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Record mats, VTA, clamps and my ears

Hi-
I've got a Thorens TD 316 with ClearAudio Arum Beta+. I've been experimenting with the original mat, a slightly thicker Audioquest Sorbothane mat, and a thinner Ringmat. I have dutifully ignored reading too much about VTA because my 'table doesn't support adjusting VTA.

The Sorbothane sounds better than the stock. Highs are the same, but the bass is less muddy. The Ringmat has a similar improvement in the bass, but there is more high end air. There is also very slightly more high frequency tics. But the problem is that some recordings sound thin. Airy, sure. But thin.

The turntable was set up using the original mat by a respected area tech. Not the very best high end guy--I would have been out another $200 had I used him. (The joys of the big city). Still, I'm confident my tech did a creditable job.

So I'm wondering how much of the differences I'm hearing are due to the change in angle of the stylus in the groove due to the different mat heights, and how much is due to the quality of the interaction between the 'table and the mat.
Are my findings consistent with advanced stylus angle theory? Should I have been paying attention in class when Sam T. told us everything I should already know?

Also, being The CheapSkate, I have a "The Original Pod Disclamp." Got it for twenny bucks on eBay. Anybody ever heard of this animal? Alas, I have questions. The Pod Disclamp worked best with the original mat insofar as the original mat is the stiffest. This is important as there is a depression around the spindle, so it physically possible to push the center of the record near the spindle down far enough so that the perimeter of the record raises up. No matter--even with the needle going up and down, things SOUND better that way! Arrgh! What does this mean? Must I now pay $2000 for a Final Tool just so I can own a 'table that follows the basic laws of physics?

Anyway, I try to apply just enough clamping force so the record is somewhat damped, yet not contorted.

The clamps effectiveness is reduced with the corresponding lack of stiffness of the mat. At least that's what my wife keeps telling me. So the clamp works best with the original mat, second best with the Audioquest Sorbothane, and third best (but still an improvement) with the Ringmat.

Hopefully, my confusion hasn't dulled your enthusiasm over providing me with my much lacked and sorely needed guidance.

I remain--

The Cheapskate
brtritch

Showing 1 response by hackmaster

hackmaster
102 posts
 
Forget about record mats - Sean is absolutely right. They tend to decouple the LP from the platter and hence you lose all the mass loading that most good turntables provide (i.e. they make the platter huge and heavy) Decoupling usually thins out the bass, smears detail, etc.

What you want is the LP flat on the platter so that it is well coupled to the platter and hence the entire mass of the rig. I generally don't like threaded record clamps but weights which rest on the LP are fine. There are some good commercially available options or you can rig up your own using a clever and inexpensive technique one of my employees invented.

Take a leaded crystal candle holder, stick a candle in it. Cut the candle off such that the wax is flush with the top of the candle stick. Remove the wick. Invert the candle holder and put it onto the spindle such that the spindle is inserted into the wax but the leaded crystal is in contact with the record label.

Bingo you have a cheap and very effective record weight which does improve the quality of your analog playback. Again, what you want to achieve is optimal mass loading and coupling and this is why adding mass to the record helps.

Bear in mind that you may or may not need to restrobe your turntable motor after adding significant mass to the platter with the aforementioned weight.
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