Turntables mats

I've always viewed a "tweek" as an inexpensive improvement to the system. Two I've found beneficial are an upgrade to the record turntable mat and a record clamp.

 

Those are two valid improvements in my book--I actually have both. One is a "sticky" rubber mat that has noticeably lowered "vinyl noise", since a lot of it is absorbed into the mat. (And when I had a cheaper turntable, the platter used to "ring". This mat dampened the ringing.)

The clamp I have I don't use that often--usually only when an LP is dished, or if it helps flatten out some warps.

I do have a bottle of Stylast, but for the life of me, have never heard an improvement. All I've noticed is the cantilever gets crudded up with dust. But hey, it was the 80's when I bought it. Had to learn the hard way, I guess.

I've thought of adding mass to my turntable platter. It's a direct-drive Denon (DP-1000). With more weight, speed would be more stable...like a larger flywheel. It would require a little extra effort on the motor, but it's a husky unit.

 

Here's a bunch of cheapies:

http://www.stereophile.com/showcategory.cgi?category=Fine Tunes

Have fun!


__________
AC

 

Rudy,

What do you use for a mat? The one concern I'd have with most of the "sticky" mats I've seen is their thickness and a significant change in VTA (unless you can change tonearm height). There's a place called Herbie's Audio Lab (don't have the link right now) that has a new, thin mat that's supposed to be very good at damping--useful as you know--but which has less of an effect on VTA. And, it's not very expensive.

John K.

 

http://herbiesaudiolab.home.att.net/ttmat.htm

 

Steve Herblin has put one of these in my hands to test, but since my 240 is in the shop, and my work schedule has been crazy, I haven't had time yet to test it. Sorry Steve! I will be getting back to you!

 

Let us know, Mr. Flugel, when you've tried it out! This sounds like the kinda "tweak" I'd like to try out...

jeff

 

It looks like it could be a good thing, although it may work better on certain platters.

 

Ron,

Make sure the mat and the underside of your LP are totally cleaned of dust or other foreign particles. Enough suction can press dust into vinyl as dust and most other foreign particles are harder than vinyl.

Sounds like they've got two nice little mats there. I look forward to your impressions.


__________
AC

 

Arin, that's ONE of the other resons I haven't tried it yet. I wanted to do it right. Best, Ron.

 

Hey guys, you are discussing tweaks! I thought this was supposed to be the tweaks bashing thread?!? You know, all tweaks are snake oil, yadda, yadda, yadda...?

 

WHAAT???

 

Quite right. Those durn turntable mats are useless.


__________
AC

 

No, i think the felt ones you can use as toupes!

 

Fair is fair. Grant started the other thread to be able to knock the very stuff you fellas are drooling over! Now you can go on about mats to yer heart's content...!

 

Okie Dokie!!!!!!!!

 

For the record, my initial post was intended to be part of what I thought was Grant's thread on tweeks in general. But as long as a new thread has been started, for the record I'd like to add that the mat that I've been using for well over ten years is the Audioquest Sorbothane Record Mat. It's designed to be washed [just soap and water] fairly regularly and it makes terrific contact with platter and record. I'm also very partial to using a record clamp, BTW.

 

I have no idea who made this--I've owned it for almost 20 years now, and I think I got it by mail order from someplace like Audio Advisor. Here's what I know about it:

1. It says "Music Mat", and is made in Canada.

2. It's a greyish color.

3. When cleaned with pure alcohol, it gets sticky (not tacky--in other words, it's not leaving any kind of residue on the vinyl).

4. You replace your current mat with this one; it's the same thickness. (No problem with tonearm height--mine is adjustable.) Unless you have one of those turntables that doesn't use a mat to begin with.

I originally had a turntable made by a British company called Walker. (The entire thing was made out of wood products--the platters, in fact, were bakelite, and didn't use a mat.) I didn't care for the belt drive, and the motor ran a bit fast, so I ended up replacing it with the Denon. (Fortunately the Denon I found had a tonearm hole for my exact tonearm. )

 

My big beef is with those tweaks that make no electrical or mechanical sense...even worse when I used to read it in the audiophile press. I have enough comedy in my life, thanks.

 

I used the misson version of the Audioquest mat on my systemdekIIX, at this point , since i purchased the VPI, its sitting in my closet. Soon to be put into another system in my son'd room. I like those types of mats.

 

I have a Music Mat too! I've spent a lot of time going back and forth on the mat question. I've used the MM, the old Audioquest sorbothane before that, the Ringmat, and one that came with the old Sumiko Analog Survival Kit (it included a tonearm wrap and a VERY thin nonwoven mat).

In my experience, nothing has ultimately been satisfactory. The MM and AQ do a great job at damping resonance, but in the end I've always felt that they also rob the music of a fair share of its vitality and drive: it's cleaner, but it doesn't involve me the same way any more. The Ringmat cleans things up, too, but it becomes a sort of sterile sound, losing the warmth of reality. The Sumiko mat was pretty much a balance, but it was so light that it always stuck to the record when you lifted it off. They provided some double-sticky dots to stick the thing to the platter, but they didn't work either. I eventually threw the thing away in frustration.

Currently on my VPI I don't use a mat. As I said, I haven't really been satisfied with those I've tried already. But more importantly, I use an ET-2 tonearm, and the record needs to be really flat for best tracking, so the VPI clamp is a necessity and it doesn't work with the mats mentioned. But I'm very interested in Herbie's since it seems to have effective damping without robbing the music of its life, so it may be worth a try. Hey Ron, send me yours for a while and I'll let you know how it sounds!

John K.

 

Donut Mat

Has anyone tried this Donut mat?
I've seen it praised on a different board. Read that it was designed for use on a Linn table. Shouldn't it be effective on different tables?

I've been thinking of ordering it. The price is right for something to just try but was hoping someone here might have some input.

 

The None-Felt mat is mentioned as one of the ones Herbie demoed his against. I haven't tried it, though.

John K.

 

I think this is one of those system interdependent deals like pretty much everything else in audio. The Ringmat sounds better than the stock felt mat that comes with the LP12 so I use it. With a Linn rig you don't want to add too much weight so I don't use a clamp.

 

Has anyone seen or used this mat? I warn you that it is not inexpensive.
http://www.boston-audio.com/products1.html