up for it because it didn't sound any better than my $70 GEMSound PL-USB with A/D converter. For now the GEMsound isn't bad but it's nothing special either. I'm worried if I spend a lot on a phono preamp and still don't like LP's due to the extra noise and care issues, then I'll just end up selling it all.

I'll probably be in the market for a new preamp in about 4-8 weeks after things have settled down here (my 16 yr old daughter's new (to us) used car + insurance is killing me). I may be still stuck in the $250 or less price range, even with waiting, but well see. It might be worth going out on a limb with a higher quality preamp like the F-117 but I'd have to sell something first - maybe the APS V3 cabled RS-1 or something.
post #18 of 210
12/13/09 at 2:06pm
Ray;
I have sent you an e-mail directly on this topic, but I would love to hear more from you as to the design concept of this tiny phono stage i.e; how does it differ in design from the XR-2 and other than the ~$400 price difference, how does the sound quality or signature differ between the two? Is the RIAA equalization passive or active? Are op-amps employed and if so, where and which ones?
post #19 of 210
12/13/09 at 5:23pm
Okay, I'm ready to order. How and where?
post #20 of 210
12/15/09 at 5:23pm
Got my latest issue of Stereophile yesterday. Mikey Fremer mentioned this phono stage without referring to it by name in his trade show round-up article. I also rummaged through my back issues of S'phile and found that old Mikey has made reference to the "very sweet" RSA phono stage sound in the past (forget which issue it was) while covering some other phono stages and describing their sound, and yet he apparently has never formally reviewed an RSA phono stage.
post #21 of 210
12/15/09 at 6:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ross View Post
Okay, I'm ready to order. How and where?
Let me know too. This is the one I've been waiting for.
post #22 of 210
12/15/09 at 6:17pm
Thread Starter 

F-117, Nighthawk, phono pre-amp

Quote:
Originally Posted by FSonicSmith View Post
Got my latest issue of Stereophile yesterday. Mikey Fremer mentioned this phono stage without referring to it by name in his trade show round-up article. I also rummaged through my back issues of S'phile and found that old Mikey has made reference to the "very sweet" RSA phono stage sound in the past (forget which issue it was) while covering some other phono stages and describing their sound, and yet he apparently has never formally reviewed an RSA phono stage.
Mr. Fremer did review My first phono stage, XR-2, & he did like it very much & wrote a review of it in the Stereophile meg.

Mr. Fremer did review my Balanced phono stage with, three inputs for three turntables, Called the XR-10B, in the Stereophile meg. He liked it very much & was compared to $16,000.00 -$30,000.00 phono stages including the steel head.

The XR-10B was nominated one of the best 500 products of the year by Stereophile meg.

I met him at the RMAF & he saw the F-117, with out the chassis, he was interested to give it a run around the block.
Ray Samuels
post #23 of 210
12/16/09 at 2:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Samuels View Post
I met him at the RMAF & he saw the F-117, with out the chassis, he was interested to give it a run around the block.
Ray Samuels
I'm still regretting not getting to hear it at RMAF.
post #24 of 210
12/19/09 at 10:13am
I am looking forward to the release. I had the opportunity after the last Chicago meet to listen to it. The variable gain plus on the fly adjustments for the load adds such a degree of flexibility. This was still when it was just the board with no shielding.

I have heard Ray's set up with his XR-10 before after other Chicago meets and the Nighthawk had the same generally characteristics of this.

I have the XR-2 today and while I like the sound signature, I wish it had the features of the Nighthawk. I plan to give this a try as soon as it is ready.
post #25 of 210
12/19/09 at 9:29pm
I can tell a Ray Samuel's product just by the color scheme. Does that make me weird?
post #26 of 210
12/19/09 at 9:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by slytown View Post
I can tell a Ray Samuel's product just by the color scheme. Does that make me weird?
I haven't yet got used to the mixed color scheme of silver case / black faceplate / silver knobs or black case / silver faceplate / black knobs!!

I am more inclined to stay with the black / black but some silver does grow on you.
post #27 of 210
12/20/09 at 4:43pm
I would think that the F-117 "Nighthawk" would be all black like the aircraft.
post #28 of 210
12/20/09 at 4:50pm
I do like the pictures of the black faceplate with silver case and knobs. I'd love to see one in person. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
post #29 of 210
12/20/09 at 9:26pm
Did I miss the ETA somewhere?
post #30 of 210
12/21/09 at 11:27am
Quote:
Did I miss the ETA somewhere?
No, but I have been exchanging e-mail with Ray and the answer is that he is waiting for his supplier of extruded cases-he has the circuit boards ready (I did not ask him how many boards are ready to go). He figures they should be in within 30 days so I am hoping by January 30th. I can't play a lick of vinyl til I get a phono stage so I certainly hope this is accurate.
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