[Ray Samuels]

It has already been compared to several units costing much more than those models.

Hey John... I am trying to get hold of you.
Please get in touch with me.
Ray Samuels

[armstdav]

Toobluvr,

I also own the Vista and I'm considering the Nighthawk. Have you had a chance to compare the Vista to the fully burned in NH that Ray sent you? Just wondering. I'm 95% sure I'm ordering an NH before 4/30, but was hoping for that one more data point. Thanks for your help.

David

[95Dyna]

I know this question was asked earlier but this thread is so long now and I can't find it.  Was anyone able to find out what the actual gain figures are for each of the 4 unmarked settings between the 40 db min. and 75 db max.?  Optimal gain for my cartridge is 58 db and if this is a straight line progression there will be a setting for 54 and 61.  Also for those of you further along than me in your analog optimization experience, if I have to choose between 54 and 61 should I be concerned.

I'd like to order one of these puppies and the intro price deadline is coming up on Friday.

Thanks,

Bill

[minotaur]

I know this question was asked earlier but this thread is so long now and I can't find it.  Was anyone able to find out what the actual gain figures are for each of the 4 unmarked settings between the 40 db min. and 75 db max.?  Optimal gain for my cartridge is 58 db and if this is a straight line progression there will be a setting for 54 and 61.  Also for those of you further along than me in your analog optimization experience, if I have to choose between 54 and 61 should I be concerned.

I'd like to order one of these puppies and the intro price deadline is coming up on Friday.

Thanks,

Bill

Given the coming deadline, it might be best to email/call Ray directly. Also, I read either here or in the head-fi thread about someone doing a custom load setting after discussing it with Ray. It might be possible for a specific gain setting also (tho that sounds like it would be more complex to do)

-minotaur

[95Dyna]

Given the coming deadline, it might be best to email/call Ray directly. Also, I read either here or in the head-fi thread about someone doing a custom load setting after discussing it with Ray. It might be possible for a specific gain setting also (tho that sounds like it would be more complex to do)

-minotaur

I emailed the question to Ray and he doesn't seem to want to assign a gain value to the dots on the dial.  Below is his response for a .4 mV cartridge output, FYI:

I would use the second or third click from the left going clock wise.
It is NOT critical to use any gain as long as you don't over load the input signal to your pre-amp.
Cheers.
Ray Samuels

[Ray Samuels]

Hi Friends...

Tonight by 12:00 O'Clock mid night, Chicago time, the Intro price of $650.00 for the F-117, Nighthawk is no longer honored. Please do not call or e-mail asking for the special price. The regular price is $795.00.
Thanks.
Ray Samuels

[jtsnead]

Hi Ray,

Thanks for offering the intro price, it allowed me to sell my other phono
pre and get the Nighthawk at the same dollar amount and it was a step
up in resolution, very happy.

I referred a couple of people, hopefully you got some sales from them.

JT

[kgturner]

well, i'm gonna try to pull the trigger on the nighthawk today to catch the intro price.

kevin t

[blakep]

I emailed the question to Ray and he doesn't seem to want to assign a gain value to the dots on the dial.  Below is his response for a .4 mV cartridge output, FYI:

I would use the second or third click from the left going clock wise.
It is NOT critical to use any gain as long as you don't over load the input signal to your pre-amp.
Cheers.
Ray Samuels

While it may not be "critical" as described above, it's certainly going to be easier to establish whether you're in or approaching an overload situation by knowing what the gain is. In other words it's going to be easier to get the best performance out of the phono stage.

Yes, there will be "variance" issues from system to system but in many cases that kind of information would be extremely helpful in optimizing performance.  What's the big deal about divulging what the gain is on the various settings?

[95Dyna]

While it may not be "critical" as described above, it's certainly going to be easier to establish whether you're in or approaching an overload situation by knowing what the gain is. In other words it's going to be easier to get the best performance out of the phono stage.

Yes, there will be "variance" issues from system to system but in many cases that kind of information would be extremely helpful in optimizing performance.  What's the big deal about divulging what the gain is on the various settings?

Agreed.  I would really like to know the values of the unmarked dots.  What's the reason for not revealing them?

