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Erik van Voorst
08-06-2011, 10:34
Yesterday I received a Marigo CD Mat. This rigid ultra thin and hardly weighing a thing cd I placed on top of a regular cd.
It is definitely an improvement so I will keep it ( a 30 day return policy).

Things like more space are the first changes that hit you...

Better bass response/control
Resulting in e.g. the track:
"You do not know what love is (C. Wilson)
Here the bass line was a bit prominent but with the Madrigo the balance was there.
With classical music recorded in churches and halls you get more clues of the environment.

http://www.thecableco.com/prodImg/large/0000002093-20070506.jpg

I agree it is a expensive tweak but if you want to squeeze the last drop out of the Redbook cd I think this will be a way to go.....I will not use it in my Blue Ray player since the coating will damage easily

Alex_UK
08-06-2011, 11:01
I agree it is a expensive tweak but if you want to squeeze the last drop out of the Redbook cd I think this will be a way to go.....

Here's a link (http://www.marigoaudio.com/cdmat.htm) if anyone is interested - $199 is indeed an expensive tweak... There's a v2 at $95.

hifi_dave
08-06-2011, 11:29
I've tried several such similar gizmos in the past. They usually improve the sound slightly in a similar fashion to the Staedtler green pen or putting a CD on top of the one you are playing. Both tweaks are considerably cheaper.

The only CD mat I've had really good results with was made by ART in Italy. A tweak from my old friend Be Yamamura, which was a CD sized carbon mat. These retailed for approx £80 and did improve the sound considerably IMO but these things don't fit inside all CD players or transports. Unfortunately, they are no longer available.

Erik van Voorst
08-06-2011, 11:37
I paid 237 dollars in order to get it to my doorstep in the Netherlands...ahum

I appreciated their "no good money back" policy

I only received it yesterday-evening but first impression is very promising...this tweak proofs very practical with my homebuilt toploader...again I will never use it in my dvd machine...:)

Alex_UK
08-06-2011, 12:16
Certainly worth trying with your level of kit Erik, and a top loading transport. Glad it is doing it for you. :)

Erik van Voorst
08-06-2011, 13:28
Yepp I have the same feeling about it...

Only disadvantage is my total handling when playing a cd now-a-days:

1. cleaning (adding a black-lining when for the first time)
2. demagnetizing
3. klangtuch wiping (statics)
4. Ionising (non-active)
5. Marigo-Mat

Actually cleaning my LP took less.....way back in time.....:lol:

zanash
09-06-2011, 09:07
I've tried the statmat an audio technica cd stabiliser , demagnetier

the best is the glass audio cd lathe ..differences are very clear

also phonosophie cd flux ...this is without doubt the best cd cleaner I've used ...well worth the cost ...£75 suggests it will do 500 cds ..but I've still got half a bottle left after 1500 ...realy does make cds sound better so much so that on a recent visit I demoed this ...we both thought we were playing the wrong track ...it had changed so much for the better.

Toby
09-06-2011, 11:10
While I am not in any position to really comment not having tried one myself I must be honest & say I am VERY skeptical of any benefits, hope this doesnt come across the wrong way but are you 100% sure its not just in the mind thinking its an improvement?

I would love to know the technical reason why something like this would make a difference to the final analogue output, my knowledge of CD's is limited but surely so long as the laser is able to read the pits in the CD's then this is digital 0's & 1's, it sounds like making the CD more rigid is allowing more accurate reading of the 0's & 1's, but surely a 0 is a 0 & a 1 a 1, I didnt think you could like a fainter 0 or 1 signal.

I do try & keep an open mind as like I say I havent tried one myself but the other half of me does wonder if its in the mind or a placebo as they say :scratch:

Reid Malenfant
09-06-2011, 17:50
I certainly wouldn't be surprised if there was some sonic benefit from this. In certain respects it'd be similar to using one of the "stable platter" type CD transports & these are apparently very good indeed.

Rather than just the centre of the disc being supported, the whole thing would be ;)

Erik van Voorst
10-06-2011, 10:16
While I am not in any position to really comment not having tried one myself I must be honest & say I am VERY skeptical of any benefits, hope this doesnt come across the wrong way but are you 100% sure its not just in the mind thinking its an improvement?

