Upgrade from TW Acustic Raven AC-3 to what?

Alectiong,

You have not indicated what cartridge you are using, what electronics are in your system, or the platform on which your TT sits. That said, I own the TW Raven AC-1 (one motor version). My tonearm is a Tr-Planar VII UC-2, and my cartridge is a Transfiguration Orpheus-L. TT, arm, cartridge set-up are paramount for paramount sound reproduction as indicated by other wise people answering your thread. If one or more parameters are not correct, the sound you hear will be unsatisfactory. You need a Wally Tractor or some other reliable brand so your cartridge is aligned using an arc across the platter and not just the null points. You need a reliable digital scale, and then you need to experiment with VTA and VTF. If you have already addressed these issues, I find that VTA needs to be adjusted slightly for each record I play to achieve optimum focus and "snap" in the sound. Unfortunately, there are many tonearms in the marketplace that do not allow for easy "on the fly" adjustment of VTA. Yours may be one of these brands. The last thing that occurs to me is that your cartridge is loaded at an impedence which is too low. If you have variable settings available in your phono preamp, try increasing your load setting. Remember that VTA and VTF may change with a different cartidge load. If you want to spend $50K on a TT, I second the Walker as your choice. However, correct set-up will still be required since this issue does not disappear with a more expensive rig.

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.