Gabriele
For me the TW Acustic Raven is the best that I have owned so far, delivered 6 month's ago.
Graham Phantom B-44 arm, Dynavector XV-1s, ASR Exclusive phono stage with XLO Signature two-3.2 phono cable.
Vinyl play back for my wife and I is certainly a thrill, more so then at anytime in our 28 year history together.
BTW regarding the Still Point feet, put effort into precisely leveling your table leaving the feet slightly loose, do not tighten them.
They work extremely well this way.
Mark & Donna |
Hello Mark & Donna,
Donna .. what a nice name for a woman! I like it alot
I didn't know that Oem Stillpoints matter .. I have levelled the slate base so I haven't used the TT foot
Btw even if you tight the new foot the are a bit loose too
I checked with a stethoscope (I'm a Med Doc. so I have a very good one) and the Raven is really silent and incredibly deaf , when I tried I didn't believe this silent level was possible
I think the Graham Phantom B-44 should be the best choice
I 'll try to find one used around next year :-)
Thanks for your opinion Mark
Kiss Donna and Happy New Vinyl Year to you two
Cheers,
Gabriele
|
Gabriele
She thanks you for the complement and yes I will.
We send you wishes for a Great New Year.
Mark & Donna |
I am using a Graham Phatom II with a Dynavector XX-2. I have not tried other arms. I agree with Mark that keeping the Stillpoint feet slightly loose (i.e., not tightened against the bottom of the TT) does make a difference and I was surprised at the results.
Personally I like the looks of the Raven -- simple and well built.
Dave |
Hi Gabriele,
First of all Happy New Year to you, Mark and Dave as it's altready 2009 here in Australia. ;)
Thanks for the tip about loosening the Stillpoint feet BTW.
I got my Raven One just before you after a 4 months wait. Worth the long wait and some. Understated and solid engineering.Nice.
I'm using a 10.5 inch Jelco S arm ( similar to the Vivid but obviously longer) with an Ortofon Kontrapunkt B at the moment but i feel the Jelco arm is holding back the performance somewhat.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a52/jasnev/Hi%20Fi%20and%20Horology/raven1insitufront.jpg
But i did order a Graham Phantom B44 back in early August soon after i ordered the table mainly due to views expressed by others and the popularity of the pairing. I'm hopeful of getting it soon and hopefully it will bring another level of all round improvement. On top of that i also bought a mint Micro Seiki MA 505 Mk 3 tonearm on impulse from a HK ebay seller this week. The table will be a Raven 2 soon enough and it will be interesting to compare them.
Interestingly, i've noticed you're interested in the AT33PTG too on another thread as i just bought one from ebay this week after procastinating for a few months.
It's a popular choice on pinkfishmedia.net and that's how i became aware of it after going through the giant Raven one thread there.
In the long run, i might go for a Dynavector XV1s when my bank balance has recovered from all the upgrade.
regards,
jasper |
I've had my Raven one for about 1 year.
I use the Graham phantom arm and Dynavector XX2MkII.
I could not be happier. A perfect match that makes real music. I can't imagine a better match.....weeellll, maybe a cartridge upgrade when the XX2 is "done"
Enjoy and be confident it really dosen't get much better. |
Hello all....
Jasper,
Your going to love the Graham Phantom, set up and fine adjustments is a dream to work with.
This arm on the Raven One is "Killer"
If you are not aware, ONE of the very best set up tool's on the Planet for your cartridge is the MintLp arc protractor at MintLp.com.
Specifically made for your table, inexpensive, laboratory precision made tool , well thought out, easy to use with Excellent instruction's, quick fantastic support if needed and free quick shipping from Hong Kong.
Minting your cartridge WILL FLOOR YOU with the enormous improvement in performance over and above the excellent supplied Graham set up jig's.
All for a $100.00 plus and some patience from you.
Much has been said here on Audiogon. |
I totally agree with Stiltskin about MintLP Tractors .. I'm a Mint addict :-) |
One other fact that I would like to share that is pretty much common knowledge among experienced people within this hobby.
However once in a while I see this costly mistake made time and time again.
In fact I made this mistake myself many years ago.
Most recently here on Audiogon a fellow member has mounted a Dynavector XV-1 on a run of the mill tonearm that retails for $700.00.
In fact the retail price of this very good cartridge alone is more then his entire front end.
Any superb tonearm with any decent cartridge mounted on it will far out play ANY mediocre tonearm with any of the popular expensive cartridges of today.
|
After discussing with Thomas at TW, I went for an Ortofon 309S and am very happy with it, mounting a Zyx Airy 3. I don't think it is far off the ultimate arms, at a fraction of the price. My Raven 1 came with stock Millenium feet and I find Standard, not OEM stillponts, a big improvement, even with a wall shelf. |
Most recently here on Audiogon a fellow member has mounted a Dynavector XV-1 on a run of the mill tonearm that retails for $700.00.
In fact the retail price of this very good cartridge alone is more then his entire front end.
Any superb tonearm with any decent cartridge mounted on it will far out play ANY mediocre tonearm with any of the popular expensive cartridges of today. True 30 years ago and truer today, specifically because today's best catridges are more revealing of flaws in surrounding components than the best cartridges of 30 years ago. Very wise advice, and perhaps the most frequently abused/ignored/unknown. This isn't to say don't buy an XV-1S, Transfiguration Orpheus, upper model ZYX or other top cartridge. It is to say that the rest of your vinyl front end (including the phono stage) must be at an appropriate level first or you may be disappointed. |
I have to disagree slightly here........I mounted a $5000 ZYX Universe on my 30 year old Rega Planar 3 with Hadcock GH228 unipivot arm (total price 30 years ago $375) and the resultant sound was one of the 4 revelations of my audio life.
