Best Turntable Platter Mats to Supercharge Your Deck
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- čas přidán 10. 06. 2024
- The power of a simple turntable platter mat upgrade to improve the performance of your deck is often overlooked.
After all, can the material between your records and the turntable platter really make a difference to the sound?
The truth is, when it comes to a physical format like vinyl, everything affects the sound!
We look at some of the best turntable platter mats to suit all budgets. You'd be supprised how much difference upgrading your platter mat can make. If you're coming from a simple felt slip mat, even better, you're in for a sonic treat!
Recommended Mats:
(Amazon Affiliate Link = AAF)
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Cork Turntable Mat: (AAF)
geni.us/cork-turntable-mat
Leather GrooveWasher Mat: (Get 10% off with code SOUNDMATTERS10 )
www.groovewasher.com/collecti...
Acrylic Hudson HiFi Mat: (AAF)
geni.us/acrylic-mat
Funk Firm - Achromat:
thefunkfirm.co.uk/upgrades/ac...
Soundeck Platter Mat:
soundeck.bigcartel.com/produc...
Hexmat Eclipse:
www.hexmat.net/
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Vinyl Pursuit - Vintage Vinyl Online: (Use code SOUNDMATTERS15):
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Vinyl Moon - Record Subscription (SOUNDMATTERS10)
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#vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #turntable - Hudba
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My Rega RP1 was rebuilt with a new inner platter resting on a jewel bearing, the wiring was replaced with better wiring, better connecting cable to the amp, a near perfect acrylic platter ordered from England to the USA. I did this for a reason when I bought the Audio-Technica AT150 Mlx cartridge.(no longer available). It is the best sounding turntable/cartridge combination I've ever heard. The acrylic platter is perfectly turned and balanced (at the time it was only $125 US plus shipping. The RP1 turntable is better than many of Rega's turntables made today, and I especially like the AC motor (rather than DC). Those motors can only be special ordered today, and it works well with a speed control. Still, it was the acrylic platter that closed the deal.
This was my first time watching your channel. This was a very straightforward and informative video. I like your presentation style, it's articulate and understandable.
Thanks for watching 🙌 enjoy the music 🎶🎧
Achromat. Works on every turntable. Regardless of platter material, or turntable cost. Genius product!
I have one on my Music Hall Stealth. It makes zero difference in my experience. Absolutely none.
I just added a rubber mat to my turntable tonight and it made a big difference. I previously had a felt mat, and for this particular turntable, the heavy rubber mat worked! 👍
Excellent overview. Thank you!
Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful
Spoke to a chap from Rega who said they all have pros and cons, except wool ones, which only have pros.
That was a great comparison, thanks!
Excellent summary of platter mat options. Might have to try the metal polymer mat on my Thorens TT. I've two belt drive turntables with aftermarket platter mats. To test different mats I removed the belt, turned on the TT, then dropped the stylus onto the bare platter to get baseline noise levels, then tried out various mats. For acrylic platters, I found the Hexmat 'Yellow Bird' was very effective at lowering both motor cogging and external plinth transients. For glass platters, a Herbie's 3mm two layer silicone mat dampened high frequency motor vibration quite well. Lower frequency vibration was also reduced, but not to the same extent. The acrylic platter is on an acrylic plinth TT with an AC synchronous motor, and the glass platter is on a Roksan Attessa TT with electronic PWM speed control. Both decks use MC cartridges.
Just got the Funk firm's APM achromat.
It have heavy glass under and the achromat on top.
Brilliant mat. Highly recommend.
Excellent comparison video of turntable mats, good stuff. Can vouch for leather mats, they look great and help keep static to a minimum. A nice leather mat on an acrylic platter is a favourite.
Thanks for the kind words Rob and for sharing your experience. Happy spinning. Leather definitely also adds a touch of class!
I've found that setup to my fave too!
Great video! I think I’m going to go with the cork for now.
A fine choice! 🎶🎧
hi Mark, Great video, as usual. My Logic Gemini 2-motor table has an acrylic platter which Logic said did not need a mat. It was one of the earliest tables with an acrylic platter. I have tried a number of mats, ranging from leather to cork to the ones you listed here. The one I always go back to is one that is hard to get because it's no longer made. It is an EON TriMat from Canada. It has a squishy polymer bottom surface which grips the platter, a thin acrylic centre and cork under the record, with the squishy polymer under the label. This mat beats every matt I have tried but it definitely needs a clamp. For acrylic platters the best are cork, the hexagon and the funk firm mat, in my opinion.
