@lous I'm sorry to hear that your Sota/Souther/Benz analog front end caused LPs to sound less than good overall. My VPI TNTVI/SME IV modified/Benz Ruby3 on a Townsend Sink sounds fantastic. Most LPs are quiet to as quiet as a CD. Used LPs sound great despite the imperfections. Record noise is in the background while the music is dynamic (I resell poor sounding/inferior performance recordings-to date 18,000 records have visited and left my music room). I have great cabling and equipment which minimize extraneous noise relative to the music. 78s often sound very dynamic with great performances. The Sugarcube digital pop and crackle remover works on any recording that has such and is easy and very effective as heard on many internet demos.
I found that a dozen well placed PP Omega E-Mats to be a fantastic enhancer of music enjoyment; however, the new Gate appears to kill the need for a dozen's cost by providing 100X the effectiveness at $5K. I was hoping that the E-Mats placement at equipment locations are substantial enhancements on their own and would add more than their cost to the Gate. PPs manufacturer could better address this issue.
I found that a dozen well placed PP Omega E-Mats to be a fantastic enhancer of music enjoyment; however, the new Gate appears to kill the need for a dozen's cost by providing 100X the effectiveness at $5K. I was hoping that the E-Mats placement at equipment locations are substantial enhancements on their own and would add more than their cost to the Gate. PPs manufacturer could better address this issue.