I now have it mounted in a DaVinci 12" Ref Grandezza arm on a Raven AC-3 turntable and appreciate the sound of the Universe to no greater degree than before?
Of course one might say that the Rega 3 and Hadcock arm were not "chopped liver"?.......but they are still available today at reasonable prices. |
Hi Mark/Stiltskin,
Really looking forward to pairing the Phantom and the Raven 1 this year and I will definitely get a MintLp. Judging the feedbacks from you and Gabriele, it's well worth
the trouble for very minimal outlay.
Both Ortofon 309D and 309S 12 inch arms sounds like good pairing with Raven 1 or AC from a few users here.It would be next choice if i didn't already have a deposit down for the other arm.
Halcro,
The way i read it,it sounds like putting the top of the range Dynavector cartridge on the Raven AC-3/12 inch Da Vinci is no more sweeter than your 30 yrs old Rega Planar 3 combination which is kind of surprising. W
Very nice system BTW. |
Thanks Jaspert,
Don't get me wrong?.......the sound of my system with the Raven AC-3 plus DaVinci and Copperhead arms is of course far more revealing and competent than with the Rega 3/Hadcock combination.
The point I was trying to make is that the beauty of an expensive cartidge can often be fully appreciated (at least in my case), with a cheap turntable and arm.
It may not be the universal recommendation?......but it also should not be universally condemned? |
Halcro,
Perhaps you did experience a sonic revelation with your 30 year old Rega 3 table and Hadcock tonearm.
Who's to say you didn't....If only it was that simple for everyone.
Great choice of arms btw, gotta be just fantastic.
Jaspert the Ortofon arm are a well suited choice and proven with both model's of Raven's as the Phantom's are.
Wait till you take delivery of your Phantom arm, pictures do NOT do it justice. |
Jeff Mr. high water set me up good.
the Raven one with a new ortofon 12 inch.
then what i asked for was something of a gamble because nether one of us was familiar with a Decca jubilee MM.the golden cart that kicks butt.
it delivers reality and its kind of actual like mono but has freshness to the max the way the best stereo does.
its just so secure on the ravens dead quite perfect silk smooth toque that seems as sure and seamless as the earths rotation.
the other arm is just good but mostly holding its spot until another ship comes in its a jelco with a zu 102 denon mono cart and we thought it was really good until we lowered the Decca.
its set up in a small living room with my leben 300 12 watt integrated and a English made Puresound MM phono stage and horn shop single drivers. |
One of my biggest improvements was something quite inexpensive. I replaced the stock rubber belt with 1/4" mylar. The speed stability results in much purer tone.
I use a Phantom arm with great results. |
Where did you get the 1/4" mylar?
Thanks, Terry |
I got it off ebay. Don't remember the seller but I have a lifetime's supply for less than $30 shipped from the UK. I used Doug Deacon's method if you search this forum but I use clear instead of metalic. Didn't want to mess with etching acid. Also 1/4" is the widest you can use since the spindle is low profile. To save you a bit of time,...it's EXACTLY 105cm. You will need some sort of strobe to re-calibrate the speed. |
Acee
What were Jeffery's comment's of the Decca with the Ortofon arm?
No doubt you are thrilled.
A few years ago I had a interest in trying Decca out and got side tracked by another brand, never did get to listen to one.
I understand the Decca Jubilee is one Hell of a good cartridge, far different from years ago.
Very musical, detailed, focused and fast with explosive low end that is only equaled by the best in digital play back.
Ducatirider,
Your mention of it has re-newed my interest.
I have to get on this tape drive, been well aware of it for sometime ,just too busy with other thing's.
Did you get the tape on the first try without crunching it?
I would need a box full and at lease minimum half dozen or so attempts to get it on right with my mitt's. |
I can't really remember how many tries it took but once you get it, it's easy. Line it up on a post it note and diagonally splice it, then use non stretchy tape. (I just use clear scotch tape that it thicker than normal). The key is to cut it exactly 105 cm. Too little and it won't fit and too loose and it won't track.
BTW, I fiddled with a Decca Jubilee once but my arm was too light for it. It needa a high mass arm. Can't speak for the Ortofon though. |
Stiltskin,
Jeffery loaded the Denon mono first and i was psyched and he was surprised that it sounded as good as it did and we were digging it, but the second the Decca touched the Boozoo Chavez record his ear perked and his eye brows lifted he heard it before i did.
i couldn't really comprehend it at first it was like opening a window.
he said later over the phone it gave you that mono hit but fresh.
and Ducatirider, i could mount the denon myself its a good easy tracker but i could see that the decca has to be exact. |
'BTW, I fiddled with a Decca Jubilee once but my arm was too light for it. It needa a high mass arm. Can't speak for the Ortofon though.'
I've not used a recent Decca, but still have my Decca Gold garrot Brothers and Maroon from the early 80s. I used to sell then in the late 70s/early 80s. In those days, we used them in damped unipivots, which in those days were low to medium mass
(Hadcock/ Mayware, Decca arms). They didn't like arms with rigid bearings (presumably due to the near-zero vertical compliance). I still use my Deccas occasionally in both my old Hadcock and my Schroeder Model 2.
Charlie |
Ducatirider, Thank you for the info.
Boozoo Chavez, would of liked to of seen him live at some Cajun BBQ.
What other type of music can you think of were it's quite normal to eat , drink and dance too,
All at the same time!
I came across this regarding Denon and Decca monos.
Sorry I can't post the proper site info....Dah
Google Phillip Holmes commentary Decca. Thats all thats it nothing else.
One cartridge for all Lps.
It's a 3 part write up with a comment by Stan Ricker to Phillip Holmes for a job well done , in part one.
Mark
|