I’m disappointed you dismissed felt mats as “worst case”. Experts at vinyl playback, Linn and Rega, include a medium thickness felt mat with all their turntable models, including the 5-figure ones. John Atkinson, Technical Editor at Stereophile magazine, prefers felt mats because they make consistent contact across the (never perfectly flat) vinyl disc. Hi-Fi News, a fine UK magazine, consistently measures a lower through groove noise level when using the supplied felt mat. Static is only a problem if your turntable doesn’t ground the center spindle, and only then with some records. And for those of you who remove or replace records on a rotating platter you’ll notice the felt mat slips nicely without scraping, grabbing, or otherwise damaging the grooves (that’s why DJs call felt mats “slip mats”). And the dust on the mat is from the record, felt mats don’t transfer dust to vinyl - the “Swiffer Effect”. Dust on your felt mat? A piece of adhesive tape wrapped around your hand sticky side out will cure that in a jiffy.
I like what you’re saying, I will check it out. Thanks
I am in total agreement and I’m also disappointed with his review of felt mats. I’d rather agree with the manufacture. Where does he get his ideas from. He offers no evidence? PS, keep up the hand signals! He reminds me of a traffic director with his waving hands! Kudos to that! 😂
Once again a great video!! Thanx.
Thanks for watching. Glad to hear it 🎶
Great video, aloha.
I find the stock Technics rubber mat to look so good I can't bring myself to replace it with an acrylic one.
Don't be fooled: the manufacturer's rubber mats are designed to give you the best possible isolation from potential motor noises or the Aluminum platter's sonic signature. Everything else you might try will be hit-or-miss with a strong bias towards the "miss".
Also, if you like the looks (I personally do not), there's nothing more to do. So instead of buying all kinds of extras you won't need, invest your money into stuff that actually improves your record playback. Like a decent stylus cleaner or a cartridge/preamp upgrade.
Or even better: buy more records 😬
100% wrong, the usual supplied generic stuff supplied is cheap crap. Dont make opinions statements, mug.
@@scottchegg1209 provide measurements. Otherwise, your statement is opinion as well.
I've worked in HiFi for over 30 years. People who ask for measurements usually have cloth ears. I have worked for retailers, distributors and manufacturers. National and internationally. Owned and heard more than you can imagine. I use single ended triode tube amps which measure very poorly. So what's your point?
But my opinion is qualified, subjectively,
I own an Audio Technica 120xusb with a 540 stylus with the factory foam mat. In my audio neurosis I was worried I was missing a listening nirvana so I purchased a cork Hudson HI-FI CoRkErY 1/8”. What a disappointment, even with a perfectly calibrated 2 gram arm the bass was lost. To exacerbate my disappointment the static created was epic, so much so the cork mat would stick to the records. I’m sticking to AT foam.
I use a 3mm thick carbon fibre mat on my heavily modified Thorens TD-160 super. Replaced the Ringmat when the cork rings fell off.
Have been doing so since 2004 - basically game over, as I haven't discovered anything better since. (Living Voices Mystic Mat - long out of print)
I use a 3mm cork mat on my second standard TD 160 (aka Mk 1), but would like to try leather, Funk Achromat & others.
I'm using an xtm1 acrylic mat on my Rega with the glass platter. It has a thickness of 3mm compared with 4mm for the Rega felt one. I've secured the xtm1 to the platter with three small blobs of blu-tac compressed down to 1mm to compensate.
It _really_ does depend on your TT's platter. I've played with a few over the years for my turntables. For the acrylic platter on my MMF-7.1, I've quite liked cork but the Funk Firm Achromat is tough to beat - I'd recommend that for anybody. I'd like to try the Wooden Bull at some point. For my SL1200G, I actually liked the stock mat with stock headshell and Nagaoka cart, which is a lively performer. But one thing that's an issue is plugging in high grade headshells, (Oyaide CF and Ortofon LH9000). Reason being they have raised backs where the stock Technics is flush with the top of the arm. So, it's impossible to set VTA correctly (even using a 1.5mm delrin shim, which defeats the purpose of headshell), VTA's a little past zero and _needs more._ So, a 5mm mat is necessary to about a +.5-7 - not even 1! Here, I quite like the Purest Audio crystal glass (KAB another choice). Nice, lively performance and not as _fat_ as stock mat. My other preference with the stock headshell is the TEAC Washi rice paper mat. I really wish I could use the upgraded headshells with that mat, I think that would be the best of both worlds. Or, somehow modify my tonearm's VTA, as it has tons of travel the _wrong direction._ Not sure what sort of cartridge Technics was looking at when designing. Maybe a Stanton? My carts are Nagaoka MP-300, AT-OC9XML and Ortofon 2M Black, so pretty standard configurations.