I would love to know the technical reason why something like this would make a difference to the final analogue output, my knowledge of CD's is limited but surely so long as the laser is able to read the pits in the CD's then this is digital 0's & 1's, it sounds like making the CD more rigid is allowing more accurate reading of the 0's & 1's, but surely a 0 is a 0 & a 1 a 1, I didnt think you could like a fainter 0 or 1 signal.

I do try & keep an open mind as like I say I havent tried one myself but the other half of me does wonder if its in the mind or a placebo as they say :scratch:

All you do is remove dirt and a kind of protective waxlike layer on a new cd, it is put there as a part of the fabrication and as a mould release agent..
The sonic differences are immediately apparant due to less error readings.

Far better than this technical blah blah is buy it and use it...if it does not do what you want sell it a bit cheaper to a believer...both end up with a new experience....:cool:


BTW
The Marigo disk was yesterday choosen as a integral cd transport part with 2 audio listening friends at my place....we all agreed indeed money well spent...

Toby
14-06-2011, 08:12
Very interesting, thanks

hifinutt
23-07-2011, 20:23
yes i use a marigo all the time with my bel canto cd2 top loader . nice little tweak

dario1954
04-07-2016, 16:26
In my old JVC CD Player (circa 1993) I used to put on the music CD a disc cut out from an old "5.25 support from an old floppy disc and heard some differences, but never tried on my current Classč Audio CDP1...

Anthony K
26-09-2016, 13:34
Currently using a Marigo Ultima Signature.....probably the best, but pricey , although I also have one by Wezhi Precision that also works great
Two very different sounds.

Macca
26-09-2016, 15:29
I'd like to give one of these a go purely out of interest as I can't see any valid technical reason why they would change the sound in the slightest.

struth
26-09-2016, 16:11
Me too, but always balked to price tbh... one day perhaps

prestonchipfryer
26-09-2016, 16:56
I have this. Got to say that IME doesn't make diddly squat difference. All these type of mats are gimmicks. Spend your pennies on more music.

http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx309/prestonchipfryer/th_stable-1-1.jpg (http://s766.photobucket.com/user/prestonchipfryer/media/stable-1-1.jpg.html)

Macca
26-09-2016, 17:05
It's that some people use them and say they work and some have used them and say they don't. They really shouldn't work, the explanation that they improve the sound by reducing the need for error correction is akin to saying that racing stripes make your car go faster. That doesn't mean there can't be an explanation beyond the purely psychological, just damned if I can think of one. Would like to try just to see if I personally experienced the positive benefit, and go from there. Not prepared to fork out any money though.

struth
26-09-2016, 17:11
Only thought i had was stability. The extra weight etc stopping disc from moving up n down as much. Might just be snake juice though

My Densen disc works for me imo so you never knw

Macca
26-09-2016, 17:18
Even then it will either read or not. That is the thing with CD there is no grey area. It isn't possible to get it to read the disc 'not as well as it should' without very obvious effects like skipping or drop outs.

If there is a genuine effect it must be in the analogue domain, damping vibration that is somehow getting into the analogue circuity and introducing noise. It is a bit of a stretch, though. But I don't agree with dismissing any inexplicable effect as placebo without a full investigation, starting with listening for myself.

JimC
28-09-2016, 06:57
Even then it will either read or not. That is the thing with CD there is no grey area. It isn't possible to get it to read the disc 'not as well as it should' without very obvious effects like skipping or drop outs.

I agree to a certain extent with you Martin.
The arguments I have heard for CD Disc treatments are;

1) Not all the Laser Light will be reflected back straight to the Receiving Diode, these treatments help to Block the stray Light from ending back in the Receiving Diode when it shouldn't.

2) The RF Waveform coming from the Receiving Diode (the 'Eye Pattern') is 'chopped' top and bottom to obtain a nice Square Waveform. These treatments help, should the Eye Pattern have become distorted by the stray reflected Laser Light causing the 'chopping' to further distort the Digital Signal so more Error Correction needs to be applied.

I think Digital is not as 'Grey' as some think but...............
Personally I am yet to be convinced. As many have said on here these treatments are often the price of a Music CD and I know where my money will be spent.

Jim.