The Mike New ETP Platter

[Marco]

Hi John,

Indeed there was a change: it was worse...! Basically, it 'softened' the sound and muted dynamic impact. Experience so far suggests that the ETP prefers to function 'au naturel'.

Even a Resomat, which I tried recently (and consider to be one the best T/T mats I've used), whilst very good, diluted the inherent musicality of the ETP platter, the material of which it's made from (Delrin, or a type thereof) appears, at least sonically, to be an excellent impedance match with vinyl.

That is why it seems to be that any mat used with the ETP impedes the effectiveness of the record-to-platter interface, although perhaps I may eventually find one that works.

Are you thinking of trying an ETP platter with your T/T?

Marco.

[potatoha]

Thanks for your valuable insight Marco. I'm thinking of many options at the moment. I heard the Monarch TT at the Brighton show and was very impressed by what it did. Arguably the best sounding TT at the show and one of the best matched setup IMO. Clearaudio Master Innovation I heard elsewhere sounded nothing like how it sounded in MCRU room and I suspect there was a mismatch somewhere in the chain. They just didn't gel.
If a fully fettled Techie with an ETP platter equals or betters the Monarch then I might pursue that route.

John

[Marco]

The Monarch is undoubtedly a formidable beast. I'd dearly love to hear one, in comparison with my Technics. Until I do that, I simply couldn't say which, to my ears, was best. However, I'm sure that I'll get the opportunity to carry out such a comparison one day.

The only thing I don't like about the Monarch are its looks. Does it come in black?

I've never been a big fan of Clearaudio T/Ts, as their presentation has always struck me as being 'too hi-fi' sounding, tonally 'bleached out', and musically, 'bereft of soul' - regardless of how 'technically correct' it was. For me, if a turntable can't boogie and make music swing, it's fit for the bin.

However, I hear that Clearaudio have been getting it together better now and, as a result, their T/Ts are more musical sounding, which has to be a good thing.

A big part of why you liked the sound of the Master Innovation in the MCRU room would've likely been a) Nick Gorham's influence on proceedings b) its synergy with the Music First kit, and c) how well the whole system was set-up, in terms of stands, attention to how it received power from the mains supply, and the optimisation of signal cables, courtesy of items from Mr Brook's extensive product range.

One of the major things that continually disappoint me about commercial hi-fi shows is how few manufacturers successfully attend to the above. Many seem to just throw their systems together, as quickly as possible, and then head for the bar! Quite simply, without proper attention to set-up, a £200k system can sound about as musically interesting as a cheap MP3 player...!

Anyway, good luck with your T/T quest. If I can be of any further help, just ask

Marco.

[potatoha]

Oh, I didn't make myself clear. I meant to say the Monarch was the best sounding TT of the show and the Clearaudio was a dissapointment. Maybe the venue was to blame. All the rooms were simply too small and didn't do justice to any of the gears exhibited. The other show at the Metropole didn't suffer this BTW. TAD room was a show stealer if you ask me. Hope they do it in a better venue next year.

Thanks for the support for my never ending quest Marco.

John

[RobbieGong]

Hi John,

Indeed there was a change: it was worse...! Basically, it 'softened' the sound and muted dynamic impact. Experience so far suggests that the ETP prefers to function 'au naturel'.

Even a Resomat, which I tried recently (and consider to be one the best T/T mats I've used), whilst very good, diluted the inherent musicality of the ETP platter, the material of which it's made from (Delrin, or a type thereof) appears, at least sonically, to be an excellent impedance match with vinyl.

That is why it seems to be that any mat used with the ETP impedes the effectiveness of the record-to-platter interface, although perhaps I may eventually find one that works.

Are you thinking of trying an ETP platter with your T/T?

Marco.

Did you ever try the ETP with the softer 3mm Techie matt Marco ? (not the horid rock hard 5mm jobbie) I think I've asked before. As you know me and at least one other found it's presentation best in our set ups. I believe John (prestonchipfryer) uses felt although I'm not absolutely sure.

[Marco]

Hi Rob,

Nope, matey, I haven't tried that, mainly because I don't have a soft rubber mat or a felt one, but also because I'm not a fan of the sonic effect of mats made from either material.

If I get the opportunity to try it, however, I'll let you know what I think

Marco.

[prestonchipfryer]

Did you ever try the ETP with the softer 3mm Techie matt Marco ? (not the horid rock hard 5mm jobbie) I think I've asked before. As you know me and at least one other found it's presentation best in our set ups. I believe John (prestonchipfryer) uses felt although I'm not absolutely sure.

Hi Robbie. I have used a number of mats: Oyaide, Resomat, Achromat, Rubber, Cork, Felt and Acrylic. After trying all these (daft or what?) I have found the ETP sounds best without any mat at all.

Having said that I did find, in my set-up, that a felt mat was the most usable in my system. Incidentally I use an Oyaide weight as well.

John

[RobbieGong]

Cheers Marco / John, As often the case it looks like systems and own environment may affect towards personal preference. I found the 3mm softer stock techie mat to not mess things up best for me. The ETP is very good indeed at alllowing the music to play with that certain rightness though, that's for sure.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Do you guys think I should play catch up and buy one of these. I'm still with the Cu/Al platter from yonks ago! You guys have been through ETP and then Funk platters, I'm still on my first!

[Marco]

Depends what you're looking for, Andy. If you're happy with what you've got, then stick with it

Marco.