TT mats

Dear friends: Through my audio life analog experiences I found out that the enemy is " metal " no matters where, what kind or how is used. Unfortunatelly sometimes metal is  the way to go.

I owned and still owns several mats almost all the ones you name it here and other custom made ( including the MS. ) and till now  the one at the top is the SOTA Suoermat that in theory has the same vinyl , SOTA never disclosed its real blend materials used with.
When SOTA started to market its mat they did it along its very good reflex clamp ( that I owned. ). Today Basis Audio has same type of clamp that beats the SOTA reflex.

I'm not talking here about the lewm problem with EMI that needs a metal mat to disappears the EMI problem, it solves that problem but can't solvees the way all metals tends to resonates in easy way: can't stop the feedback comeing from the LP underside to the stylus tip again. The SOTA mat almost eliminates/changes the frequency of that feedback to a range where it's not a quality degradation on the cartridge signal or at least put at minimum.

What will define on each one of us which mat is for us depends on each one MUSIC/sound targets and the audio system quality and resolution.

Diferent persons with the same romm/systems could like diferent mats. In that Analog Planet research  the most notable information is that 42% of the audiophiles just did not listen any changes ! ! ! 

Anyway there is no doubt that mats and clamps makes a difference.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Isodamp is the best. I wrote that at the beginning of this thread. SME uses SD125, it’s 3mm thick. Michael Percy sells it at a reasonable price.

No doubt in my mind SME makes the best turntables in the world.

@rauliruegas SOTA Supermat is acrylic. Just like the awesome Goldmund mat. Good stuff, both of them.

I also find it hard to believe that metal mats sound good. But I haven't heard many. I played a record directly on top of the brass platter on 1200G and was not impressed by the results. 

About 10 years ago I stopped in at a local hi-fi shop, a small operation that never abandoned 2-channel or analog, and accepted  consignments and trade-ins. I was looking for a right-sized mat with better damping for my Technics SL1210M5G. At first I was hoping for one of Technics' heavier "supermats." Although they didn't have one of those, they *did* have an Oracle Groove Isolator, exactly the right size for the Technics, and made of the regular Sorbothane, not the gel mat marketed by AudioQuest at the time.

They were asking $10, which was fine with me. I took it home, did a little experimenting and listening, and wound up with the Technics felt cueing mat directly on the ring-y aluminum platter, and topped it off with the Groove Isolator. I find it to be a good balance, with air and detail, but also a lowered noise floor and improved dynamics.

If anyone wants to try an acrylic mat, use an old laserdisc with a very thin layer of blu tac, works great :)