TW-Acustic Raven

Audiofreakgeek

After spending $250.00 on a Feikert protractor and assuming I was getting a precision set up tool, I quickly found out it is NOT....

The Feikert protractor is WAY over priced and is NOT a precision instrument for setting up a cartridge.

Further more ,the small two page pamphlet that accompanied the protractor is a joke....

A glossy advertisement for his turntable printed on heavy weight paper and three times the size of the instruction PAMPHLET is included for the $250.00 spent.

As for the "storys" on the street you have heard regarding deveoplment and material of the Raven line of tables.

You should of dug a little deeper into Thomas Woschuicks published back ground and bio history.....

I looked at both table lines and my next table is going to be the Fickert, do the research and you will find that out.

I am not saying the Raven isn't a great table, however, the Fickert is also a remarkable table and the price differential is quite large. I can get a Fickert with a superb arm and cartidge for the price of a fully blown Raven!

Audiofreak,

Have you heard the Feickert Twin ?

I think the OP is considering a Raven One/Two which is about US$5000-6500.

Feickert Twin is US$9000 without arm last i heard. Quite a few were seen at the Munich hifi show i think, likley a sign of a good thing.

When i was considering my new turntable last year , my local dealer/Australian importer had the new Feickert Twin for US$4750 but he soon dropped the Feickert line. It sounds like a good bargain and opportunity missed by myself with hindsight but i had to look elsewhere.

Back to the present, i'm now a very happy owner of Raven One. Got it going with a Jelco 10.5 S arm tone paired with an Ortofon Kontrapunkt B for the last 2 months while i wait for the Phantom II order to be completed. Relative to my previous purchases,this is a significant purchase but there is no regret so far. Sound wise, there is better bass definition + heft (biggest improvement) , more microdetails , airy top end and deeper soundstage when it's compared to my old setup which costed about 1/3 the price ( Roksan Radius 5/Nima tonearm/Ortofon Kontrapunkt A ~ $3K). I was looking for significant improvement obviously and subjectively i think it gives about 20-30% improvement. Happy with that.

And I should finally get my new Phantom II tonearm in the next 2 weeks and hopefully this will take things further.

I still think Raven One is one of the better value new turntable going around.

Having owned and used the Fieckert protractor and finding it to be a big PITA, it is gone. It is a guessing game trying to find the center to the arm bearing to get the protactor lined up, and forget about using that thing with a SME arm. The only reason it sells it becasue it is a universal solution and easily available.
The Wally Tools are way better but impossible to get.

I saw and heard the Fieckert Twin with a Kuzma 4-point with a Lyra Scala and was disapointed to say the least. Way to many variables in a show setting but not impressive at all if you ask me. Acrylic and painted birch ply wood for materials does not make for fabulous design princapals in my mind. Good marketing can sell tables but does not mean it is a great product.

Dr. Fieckerts view of marketing a product is at best a carny side show in my minds eye.
If his table is anything like his protractor...

Upon becoming aware of the MintLp arc protractor for $90.00 shipping included and directly comparing the end results of the Fiekert to the Mint protractor last year.
My ears told me immediately there was a significant issue with the Fiekert.

That along with the other issues I mentioned made my blood boil.

Pcosta I agree, the Wally tools are one of the best on the Planet.
It is a shame they are so difficult to get.

The Mint and the Wally set up tools ARE of the highest precision, the end results are up to the user.

Has anyone compared TW Acustic with a Verdier Platine? I think one could get a used Platine for the price of a TW Raven One.