TW Raven One owners- will this be it ?

There was another chap who asked very similar question at the start of the year who's gone on to get the Raven 1 after the strong response.

It would be interesting to get his impression since his purchase.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1232816022&openfrom&2&4#2

I'm listening to my R1 tonight and i still enjoy it despite having other alternatives at hand.

Jaspert,

Mind me sir, how is the R1 different from your other TTs ?
Let's just say, if you have a wish list that can be improved on the R1- what would that be ?

Mid40s:
I can share my experience with you. I upgraded from a VPI scoutmaster with the
9SIG arm with valhalla wire to the Raven One with Graham Phantom arm and
Dynavector XX2Mk2 Cart. I can assure you that it is a HUGE upgrade. Its' improvements cover BOTH musically meaningful ways and all the audiophile goodies.
As a former classical percussionist, I can tell you that a well recorded classical record sounds truly authentic with attack decay and tonality of the real thing.
I can't give you comparisons with the other tables mentioned, but at least for ME, my search for tables and arms is over....though maybe a cartridge upgrade in the future.
Hope this helps......Jim

Hello Jim,

heads up for the sharing the experience !
From reading your post, it seems that the Raven One is more natural sounding than the VPi Scoutmaster ?

How do yo find the dynamics and attack of the Raven One ?

And it any way do you find the Raven One, darker sounding than the VPIs ?

Cheers,
D.

I can't add much more positive to what has already been said about the Raven One. I've owned mine for about 1 & 1/2 years. I have a Graham Phantom II and Dynavector XX2 Mk2 (same exact set up as Jdolgin).

But you also asked about isolation and set-up. I never set up a table or arm before, but the Raven is simple and the Graham comes with foolproof instructions and cartridge alignment guide.

Regarding isolation. I found that slightly unscrewing the Stillpoint feet added a degree of tightness and impact to the bass. This was based on a recommendation from Jeff at Highwater Sound.

I also found that 1" slate is better than the Mapleshade platform I was using. The slate seems to result in a faster, more dynamic sound versus the maple which was a bit warmer but sluggish by comparison. I have the slate platform on the top rack of my Mapleshade Sampson rack with 1/2 isoblocks in between. Isoblocks are combination of cork and rubber from Mapleshade.

I often think of how I can upgrade my system but never even consider the Raven. The table and arm will be my last and like so many others here, I am in my early 50's.

Regards.