Rsf507,
I think you will find quite a few TW owners who haven't experienced those issues. I can tell you I have the blackest backgrounds, lowest noisefloor, great tight bass and shoe-tapping rhythm and pace. Great depth, sound staging, air and musicality without sacrificing detail.
Why the disparate opinions? Not sure. I wold refute the idea that pleased TW owners don't have critical ears, or experience in analong with other analog rigs to compare to. I do think indeed its system matching, rooms, and arms and carts and phono stages that can also affect results.
I'm extrememly happy with my TW AC-1 and TW10.5 arm with a dynavector XV-1s and Rowland Cadence phono.
My friend let me borrow his MS - 5000 this weekend as the result of this thread. Frankly, it's speed control is worse than the TW and noise floor is much more noisy than the TW. That being said it is built like a tank, but no better tan the TW. I'm not sure if his motor is functioning properly as he as had issues with it to be fair. But in my room, in my system, with my listening preferences, the TW is the better table - FOR ME.
I'm not saying that the TW AC-1 would be a better table for everyone. Listening tastes, rooms and other associated equipment may interact differently.
Thus far in my room I've had a a Linn LP12, Denon 45P, VPI Classic 1, VPI Aries, VPI Aries 3, Audiomeca Romance, MS 5000, and the TW AC-1.