The Ultimate MC/MM phono stage, F-117, Nighthawk... - Page 5  

My thinking exactly. The REASON for it is that it sounds much better just off battery, and so Ray didn't want to enable it's use with the charger. It will last a week solid played 8 hours per day. That is enough for me for sure.

Here is the extent to which I can speculate:

Linn LP 12 = good
F117 Nighthawk = good
Then,
Linn LP 12 + F117 Nighthawk = good



Of course it may not end up that way for sure, but odds are it would.

Come on Ray, where you at?

Ray seems to have something in development all the time. The Shadow came out during the 4th quarter plus he announced the Nighthawk and the Protector. Makes you wonder what else he is dreaming about.

It's now a full thirty days since "the end of the month" referring to the end of December when it was thought the product would be ready. I appreciate Ray's need to market his product but I have given up and moved on to something else.

shaizada,

When you get yours, I'd love to come hear it, or if you want to come up to Palmdale with it, I'd love to demo it against my SWP9.0SE Signature Modwright Stage.

Cheers
Pete

We should do both I'll have you over for a listen so we can compare the Einstein and the Nighthawk together.

Then we I'll take some time out and go over to your place for a listen. How does that sound?

Also, I'm going to post some impressions in the Orange County Meet thread so have a read there as well on what I felt about the Phono stage.

I really think it would be unfortunate if you don't get a chance to listen to this. It was neck to neck with my Einstein phono which is significantly more expensive! Whatever you've moved on to, buy the phonostage from Ray on trial for 30 days. Compare it with what you have and if you don't like it, just return it.

It would be a shame if you didn't get a chance to hear this thing. Here is the short version of it.... it blew my mind if I didn't even think of the price. The price just seals the deal.

In fact, Ray is going to tweak it just a hair before release after hearing it in my analog system and this will be something to be reckoned with. We both discussed and agreed on that just a smidgen of more warmth was needed. Literally a smidgen! I'm so excited about this phono.

If the warmth comes out as I expect, I will have a small portable phono stage I can easily take with me anywhere I go without compromising sound quality.

It's ALL about the sound quality....everything else is just icing on the cake. Sound first. Period.

Me too. I love Ray (though I have never met him) and love my RSA Predator. I love the way his products are designed. I intend to get rid of my LD IVse and get the Raptor I should have purchased from the get-go a year ago.
But in my case I just couldn't wait any more. I had a new TT and new vinyl and no phono stage. My predator can't supply the impact of the LD which in turn (I am sure) can't push signal the way a Raptor can. Sure, phono stages and headphone amps are different beasts with different burdens, but the analogy must hold some validity nonetheless. Rendering power supply as irrelevant to a phono stage is likewise like advertising some new miracle additive that allows an internal combustion engined automobile to get 95 mpg for pennies.
I am going with a Simaudio LP 5.3. I am no EE, but I do have to wonder how a miniscule battery supply that trickles so little current that it can go eight days (like a Chanukah menorrah!) can sound so good. Take the Simaudio for example. It's power supply is gargantuan compared to the F117 and yet it in turn reportedly benefits across the board from an even bigger PSU, the PSX 5.3.
I truly hope I am wrong. I will be able to sell my Simaudio in a heartbeat, I am sure, and still reap the rewards of an F117/Nighthawk when the time and opportunity comes. I wish Ray nothing but unqualified success. Truly.

Shaizada,
When you listened to F-117 was there any diminishing of dynamic weight in the bass due to battery power? How would you compare F-117 to your Einstein in dynamic ability?
Thanks,
montepilot

Ray, I'm planning on bringing a turntable to the Bay Area meet on Feb. 27. Do you think it will be ready by then? It would be a good chance for a bunch of people to hear it.

Thanks,
Kurt

The F-117 was a huge surprise for me. First some background. In my system, the Einstein has held its ground over some pretty good phono stages and remained part of my system. Since getting into vinyl about 6 or 7 months ago, I've gone through a whole bunch of Phono stages. The Einstein has held its roost over the following in MY system:

Manley Steelhead
FM Acoustics FM 122 MKII
EAR 324
Nagra PL-P
Audio Research PH-7
Aesthetix Rhea
Whest PS.30R

The Nighthawk was NECK TO NECK in my system with the Einstein and that alone is an amazing feet. The Einstein had a touch warmer presentation that I preferred for my listening tastes, but that presentation can easily be controlled through power cord choices. The Nighthawk with its battery supply was just neutral and pure pure pure. It was just as resolving as the Einstein and reproduced timbres just as accurately...that in and of itself is unheard of at this price point. Too say that I'm shocked would be an understatement.

This is only through a few hours of listening. I will have to live with the phonostage for a while to really understand what is going on here, but to even see this phono hang with the Einstein and play ball just as hard is a commendable feat in and of itself. The Einstein is about 8 times more expensive!

Bass reproduction of the Nighhawk was spot on. Mids were wet and voluptuous while highs were detailed and textured. Did I mention that I can't believe this unit sounds so close to the Einstein? My Clearaudio cartridge is a detail monster and can make a system sound tipped up a bit, so the Einstein works a magical number with me. The Nighthawk is more neutral so it might actually just be revealing the nature of my cartridge. Clearaudio's are known to be detail and transparency monsters not letting anything hide in the grooves.

Everything said and done, Ray is going to make a small change to the phonostage and make it just a smidgen warmer. That just might do the trick and really give my Einstein a run for its money. Horrendous I tell you!

If the final production model actually gives me equal pleasure, the Einstein will be on its way out with more money coming into my pocket. However, I'm just inclined to keep both phonostages as the Nighthawk is very portable! Take it to my friend system and give them a little shock therapy with a healthy dose of a reality check.

Ray, you've really done well for yourself with these new releases. I was so impressed with the Protector AND this phono stage as well. Good for you sir! You really do good work.

What is upstream of you phono? As you have gone through a number of phono stages, how long have you lived with each?

Upstream is a VPI TNT-V "Hot Rod" with a JMW 12.5 arm, Clearaudio Accurate cartridge Moving Coil, Interconnect from table to phono is a Harmonix Golden Performance HS101 GP 0.75m RCA

The table has the VPI HRX motor and acrylic platter. Also using the VPI periphery ring and center weight. Also using the VPI turntable stand and VPI MDF platform along with a Symposium Ultra Shelf and Rollerblocks Series 2+ and Rollerblock Jrs.

PS Audio Prelude cable into the Einstein, Acoustic Revive RGC-24 on the ground lug of the Einstein. Einstein plugged into an Oyaide SWO-GX power outlet.

On an average, lived with each phonostage for about a month. Einstein stayed the longest as I bought it right away when I got the table. All other phono stages were compared with the Einstein one by one, sometimes even having 3 phono stages at one time. Idea was to find the best match for my system and listening preferences.