RSA F-117 Nighthawk Phono Preamp Impressions and Appreciation Thread - Page 6

Works well with the Clearaudio Maestro Wood.

A Lyra Helikon would rock your world. But they are $3K, so you'd have to stretch your budget or find one used. IMHO.

The Benz Ace is completely underrated (although it won a Tonearm Class C award a couple of years back from Stereophile's recommended components.)

Totally agree - great cartridge. Even though I have moved up in the Benz line, I started with, and still greatly respect, the ACE. First really great pickup I ever owned (well, other than the Shure V15...)

The Benz is interesting, but I am thinking of going a little higher end. I'll do some digging on it though and see if it sounds up my alley. The Benz L2 was recommended to me by a Well Tempered Reference owner/industry insider who had tried a lot of cartridges at a lot of prices with it and felt it offered best performance for price, so I'll take Benz suggestions seriously.

The Lyra cartridges never really caught my interest. I'm sure they're monsters at detail and dynamics, but I was always worried it would be too harmonically lean/anemic for my liking. Perhaps I should give one a fair shot--the new Delios seems particularly interesting.

I hate cartridge shopping. It is far more difficult than any other component to make a choice on. I'm gonna check on my The Voice order today and if nothing has been done, I'll probably cancel and order a Shelter--hopefully be done with it.

I had an L2 for several years - LOVED it. When it needed replacing recently due to getting close to 1,000 hours, I went up again in the Benz line, but the L2 delivers a LOT of high end sound for the money.

Went a little nuts and bought two cartridges today. A Shelter 501mkII and a Zu 103 Grade 2 .

I'd love it if either of these cartridges could leave me happy and not wanting for an upgrade, but either way it will be fun experimenting and they were inexpensive enough that I should recoup my investment if I don't like 'em.

They are two cartridges that are probably in the price point many people attracted to the Nighthawk are looking at, so I'll be sure let you guys know how the Nighthawk plays with them.

Neither is an ideal match for my arm, but should work well enough with the versatile Well Tempered Reference

I agree. Cartridge shopping is very subjective. There are some many variables that can take a decent cartridge, and make it sound like crap. VTA, balance and protractors are a must. My first system started with a Blue Note Piccolino uni-pivot tonearm, and it was more trouble than it was worth.
I sold it at cost and bought German made Acoustic Signature Final Tool from Needle Doctor with a RB600 tonearm and a LYRA Helikon Stereo), and was going to upgrade it to a RB900 (now 1000) and Jerry cut me a great deal with a JMW 9. That and a Grado a Benz Ace L in red (now in the trusting hands of headphoneaddict). That and a Grado phono stage wasn't cutting it for a $3K setup.
I sold the Grado and bought Rays XR-2 and now we were clicking. The JMW9 was a significant improvement, to the RB600.
I eventually bought a VPI Aries 2 from Acoustic Sounds, and the owner set up my VGA, VTA, and LMNOP in the store, which was quite convenient because, Once set up, all I had to do was slap on at install and I was good to go. When I reviewed the XR10B for Ray, and I new there was no turning back.
I am going to have Ray substitute the XR10B chips for the ones in the F117 Nighhtawk, which he claims are superior and easily replaceable maybe lll make the switch. Then I got the Aries II and a 12.5 tonearm and it is the best setup for under $10,000.
The TNT is mad money, but I had the TT on loan from when Wayne bought one from a Doctor in Long Island, and i got to use it until Wayne was ready to have shipped on a slow boat from my house to Grand Cayman. It has the triple pulley drive motor and a Lyra Titan (worlds above the Helikon).
VPI
200 gram remasters and the Aries II is as goon as it gets without going to Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn, Rockport Sirius, Walker Audio, and the and the VPI HRX.

$89,999

$59,000

(compressors in basement)

No matter what you have, someone always has better. Fact of life.

Often true, but at a fraction of the layout for the VPI check out the GEM Dandy. May just be one of those things that's actually value for your money.

6moons audio reviews: GEM Dandy Hydraulic Record Cleaning Apparatus

I lucked out and managed to snag a Denon DL-103D the other day and she's mounted up and playing now. I've gotta say, there is some truth to the hype. The cartridge is really nailing tone and dynamics with the nighthawk and making for the type of presentation I've been looking for.

I definitely prefer it to the Shelter 501 MK II I'd been using for the last week and to the Nagoaka MP-50 I used for about a month prior and the Koetsu Rosewood Signature I sold prior to going on a cartridge hunt.

I'm pretty amazed to be happy with anything in this price point and I was ready to shell out up to $2000. I think I'd prefer to just sit back and listen to the music now.

Time to sell off my extras except for a Zu 103 Grade 2 which I'll keep for when this guy makes its inevitable trip to sound smith for a top of the line stylus replacement.

My nighthawk just arrived today.
The phono amp is surprisingly small, size less than a cd case. But the made is first class, very elegant looking. I thought the knobs were cheap plastic from the pictures but they are not. The only bad thing for me is the printing, it is too small for my eyes, so I would suggest to have a white face with blacking printing for easy reading.

I have asked Ray to change the 1K input loading to 100K for the needs of some of my mm carts (Oroton M20FL, M20E, Adzen P50VL, Grace F9C). I have not asked to change the input capacitance loading.
So far, I have tested two mm carts, Clearaudio Maestro at 47K and Adzen P50VL at 100K.

With about 1 hour of use, my concerns are gone.
The high is sweet, not harsh at all. Bass is full with definition, very dynamic and yes, with punch. Have an excellent sound stage.

No regret for the purchase. Thanks Ray's wonderful product at such a small $$$.

I do not have expensive phono amp, had a PSAudio GCPH and still using an AQVOX 2Ci Mk2. For the first hour of use, it is at least at good as the AQVOX, but I believe the nighthawk would be better after 100 hours??