Upgrade from TW Acustic Raven AC-3 to what?

Dear Alectiong, no - it won't end your upgrade itch. Not for 10 years to come. Most likely not even for 10 months to come. Not because of the quality of the Raven or any other current available so called high-end TT. And asking here the other audiophiles won't help either.
Ask any 10 audiophiles their opinion and you most likely will get 11 different answers.
The only possible way to a "calm audiophile state of mind and art" is different.
Select one single component of the chain you really LOVE. Then carefully and without altering the other periphery do form a suitable and matching chain around it - to your taste ONLY. Without asking others or without comparing the sound with other set-ups.
When you've done and am satisfied, cancel all subscriptions to audio magazines and forget the links to all audiophile online forums.
That is the way to "true audio nirvana".
If you happen to be the first to find a better way, I really would like to learn about it.
Have a great journey - and remember to ask and remind yourself from time to time, whether the road is the goal or rather the goal is the goal......

D.

I have heard the raven one, raven AC 3 and the black knight. All I can say they are great turntables. But the difference between them is minimal. I think only if you have a dedicated audio room that has been treated profesionally. And you have the best phono pre, amp, cables, power supply etc etc, only then will you hear what the top turntables are capable of.

By best I don't really mean most expensive but I mean a really balanced setup.

Throwing money at audio isn't a garantee for a good sound.

The Raven one or now is my dream turntable.

Hi Elinor, tonearm is 10" davinci grandezza mated to a grandezza reference cartridge. Phono stage is Goldmund Ph3 set at 475ohm. Platform under the TT is a 35lb TAOC SCB platform. Linestage is a Vitus SL101. Amps are Karan 1200 monoblocks. Spkrs are Avalon Isis. ICs are Vitus Andromeda. Spkr cables are Crystal Ultra.
Alec

Dear Mordante,
this "Throwing money at audio isn't a garantee for a good sound" is the single most important sentence in this and most other threads regarding analog audio.
Hardly anyone will like, even fewer will follow it, but it tells the truth and nothing else.
Dear Alectiong, go follow Solong's advise. He did follow some of my advises and I can confirm from direct first hand experience that his Raven does sound different (in a most positive way...) from all other Raven set-ups I know or have seen.
The Raven - as ANY other TT - does benefit from isolating from periphery vibration.
It's essential to isolate ANY TT out there (any which doesn't already feature a below 3 hz or better isolation in its design...) on a Vibraplane, Minus-K or similar.
Otherwise 90% of the money spent on the particular TT were wasted.
The full potential is only shown/heard/experienced when the TT is isolated from building frequency.
A - sad and somehow frustrating - technical and physical fact on thsi planet.
Ask any scientist who works with a microscope then and now - they will all tell you the same story.
The periphery conditions of an analog TT are identical.
Have a nice audio journey,
D.

I'd like to throw my 2 cents into this conversation. I own the Raven one that I have tweaked out quite a bit. And based on what it sounded like from when i first got it (which was very good) to where it is now is a rather large improvement.

I think the idea of abandoning this table at this point is a bit premature.
First I would try the above suggestions regarding replacing the rubber belt as an experiment, since it is almost free. The mylar Doug Deacon discovered and posted about is a great place to start, and I posted some info in that thread about an easier to use etching creme to remove the silver.

I replaced my standard feet (obviously you have stillpoints) with a Sistrum Sp-1 brass stand. You'd have to get a larger one for the the AC-, and possibly raise the motors up on something. This was a large improvement in speed and definition, and 1 point I added even drains vibration from the underside of the metal bearing.

Then I added a Halcyonics platform underneath the SP-1, which clarified so much of the spectrum I didn't realize was being colored by vibration. The Sp-1 acts a vibration synch into the Halcyonics, which Isolates it from the outside world. Once you hear active vibration cancellation, (at least in my building/setup, it's hard to go back.

I have since added a copper plater top (which the AC already has) and a TTweights peripheral ring and weight.

And the last thing I would suggest is trying the fantastic Strain Gauge cartridge system (which I sell- disclaimer). It gives so much resolution, and seems to provide great synergy with the TW sound. There is so much detail and information being thrown at you, sometimes I have to swap out to a less extreme stylus contour, to purposely gloss over some of the details in poor (or worn) pressings or recordings.

I also think it's interesting that Mordante has heard all of the TW tables, and feels they are close in performance. Sometimes I wish I had gone for the Raven AC, but after reading this comment, I feel my choice of going with the Raven One and using the savings to add the very best peripherals I could was a wise choice, and makes me feel confident that my analog setup doesn't need to change (meaning I can focus on other areas of the system). Best of luck.