Hi Premise: I've never had a mat on my Project turntable. I recently read it could be useful so I'm asking what you recommend about? Some new entry mat, cause I can't spend like 50€ for a mat. Also I read some mat require that turntable arm to be set accordingly, I'm not an expert so here is my turntable Could you suggest me some mats compatible with my turntable? Thanks
I rock a cork mat on my U-turn Orbit and it has an acrylic platter. It provides a little cushion and seems less static prone than a rubber or felt one.
You might try a cork & rubber mat like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QX1Z9GP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Schiit Audio's Sol turntable are using a similar mat.
Did that TT come with a mat? If not it's possible it was meant to be used without one. Be careful using a mat that is too thick on a TT that was either designed for no mat or a very thin mat.
I've used the Pro-ject Debut extensively - it's sold without a mat. My experience was that it sounded better with a cork mat but the important thing was to make sure the mat was on the thinner side (e.g. 1/8" max). playback with a thicker mat was noticeably duller. and without any mat, I found playback to tend toward "tinny."
A friend had the regular debut carbon, no acrylic platter. I think that had some kind of mat, maybe a thin felt one.
I have the Debut Carbon, there was a model sold with the metal platter and one with the acrylic. i bought the acrylic platter as an upgrade to the standard one and haven't ever used a mat on it. just been running it raw... i do use a record weight with it though, the Pro-Ject Audio one. sounds great to me. but yes too thick of a mat could mess with the tracking angle of the tonearm, which can't be adjusted on this turntable so that's something to keep in mind
Acrylic platters are low resonance, just like vinyl, so mats are unnecessary and generally not recommended. Best results are usually attained by having the vinyl coupled directly to the acrylic platter sans mat. In my experience, a mat on an acrylic platter just muddies up the sound. I can’t tell what Project tonearm you have, but many, like in the Debut and T lines, do not have VTA adjustability.
my experience with that Pro-Ject (which was the Debut Carbon DC Esprit SB, iirc) was a little bit of cork helped balance things out more than running without. I found running right off the acrylic yielded too bit bright a sound. and you are correct, the VTA was not adjustable.
Was that with the Ortofon 2M Red on it by any chance? I could definitely see that cart being too bright without a mat. I owned the same table at one point but with a Nagaoka MP-110 cart.
What’s the best mat to dampen the grindy sound of a linear-tracking turntable? Or is that an arm artifact that can’t be eliminated?
Hey wow, hi guys, really thanks for your help! I'll try to answer all. My turntable is a Pro-Ject Debut III Esprit, bought many years ago (I know it's cheap entry level one but hope it's a bit good, as side note, I was thinking to buy a better one). It comes without any mat. I read about this "tracking angle of the tonearm that should be adjusted using a mat". I really don't know what it means, anyway it seems I can't adjust it with my turntable... My cart is Ortofon but I'm not sure about the specific model (I attach a photo). On my old Amazon order details I found: "Ortofon mm pick-up Alpha" What you mean with "that cart being too bright without a mat"? So it seems that general advice is to use this turntable without mat? Thanks!
I should add that mine came with a felt mat and I replaced it with a cork mat of the same thickness. As others have said, be careful as your VTA isn't adjustable (the Orbit isn't either) and you don't want to goof that up.
Just chiming in to echo "if you do try a mat (though not necessary with an acrylic platter), get some 1/8" cork and make your own...or if not, cork regardless". Never was a fan of felt, too much static buildup.
I've tried many. Never liked the felt ones. Like the Linn ones. Currently using a combo of rubber on the bottom and cork on top. Had to adjust the arm height slightly due to the thickness but it sounds good to my tired old ears.
I would not use a mat on this turntable. The acrylic platter has some practical benefits, like easy cleaning to help keep the records clean. If the platter does not ring, nor resonate, it will couple the record to the stylus more intimately than any mat does, the result is tighter bass and better overall fidelity. On the other hand, if the platter does ring (tap it and listen) a mat can remediate this, and also help reduce any resonances in the record itself. The difference would be more noticed at higher volume, as the record itself becomes less affected by a speaker's acoustic energy! Henceforth we want good isolation of the record, not just the turntable. A good mat can help accomplish this. (So does a good platter without a mat) The best one can do is to test various mats, and listen. I am not a huge fan of cork for it does not help dissipate static, and may even cause a static problem.
I use an acrylic mat on my Technics rig. Since I started using it I haven't needed my Zerostat. It seems that the acrylic mat sucks all the static out of the vinyl.
So if your tonearm doesn't have height adjustment, adding a mat is going to change the vertical tracking angle of your cartridge, which can change the sound. Some cartridges are shorter than others, so Project is probably mentioning this in case a different cart is installed. Ideally, you want the top of the cartridge parallel to the LP surface.
