Alternative mat for SME turntable

Hello snackeyp

The material on the SME platter is quite delicate and even the washer for clamp leaves a mark over time, stain it a little and that is it, it becomes permanent.  Was just thinking out loud I could find an alternative mat that would improve the sound and protect the delicate platter mat.  So far though whatever I have tried has yielded no results.  I will look into what others have suggested here but was curious if any SME owners had experimented.   

Nlakoumentas, I hear what you are saying about the delicate nature of the SME mat.  I somehow scuffed mine and have no recollection how it happened.  
I received a mesh-like mat with a previous Clearaudio TT I owned and still have it.  I might try it as a means of protecting the SME.  It's very thin so I might not even have to raise the tonearm to accommodate the extra thickness.  As for the sound quality of the SME TT, I have not wanted to change the mat, but protecting it has become a concern.  Good luck in your quest.

Thanks snackeyp the sound with the sme mat isn’t very good, so far anything else seems to dull the sound, I do have an Oyaide BR-one mat, very thin, will give that a go. My platter has a mark on the side from the previous owner, sending it to SME to have it refinished is quite expensive hence the reason I ask. The other alternative is to buy a second new platter as a backup as I this table is a keeper as far as I am concerned. But it would be nice to be able to protect the delicate surface.

Funny you should ask about this. There’s a TT mat shootout on part-time audiophile that might be of interest. I think it’s generally hard to predict what any mat will sound like for various TTs.

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2017/02/15/five-turntable-mats-an-audiophile-shootout/

CLARIFICATION to snackeyp, what I meant to say was that the sound with the Origin Live mat on the SME is not very good, tried it again over the weekend and the same.  The sound with the stock SME mat is just way better, much clearer with reverb around the instruments which the Origin Live dulls.  

Yes, barrysandy, I know the mat shootout, funny side bar the Linn LP12 Rafe Arnott he uses to test these mats is the same Sondek I now own.  I bought it from him over a year ago.  I am also looking for a mat to replace that horrid felt mat Linn offers but that is for another thread.