I’ve recently updated my ad with more of my thoughts.
Thanks all!
Thanks all!
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This is something I wrote last week about Slaw's "MyMat" on another thread. Thought it would fit well into this thread Now that I have some time with the MyMat (from our very own Slaw), I thought I would contribute my opinion on it. First some details about the table it's on, as well as thoughts on the different mats I've used over the last few years. Table specifics: Platter 4" solid 6061 aluminum with quarter inch delrin bolted directly to the top Stabilizer 450 grams in weight made primarily of aluminum with quartz inside it. The bottom is sound coat material. The top is plugged with Garolite, a cotton composite material Mat History & Opinion on MY table (How these sound on your table will probably vary): >MooMat (Cowhide with cork backing) Nice euphoric midrange, heavy bass, top end is rolled off a little. Detail retrieval is lacking >The Mat (cork) Very airy, Nice top end, Decent detail retrieval, Realistic bass. Midrange is good but something happens that is a little unnatural in the upper midrange... as if it raises it a bit >Delrin is very good top to bottom but sounds a bit thin throughout. Very good detail retrieval and air >Garolite discs over delrin. This combination was the best I heard top to bottom on my table prior to Slaw's MyMat. Great detail retrieval and less thin sounding than straight delrin Slaw's MyMat: Best I've heard so far! This mat has better detail retrieval than the garolite/delrin combination & is not thin sounding in the least. It cleans up the top end in a way no mat I've used has. It doesn't roll anything off, just cleans it up so you can hear the minute details. The bass & midrange are beautiful & natural. This mat also allows the system to throw a more realistic soundstage... a little wider & deeper for sure, but instrument placement is it's forte. My opinion is that this is due primarily to the fact that his mat truly (& I mean truly) grips the vinyl. Well done Slaw! |
Last night I was experimenting with some of my various mats and to me the difference in SOME mats was very audible, others not so much. My Victor tt-81 prefers a hard mat like acrylic or an old 78. My Garrard 401 likes slightly softer like a lead & cork hybrid I have. Then I introduced a new mat , MyMat, made by a member here and yet again I could hear a difference. But of course must be my poor tonearms, cartridges and ears. Or maybe my imagination? 😉😉 |
I remember it was different effect when i touch my tonearm, staying in front of my turntable on a carpet with slippers on and off (the latest was no problem :)) So put the slippers off. That's a pretty extreme measure. I know people that really love their slippers. Rubber slippers are both therapeutic on your feet for hard floors and eliminate the static issues with carpet.Feel free to touch any part of your turntable. https://www.marks.com/en/protouch-mens-pro-touch-pamplona-slides-39091.html?cid=DRMKT&gclid=EAIa... |
I have Saec SS-300, two Micro (CU180 and CU500), 47 Labs, cork and felt mats and i can’t recall any serious problem with static, i always use carbon fiber brush and rarely use Zerostat Gun. I think the static caused by record sleeves (when we pull them out), not mat. As you can see all my mats are made from different material. And leaving by the sea means high humidity climate. Anyway i had some sort of static problem once, but i’m pretty sure it was the arm, because it’s gone. I remember it was different effect when i touch my tonearm, staying in front of my turntable on a carpet with slippers on and off (the latest was no problem :)) So put the slippers off. |
Chakster I'll bet you have the strongest trigger finger in town Uberwaltz, did I say that? Smart guy. Some mats may be better or worse at collecting static depending on where their material falls in the triboelectric series. A vinyl mat would be hell for most people. Chaksters trigger finger would have a heart attack. Static and dust are never a problem if you use a conductive sweep arm. You would have to find some other exercise to keep your trigger finger in shape. A turntable and tonearm should have no sound. You should only be listening to the sound of the record as interpreted by the cartridge nothing else. If you have a good table and arm and are unhappy with the sound get a new cartridge. |
Use Zerostat Gun to get rid of the static |
I've had bad static issues where the mat sticks to vinyl. Tried felt, deer, cork, herbies, and music hall 2 level cork. Herbies was ok. But best solution to static with noticeable improvement in clarity- resolution was TransFi Res-o-mat. No static buildup. And if you look at the uber pricey TT saw the similar raised mat with air gap. Ended my search. |
RE: ... On the subject of Rega TT's, is there a clamp preferred for the short spindle of the subplatter on these?I use one of these... https://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_nkw=thorens+stabilizer Seems their popularity has soaored since I bought my some 20 years ago - mine cost me around $50 - used They are weighty, but that does not seen to matter with the rega style bearing. I've been using a ceramic ball for the last 15 years and it has no issues with the weight. My platter is acrylic and this weight has no problem keeping the album snug to the platter. Hope that helps - Steve |
