I tried a lot of different mats, Achromat was the one I ended up using. Seemed to give the right balance of everything,
Drunken Moderator
Location: Staffordshire, England
Posts: 37,941
I'm Martin.
I tried a lot of different mats, Achromat was the one I ended up using. Seemed to give the right balance of everything,
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Super Moderator
Location: W Lothian
Posts: 99,005
I'm Grant.
i had a yellow one on my thorens... 3mm tho due to spindle height
Regards,
Grant.... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse
I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work.... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -
Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?
“Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".
“You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”
"You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”
“There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”
***SMILE, BE HAPPY***
Moderator
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 9,251
I'm Josie.
You guys should give the Funk Houdini a go. Bloody amazing little thing.
It's probably the best upgrade for a turntable I've ever done. And together with the Achromat, it's quite something.
https://www.tannoyista.com/2020/11/t...-achromat.html
Seriously, it's really quite remarkable.
Let me know if you guys have any other questions, happy to help.
Sent from my moto g13 using Tapatalk
Ultrafide U500DC power amplifier - Croft Vitale )highly modified) - TRIO L-07D Turntable - Denon DL103C1 - Funk Firm Houdini - Lentek MC head amp - 15" Tannoy Monitor Gold Loudspeakers in Lockwood Major cabinets (From Trident Studios) - Tannoyista SPEC 3 Custom Crossovers - VanDamme Black Speaker Cable
Tannoyista.com - Audio Equipment Reviews
Senior Member
Location: Glasgowshire
Posts: 9,663
I'm Gary.
Good read that, thanks.
Alan Sircom really likes the Houdini as well,
A reviewer I have respect for since the old Hifi World mag days.
Got me interested,
Having a rummage around, reading a long thread over on the Wam about it, mostly the usual moans from folk that haven't tried it.
Only thing is I'd not want to go back to the Rega sound, still need that vinyl magic.
Cart/tonearm interaction can BE the sound of a deck, but with a money back guarantee no harm in taking a Punt, see what happens.
If I can get more out the deck again, then great.
OK,
Fitted Achromat and reset VTA.
Took the chance to check turntable was Bob-on level too, checked tracking force too.
Not going down the rabbit hole with VTA, parallel to record surface is good enough for now.
Love what this mat has done, decks sounding noticably better.
The felt mat obviously wasn't the best for a heavy aluminium platter, even though its heavily damped.
Cool, good stuff.
Will do some homework on the Houdini, thanks Josie for the heads up.
Last edited by Gazjam; 05-11-2023 at 13:43.
AC POWER
Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
AMPS
Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
SPEAKERS
Wharfedale Evo 4.4
DAC
PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
TURNTABLE
Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
PHONOSTAGE
Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
DIGITAL
OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
MUSIC PLAYBACK
Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
Ipad Roon Remote.
Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
SPEAKER CABLES
Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
INTERCONNECTS
All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables
Moderator
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 9,251
I'm Josie.
No probs.
Glad to be of help. As I said, any questions, just ask.
Many thanks
Jo
Sent from my moto g13 using Tapatalk
Ultrafide U500DC power amplifier - Croft Vitale )highly modified) - TRIO L-07D Turntable - Denon DL103C1 - Funk Firm Houdini - Lentek MC head amp - 15" Tannoy Monitor Gold Loudspeakers in Lockwood Major cabinets (From Trident Studios) - Tannoyista SPEC 3 Custom Crossovers - VanDamme Black Speaker Cable
Tannoyista.com - Audio Equipment Reviews
Trade: Wakefield Turntables
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 9,325
I'm Andrew.
Gary, great read so far. I remember being just as analytical when sorting out my 1210 system. I used the Achromat 5mm for ages but it was bettered by the Crystal mat that I've been using for the last 8-10 years on the 1210. I appreciate that your deck is different to the 1210. Please keep the updates coming!
SS
CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10
VALVE
PRE Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker
Fount Master & Moderator
Location: Essex
Posts: 32,061
I'm openingabottleofwine.
I faffed around with mats: cork; felt; silicone rubber loaded with metal dust; plain rubber, and glass.
In the end I reverted back to using the rubber mat supplied with the deck, and use a record clamp.
Barry
Trade: Wakefield Turntables
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 9,325
I'm Andrew.
I did a similar thing with the Garrard 301 mat. I tried loads of things until I eventually settled on the Tenuto 5mm which has graced the deck for many years now.Originally Posted by Barry
SS
CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10
VALVE
PRE Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker
Don McCorleone
Location: Galashiels
Posts: 13,696
I'm inthescottishmafia.
I really like the Hexmat I got a while back. Better to my ears than anything else I’ve tried so far, including an Achromat.
“Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel. I have always needed fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio”
Hunter S Thompson
Senior Member
Location: Glasgowshire
Posts: 9,663
I'm Gary.
New headphones day...
Have Sony XM4 Bluetooth cans, sound amazing over Bluetooth, terrible over a wired connection.
Enjoy watching movies late at night, stuck with streaming apps, sound over Bluetooth into the Sonys.
For CDs and bluerays was stuck,
Had Beyer Dymamic.Amirons, but they broke after a few months so been on the hunt for a replacement.
Picked up these today, from Loud n Clear Glasgow.
Still in cellophane, time to get these unboxed.
AC POWER
Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
AMPS
Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
SPEAKERS
Wharfedale Evo 4.4
DAC
PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
TURNTABLE
Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
PHONOSTAGE
Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
DIGITAL
OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
MUSIC PLAYBACK
Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
Ipad Roon Remote.
Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
SPEAKER CABLES
Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
INTERCONNECTS
All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
