** Platter Mat prototype testers needed **

[MCRU]

ooooo is there room for one more mate, go on pretty please, swap you a mat for a silver plated plug?

[Wakefield Turntables]

Just a quicky gents, materials arrived today. I have made my own prototype version and will be producing several others for post over the next week or so watch your letter box!

[drrd]

Hi Andy. Interesting what you say about Sorbothane. I've been trying out an Achromat the last few weeks and then this week got hold of a Sorbothane mat. I think the Achromat sounds better than the stock rubber mat but if I put the Sorbothane on top of the Achromat I get a better damped and more detailed sound. It doesnt sound less lively to me.
If you're interested (or anyone else of course) I can post some recordings I made using the different mats (dCS 904 ADC and 24/96FLAC so good SQ)

Russell

[Wakefield Turntables]

Hi Andy. Interesting what you say about Sorbothane. I've been trying out an Achromat the last few weeks and then this week got hold of a Sorbothane mat. I think the Achromat sounds better than the stock rubber mat but if I put the Sorbothane on top of the Achromat I get a better damped and more detailed sound. It doesnt sound less lively to me.
If you're interested (or anyone else of course) I can post some recordings I made using the different mats (dCS 904 ADC and 24/96FLAC so good SQ)

Russell

did you change your VTA to compensate for the extra mats thickness?? do you think that this could have improved the performance?? I may go back and try the sorbothane again but things just sound less articulate to me. Probably my cloth ears!!

[drrd]

Yeah remembered to adjust VTA

[Wakefield Turntables]

I'd like to hear your recordings, problem is that they are sampled at a set bit rate which wont truly capture analouge which has a infinite but rate!

[drrd]

http://www.mediafire.com/?kchs6kz1lhau9

I've included a couple of files with the cartridge loaded at 500ohm, the rest are 33ohm. The version of the track from the CD release is there too for comparison, it's substantially louder overall despite the vinyl being normalised to 0db.

The issue of damping (mechanical and electrical) with vinyl is quite interesting. Resistive loading seems to have a reputation almost as a tone control for MC carts. I've seen reviews of my LP-S recommending 500-600ohm loading. Benz themselves actually recommend 'anything under 100ohm' according to the dealer though interestingly the dealer thought anything over 1Kohm was best I'm inclined to agree with Benz. I think it's possible to interpret 'hash' as detail or more information, to me the 500ohm loading tracks sound tonally more like the cd but also less precise and resolved. Also getting a bit fizzy like the cd but not quite so bad (maybe a different type of fizz going on with the cd)
I prefer the SME V with the fluid damper engaged and I think the sorbothane mat does a similar job of damping and soaking up the mechanical background 'hash'. There's less overall energy around especially in the high frequencies but the extension is the same and there's better precision.

Reading other threads here I expect many people will disagree with my philosophy I'm not at all into balancing the tonal contributions of various components to the sound of the system, other than the transducer I'd rather they didnt make one at all.

You're right about digital recordings and I can't really predict how these will sound on your gear. it does very much depend on the quality of the converters, even at 44.1K excellent AD->DA can sound uncannily 'analogue'. Unfortunately a lot of digital gear doesnt pull off that trick so well, especially where computers are involved.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Many thanks for taking time out for adding the recordings, will have a listen at some point. I'm going to grab my sorbothane platter mat and see if I can tell any difference. Will post in a couple of days.