TW-Acustic Raven 10.5 or DaVinci Grandezza??

The Koshin/Lustre tonearm is indeed an interesting design. It was sold in pretty large quantities in Germany. Especially so since Thorens offered the Koshin/Lustre as one of the 3 choices coming with a TD126 mk3.
The can be bought second hand for about 500 USD.
They were often referred to as "poor man's Fidelity Research FR-64".
Nice heavy mass tonearm.
Not great, but nice and well above the average.

Raul,

I just finished reading this long thread. I love how you say it like it is. Good for you.

Dert,

I stopped posting much on Audiogon because you & your group o f so called superior ears just ruined this site. Sorry but got to say it as I see it. Full of hidden agendas and taking every single thread off topic. How sad. Wonder why you aren't much on the German forums.

Meanwhile I know a few moving on to other forums for the friendlier nature.

As for the TW Arm, I own it & quite like it. But I will stress it isn't just the arm. It is the arm cartridge synergy. With the MC2 Finish it is a wonderful match. Ease of setup is high. But I do love my Schroder as well. Totally different and a pain to set up.

Both these arms are from German designers. So Dert the superior to all Germans will have nothing good to say.

Why am I wasting my time. Most have Dert figured out by now. But my iPad is great to use while going to the bathroom & reading Dert's posts fit with what I am doing.

From photos, the Lustre tonearms do appear to be beautifully made. Is it the GST-801? (Of course, by the time we are reading this, the price on the Lustre has probably risen by $500.) Since by pure chance my L07D came with an NOS secondary tonearm mount for SAEC (so one can mount an SAEC at the rear of the chassis and thereby use a second tonearm as well as the primary one), i have been tempted to consider an SAEC as well.

Dgad, "we the people" haven't really noticed your absence. Those able to read without having to go through the matrix of their ego will realize that in the very beginning of any thread - especially with your beloved TW - I only took position against pre-laurels.
I couldn't really see any justified "best" before a product was even introduced and delivered.
While this now has apparently becoming a common rule and we see each week another "best of all times" going and going again.
Same with TW and FS - I personally have no problem with them at all.
Now read this carefully - I know you will.
Nor do I have any problem with their products.
Both do deliver well manufactured components which do reflect the positive in german engineering, quality approach and design.
They aren't bad - they are good and they deserve the market success they have.
Message received ?
They are not my cup of tea, but I respect them.
There is way much worse out there.
Surprised ?
No one should.
At least not those who pay attention and read careful.
There are a few people who are unable to read anything which isn't to their particular liking without the glasses of their own matrix.
Consequently they will run into problems with people taking a different point of view and position.

That's happen everywhere in life.

You are right - most have figured me out by now.
A few apparently haven't.
If I wouldn't get the opposition of people like you and others you agree with and who agree with you, I know something would be wrong with my point of view.
Reliefed to learn I am still on firm course.

Agree - the iPad 2 is great.
But I don't read your posts on my way to the bathroom.

Dear Dgad: +++++ " Wonder why you aren't much on the German forums " +++++

there are very good reasons for that. The Dertonarm audio history is a deep and dirty black one. I received several emails from his german audio " friends " where they gave me ( I never asked for. ) point by point an important part of his audio history.
I can't post those german emails for respect to the Dertonarm person/human been figure but suffice is to say that he was expel/ejected by the back-door from all those forums as a fact Agon is his last chance and his last refuge till Agon eject him too.

His audio history is really bad more that you or any one could imagine: full of harmful facts/actions to the good and honest people out there.

What he already showed in Agon forums is only the point/tip of the iceberg ( a big one I have to say. ).

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.