Brinkmann La Grange Tube PS vs New TW-Acustic AC-3

....just one small criticism: the LaGrange is not a 'wanna be' Balance, nor was it designed to be. The Balance, this year, celebrates it's 25th anniversary while the LaGrange is about 5 years old and was created to be an alternative (with no relation to pricing as will as having the capacity of utilizing two tonearms of different lengths) and a bit more 'lively' than the Balance. Some say that the Balance is well suited for jazz and classical and the LaGrange more suited for contemporary popular music and current re-issues (contingent on arm and cartridge used, as well as set up).

Regards.

This is an impossible question to answer. I can only say that I purchased the Raven AC - 1 motor version over the Brinkmann La Grange. My experience auditioning both tables was that I found the Brinkmann uninvolving. It came as a surprise to me since I admire the Brinkmann Balance. Of course, the tone arm was different and so were the cartridges and who knows if the La Grange was set up correctly? Don't forget that the platforms on which these tables sit has an effect on their performance as well. I don't remember what those were. The Raven AC was created as a Reference table and the La Grange was created as a wanna be to the Balance, Does this have something to do with the perceived performance? Can't say. I'm sure that with attention to detail which includes arm / cartridge set-up, table leveling, etc. the La Grange will perform very well.

Would the two sound different? Possibly. Would there be a $5K difference in favor of the Raven? Probably to some people and probably not to others. If you can finagle an audition; that's the way to go. Personally, I would go for the LaGrange in a heartbeat. Tonearm and cartridge are greater determinants of sound quality, IMO, especially when it comes to such state of the art equipment as these two tts.

Both Brinkmann turntables, the LaGrange and the Balance, are as speed stable as any other belt driven turntable that is available. There are different sonic virtues with each turntable, Brinkmann and the TW Raven, depending on which arm and which phono cartridge is used, certainly. Analog system matching is sometimes far more important than just the assemblage of the parts. It isn't just the table, or the arm, or the phono cartridge and some work better together than others. Lastly, both tables are good and only your ears by and though listening in your own audio system, can determine which is best.

The short answer is yes and no. The Raven AC-3 holds more accurate speed and is more dynamic than the Brinkmann Balance I owned. I owned the Brinkmann Balance with the tube power supply prior to the Raven AC-3. The Raven truly is worth the cost difference to ME.

David