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Turntable mat

Never heard much difference in turntable mats , the ringmat being the exception.Thought ''this was worse actually.

I once snagged a stylus because of the felt mat sticking to the underside of a record , very expensive.
 
Woodface said:
Sorry to jump in but do any of these ringmat type things ever make a difference?
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I use a Ringmat on my Lenco. Brings more focus, imo.

2nd best on the Lenco is a cork / nitrile compound. Cheap and much better than felt but still a way off the ringmat.
 
I second the PureSound Tenuto Matt on an idler turntable. I used one with a solid PTP Lenco.
Another one to consider is the Stein pi. Perfect interface Carbon Signature
This is very thin, only .33 mm and is made from Tapa Cloth Tree paper with carbon and
the Stein Music Maestro Lacquer finish. Whatever Matt is being used the Stein adds just a bit more clarity.
 
I use the Garrard 501 mat (two part cork) on my 401, though I haven't compared it to any other mat in this application TBH.
 
krenzler said:
Together with another mat or alone? LP directly on top of the SDS? What's the sound sugnature compared to Achromat?
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I use the sds neoprene topper. TBH I haven't compared without because I prefer a softer surface for my LP's.
General improvement all round over the Achromat. Greater separation of the music threads, better bass (lovely) and more detail up top. Overall a more even sound.

Not that the Achro is lacking - it was a fair improvement on the Techy mat.
 
Yeah, I feel the Achromat (on top of the rubber mat) opens up the soundstage and removes some murky colouration in the upper bass.
 
I also use a bit of leather suede side up. Plus a couple of those rubber rings to damp the 301's platter. The leather seems to do the job...kinda beefy somehow.
 
Woodface said:
Sorry to jump in but do any of these ringmat type things ever make a difference?
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I think it may be turntable dependant and probably suits high mass non suspended turntables best. Years ago when I had an LP12 it made some difference but was not necessarily better than the felt mat. Since owning a Trio (Kenwood) L-07D I have used various generations of the Ringmat and all, I was very surprised to find, IMHO they were better (with slight further improvements with the later versions) than putting the record direct on the turntable's stainless steel platter topped by a heavy centre weight, which is the Kenwood recommend method.

The main area of improvement was in the 'sense of focus' of instruments within the sound stage as is mentioned above. I suggested trying the Ringmat to some other L-07D and SP10 owners and most of them preferred it also.
 
I’ve been trialling an Achromat for the past week on a Townshend Rock II. Quite an improvement in clarity all across the board considering the outlay. I think Funk do a trial or return offer. Perhaps a wee loss of bass welly due to the loss of reflected energy but lots of music now makes lots more sense
 
Make one yrself from cork. Buy a kitchen table doily and cut. Worked fine on my TD150. Or combine rubber and cork. Best of both worlds. Now I use a fel mat on a LP12 with wee bits of blue goo to avoid lift.
 
Tony L said:
I always used the stock Garrard mat, though I refuse on OCD record-collecting principles never to use a ‘hard’ mat due to risk of scuffs from any hard particles that may inadvertently get between the mat and platter. Even more so with clamps, just no way would I risk a valuable record with one of those!

PS Thinking about it I may well still have a Lorricraft cork mat knocking around somewhere. I should sell that if I’ve still got it as I’ll never use it!
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Those "hard particles that may inadvertently get between mat and platter" can sit on any mat waiting to contaminate the next record. I find with an acrylic mat one can see the offending dirt and easily clean it.
I wet clean my mat every now and again, quick process.
 
I use a Tenuto on my 401. With the Garrard mat I got some ringing and used damping rings around the platter. With the Tenuto there is no ringing and with the extra mass the speed is even more stable. In my opinion it's a really great upgrade.
 
dwhistance said:
With the Tenuto there is no ringing and with the extra mass the speed is even more stable. In my opinion it's a really great upgrade.
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But that could affect the bearing/thrust pad wear. The guys at Garrard really knew what they were doing. The only thing you need to do is get it properly serviced and mount it in a really good solid plinth...
 
Try an Auditorium 23 Hommage mat. I have one on my Technics SL-1200G and love it. No static anymore when lifting records. Also really added balance to the sound, with a nice rich and clear midrange. I think it'd work really well on a 301/401. It's basically like a rubberized stiff felt.
 
The Achromat is also good at removing static.

Saec SS-300 could be a lighter (vintage) alternative to Tenuto etc.
 
SME turntables come with their own machined plater that grips vinyl records but not damaging them so not Matt is ever required on their turntables.
 
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