I switched from cork to a Hudson Hi-Fi machined acrylic (stay away from cheap pressed examples) a couple of years ago. The improvement on my highly resolving The Source/Odyssey RP1-xg mk2/AT Art9 MC rig was obvious to me. The acrylic removed what I can only describe as an 'echo' effect where energy induced by playing a record found its way back to the stylus, out of time and phase. One caveat. I did find that using a smooth acrylic on a high mass platter (as on The Source) made the use of a stabiliser weight or clamp on top of the record obligatory. Without one micro-slippage during play of heavily modulated music can occur, damaging the sense of pace.
Sounds good. Yea, acrylic is great for the "coupling" element (basically the same material as the record itself). I agree with such a mat, you need a weight or clamp really. Thanks for the additions; enjoy the music
On my fully modified Lenco L75 I bought a cork mat and glued 0.5mm lamb leather on both sides then trimmed the leather to the cork mat edge,may not be the easiest thing to do for the laymen,but it's part of my trade that's why I did it and the sound is great. By the way have you reviewed your Technics 1500c? Couldn't find it in your uploaded videos,it is a table I'm interested in
Cheers.
My Empire comes with a rubber mat. Seems to sound great. Plus my glass cover is real close to touching my vinyl weight. I guess I’ll just have to keep it all original. 😊
I've seen discussions about all kind of platter mats for years now, but I will stick with a proper rubber mat, because it's perfectly fine.
Great video, i also have the project x1 with the acrilic platter so i don't use a mat but I have a other question for you.
What's the weight of your record weight that you use and is their a max that can be used.
I've contacted project about this but all I've got was a advice for their record clamp.....
So any advice would be welcome
I just want a white platter mat because it'll make my coloured records look pretty
Take two old records, stick them together with double sided tape, place onto the platter, chuck the platter mat into the bin - JOB DONE !!
Very interesting ... would you consider changing your mat based on what you want or expect to hear from a record?
Greetings from the U.S. After some experimentation with different mats I have settled on a cork mat with one side coated wth a rubberized coating under a Hudson Acrylic mat. this is on a "The AR Turntable" with a Linn Basik Tonearm, which is height adjustable.
Cool. Great turntable too
@@soundmatters Thanks. Just subscribed.
As well as a platter mat, I can heavily recommend the Origin Live Cartridge Enabler. It's cheap and does a very good job of cleaning up the low and mid frequencies, plus it can be manipulated to adjust azimuth of the cartridge.
Exactly! The best tweek for the price I’ve made. I use it with an Origin Live arm, similar to Rega arms, there is no way to adjust azimuth, but I can with the Enabler. It also increased the resolution of the overall sound.
I have a vintage Pioneer PL-707 turntable, I thought was some how generating a static charge and transferring it to the LP. I tested this with a static charge meter and was correct. I changed the original rubber mat to a AM Clean Sound anti static mat and it made a world of difference. The pops and crackle went away and when I checked the LP surface with the static charge meter it actually reduced the charge from the record surface. The anti static mat is made from carbon fiber.
Sounds like a good upgrade. 👍🎧🎶
I upgraded the Audio Technica LP60X felt mat to a beautiful blue acrylic. Definitely better rotation stability, less static, tighter bass response and less surface noise. The Achromat looks great and the Soundeck Steel looks a gooden too, (both reviewed by Paul Rigby). It's just that new companies seem to be getting on board with the production of acrylic platter mats for turntables, and I think the LP60X has benefitted greatly. I also swapped out the conical stylus and replaced it with an elliptical from LP Gear. I think these new additions probably increase the value of what has been one of the top beginner's turntables for the last 5 years.
Nice! Enjoy the upgrades 🎶🎧
Big difference with funk firm more seperation, lower noise, what I'd like to know though what difference each upgrade makes compared to other l.
Yes, a lot to be said for experimenting with mats, although lots of people say they can't hear any difference.
