Mat for Rega P10

I think I said I’ve never owned a Rega and therefore don’t feel qualified to give advice. 

For now it’s Washi.you never mentioned your recommendation lewm. Please enlighten me.

I am tempted to suggest no stickee, no Washi, but I won’t.

I am almost at my wits end with this. I have the Washi mat (which is supposed to sound better), the Rega original mat, and last week when I was at VPI (new VDH distributor) getting my Van den hul cart replaced, he gave me a VPI mat that has a plastic like backing to a felt mat that he said will never come up from static. It did - several times.

I went back to the Washi and I think the problem with it is that it is slightly larger than the others and may come up because I am lifting it when I lift the record, not form static. If it keeps happening, I am going to put a couple very small pieces of 2 sided scotch tape between the Rega mat and the platter and be done with it. That where the cartridge is set up for anyhow, and the Washi is about 1 mm thinner as is the VPI.

Sometimes practicality and usability become the primary issues. As a side note, the Tru Lift arm lifter I recently got works great (after some tricky adjusting during set up), as long as I remember to reset it every time it lifts the arm before the next record plays. When you're used to doing a ritual for 40 years unconsciously, it takes time to change. Place the record on the mat, brush it, cue it, release the cue......The problem is you don't need the Tru-Lift when you lift off the arm yourself sometimes, so I am always checking it. Oh well, first world problems....

I just ordered a TEAC Washi turntable sheet for my P10.  I've been using a white leather mat that sounds great but it lifts off the platter occasionally.  I hope the Washi sheet solves the lifting off issue and sounds as good as my leather mat.  I upgraded to the P10/Apheta 3 in February 2020 from a Rega RP10/Apheta 2 that I owned for 4 years and I'm really pleased with the improved performance.  The upgrade virtually eliminated motor noise, improved tracking, and cuing the arm feels more precise.  The improvements Rega made in manufacturing precision has resulted in a better sounding turntable.   I think Rega knocked it out of the park with the P10.  My dealer that I've done business with for the last 25 years gave me a great deal on a trade-in upgrade. 

@sokogear,

With the MyMat, you'd not be on"the fence". Felt is a No Go!

I got my Washi because the static caused the mat to come up with the record sometimes. I don’t think the felt one from Rega is a piece of junk at all. I trust them as they do extensive testing and I’m sure it sounds best. It doesn’t deteriorate over time like cork (very good also).Other expensive ones I think are a waste of $$ and some may change the sound. Rega delivers uncolored sound IMO.

i could care less how the Washi looks, and in the last few days has started to soften up slightly and even came up with the record once or twice although I may have unintentionally grabbed it when picking up a record.

if it happens more often, I’ll go back to the Rega. I think the Washi may sound a little tighter and exact-not sure if I like it better or not. 

I have a my mat from @slaw on a SOTA Sapphire w the upgraded factory platter mat , a heavily modified Sumiko FT-3 and a Nakagoka MP-110 into a fairly resolving system, I find the My Mat to be a sonic improvement, especially with drums - floor thru snare attack greatly improved along with vocal warmth and vocal intelligibility, in short excellent value and worth the slight $ to audition

enjoy the music :-)) and the journey 

$625 for a mat ?????? 

I wasn’t asking for a comparison. Just how does it sound? Surely you should be able to answer that?

Frankly, I don't know why you'd start this thread, only to basically say in the end, you're satisfied with not having static issues.

You misdirected all of us.

If you want to find an inexpensive mat that will enhance your musical experience for $20 more than you paid earlier, give me a PM.

@slaw 
Honestly, I am not going to compare to the original junk supplied by Rega. Functionally upgrade...

@arturgorniak ,

How does it sound?

@sokogearThanks, I got the Teac mat and am using it - I like how it stays put on the platter. I like the way it looks as well.

Thanks.  

Artur, You got seven suggestions for a turntable mat, among the more than seven posts above, and no two persons agree, although some choices eventually received more than one vote each.  That should tell you something all by itself.  Platter mats are like seasoning on fancy food; they make a significant difference, and what one person will like vs another is a matter of taste.  I could tell you what I like, but I have never even heard a Rega turntable to begin with, so my preferences would be meaningless to you, because I believe the platter itself makes a big difference in how the mat "sounds".

I just got a TEAC washi mat for my Rega P8 because the Rega mat would come up when flipping or changing records sometimes due to static. This type mat came highly recommended and eliminates static. It's just 1mm thick and so far for 5 days it sounds better - a little tighter/more exact, although that could just be a placebo effect and it is very subtle. Being 1 mm thinner than the Rega mat should not cause an audible difference from the cantilever angle standpoint. It is very stiff - almost like a record because of the material in between the 2 washi sheets. Pretty cool looking too. The long time owner of a stereo store said he has one on all 3 of his tables, but he is not a Rega dealer. To be honest, I was not looking to improve the sound which is great, just to eliminate the static/mat lifting problem.