Chip - have you contacted Rega direct to ask why these chose the felt mat ? The RP8 owners manual goes into a lot of "detail" on materials and resonances/matching, but it fails to even mention this "Felt Mat" . I would be interested in their response. Pertinent to your thread question. I go naked with the Verdier Platter, as recommended to me by JC Verdier - when he was alive. Jean Nantais (turntable manufacturer), permanently bonded a metacrylate mat to the platter of the Lenco I own. How many materials he went through to get to the Meta’ mat is not known to me. I do own a copper mat from TT weights for the Technics SP10. The SP10 came with a very heavy rubber mat. I once tried years ago, someone else’s idea - a series of cork dots maybe 10 or 12 in total spread evenly on a turntable platter. So you see Chip......IMO... some want to rigidly couple the record to the platter (one extreme)......and some others .......want to make it float 8^0 Experiment and form your own opinion. Cheers |
I enjoyed lighweight Carbon Graphite Mat from Sakura Systems, it's $250 and can be used on belt drive turntable. My reference mat is Micro Seiki CU-180 and CU-500 (both are too heavy for a belt drive turntables), another great mat is SAEC SS-300 that you could use too. |
Mijo. I was going to just leave you to your delusions but.... I'm not that guy. But before I go any further I just want us to be clear that you are going on record ( sic) here on Audiogon as saying.... In your system to your ears you cannot tell any difference between; No mat, felt mat, rubber mat, foam mat, vinyl mat, acrylic mat, brass mat, cork mat, aluminum mat, leather mat, glass mat and any other material anybody may have tried. All adjusted for correct vta, sra and azimuth of course.... |
Unberwaltz, absolutely correct. The best turntable system sounds like NOTHING. The only thing you should be listening to is the cartridge. nothing else. The mat is not so much the issue as the way the record is being held down. I do not think anyone can argue that the record should not be perfectly flat and not be held tightly against a non resonating surface. Any non resonating surface will do and they all sound exactly the same, like nothing. If a turntable, mat or tonearm has a sound to it throw it away it's garbage. If you think it sounds better throw your ears away they're garbage. |
Thanks to all for great suggestions. FYI, have recently changed phono stages from Parasound JC3 to the new PS Audio Stellar and the improvement has been dramatic. And, for a long time low-end-of-the-high-end type, an amazing bargain. Happy to see that Michael Fremer in the latest Stereophile agrees. Chip |
Many years ago I ditched the glass platter in favour of an acrylic platter. I would have to guess that ditching the very heavy platter from the RP8 might not be a good idea, so I would recommend you try an Acrylic mat. There are many out there, so take time to find the right one. A depression to accommodate the label is preferred Hope that helps |
I drove myself crazy trying to figure out what mat to get when I was running a p9 - wound up buying a Herbie's white mat which I used for a year or so then moved back to the felt mat and it sounded better so I stopped worrying about it and just used the felt. Am now running an RP10 did a bit of poking around and after reading again and again that a felt mat is the way to go for a Linn or Rega table I decided to leave well enough alone. Nothing wrong with experimenting but the model up or a cartridge upgrade or a better Phono stage is a better place to put your funds if you're running a Rega table IMHO. |
Hey Chip, I have had just about every type of mat you can think of and I really do not think the mat makes much difference. I think you can prove this to yourself just going back and forth between your felt mat and no mat. Do use a record weight or clamp. I do hear a slight difference when certain types of record hold down systems are used such as vacuum hold down and the Walker/SME style system that uses a very thin shim at the spindle and a screw on record clamp that forces the record into the platter. I hear an improvement in mid bass definition. As far as just a mat goes the felt is fine. If you see one that looks better to you and makes your turntable nicer looking that is fine. The only thing I can think of against felt mats is that if you do not have a dust cover they will collect dust whereas other mats you can just wipe off. Don't fall for the ridiculous marketing claims that come with most mats. |
You are likely to get as many opinions here as there are mat options... Lol. I feel you can do a lot better than the felt mat for sure, however as the Rega does not have adjustable vta your options may be a little more limited. Yes you obviously can adjust the rp8 vta by shims or spacers under the arm itself to raise it for a thicker mat but a bit more of a pain than vta on the fly system. You can buy fairly cheap examples of cork and vinyl mats on eBay. I suggest buying a few and trying them and see what you like. On one TT I prefer a mat that’s a hybrid of leather and lead. On another I prefer using a 10" 78 album as a mat. You don’t know until you try! Relatively cheap fun. |