I think the characteristic of the Gavia that pleases me most is how it makes those few less than pristine LPs that I own sound worth listening to. The pops, ticks and crispies are still there but they are more in the background and don't get in the way of the music. I don't quite know what is contributing to this, but I like it a lot.
Cytocycle,
I'm familiar with the Raven only by reputation but I feel I can say that all three of the tables you mention are very solid performers.
An important consideration is how much do you need support from a dealer, other than first setup? If you feel you do have need of such support then Basis or TW may better fit your needs. However, if you're comfortable with 'table set up, are considering spending what a new 2500 costs, and want the best bang for the buck I'd recommend the Gavia with the Gavia platter. BTW, there is really nothing difficult about setting up a Gavia, or Basis for that matter.
I'm not sure what arm board on which table you're referring to? IME, the Graham arms and the Vector use completely different mounting schemes. The Graham's have a flange with a bolt pattern with a large hole in the middle for the tonearm connector to extend downward. The Vector uses a single hole about 1" in diameter to extend the stem of the base into and uses a horizontal set screw to hold VTA.
