Best platter mat, especially for DD turntables


There has been quite a bit of posts about platter mats and I wanted to add my experiences. I have posted this on the vintage DD thread but have been requested to move this into a new discussion, so here it is.

For my Technics SP10mk3 (Krebs 2 mod), I have tried Boston Mat 1, Micro Seiki CU180 and the TTM Mat with Matching Oil filled clamp (http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649203862-ttm-mat-2-and-oil-damped-stabilizerweight-combo/). Among these 3 mats, the TTM was the best and after I introduced it to Albert Porter, he too thinks it's the best for the Sp10mk3. However, I have found an even better platter mat that I would like to share with the group. It's Acoustical Systems SDP (http://www.arche-headshell.de/accessoires/sdp-the-sonically-most-effective-upgrade-for-every-turntable/). SDP stands for Special Decoupled Platter. This is not just a mat but an additional platter that decouples and isolates the bearing and spindle from the stylus. While most mats offer some isolation and decoupling of the platter, this is the only mat I know that also decouples the spindle. It stands head and shoulders above all the other mats. In fact, for me, the improvement it brought to my SP10Mk3 was greater than the Kreb mods. It's expensive and requires the arm-boards to be raised but it's worth the trouble IMHO. Especially for DD turntables where you have  the motor directly connected to the spindle (in most designs though there a few that are decoupled), it makes sense to decouple not only the platter but the spindle from the LP. Hence, SDP probably makes more improvements for DD turntables than Belt drive turntables. 
Here is how the SDP is different from other mats. What is not obvious form the pictures is that the SDP mat is thicker than the original spindle height. Hence it sits over the original spindle completely and has its own precision spindle to guide the LP and clamp/s onto the SDP. In other words, the original spindle is buried inside the SDP. Underneath the SDP are soft vibration absorbing gel packs which interfaces between original platter and SDP. This allows the SDP to absorb vibrations from the original platter. The mass of the SDP also acts as a damper for any vibrations from the original spindle. 

The net effect is that the noise floor drops further and I can hear more detail, resolution, separation and space. Very startling improvements.  FWIW. 
ddriveman

Showing 5 responses by rauliruegas

Dear @ddriveman : Best true mat for any TT is the AT 666, yes the one with vacuum hold down.

The mat you are refereing is not a mat is an acrilic platter and what you are hearing is not is not that " decoupling " characteristic but the main relationship between the acrilic and the LP vinyl and that's all. A diferent kind of sound.

Years ago SOTA marketed what for me was the best real mat builded with a blended material  that matched the vinyl resonance characteristics of the LP. This SOTA mat take cares about the main subject on mats: resonances in between mat/LP.
Unfortunatelly these SOTA mats disappears. I still own a couple of them, I think??

The AT 666 is diferent and takes care of other critical subjects in that very complex relationship between TT platter and LP surface. Differences with and with other kind of mats are " big differences ". Yes different kind of sound but for me more in the MUSIC live performance.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.
Dear @halcro : I agree on your post to inna other than that " fine tunning " refereing to that acrylic " mat " that in reality is not a mat but a TT platter that's way diferent because a mat is a way of system fine tunning but a TT platter is a  change in the design.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.


Dear @lewm : You are right but marketing for the sellers is the name of their " game ". Always exist misinformation, everywhere.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.
Dear @ddriveman : Look, maybe what happened with your AT666 is that in order those rubber rings can makes the LP hold down must be on certain " position " and with precise " stretch " characteristics. For do that AT surrounded the rubber rings ( at the midle of its mounting in the At platter. ) with a nylon thread that puts the eaxact pressure in the rubber for vaccum can happen.

That nylon thread ( time to time. ) it brokes and with out it there is no vaccum so you need to build by your self that thread and put on place. Because that kind of behavior is more or less often what I did it with was instead of nylon I used a thing guitar metalic chord and wroks with out problem.
This task must be do it with care because the metalic chord if we put so much tension around the rubber ring we can broke the rubber and then there is no way to fix it.

In the other side, what you posted about the Goldmund is the same with the SOTA when you install it you can't take out again but you can use the SOTA/GOLDMUND mat in removable way: with out take away the protector in the bottom plate of those mats.

Btw, good to know that the Essential is still " Essential " in your great audio system.

If you can I appreciate that email me: rauliruegas@hotmail.com

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.