Review: Grungebuster CD Mat Herbie's Audio Lab Tweak


Category: Accessories

Model: Grungebuster CD Mat
Category: Accessory
Suggested Retail Price: $19.95
Description: CD Mat
Manufacturer URL: Herbie's Audio Lab
Model Picture: View

Review by blake (A) on July 26, 2003 at 17:26:44
IP Address: 129.100.4.76 Add Your Review
for the Grungebuster CD Mat

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First, let me state that I do not have a $3,000 digital front end and I do not know how this product will function with a really high end player. That being said, the tweaked DVD player that I use currently sounds better in my opinion than an Arcam Alpha 8SE which I sold a few years ago.

I have used an Audioprism CD Blacklight for a few years now with decent results. The improvements with the Blacklight were subtle, and I would use it regularly, except when CD or DVD playback simply would not function with it (as is the case with the Herbie's mat every once in a while).

I recently read a thread on Audiogon which stated that the Marigo mat was the best of the bunch. I have no experience with the Marigo simply because I didn't want to spring the $80 for it.

The Herbies mat is $20, not exactly a huge sum. I would highly recommend it, particularly for those with cheaper digital gear; whether it brings about as much of an improvement with higher end gear, I cannot say.

The "Grungebuster" is simply far superior to the Audioprism Blacklight. Audible improvements could easily be heard on music where vocals previously seemed to "trail off" and not be easily understood (Bob Dylan's Love and Theft and Emmy Lou Harris' Wrecking Ball for example). The Grungebuster imparts a clarity which was simply not there before with the Blacklight mat (which itself improves very slightly upon a nude CD). The good thing about this clarity is that it comes about without a "thinning out" of the performance. On the contrary, background becomes noticeably darker, instruments are more fleshed out, bass performance is slightly enhanced and the top end is noticeably cleaned up as well. One thing that I cannot stand is an increase in clarity that is accompanied with any lean aspect being applied to the music. This is not the case with the Grungebuster; in fact just the opposite occurs. Both Pat Methney's guitar and Charlie Haden's bass (Under the Missouri Sky) really filled out and have never sounded better in my system with the Grungebuster. On certain tracks (certainly not every one on every CD), I can actually hear info that I have not heard before. Ironically, this usually occurs in relatively quiet "solo" passages where there is a background accompanyment (hope that's spelled right, I doubt it) from one or two other instruments (Jimmy Smith's "Damn" comes to mind here).

In short, the Grungebuster lives up to its name, for all of $20. There is a newly found smoothness, a noticeable improvement from top to bottom (bass midrange and high frequencies) a removal of grain and edge, and a revelation of more musical info and increase in clarity.

Alas, there is also bad news (is anything perfect in audio?). On some CD's and DVD's the Grungebuster simply will not work. This also happened to me with the Blacklight, but the Grungebuster appears to be a little bit pickier still. Probably has something to do with the actual thickness of the CD, but on some, you will simply get persistent spinning and an inability for the player to start to read the CD or DVD. I've experienced this with a number of CD's that the Blacklight would not function with in the same manner as well as a rental DVD last night that came with an ID ring fixed around the centre hole. In the cases where it doesn't work, you simply stop your player, remove the buster and start over (with a slightly depressed feeling you're not going to receive its benefits).

I've only used it for 3 or 4 days now, and the other problem, if you can call it that, is putting it on the CD or DVD. I'm getting used to it, so it is certainly less of a problem, but the grungebuster is a bit of work to "install". It is very thin and slightly tacky on one side (which you are to fix to the label side of the CD before inserting). It is a bit of work to get it centered properly and the easiest way, by far, is to apply it with the CD/DVD still in its jewel case or container.

Whether this trouble is worth it to you, I don't know, but it is to me and I'll be continuing to use the grungebuster on everything I can. Definitely recommended, especially for $20.

Associated gear
See System under "blake's equipment" at Audioasylum

Similar products
Audioprism CD Blacklight
hdm
If it works as well as the tube dampers! :) I'll have to get some. I think his 90 day trial period is very generous.
He's also found an interconnect that he's endorsing.
I've bought ebony and it takes a long afternoon to work a set of 3 cones. So if the "ball" price is good it's worth it imho as I like the sound of ebony.
I love this thing. I heard the same improvement.

It did have an issue loading. What I did was to open the CDP and raise the top of the thing that holds the CD when in play. The mat would hit that on the way in and scrunch up. Now I can just lay the mat on the CD and hit play.
I purchased the Mat based on the positive reviews I read here and in other places and also on the low cost.

The online ordering process was textbook: order placed easily, confirmation received, shipping notice received and 3 day delivery to Philadelphia.

From the beginning, I've been pleasantly surprised at how much difference it makes.

First of all, my system:

Rotel CDP 855
NAD T-163 Pre/Pro - Set to Stereo, Direct (flat)
Emotiva UPA2 Amplifier
Klipsch KG-4
Room: 9 x 18 x 9

Note: as has been mentioned, putting the mat on when the CD is still in the case makes it easy to place properly.

On the first track of the soundtrack of "Cinema Paradiso", the stage seemed to gain significantly in depth - which seems to be a consistent characteristic of the mat. In addition, the presentation of the individual instruments is significantly improved - I can simply hear more of what Morricone puts into this spare arrangement.

I thought I knew the Faure Requiem pretty well. With the Mat, it became clear that I had been missing a lot of the complimentary figures in the voice lines behind the soloist.

In the Rachmaninoff 2nd Symphony, 3rd Movement, the Mat made it easier to follow the accompaniment behind the clarinet solo, making the patterns much clearer.

In "Tap Your Troubles Away" from the original cast recording of "Mack and Mabel", the sound of the tapping sounded more like it was live, due to the presentation of the low frequencies that had previouly been missing> In addition, the orchestration was more coherent and more enjoyable.

I found the same sorts of improvement in just about everything I have listened to so far.

Given the cost, I don't know of anything I've done to my system over the years that has even approached the value this thing delivers.

Based on what I've heard so far, I can easily add my strong endorsement to the others here.