Another satisfied Galibier owner here. I have owned a Gavia for 3 1/2 years, and it replaced a VPI 19 III/JMW 10 and Thorens TD-124/Moerch DP-6. The Galibier was a substantial improvement sonically over both tables. I have a Triplanar VII on the Gavia, but I have also used a 12" Moerch DP-6, the VPI arm, and an Audioquest PT-6. The Triplanar sounds best of course, but the table sounded great with all of the arms.
When I started out, I had what is now known as the Serac platter and later upgraded it to the Gavia platter. There is quite a stepup in sonic performance between the platters so if you can stretch to get the Gavia platter from the outset, I would highly recommend doing so.
Thom Mackris is very knowledgeable and is a straight shooter. He is also a terrific guy to deal with.
I have talked to or corresponded with many Galibier owners over the years, and I have never heard any complaints or reservations about the table. In fact, I also cannot recall anyone changing from a Galibier to another brand. That's pretty unusual in this hobby.
When I bought the Gavia, I intended for it to be my final turntable. That still holds true today. No regrets whatsoever.
Dave