My advice would be , especially if it's an expensive one, make sure you can return it, if it's not doing it for you. 😉
Jim 🏴🙂
If your system is revealing enough - even with a mid priced TT you can tell the difference almost immediately. But so many people don't even have their TT set up correctly, a mat is the least of their problems. In all cases, ditch the felt. And a decent cork or acrylic mat cost between $10-20. Even if you can't hear the difference, everything will stay cleaner and lower the static which is always noticeable.
@@slidetek Re: set up , I know 😉.
"Even with a mid priced TT you can tell the difference immediately" maybe you can but lots of people can't.
Re: ditch the felt mat, or on some Regas, it's a wool mat- lots of people appear to enjoy the sound they give, and would never "ditch" them!
Hearing/listening is subjective after all!
If they could they wouldnt buy Rega! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
You need to take a look at the Origin Live platter mat, it costs around £45 is 1mm thick so not a huge amount to alter the VTA it's made from the same material as their cartridge enabler so you might think about getting both while ordering, no I don't work for Origin Live, but I do like to share my experiences with regard to getting better sound from vinyl and these two items are simple to fit and use and also aren't overly expensive, especially when you hear the improvement they make to any turntable, well worth the money.
I've got a Sony, and the black rubber one with rings it came with isn't a consistent thickness and it has always bugged me to see it move up and down with every rotation.
Could an anti-static insert for a sleeve be used on the platter? Maybe over a felt mat?
Depends. for me its only cork. if you clean them its not a problem.
7:58 if very similar materials causes a kind of desirable coupling, maybe someone should try making a nice thick heavy platter out of PVC. It's certainly durable. I don't know how flat and smooth it could be made, but it seems like it would be worth a try.
I know Pro-ject has some mdf platters with a sandwich of 3 old vinyl records pressed on top of it.
The Hexmat Eclipse is the best I have tried. I also recommend their clamp
What did you think of the clamp? I haven't tried this yet
I fully agree... I had a Harmonix Tu mat, but the Hexmat offered so much more detail and control in the sound.
The clamp adds added a bit more, compared with my Origin Live Gravity.
And no more static problems.
Rega P8 - Apheta 3
Do you have any actual test data to back these ideas up?
Hard mats got a problem with slightly warp records,with felt you have got more grip
Linn always used felt. Thats good enough for me.
That's very interesting. How about Silicone mats?
Thanks for watching. I've never tried one personally, but I imagine the sound character to be similar to rubber.
I wanted to try open cell foam but can't see anything that's in this 5 mm thick in that size anybody know!
I have had an eclipse Hex mat for some time now and ive tried a few .personally im not ovetly keen on the aesthetics of it that great big M symbol and its shape .but here bears the rub.... its sound .thats like no other ive tried including the acromat 3.mm .that i sent back as it was warped and was advised to bond i down with the pads they give you ....not ideal as i like to clean my glass platter mat from time to time on my rega p6 .
Yep aesthetics aside this just lifts everything to another level of detail and clarity and is worth every penny.
I know what you mean about the aesthetic. I don’t use it on my technics for that very reason. Enjoy the music 🎶 🎧
I just want to find one that won't stick to my record every time I pick it up because of static cling.
Hi, What about turntables mat made in Japanese paper? best
For heavy-platter turntables that have low resonances already, the best mat is NO mat. Or at least no soft mat. Use a clamp or weight to force the LP into intimate contact with the hard (probably metal) platter surface. A mat adds a mechanical compliance that allows stylus chatter to cause the LP to vibrate and reflect the motions back to the stylus, muddying the sound. Also, variable stylus drag during loud passages can cause the LP to slightly rotate slower and faster by shearing between the mat and platter, which can ruin pacing. When an LP is clamped firmly to a heavy platter such vibrations and micro-speed changes are eliminated by mechanical constraint. The concept of constraint layers may be counter-intuitive to less technical folks , but the proof is in the listening.
The exception would be heavy metal platters such as the copper mats that Micro Seiki made (~4 pounds). These will constrain platter resonances in the main platter below. Again though, the LP should be placed directly onto the copper mat and clamped or weighted down firmly.
I use a carbon fiber impregnated felt!
Would be good to have links to American distributors for some of these mats.
Hudson is a US company and makes all kinds. Between Music Direct, Acoustic Sounds, and Amazon, you can find all of these.
@@slidetek Hudson and Amazon sell Hudson Hi-Fi mats. I just checked and music direct and acoustic sounds don't sell any of the ones in this video.