[tomjtx]

Agreed.  I would really like to know the values of the unmarked dots.  What's the reason for not revealing them?

According to Rays thread on Head-Fi  lowest setting is 40 highest is 75.

I don't remember if he indicated the increments in a later post.

I have just listened to different settings and chosen.

[kgturner]

gain is 40 to 75 via six increments per ray's website. based on that, if the gain is linear, it would be 7 db per click (40, 47, 54, 61, 68, 75).

kevin t

[95Dyna]

gain is 40 to 75 via six increments per ray's website. based on that, if the gain is linear, it would be 7 db per click (40, 47, 54, 61, 68, 75).

kevin t

I used that assumption when inquiring of Ray about it.  Since the optimal gain for my .4mV cartridge is 58 db. the assumptive question was would I use the 54 or 61 setting.  His response as noted above was to try the 2nd or 3rd click going clockwise (i.e. the 3rd or 4th setting including the marked 40db setting) which would be consistent with the linear progression assumption.  Since the Nighthawk is supposedly silent at all gain levels there would be no downside to using 61 I guess.  I don't like the phono to have a noticeably different feel on the volume pot than the other line level inputs or I wouldn't be making such a fuss.

[DaveX]

Received my Nighthawk yesterday, (don't laugh) I plugged the charger in and waited 3 hours for the switch on the phono stage to turn green, then I realised that its the charger LED that turns green when charged. My question is this, when I plug the charger in the wall without being connected to the phono stage it shows green already, does it change from green to red when you connect it to the phono stage when charging. Thanks.

[DARTH AUDIO]

Received my Nighthawk yesterday, (don't laugh) I plugged the charger in and waited 3 hours for the switch on the phono stage to turn green, then I realised that its the charger LED that turns green when charged. My question is this, when I plug the charger in the wall without being connected to the phono stage it shows green already, does it change from green to red when you connect it to the phono stage when charging. Thanks.

Yes..

[kgturner]

the nighthawk has landed and i'm spinning tunes now. first impression, BASS!!! i'm still trying to find the optimum setting for the bass amp on my von schweikerts. i've got the gain set at the 4th from 40dB (61dB?) and loading my benz at 500 ohms. recommended loading is 400+. it's amazing how recessed the vocals used to be on my cambridge 640p which only had one gain setting (55dB) and one loading (100 ohms) for MC. the music is just so much more alive now that i can properly adjust the load. if this is what it sounds like at hour one, i can't imagine what hour 100+ holds in store!

kevin t

[Gopher]

You are in for a fun ride.  I think this will piece is Ray's masterpiece. 

[kgturner]

a couple of quick questions here. does the on/off switch light stop glowing red when the nighthawk's battery is dead? if not, how do you know when the battery is dead? how long does it take to charge the nighthawk from dead? thanks.

kevin t

[DARTH AUDIO]

a couple of quick questions here. does the on/off switch light stop glowing red when the nighthawk's battery is dead? if not, how do you know when the battery is dead? how long does it take to charge the nighthawk from dead? thanks.

kevin t

Yes, it goes out when the battery is on empty. I never looked at the clock for an exact time, but I think it was a couple of hours.

[Gopher]

Toobluvr,

I also own the Vista and I'm considering the Nighthawk. Have you had a chance to compare the Vista to the fully burned in NH that Ray sent you? Just wondering. I'm 95% sure I'm ordering an NH before 4/30, but was hoping for that one more data point. Thanks for your help.

David

I'm not toobluvr, but I did shoot out the two phonostages with him both in my system and in his.  The Nighthawk did everything better technically.  Way more open, more resolved, more refined, everything was better with the NH, but somehow the Vista just sounded a touch more musical with high output cartridges.

Here is the kicker though--after leaving Johns place last Friday by the time I got home I had an email from him telling me he rolled interconnects to something a little lusher (Electra Cable E1) and the table turned completely.  I don't want to quote him and will leave it to him to expand on it, but the general jist of the email was that everything he felt the NH lacked was restored and it was kicking vista butt.

I'm probably going to borrow those interconnect shortly myself to see how they work out in my own rig.