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Review: Millennium M-CD-Mat Tweak

Category: Accessories

As a lover of classical music primarily but liturgical music, Gregorian Chant, Opera as well as popular music my tastes are eclectic. The thing I value most is clarity and the transmission of the recorded material without coloration as close as is technically possible. The worst thing a system would do for me is to make things fuzzy when they should be clear, to adulterate the sound to suit someone else's idea of what the material should sound like.

The Millennium CD mat is fantastic because it reveals more sonic material than I had heard before. I've listened to discs that are older and others that are very new. But I've listened to them all enough times to know what material is on them, and the Millennium CD mat from Aaudio Imports has blown me away. The Marigo mat made NO difference to my listening so I returned it. But Brian got me the disc in two days and I've been amazed at what I'm hearing on my well known discs.

He's a gent, the disc is fantastic and at $119 makes my entire CD collection of over 1200 discs a re-found treasure. It also does for SACD's what it does for CDs. When I've used it with DVD's, I'm sure I'll find improvement.

Associated gear
Marantz SACD-CD player, Marantz DVD9600 Universal player

Similar products
Marigo CD mat
mikeacarroll
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
I think it is very system dependent, after making MANY changes to my system since I wrote the above I am currently not using it but may again in the future.
nancy529
1 posts
 
Mike I knoe you wrote on the cd mat back in July but if your back on here,could you please respond? I currently own the Marantz 9600 and I am considering upgrading with The Upgrade Co. or purchasing the Marantz SA-11S1 and maybe upgrading this,if you feel it is worth the cost. Also are you saying that you have Marantz SA-11S1 upgraded and still here more detail using Millennium M-CD-Mat Tweak?nancy529
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
I just have started using the CD Millenium mat in my system. My observations are similar to those of monobloke and coolhand.

Perhaps a little more positive:

Pros
I liked the fact that on complex orchestral, the various instruments are much better delineated. Much cleaner and more organized which feels right.

On video, I find even mumbles are quite clear. And color saturation and images are much smoother.

So the cd mat is doing something right.

Cons
On the other hand, the orchestra feels like it was recorded in much smaller more confined studio.

And on jazz ensembles, it no longer feels like it was recorded in a club...it feels like a close-miked recording.

On Norah Jones' first album (Last track on the album) you clearly lose the sense of air and decay around breathing, flutes, etc.

She feels spookily three-dimensional without the mat, like she is singing in your room. Once the cd mat goes on top, clarity of the ensemble is better, but she is no longer in the room...she is just well recorded.

Anyone else have thoughts on this? Anything that someone has figured out to keep the Pros above and get rid of the Cons? (Nothing is perfect...but pursuit of it in this hobby is the fun!!!)

Thanks!
klassikalfan
1 posts
 
It works - it doesn't work - it works sometimes. That's what I read, and what various friends who have a Mat tell me. As for me, I was given a "home-made" version of the MM by a Western friend who bought a MM and then decided to copy it. Bought carbon fiber sheet .5mm thick - shiny one side, "rough" other side. Cut them out - how, I don't know.
Anyway - I started using it on my new Oppo 83SE - and immediately noticed a "warming" quality to the sound. On my old (pre-1994) classical CDs a lot of the glare and splinter were greatly reduced. But on new SACDs, the difference is minimal.
I guess the MM is pretty simple to replicate - for a lot less than $119 - but is it the same? I just don't know. It would seem to be a legit product, although I've not yet tried the "real thing."
phillyb's avatar
phillyb
401 posts
 
You will find no lose of air or detail with Ultra Bit Disc Damper, Shiney side down on the disc and music just opens up and comes to life, 3D imaging, depth and all you find so pleasing with LP's on a 10K turn table.

To note also the Marantz SA7-S1 drawer with disc in it is very tight, so make sure you line up the mat, and don't use it with SACD on this unit, the mat or any mat will get hung up in the unit, not sure why, but I am guessing the speed SACD spin and and using 1 laser, they disc may drop to a different height due to the read needed by red-book and SACD.

Not loaders never a issue in either format though. Sony SCD1 owners try one really something to hear.
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