Raven One Motor Noise Problem

Thank you all for being so forthright...this really helps.

What's important is how the damn thing sounds, and the motor noise is barely audible at this point. I've been nit-picking, worrying, prodding, and I haven't even heard the table with my new Tron Seven and Shilabe.

If the platform is wrong I will hear it. Let you know when that happens and many thanks.

Thanks guys, that's what I thought. I'm in contact now with the importer and we're checking it out. I'll let you know the outcome.

Thanks Jaybo, do you own the TT and have had a similar experience?

The offer to exchange the motor has already been made but I had a strange experience. After sticking a Vibrapod under the Stillpoint foot for the motor the noise went away. When it's quieter later this evening, I was going to check up on this to see if it's the motor or a resonating issue with the newer Stillpoints. Curious.

Ken

Hi Dgad...

No, the TT has three OEM Stillpoint feet under it's base with one foot being under the motor. The motor is not separate from the base like the Raven Two. The feet have changed during the history of the Raven One, these being a Stillpoint variation without the normal ceramic bearing as the point.

The table with the Stillpoint feet sits on a slate platform that is one of the recommended platforms for this table. The feet are adjusted just slightly loose which is a recommendation from some Raven owners as well as the Stillpoint manufacturer.

The manufacturer of the table is questioning if the sound is coming form the motor since the Vibrapod I placed under the foot removes the noise.

I am trying to ascertain if the sound is from the motor or perhaps a resonation caused by an interaction between the motor-foot-platform.

Those are good words of wisdom Jaybo, and I'm sorry to hear of your experience. I'm currently going through a similar situation with another manufacturer but more on that later.

I'm working with the importer who is also the sole dealer in the U.S., and he immediately suggested an exchange. However, we no longer feel the motor is the direct cause since the noise disappears after a Vibrapod is placed under the foot. Instead, it may be a bad Stillpoint or an issue with the combination of materials I'm using for my shelf. So...more experimentation.

I'm no longer freaking out, and I know Jeff with High Water Sound (the importer) will do whatever it takes to make it right.

You have good points. The pulley's set screw is tight. What makes real sense is to move the table to another platform to see if there's noise.

Raven One owners, when you put your ear right up to the face of the Motor Control can you hear the tranformer. I was getting a slight buzz with it sitting on a wood shelf. I placed two TTRisers by TTWeights Audio under it and this completely eliminated the noise.

Update - I followed Lewm's lead (question) and moved the TT to my wood floor. "No noise."

Thanks everyone! As I mentioned, I'm working with Jeff at High Water Sound on this matter. When I put the table on my wood floor there is no motor noise, so the motor is dead quiet. Jeff thinks it's the materials composition of my surface and setup. He recommended trying a dab of Blue Tack under the Stillpoint feet.

I am curious if anyone owning a Raven can hear a slightly audible transformer buzz when your ear is up against the faceplate of the Motor Controller? Jeff told me that I would hear the tranformer (I do).

I eliminated the tranformer noise with TTRisers under the motor controller, but even so when I put the TT back on my slate/Target shelf I still get a barely audible noise that seems to emanate from under the table by the motor.

Thanks for your input Dg_bond. I feel that this may be the case as well with one exception. I replaced the Target screws with brass audio points that are inverted so same deal...they point up.

I'm still using the Target screws but as the studs for the audio points. This allows me to level the slate shelf with the audio points so I don't have to use the Stillpoint feet.

I have no right to talk physics but it just seems like my design is flawed even though I ran it by a couple of people in-the-know and they thought I'd be just fine. For example, it would seem that I'm trapping energy in the slate shelf and it's resonating.

Anyway, if I abandon the audio points I would like to find a leveling solution with whatever dampening material I use.

With the help from others, I have resolved the so-called noise problem in my Raven One. Actually, this was not the Raven's problem at all.

After putting an MDF shelf under my existing slate shelf that the Raven sits on, the motor is dead quiet...not a peep.

The problem was caused by the creation of standing waves due to my platform configuration. I will figure out a new leveling system and do away with the inverted audio points.

Thanks to all!

Jaspert is already ahead of me because I finally got my power amp back from repair...it took twelve weeks. I'm debating whether or not to blast the manufacturer over the net waves.

I'm coming up on ten hours but noticed great improvement after a few hours. Remember, my Tron Seven and Raven are brand new as well so things started out a bit hard and constrained. That changed quickly, and the system has opened up and is getting soulful.

Sorry guys, but I have no apples to compare the Shilabe to as my last cartridge was a Grado Sonata on a SOTA.

I will say that I've never had sound like this, and was recently blown away by Neil Young's Live at Massey Hall. Hearing and saying that there are improvements to the sound in every imaginable area, yes, what's more defining for me is that the system has completely changed in its ability to emotionally deliver the goods.

Oh yea...I'm using my existing SME 309 arm. It's hard for me to imagine further break-in improvements yet to come, and more so from a better arm. Wow...more fun ahead.

You were right on Jaspert, I hit the 10 hour point or something like that and wow...just like that I've got a brand new killer system. Cheers