turntable mat- helpful, harmful, or doesn't matter

Carbon fiber turntable mat, hmmmmm, that's cool, but I don't know whether it will improve the sound over your stock platter, which is pretty well damped as it is. If you had an all-acrylic platter or a platter with ringing problems, like some aluminum platters, then I think the carbon fiber mat is a great idea. You'll have to let us know what it does for the VPI. And no, the "hard" VPI platter won't scratch your records unless it is contaminated with dirt or other hard particles of some kind. It's never happened to me, anyway. Just wipe it off once in a while if it gets dusty.

But I'm curious about this because such a mat could have other potential applications. How much was it and who makes it?

Plato:

The carbon fiber mat was bought in the early 80's, and I don't remember the price.... except to remember that it wasn't cheap.

At the time, I was living in Minneapolis, MN. and in the winter things got very dry and static was a problem....flipping the record over would attract dust and sometimes cause audible crackles! I wore out the Zero-Stat gun, blasting electrons all over the place.

It is paper thin, and the info on it reads:

OMEGA ONE
100% carbon Fiber Anti-Static Turntable Mat
Transcriber Company, INC/ Attleboro, MA 02703

Guess I'll list it for sale/auction on Audiogon....I don't need it (in Atlanta) and am 'liquidating' things I don't need now to pay for my recent analogue-fever-binge- spending-spree-frenzy.... which you guys are responsible for.

That's OK, I'm losing weight. (From worrying? or lack of food in the house, I'm not exactly sure.)

Gotta go, here come the carpet installers again.

John

HI FOLKS...

I really like the last "Ringmate" model...
In my presently Pro-Ject 6.9 table it's 'AMAZING GOOD"

Happy listening...

ALEX