Soundeck is probably the one you’ll struggle with the most. Very small company. I can ask if they have any US distribution if you like?
@@soundmatters I've actually been looking at getting an acrylic platter since watching this video. A white acrylic platter under my colored vinyl might look very snazzy. And I found one that Hudson Hi-Fi sells. Still might be good to have a link if you can dig one up. Great video!
Here in the US we have the Uturn Orbit, which offers an optional acrylic platter. However they also ship it with a thick felt mat, and it doesn't have a label recess. Basically it's designed to have felt over acrylic.
Well, I wanted to replace it so I found a 2.7mm clear acrylic mat that I use with mine, but is slipped horribly, between the record and the mat against the platter. Even using my trusty Mitchell Engineering clamp, there was still audible slipping, not at all acceptable.
How I solved it is just amazing to see in action. I put a small oring on the spindle, between the mat and the record, and then forcefully clamp it down. This solved the whole thing. The record does not slip at all, sound quality is very much improved, especially clarity of the low frequencies.
Also, with this method the warps are greatly diminished, it's quite noticable.
If you are not happy with how flat your records when clamped, find a tiny oring to put on the spindle, under the record...it's a fantastic trick.
Weird, I still have static with a cork mat.
Lowest acoustic impedance = good resonance transfer from record to mat, therefore I prefer the acrylic mat
Achromat. Acrylic crap.
Tried some of them on Technics 1210GR. All in all, the best is the stock one : best sound, best value, the prettiest of them all. Why change ?
Achromat felt like garbage, it arrived slightly warped, the sound is dulled (especially bass, which sounds like it comes straight from the toilet). I had another version for my previous Fluance turntable and the effect was the same. No idea why it costs so much.
Hexmat looks fun, makes the sound brighter for some reason, but absolutely incompatible with my AT33PTG/II - it makes the tonearm oscillate like crazy in a matter of 3 minutes. Doesn't happen with the stock mat.
Cork was meh, it's always ugly and the only pro is its non-staticky nature.
Just stick to the simplest stuff your turntable comes with. It's that good.
I foolishly sold my AR turntable a couple of years ago along with the discwasher antistatic mat that I bought for it, now I'm using a glenburn turntable that I picked out of the trash after a neighbor passed away, it has an ADC cartridge on it and I just got a new stylus for it, quite the downgrade from the AR.
I’m not using a platter mat at all, i got gifted a record player from Amazon and on some vinyl it does skip, would adding a platter mat help at all?
What turntable model do you have may I ask? 🎶🎧
@@soundmatters it’s called the “udreamer” from Amazon, I’m thinking of getting the Fluance 81+ to replace it as my first record player
The last one, We would call a Stylus Killer. Why?, Well remember those shaped picture disc's from the 80's. If You didn't catch the run In groove properly, then the arm would pull back towards the edge. Hitting the sides of the disc, tearing off Your Stylus. I have the Acrylic mats on My three SL1210mk2's, as If the stylus does come off when back cuing, Won't get caught In the Matt and tear It Off. or bend It backwards.
If with an acrylic mat you are trying to match the material with the record how about using another record for a mat? Or is that too reasonable and cheap?
That is one approach people take. One downside to this is the grooves from your "platter may record" may hold dust over time that could transfer to other records. Harder to keep that sort of platter mat clean than some of these examples. But hey, it's one approach and it's very cheap! Hope this helps.
Cork!!!
Ive got a high end set up. I swear by lego. You can use diff colour bricks too. Endless possibilities. It adds warmth. Transparency. Soundstage. In fact all the hifi terms that noone knows what mean. 😅
The Stein Mat is great but, Expensive 😬.
I love my Acrylic platter mat, it has a indentation for the label so it sits perfectly flat. Tried stock felt, then rubber, then Cork and settled on my Acrylic. To my ears it sounds best.
Acrylic platters are superb for sure - happy spinning!
got a cork mat and it made my turntable too slow :(
What about a record as a platter mat? Any thoughts?
Some folks like to do this. The concept being that if matched material works best for transfer of vibrations, then another vinyl record is ideal. I guess the downside is the tendency for dust to get stuck in the groove of the record you're using as a platter mat. Even if you keep the dust cover down all the time, so amount of dust will gather on any platter surface.
100% no. Try thinking.
@@scottchegg1209I actually use an old 10” classical record as a mat. I hear details U’ve never heard before on my albums. The drum sound really stands out . My jaw dropped! It was like removing a blanket from my speakers.
