End Game Turntable suggestions

@musicmatters1206 I’m late to the game but looking at your shortlist, those are all quite different tables. I wonder if settling on the type first, then putting together a shortlist of tables of the same type, wouldn’t be a better way to go?

I didn’t check all the posts but has anyone brought up TW Acustic’s former entry-level model, the Raven One? I’ve had one for about five years, paired with a Graham Phantom arm and Kiseki Purple Heart. In the used market, you could easily put together an excellent table for under $8K. TW Acustic’s North American distributor, Jeff Catalano at High Water Sound, is great to deal with, which is an added bonus. He happily has answered questions I’ve had even though I bought a used table, not a new one. The Raven One is a very nice turntable.

+1 

I have a Feickert Volare, a SOTA Star III (vintage) as well as a TW Acustic Raven.

All are better than any Rega IMO.

Have no experience with Acoustic Solid.

The TW is on another level above the others I own, as it should be as it costs 2X to 4X as much.  They are hard to find on the used market, especially within the stated price range.

The Volare has the smallest footprint of my tables (if that is important) but is very well built and finished.  At less than $5K (without cartridge) paired with my Audiomods Series 6 arm, it sounds great.

Biggest problem for you is hearing, seeing and touching all your contenders.  Depending on where you live, there may be no local dealer.

Hope this helps.

Good luck!

+ 1 on TW Acustic. I have a Raven AC for more than 15 years now.
First : the sound fits my tastes, second : it is built like a tank, third you can install up to 4 tonearm, fourth : you can upgrade the initial model to put it close to the Black Night. 
Durind these years I replaced the one motor with the 3 motors in a round shape, replaced also the original PSU with the battery one, and lastly replaced the platter with the 20kg « black night ». Each of these changes were useful and put the table up a notch or 2. 
Now I think the TT is hard to beat. 

OP,

I look forward to hearing your decision.

I commented earlier, but not on what I did. I had a VPI that I loved for over 20 years.

I retired, and realized I had an opportunity to upgrade… as I was upgrading the rest of my system. I did the kind of survey you are. While I looked and compared contemporary turntables and higher end VPIs. I got really interested in Linn… for its simplicity, history and contemporary performance. The more I read and researched the more I realized that contemporary performance was available with a really attractive, elegant, small footprint turntable with a wonderful history and upgradabilty.

I have really enjoyed it. I enjoyed its performance so much, I was drawn to upgrade sub-component after sub-component. While I started at the mid-level turntable… I upgraded it to very close to the top level. It has been a constant source of enjoyment over the last three years.

This is not a pitch for Linn. But for the enjoyment of reaching for your dreams. For experiencing really top level performance in something you really love. It doesn’t happen often. Enjoy.

@willy-t 👍 +1