For all you Rega haters complaining about the lack of VTA adjustments on their arms, there are things called spacers that can correct for cartridge height. I guess if your cartridge were shorter than Rega's it could be a problem. I don't see anyone in the market with better value arms than Rega.

@arturgorniak ,

The MyMat is just 1mm thick and used in conjunction with my 5mm Achromat, on either of my tts, it improved the sound of the Achromat.

@arturgorniak 

The Teac mat is VERY thin.  It's not as bad as the mat that came with the Sumiko Analog Survival Kit, but you'll need to keep the residual static electricity at bay or it will come up with the record.

I use one on my custom VPI table that I still use the screw-down clamp with, that requires the use of that delrin washer over the spindle.  This helps keep the "washi" mat on the platter when you lift off the LP.

At best it is a difference in design philosophy. Saying that Rega tonearms aren’t a proper tonearm when they are universally praised and used by other manufacturers and custom turntable builders is a stretch. I respect your opinion chakster and have read enough of your posts to know that you are extremely knowledgeable in regards to direct drive turntables. I have also picked up on the fact that you have an unfair bias against anything that’s not a direct drive turntable. Lots of us really like our Rega gear.

Rega is definitively not a table for somebody who likes tweaking and experimenting a lot ,however I totally buy into Roy Gandy's philosophy of rigidness and simplicity.

Simplicity is VTA on the fly and any proper tonearm must have it, it is not about tweaking, it's about proper cartridge adjustment. It's basic option that every tonearm must have and nearly all Japanese tonearms have it (at least VTA adjustment option). It's so weird that user can't even change the thickness of the mat on those Rega turntables. However, they do not recommend to change their mat as far as i know (same about their cartridge which is definitely not the best cartridge at all). So many limitations for Rega users, strangely they like to have limitations.      

@mofimadness 
Since you own the Teac mat - how stiff and robust it is? Does it stay nicely formed on the platter and not come off with record? 
What rega models have you tried the FF mat on?

@chakster 
Correct -  Rega is definitively not a table for somebody who likes tweaking and experimenting a lot ,however I totally buy into Roy Gandy's philosophy of rigidness and simplicity. 
Same said for Alan Shaw and his Harbeths that I proudly own :)

@arturgorniak 

The Funk Firm mats are available in either 3mm or 5mm thickness.  I also have a couple of the Teac "washi" mats that work very well on the other tables.  I like the FF mat better on the Regas, but the Teac mat is very good.

Rega Arm that does not allow VTA setting.....I have to stick to 1-1.5mm mats.

Do they live in a different world at Rega ?

I forgot about Rega philosophy. Tonearm without VTA settings is made ONLY for Rega Own cartridge ... 

Each time you change a cartridge for something much better you need to change the mat or to add something between cartridge and tonearm. And it will work only if the arm pivot is too high. If it's too low then you can't do anything. This is Rega, thanks. 

 

@chakster @mofimadness 
the mats you guys are mentioning here are 4mm thick which will present a problem with Rega Arm that does not allow VTA setting.....I have to stick to 1-1.5mm mats. We will see how the TEAC will work...

@guy-incognito I will keep you posted.... friend of mine just ordered one for his Acoustic Signature WOW XXL with TA1000 arm and Soundsmith cart so it will be interesting to see how the same mat compares on two different platters. 

I know Framer recommended the Stein Music The Perfect Interface Carbon mat but $625 for mat is quite steep I think. Even the cheapest one is $250 and I do not consider It a bargain.

This one from Sakura Systems is the latest version of Boston Audio Mat.
Price is $250, great lightweigh mat!

Another great mat is SAEC SS-300, but the price is much higher. 

Please respond with your impressions of the Teac mat once you receive it. I would be curious to know how you like it. 

I have ordered Teac TA-TS30UN (made in Japan) "Washi" mat that shares similar concept with  Stein Music The Perfect Interface for the fraction of price.
Several RP10 users recommended it to me so, considering its low price ($29), I decided to try it.
 
http://audio.teac.com/product/ta-ts30un/

While I don’t have a P10, I do have a P7, a P25 and a P3. All have the Funk Firm Achromat. One of the best mats I have ever tried. I have a few on other tables also.

Highly recommended!

http://thefunkfirm.co.uk/achromat/

http://thefunkfirm.co.uk/shop/accessories/achromat/

The Les Davis mat is quite cheap and having been through many, many mats over the years it is the only one which is an actual improvement. I use it on my P8 as well as on my Kuzma Stabi Reference.

I have a new model planar 8 and I use a deerskin mat from "Jake's turntable mats". Thin and supple, no more static issues, seems to couple the record well. They are dirt cheap at around $35 shipped. It is literally the only thing I carried over from my previous turntable.

https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Leather-Deer-Hide-Turntable/dp/B00JDWHDSS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?dchild=...=

Check out MyMat. Several posts from satisfied customers here.
I'm the designer.