Hexmat Eclipse is by far the best, trust me - I have tried loads.
Techne Audio leather platter slip mat . Made from 100% bovine testicles . You can even smell it at 45 rpm
I have a number of platter mats, each affecting sound production differently. Of them all, I tend to use the acrylic mat the most. The only way to establish which is right for your turntable, is by trial. That can be expensive, but some manufacturers/retailers offer a refund if not satisfied.
True enough: you've got to hear it really to know. Enjoy the music!
Oh yeah, acrylic mats are just beautiful, and I'me not just talking about aesthetics here. I've recently replaced a felt mat on the LP60X with an acrylic from a company called Takmork. Better rotation stability, tighter bass definition and less surface noise. Beautiful. Acrylic seems to be the big thing at the moment.
@@31cify your ears won't lie to you. Beg or borrow different mats and try out every one you can. Then, like me, you'll end up with a stack of 'em.
The reason the rubber mat on a Technics turntable is thicker on the outside and thinner in the centre is because this means the record is only supported by the outer 2 centimetres keeping 80% of the record away from an already silent direct drive motor. Why Matsushita, the makers of the Technics turntables have never mentioned their rubber mat design amazes me.
For DD decks with metal platters like the Technics, Audio Technicas or Hanpin Super OEMs (Reloop, Pioneer and the likes), the standard rubber mat does a perfect job at isolating the record from any mechanical motor noise or platter resonance. Using cork won't be as effective unkess you use a cork/rubber compound mat (which are available at roughly the same price ranges as pure cork mats). Usually, the rubber mat structure with its "peaks and valleys" is designed exactly for the deck's sonic distinctiveness.
But I wholeheartedly agree: they are ugly and tend to collect lots of dust which they won't give up that easily. Which is why I placed a 1 mm leather mat on top of the rubber mat. Using a record clamp then secures a steady rotational plane.
I have a turntable that is run by belt. So I guess I don't need to worry about this.
A good rubber mat will be just fine.
If you choose to use a Acrylic mat, wont it be more prone to scratching a Vinyl LP?
I cant imagine a hard surface, on a hard surface being good
Can understood your concerns. Acrylic platters and mats tend to be polished very smooth though, so it would only scratch the record if a bit of grit was on the surface between it and the record.
The best turntable mat is the one on your turntable. All these “experts” claim a specific mat (rubber, cork, acrylic, leather, felt) is the best, and it’s going to “improve the sound of your record.” I say it’s bs, just like the use of a record weight. You want to improve the sound of your record? Upgrade your cartridge and adjust the tone controls. Stop spending money on unnecessary stuff.
You know what made the biggest improvement in the sound of my records? Upgrading my cartridge and switching from a modern Marantz integrated amp to a vintage Pioneer integrated amp.
Dude, you sound EXACTLY like Oliver Age 24.
Haha - Oliver who? dare I ask 😅 - and I'm very flattered that you would say 24... try nearly 15 years on top of that.
@@soundmatters He’s a guy who used to make funny spoof painting videos on CZcams. I believe that he’s closer to 35 years old these days, haha.
What about a cork/rubber Mat?
There's 2 types, a sort of "blend" and Music Hall has a decoupled version with little tabs to raise the record. They're ok, if you like a fat sound (can't comment on the Music Hall). Also a really good but pricey option is Wooden Bull, which is a sandwiched cork/leather out of Great Britain.
@@slidetek interesting. Thanks for the info, will check those out. I can imagine, as you say, those sorts of mats would accentuate the low-end somewhat.
The cork would be the worst one when it comes to durability.
I've used every type of platter mat that I can think of...up to and including models from brands like Funk Firm that cost well over $100.
There's no sound quality difference between any of them in my experience. Zero.
So, basically...one should choose whichever mat they think LOOKS cool.
Cork on an aluminum platter does NOTHING to reduce static. Cork&Rubber blend works fine though.
Felt mats are stylus ripper-outers. I will Never use one.
I like the thick Technics mats.
I don't use a mat, my platter is acrylic
Thanks for that.
WOW, for a minute there I thought that with all that arm waving and talking with your hands you were going to fly away and never come back. No such luck, huh? 😩😓😭
He would be lost without his hands
Cork was the worst mat I ever tried. The static was through the roof.
