Stylus Drag

The audibility of any drag really depends on the table

If you can hear stylus drag on an otherwise accurate table, you most likely posses superhuman auditory abilities, or you simply think you hear it, but you really don't. The great majority of people cannot hear small changes in pitch so the idea that you can "hear" stylus drag is a long stretch to say the least. If your table spins at an incorrect speed to begin with, it's a different story, but I wouldn't obsess too much about stylus drag itself.

You don't hear the change in pitch as such. You hear it as a shaky soundstage. Speed variation causes the tonearm to decrease and increase skating forces. This makes the soundstage less solid. This is why speed stability is so important.

You really shouldn't hear any with your Raven. If you do get it repaired.

Atmasphere is correct.
You may not consciously 'hear' stylus drag as pitch change......but there are so many subtle clues embedded in the grooves which rely on perfectly stable speed control.
Remember that only half the analogue signal is contained in the record......Amplitude.
The 'Time Domain' to complete the sine wave is provided by the turntable rotation.
Any deviation in perfect speed results in a distorted sine wave just as if your amplifier was distorting?

And yes.....I have noticed via the Timeline....that heavily modulated passages cause more stylus drag than others.
I can see this effect on my Raven AC-2 quite clearly whereas on the Victor TT-101......the quartz-controlled DD motor compensates without any visual clues.

Not sure about Australian but a Dutchman would never buy
any Raven considering the 'speed stability' and , more in
particular, the price difference with the (victorious)
Victor TT-101 (or TT 80?). BTW the 'stylus drag' is invented
to justify megabucks TT's. I of course understand
such stories when told to our 'more beautiful halves' but
to your own friends?

Regards,