Turntable mats, the good, the crap and the overpriced.

[Mikeandvan]

I use a spacemat on my NAS interspace TT, it's so flimsy it comes off at least half the time I change records, I guess a mixture of its weight - very light and static. Do I go matless as directed by those at NAS, or rega style felt mat, some thicker rubber concoction, or 'high end' ridiculously over priced copper frisbee?

[steve-z]

If the manufacturer says don’t use a mat then that’s got to be the best bet, certainly solves the problem of a mat sticking to records.
I’ve tried several different mats on my Planar 3, they all make a difference but the question is which gives the “right” sound. Likewise using a clamp or puck/weight can make a difference but you’d need “golden ears” to hear it. After a couple of years of experimentation I’ve gone back to the standard Rega wool mat although I do use a Michell clamp, mainly to deal with some dished pressings.


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[Made in 1968]

I bought one of these ages ago. Hell make one to spec size if you ask

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/cherry-au...p2047675.l2562

[Paul-H]

Hi

I tried quite a few of the "In Thing" turntable mats on my Thorens, Acrylic, Felt, Leather, Cork, Cork & Neoprene, Neoprene and Resin

Most made no difference to the sound, most increased the amount of static when the record was lifted after playing, with the cork & Neoprene being the worse.

I ended going back to the stock Thorens one.

Still the shiny acrylic one did make a good disc for setting the anti skate

[Hopeful]

Never understood "hard " mats , copper , acrylic ect . Surely the idea is for the record to have as much traction as possible rather than slide on a hard surface .

I've tried all sorts and always come back to rubber , normally the one the manufacturer supplied with the deck .

[Made in 1968]

Same here Philip, always end up with the original Rubber mat.

With Rega decks in particular i found the old hard Rubber one that was also on the early 'LP12' to be best.

https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/deta...images/866387/

[Mikeandvan]

Can't believe what folk will pay for a Tenuto mat, just cos they're copper, which only has a material value of about £20, similar with Audio note and their silver and gold wiring, snake oil, and very expensive snake oil.

[Made in 1968]

Wouldnt need copper if they didnt use a deck with a big engine right under the cart



Buy a proper deck i say

[Jac Hawk]

I use 2 in combo with each other, at 1mm neoprene topped with a 3mm cork nitride rubber, I use it on my Rega, it sounds great and I never have static issues, my other deck is a Project and I don’t use a mat on it “yet” on that deck I have no end of static build up

[Idlewithnodrive]

The 5mm Achromat has been the best on most of my decks, including the current one.

The Tenuto, though, did make an obvious improvement to my SP-10, and is definitely the mat to use on the Techy.