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Thread: Felt turntable mat

  1. #1
    Join Date: May 2010

    Location: Vancouver, Canada

    Posts: 2,166
    I'm Alex.

    Default Felt turntable mat

    I was in a hi fi store yesterday, went in to buy Audioquest anti-static record brush (http://www.audioquest.com/audio-enha...c-record-brush). Afterwards chatting with the nice sales guy, we somehow touched on turntable mats, and whether I should consider using them or not. So the guy just turned around, pointed me at the row of turntables installed on the other side, and said: "Here, pick one mat, any one you fancy, take it home and see for yourself. I'll be curious to hear back from you how's your impressions."

    Nice generous gesture, so I took one felt mat (the thinnest I could find), went home and tested it on my turntable. Indeed, it makes a difference in the sound. With the mat on the platter, I'm hearing a bit more of the finest details, some of the little phrases that quiet instruments may be playing in the background. That's on the up side. On the down side, the intense fiery sound I'm getting without the mat is somewhat tamed and attenuated with the mat on the platter.

    My layman's take is that it's basically all down to changes in VTA effected by the thickness of the mat. But as of right now, I'm torn whether I should keep the more resolving mat, or forget it and go back to my more energetic, less resolving bare bones sound.
    Don't you just hate it when you cannot detect where the post ends and a signature line begins?

    Alex.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

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    If you correct VTA to compensate for the mat thickness, the sound may well change again.
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  3. #3
    Join Date: Dec 2014

    Location: Wrexham North Wales

    Posts: 15
    I'm Bob.

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    Felt mat eh. FWIW, in 1983 I was in the market for a new turntable. Heybrook TT2 and Ariston RD80SL were the two in my price range. Both came with Linn LV-V arm and the Linn basic MM cartridge. Playing through speakers I couldn't really detect a difference between the two. Listening over headphones, the Heybrook had a slightly harder sound compared to the Ariston. But swapping the Ariston's rubber mat for the Heybrooks felt mat, and the sound characteristics followed the respective mats. Now the Heybrook souned like the Ariston and vice versa!

  4. #4
    Join Date: May 2011

    Location: Glasgow

    Posts: 7,718
    I'm Brian.

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    Funnily me and one my friends were playing around with mate a couple of weeks ago and we came to exactly the same conclusion . Both of us weren't keen on the felt mat . We had a few mats to hand ( mostly cork and rubber ) and ultimately an acrilyc mat came out on top .
    Regards
    Brian

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  5. #5
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Yorkshire

    Posts: 9,302
    I'm Andrew.

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    I've messed with more mats than I care to mention. Funnily enough I have a glass mat, a trio of mats, and a gunshot metal mat living on my various decks. Talk about a mixture!
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  6. #6
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Norwich

    Posts: 2,814
    I'm Hugo.

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    It's all a question of design aims. If a turntable designer wants to ensure that unwanted energy from the stylus is transmitted down through the record and into the platter/chassis, then a mat that provides effective acoustic coupling will do the job, eg something like a gunmetal mat, assuming that we are talking about a deck with a metal platter that has similar characteristic acoustic impedance to the metal mat - I'm sure a gunmetal mat would be a poor match for an acrylic platter. Similarly, if the intent is to absorb as much energy as possible, then a rubber mat will do that (albeit IME at a cost in terms of 'life' to the overall sound). If the designer intended the record to be largely decoupled from the platter, then felt is a good and inexpensive option. All approaches are valid in their own way, and none are right or wrong - as always YMMV because there is so much variation between turntable designs and audiophiles will chop and change tonearms too. Apart from all that, some cartridges will put far more energy into the record than others (think high compliance V15s etc compared to Deccas), so another huge variable factor. Using platter weights or record clamps too.

    The only way to work out what is best for a particular deck combination is to try it, and if you like one mat, then use it. Starting with the manufacturer's original specification is always a good thing, though. For what it's worth, the one type of mat that has always performed well for me is the Funk Achromat, stuck to the platter with a thin smear of Vaseline.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Sep 2011

    Location: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland

    Posts: 533
    I'm stuart.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ammonite Acoustics View Post
    For what it's worth, the one type of mat that has always performed well for me is the Funk Achromat, stuck to the platter with a thin smear of Vaseline.
    I use an Achromat and it annoys me how it gets stuck to the record sometimes with static - I think you have just given me the solution to the problem Hugo!

  8. #8
    Join Date: Sep 2014

    Location: brighton uk.

    Posts: 4,737
    I'm jamie.

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    I don't use a mat on my tt
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  9. #9
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: A Strangely Isolated Place in Suffolk with Far Away Trains Passing By...

    Posts: 14,535
    I'm David.

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    Lenco's seem to prefer the original ribbed mat (GL75 or 78) to pretty well anything else in my now old experiences.

    As for felt, it may suit some decks, but I'm not a huge fan. Colloms years ago did tests on mats on different decks and I seem to remember he came to the conclusion that different decks need the different frequency damping of particular mat materials.

    If anyone gives a shit, a couple of experiences here years ago - A pre-Cirkus LP12 sounded better to me at the time with either an NAS Spacemat (still a favourite although it's now twenty quid or so) or the far more expensive Ring Mat over the thin felt mat supplied (this MUST be replaced if it shows any sign of shrinkage or becoming 'woolly' as they usually do). A POST-Cirkus deck was rather different I remember, the stock felt mat working just fine with it. I use cork mats here a lot 'cos they're dirt cheap - the Oscar's one is fine to try imo - and these seem to like some idler models including my old Duals - my 1019 currently has an old oracle mat plonked on the stock mat that I found lurking about and it loves it!. The better Duals are fine with a 1.5mm thick cork mat and the two cheaper ones like the thicker 3mm type as they get the arm more level with single records (not really relevant here, but I include it anyway). My Dual 701 has a Spacemat on top of the stock mat with a little spacer around the spindle to stop it and the record sagging in the middle. VTA is changed a little but it matters not with the cartridges I use as I can tune it out with tracking force... Sounds slightly better to me this way anyway.
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  10. #10
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

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    Back around 1984 I owned a Logic DM101 which had a rather huge aluminium platter which would ring like a bell if struck. With a felt mat the sound was really good but without it the sound was hard and forceful. Coming more up to date, I now have a Nottingham Analogue Interspace, an early one with the MDF platter on which I have been using an Achromat. There is a huge difference with and without. Better or worse ? Well, I prefer it with but I am currently trying it without.

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