Better than felt, but nowhere near the static limitation of acrylic or some of the higher end mats for sure 🎶
How many times did he say “How it sounds, from a listening perspective”
Unless your mixing I don't see the point on a single deck
Acrylic does not sound good. DO some research as it amplifies the vibration and it is not coupled as only an idiot with eyes and no ears, like those who hated direct drives which took off half the motor device and the bottom is left hunting for accuracy and the high torque makes it obvious.
Agree. It lacks some punch!
Please !,, keep your hands in your poquets pleeeeeeeaase !,
Okay. Noted. In my pockets at all times… very strictly… noted.. 😂
Yes those felt mats are mostly for DJ work not for playing regular records and that static that they are very good in collecting I grew up with rubber platter mats they are good for isolating and no static and mine never got dirty cause I always kept them clean and always had a cover with my TT its not hard to keep clean you have to keep TT clean cause dust is the enemy of records if you can keep TT clean the mat is not that hard since I have 8 turntables on hand they are not dirty since they all have covers and cork would be my second choice ,I did use a cork mat on my pro-ject TT cause the metal platter came with a stupid felt mat but it was very thin a thicker one would change the vta and I found a very thin cork mat and it worked very well with out changing VTA on TT but I replaced platter with a acrylic platter and do not need any mats at all it sounds even better it gives a way nicer sound bass is pretty soft and real but not muddy and treble is soft according to my ears
Canada Music Mat crushed most all of the idiotic forms of hard platters, permutations of cork platters and the cheap knockoffs. It was used by Oracle and actually reduced rumble using B&K analog measurement hardware, paper tape output and in detail on computer. Most are all quacks by audio-idiots that know what they see but cannot hear. There are some that used combinations of this and cork that are quite good to, and the Acromat but to put on a hard mat will accentuate vibrations (I played Trumpet and brass. Put sorbothane in back of a gong and nothing happens, Understand?!
It cleans easily and thorough with gentle soaps and comes dry easily but didn't loose it's integrity. It absorbs all frequencies as the resonance practically doesn't exist (read Nikkoli Tesla). There is NO STATIC AT ALL and rarely need to use and anti-magnetic gimics as most of the best are gone.
People, stop listening to these grifters. Yes, a felt mat should probably be upgraded to reduce static, but a decent rubber mat is all you need. You don't have to spend a lot of money on the crap these people are shilling. It's just more "audiophile" nonsense.
I'm rather new to all of this and it seems that companies are able to sell all kinds of bs to audiophiles, it's kinda hilarious. I wanna see some blind tests, how many of those people can tell the difference in sound when using different mats lol.
Hex mat is just plain stupid.
None if your table is done right
If you have money to waste on one of these, can you send it to me please. In return, I'll send you some snake oil.
Arcylic, metal, ceramic and all of the most stupid, leather. The asking prices of the audiophile is stupid. Leather? What kind? There is absolutely no way to keep consistancy and quite stupid as to what depth, what animal, perhaps the leather from the most endangered species. That is the dumbest idea ever unless using glass.
I think Sonus Faber would disagree with you. Historically they have used leather on the outer surfaces of their loudspeakers to damp resonances.
You start off with talking about a felt mat which you absolutely slate. Truth is a felt mat is probably the best choice for sound quality.
Cork is more than likely the worst. Where do you get your information from. If you've go problems with static it could be your turntable platter is not earthed properly. A rubber type mat which usually comes as standard can be in proved by placing a thin felt mat on top helled down with some sticky tape. There's to much rubbish and miss information on CZcams. The Linn LP12 uses a felt mat would you say that was no good. Linn would not use it if it was rubbish. You started your video slating felt mats, what a load of crap.
If you care this much about what pad you use on your turntable beyond what it comes with, assuming it's a decent one, you've gone too far in the rabbit hole.. There is zero conceivable difference between any of these mats. That's not how it works. It's like saying your turntable will sound better one this table as apposed to that one. Maybe I can understand the very thin cheap felt pad having more static, but if you bought a good turn table and it came with a felt mat, it's going to be a nicer, thick one and it won't have those problems.. Come on people, just listen to your music and stop worrying about what shelf you put it on!
What a terrible review you don’t know what you are talking about. Folks this guy is a sellout.
How to sound like a proper tool:
13:20
Say: "It's a hexagonal form-factor" instead of saying "Its a hexagon."
Brilliant video but some of it is snake oil . I personally use a carbon fibre mat the only downside is when you put the record on they are very Slippy😂