Record Weights/Disc Stabilizers

@badgerdms I am a member of what I refer to as my local HiFi Group.

I has quite a few get togethers in a year, some based on having musical encounters only and other mostly based on experiencing Audio Equipment or Supporting Ancillaries.

The intention usually is to become familiarised with a particular device in a well known system, and evaluate whether it might be worth creating the experience of the device in ones home system. 

Platter Mats and Platter Weights have all been put up for trials.

For Platter Spindle Weights both Branded and Home Produced have been used, with materials such as, Metal, Plastic, Wood, Densified Wood and Composites. For certain materials, these have been used as different weights. 

For Platter Mats apart from a 0.9mm Leather type, all other Mats have been bought in, even though a few were not a dedicated Mat, they were cut from a raw material to the dimension for a Platter Mat. Materials used are:

 Metal (Gun Metal in different thicknesses), (Duralumin), Stainless Steel) (AT 666 Vacuum).

Ceramic (singular and stacked).

Composite (Graphite), (Thermoplastic), (Rubber-Cork).

Rubber (Various Types), Oil Filled Rubber, Forex Foam (different thicknesses).

Leather (different thicknesses). 

I have been familiarised with the bulk of the above being demo'd as a group activity, where they have been used on a DD TT, in multiple permutations on TT's used in different homes. Prior to this, I have had the experience of a large proportion of these as a group activity, where they have been used on  I D TT's in different homes. Additionally, I have also experienced a lesser proportion with group members in different homes on BD TT's. 

My own collection of weights and mats have also been loaned out to group members for a long-term evaluations, where extended periods if usage for each permutation that can be put in place is able to be catered for, especially enabling any VTA concerns to be addressed.

As a group activity, time is the constraint. A lot is to be gotten through when this activity is the Topic of the get together. Two Tracks per permutation is the time allowance, ultimately becoming two tracks that are listened to repetitively until the pain threshold is too much, as some attendees have stated, have we found a new form of  torture. Additionally, VTA adjustments are always being considered so some permutations known of for the materials are not duplicated during the demo's. 

A discovery made through the overall experiences having been attended, is that certain TT's are not compatible with the weight that can end up be placed on them. Additionally, TT's that can receive all weights produced from the permutations, respond differently to the permutations of weight/material in different environments.

There is not a ubiquitous method for a selection of materials or materials weight. This ideal combination to be used on a particular TT, is seemingly to be discovered through trials of materials in a particular environment and particular mounting method for the TT.

It is the environment / TT support that are contributing to the energy being transferred to the Platter/ LP and ultimately the Styli. It is the permutations of materials selected to be placed Under/Over the LP. With the materials being selected, used solely for separating the LP from the Platter/Sandwiching the LP, prior to the styli making an interface, that are the main impact on the perception of a sonic being produced. These permutations are capable of producing a sonic that can increase/decrease the attraction for the sonic being used.

In use, are these permutations of materials / weights able to overcome fundamental issues caused by using poorly thought out support structures and mounting methods for a TT? I doubt this very much, support structures for mounting a TT is a different subject. Tidying Up a sonic, to what one perceives to be more attractive to the individual is   what is immediately available from Mat / Spindle Weight permutation.       

@badgerdms 

Then if you want to hear a remarkable improvement get yourself a Michell Engineering clamp, inexpensive but effective. If it is not good looking enough for you there is the Sota and the Basis clamps. They all work the same way.

I also forgot to mention one other approach that seems to be effective. I noticed a friend's CS Port turntable had an extremally heavy record weight. Because it uses an air bearing the CS can get away with this. But why so heavy? An older person with weaker hands might have difficulty with it.  The answer is the platter. There is no record mat and the surface of the platter is ground concave. Putting a straight edge across it the spindle is down about 1/16". The heavy weight is flexing the record into the concavity, clever. 

If you think you hear a difference put on blinders and have another person man the turntable changing records and weights keeping a log. If you can reliably identify any particular situation you have made a believer out of me. If not then you are letting psychology rule the day. This kind of statement always pisses people off. It should not. I have exactly the same psychology. The only difference is I have learned to identify when it is interfering. On the other hand I am not at all adverse to good looking equipment. It impresses the hell out of your friends.

Beware the unabashed totalizers, who universalize their experience and speak in axioms and absolutes.

I use VPI's screw-down stainless/Delrin reflex clamp and periphery ring.  They work great IMO - there's no better way to flatten out your records short of a vacuum platter.

All the tedious set-up steps we go through with our cartridges (VTA, VTF, azimuth, overhang, alignment, etc) assume an unwarped record.  IMO everything goes right out the window if you don't use a weight of some sort and something to keep the edge of the record flat against the platter. 

@wrm57 I suspected there would be some, it's all good!