Felt Turntable Mats

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by PL519, Oct 21, 2016.

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  1. PL519

    PL519 Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    How do people feel about using a felt mat v. something else? I recently bought a new Rega Planar 2 which comes with a mat. It seemed kind of cheap compared to the felt mat that I already had, so I chose to use my older one as opposed to my new Rega mat. Have people had better luck going a different route?
     
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  2. David756

    David756 Active Member

    Location:
    Australia
    I always thought felt mats were a device that allowed slip cueing in DJ applications. If you are just playing records for your own listening sessions, I don't think they are neccessary.
     
    The FRiNgE likes this.
  3. PL519

    PL519 Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    David, thanks for your feedback. The Planar 2 comes with a glass platter, and I believe some people put their albums directly on the glass. Others who have used the felt mat state that it dampens the resonance and perhaps boosts sound performance in other ways. I'm very nervous about putting my records directly on the glass, so I haven't experimented at all with that technique.
     
  4. BuddhaBob

    BuddhaBob Forum Resident

    Location:
    Erie, PA, USA
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  5. PL519

    PL519 Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
  6. MikeInFla

    MikeInFla Glad to be out of Florida

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
    CCrider92 likes this.
  7. P2CH

    P2CH Well-Known Member

    I have a deer skin mat on two of my tables.

    I used to have a rubber mat and when I put a thicker rubber mat on, I got a lot more feedback. That's when I decided it's better to keep the record closer to the platter which is why I opt for the deer skin version. It looks nice and they are very functional/ user friendly. I keep the fuzzy side up.
     
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  8. Ntotrar

    Ntotrar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tri-Cities TN
    Still use the Rega OEM felt.
     
    dbsea likes this.
  9. Drewan77

    Drewan77 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK/USA
    I find the Rega felt mats to be prone to the effects of static in the vinyl (cling when lifting an LP) & also tend to collect dust and small particles which are difficult to remove - & likely to be attracted to the underside of a record. I now use a cork spotmat - this suffers from neither issue. I have no idea why static on a new LP is neutralised by this mat but it may be a contributing factor to the very natural sound this table produces.

    I also use an acrylic mat or sometimes a Funk Achromat on another turntable & these materials give a slightly more edgy feel to the presentation. Not necessarily bad, just different.
     
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  10. PL519

    PL519 Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    The felt mat that I use is one that I've had for many years made by DiscWasher. It's much better made than the Rega mat, in my opinion, and it does not contribute to the static in any way. If anything, I would say it neutralizes it, because there is no evidence of static when I remove the albums. Is there any evidence of static with the deerskin mat?
     
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  11. BuddhaBob

    BuddhaBob Forum Resident

    Location:
    Erie, PA, USA
    Less static than with the stock rubber mat on my Technics. I usually stack the deerskin on top of my stock mat, except for the thickest records, and then I use the deerskin only since it reduces feedback and low frequency resonance.

    I have never used a TT, at home or in radio studios, where the static was entirely eliminated on days with very low humidity. You have to raise the humidity and/or use an anti-static remedy (like a Zerostat) to really eliminate it. I usually keep a small wedge of sponge on the plinth, moistened, when the air is dry in the winter due to forced-air heating.
     
  12. jimbutsu

    jimbutsu WATCH YÖUR STEPPE

    Ended up going with an acrylic platter as it seems to be the only thing that tamed the out of control static problems I had.
     
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  13. moomaloo

    moomaloo All-round good egg

    I've tried all manner of different mats on various Rega TTs and always come back to the 'proper' wool mat provided. Rega just seem to know what they're doing somehow...
     
  14. PL519

    PL519 Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    Perhaps I should give my supplied Rega mat a try and compare it to my DiscWasher mat. My initial reaction was that seemed to be prone to static cling, which prompted me to go straight to my DiscWasher mat. Thank you, everyone, for your input.
     
  15. shadowlord

    shadowlord Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austria
    more often than not my stock felt mat ( rega rp8) sticks to the record due to a lot of static created during playback.
    so if there is an alternative without compromising sound quality i'm all ears.
     
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  16. octaneTom

    octaneTom Man of Leisure

    Using the stock Rega mat on my P5. That thing's probably older than this forum.
     
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  17. tyinkc

    tyinkc Senior Member

    Location:
    Fontana, Wisconsin
    Hate felt mats. (static cling, dust etc) I've tried carbon fiber, cowhide, cork. Like cork the best by far. No static issues whatsoever and I swear it "sounds" better too.
     
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  18. CCrider92

    CCrider92 Senior Member

    Location:
    Cape Cod, MA
    Hey Massachusetts! I've used a homemade 1/8 inch thick cork mat on my souped up Rega p1 for the past many years. It sits on a glass platter. I've used 2 different quality Rega mats and have played all 3 mats for people just to get their feedback on what they hear with each mat- all receiver settings were left as is and the same music was used for each "test run." The cork won overwhelmingly. "It looks like hell; it sounds like heaven!"
     
    PL519 likes this.
  19. StuJM84

    StuJM84 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent, UK
    Had the felt matt that came with my Project, but quickly replaced it with a Cork one my dad gave me as it just built up static and wasn't especially great compared to the Cork one. Current TT platter doesn't need the matt at all and this is the best solution so far.
     
  20. Long Live Analog

    Long Live Analog Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Tn. Mid South
    Check out the Auditorium 23 Mats. There's two of them, the standard/thin mat and the Hommage. Also check out the George Merrill RCC Mat. No static with any of them and a big improvement over the stock felt mat.
     
    PL519 likes this.
  21. PL519

    PL519 Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    My Rega mat stuck to my hand when I unpackaged it, which is why I chose not to use it. Do a Google search for Discwasher D'Stat Turntable Mat and you should get a couple of hits. People seem to have had the same experiences that I've had with mine. I've seen comments and reviews on other sites. As I mentioned earlier, I bought mine years ago. Another person said the same thing. One guy found a couple at a thrift shop for $2.00. Similar looking ones are available online, but the results are not that good based upon the reviews I've read. I suppose it's possible that somewhere out there they may be one available, but I haven't seen any. I have heard very good things about cork mats from a friend, but I haven't tried one myself.
     
  22. PL519

    PL519 Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA

    Thanks, CCRider92! I may have to give the cork a try. I see them for sale on Amazon. I would likely buy one rather than trying to make one. I'd make a mess of it for sure. Enjoy your music!
     
  23. PL519

    PL519 Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    Wow! Thanks for the tip. I'll check them out.
     
    Long Live Analog likes this.
  24. PL519

    PL519 Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    Are the A23 Hommage Mats still available? I can't seem to find them for sale anywhere online. I did find the Merrill RCC Mat, and the reviews I read were great. I may give that one a try. Thanks, again, for your suggestions.
     
    Long Live Analog likes this.
  25. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    I messed around with a bunch of materials and liked cork best on my Thorens. It's one the cheapest options, too! But in general, I'm sort of ambivalent to mats now. I think the sonic changes are probably vta changes, more than the effect of the material.
     
    michanes likes this.
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