Dear Lewm: +++++ " I always have found that the really heavy gravity-dependent record weights suck life out of the music. " +++++
other people like you do not likes vacuum type mats because similar reason.
Could be interesting that we ask our self: need we a mat/clamp , why?
Which is the function of a mat: IMHO to present a better mate/match to the LP when the stylus is riding the LP grooves " eliminating " TT feedback platter/bearing and mat feedback to the cartridge during playback. So this could tell us that the mat must be as a damper tool with out self additional minute resonances/vibrations on playback.
From that point of view metal mats could be the worst ones ( as the MS and others. Metal here is the MUSIC information enemy. ), metal tends to resonate when in motion and because the stylus/LP vibrations that return to the cartridge due that the metal can't damp it.
Jarret said about: " bit too lively but outstanding in terms of dynamics and soundstage " , that " feeling " of dynamics is no other thing that additional distoritons but not MUSIC grooves information.
You said some clamps " suck out life out of the music ": too much damping????
Lewm, what could be what we are looking trough the mat/clamp kind of help?:
that through the cartridge obtain the MUSIC information recorded in the grooves with out adding or losting " nothing ".
The cartridge stylus/cantilever riding groove modulations generate non musical vibrations in the LP that goes to the mat/clamp/TT platter and return to the cartridge along TT self vibrations/resonances. All these kind of non-musical information degrade the cartridge signal, so we need " something " that really could damp it. A good designed mat is supposed that was designed to makes exactly that: damp.
IMHO, we can't overdamp the cartridge/LP during playback but through several years our brain is accustomed to those non-musical information ( added distortions, non-damped ones. ) and when we really damp down there what we listen is that " suck life out of the music " but is not because an " overdamping " subject but because non-musical information tends to disappears and that's why we don't like it. Of course that a heavy clamp other than damp it changes frequency resonances between the LP and cartridge/TT platter and create other kind of resonances/distortions.
In the other side that " suck life out... " could be because it's the way the LP was recorded it's the way must be heard.
It is not easy to re-equalize our brain for non-distortions ( lower ones. ) in what we are listening trough each one audio system.
There is a lot to discuss on the whole subject and certainly different points of view.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R.
other people like you do not likes vacuum type mats because similar reason.
Could be interesting that we ask our self: need we a mat/clamp , why?
Which is the function of a mat: IMHO to present a better mate/match to the LP when the stylus is riding the LP grooves " eliminating " TT feedback platter/bearing and mat feedback to the cartridge during playback. So this could tell us that the mat must be as a damper tool with out self additional minute resonances/vibrations on playback.
From that point of view metal mats could be the worst ones ( as the MS and others. Metal here is the MUSIC information enemy. ), metal tends to resonate when in motion and because the stylus/LP vibrations that return to the cartridge due that the metal can't damp it.
Jarret said about: " bit too lively but outstanding in terms of dynamics and soundstage " , that " feeling " of dynamics is no other thing that additional distoritons but not MUSIC grooves information.
You said some clamps " suck out life out of the music ": too much damping????
Lewm, what could be what we are looking trough the mat/clamp kind of help?:
that through the cartridge obtain the MUSIC information recorded in the grooves with out adding or losting " nothing ".
The cartridge stylus/cantilever riding groove modulations generate non musical vibrations in the LP that goes to the mat/clamp/TT platter and return to the cartridge along TT self vibrations/resonances. All these kind of non-musical information degrade the cartridge signal, so we need " something " that really could damp it. A good designed mat is supposed that was designed to makes exactly that: damp.
IMHO, we can't overdamp the cartridge/LP during playback but through several years our brain is accustomed to those non-musical information ( added distortions, non-damped ones. ) and when we really damp down there what we listen is that " suck life out of the music " but is not because an " overdamping " subject but because non-musical information tends to disappears and that's why we don't like it. Of course that a heavy clamp other than damp it changes frequency resonances between the LP and cartridge/TT platter and create other kind of resonances/distortions.
In the other side that " suck life out... " could be because it's the way the LP was recorded it's the way must be heard.
It is not easy to re-equalize our brain for non-distortions ( lower ones. ) in what we are listening trough each one audio system.
There is a lot to discuss on the whole subject and certainly different points of view.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R.