Rega glass platter & felt mat vs. Groovetracer acrylic platter

Raferx, I would stay with the glass platter and avoid the plastics. Maybe try a decent cork mat?

 

I've only tried the Funk achromat and honestly, I couldn't hear any difference over the felt mat. Not enough to be worthy of discussion, but that's what we do here.

It did solve the static issue, though.

 

I have both the RP6 and the P3-24 (upstairs) - well, they are cheaper here in the UK! The P3-24 was massively improved musically with the GT subplatter, the RP6 less so (as has been implied above, it's better to start with). I wouldn't want to change the RP6 glass platter as it's been designed with the flywheel effect. However I did add the counterweight as well, which was more an improvement on the 6 than the subplatter was - go figure, as you say over there.
The achromat is supposed to be good - even if it stops your static, use one. I've never felt the clingy mats to be an issue... rather sweet, really.

 

In my neck of the woods our long dry winters always cause static issues. I've said it before and I'll say it again "Static Guard" works wonders. Iv'e been using it for almost 15 years iirc and have no fear of using it on my most prized records.

I take a discwasher brush and holding it upside down horizontally with the pad up. I aim the can to shoot over the top, spritzing the Static Guard lightly allowing the mist to drop onto the brush. In less severe circumstances I spritz my dustbug.

I have seen no negative affects on any of my vinyl or styli.

 

I had three Planars and now an RP6, all of them with stock felt mats. I have had zero issues with static or the mat sticking to records, but then all of my records are wet cleaned.

 

Why my friend?
TIA

 

That's great, I'm very happy for you.
I wet clean my LPs with an Okki Nokki...
But how does that help with my question, or help any of the other countless Rega owners who get tons of static from their wool mats and find it a real PITA?

 

Art, I'm coming back to you on this...
You're a good egg, and I trust your judgement. Is the Rega glass platter/A23 mat combo that much better than a GT Delrin or acrylic plater?
Have you heard both?
Many thanks!
–R

 

Ron, what makes you suggest this? HAve you heard both?
Many thanks in advance!
–Cheers

 

To me, yes it is. You keep the character of the deck and improve on it rather than change it altogether. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. The Acrylic platter changes the basic character of the sound. This is just my opinion.

 

Could you compare both? I'm quite interested to hear what the sonic differences were.

Thanks again Art.
–R

 

I'm not going to get in to that here. Too much nonsense on a forum. It's my opinion based on my experience and so I am not interested in arguing about it here (not referring to you Rafe, but I'm sure you know what I mean).

 

Amen brother. PM me if you'd like to. And thanks again my friend.
–R

 

I don't think acrylic is a way to go if you have a static problem. The cork will help to suppress any static more so than felt.

 

In the days when I owned an older Rega deck, the ringy, pinging glass platter and plinth came to drive me bonkers after a while, not so much the static of the felt mat but the sound of the deck. I tried all kinds of mats, all kinds of damping schemes with cork, lead tape, and other sorts of materials. I'm sure the newer Rega decks are different than the older ones in some ways, but back then, if I had had the option to replace the glass platter and felt mat with an acrylic one I probably would have taken it. In the end I just took the arm and put it on a turntable that was much more to my liking (sprung suspension, lead damped acrylic platter, lead and fluid damped motor, lead damped sub platter, acrylic subchassis).

It was more than 25 years ago when I first started getting into hifi audio and the cheapest of the Rega decks at the time, so not a valid comparison with the current production or the company's better decks, but I came to hate the glass platter and the light plinth approach and sound. Easy enough, however, in your case, to try some new and different mats to see if they solve your problem with static but keep what you like about the deck. I'm a big fan of the Herbie's Audio Lab Grungebuster mat, on the Rega perhaps the Way-Excellent mat would be perfect. Haven't tried that one but people really seem to like it.

 

The first thing I did after using the felt mat (and have it come off the platter stuck to the record) was to buy a cork mat. Not had a problem with static since.

 

I've not heard the Delrin or any acrylic platter. For 6 years I've had a lowly p1 that's souped up with a glass platter, metal subplatter, white belt, Nagaoka MP110, etc. I've 2 Rega mats - the stock issue and Rega's upgraded mat which is felt? wool? Well over a year ago I made a cork mat which is 1/8th inch thick. The cork unveiled the sound coming from my system - at least it sounded that way to me. By going back and forth with the 2 Rega mats and the cork I played the same song at the same receiver settings for several different people > Emmylou Harris's "Tulsa Queen." Without fail and with no hesitation each person in the listening "test" spoke right up when I played the song with the cork mat. They all said they felt it opened up the music, deepened the bass, et.c - made them feel the music was happening right there, right up front - took a muffler off the music. I don't care for the looks of the cork, but that's irrelevant because of the sound it has helped me get. And static has become a thing of the past.

 

Have you tried using double sided tape to hold down the felt mat?

 

Another vote for the Herbies Way Excellent Mat. I ditched my felt mat that came with my Music Hall 7.1 because of the static issue with the Herbies mat and problem solved.

 

I originally bought the GT subplatter for a P2 that I used to own and transferred it to my P5, several months after I upgraded. I definitely heard a difference in sound qulaity.

 

Upgraded my P3-24 first with the groovetracer subplatter and a year later with the delrin platter. The subplatter in my view offered the more dramatic improvement of the two upgrades. The delrin platter offers a different sound than the glass and felt/wool, the delrin platter offers a more detailed soundstage and channel separation but I'm thinking the glass platter with the felt offers a warmer softer sound. Guess it just comes down to individual preferences.

 

Quickest way I know of to kill the sound of a Rega deck is with a Herbie's mat. I had one and it worked very nicely with my Pro-Ject and Music Hall decks but took the life right out of my Rega P3. I quickly discarded it for the PIA Rega felt mat.

 

That's good to know. I liked the Herbies mat on my Pro-Ject, but I've never heard one on a Rega.

 

I have both A23 mats and highly recommend them for Rega decks. My fav of the two mats is the A23 Hommage.

 

I have a Rega RP8 glass platter on my RP6 (looks awesome btw!) and have played around with leather mats, cork and original felt. To me the original felt mat sound the best. I do get more static problems with it, especially in the winter so when I have most problems I use the leather mat. Howerver with a harder mat I think the sounds gets more "plonky/ringy". The softer felt mat has an important purpose on the glas platter if you ask me.