Remember the Ringmat? You should!

I just replaced a copper mat for a cork/rubber mat on my Garrard 301, this was done because of a newly mounted cartridge.
Metal mat tends to accentuate certain frequencies, in some setup, the copper will sound better. It all depends on the turntable components as a whole and your listening preference. 

I'm experimenting with a magnesium mat on my Ariston RD11 TT. That's a very dead-sounding metal! So far the results are very good! This TT uses two very thin rubber rings embedded in the alloy platter for minimal contact with the LP. I also use a record weight. 

Turntable mats are like seasonings on food. They certainly make an important difference, but no one of us is in a position to say whether the perceived difference that one guy hears is right or wrong. Like salt and pepper, it’s a matter of taste. Or as Frank Sinatra said about his favorite bourbon, I’m for whatever gets you through the night. Especially during these times.

@lewm ,

I guess I could say the same thing for any difference one perceives in any one TT design.

Turntable mats are like seasonings on food. They certainly make an important difference, but no one of us is in a position to say whether the perceived difference that one guy hears is right or wrong. Like salt and pepper, it’s a matter of taste. Or as Frank Sinatra said about his favorite bourbon, I’m for whatever gets you through the night. Especially during these times.

Excellent post

I guess I could say the same thing for any difference one perceives in any one TT design.

No. 

The difference is that a turntable is designed by an engineer who knows the parameters of a vinyl record.

When someone designs a mat, unless it is designed for a specific turntable and the underlying platter structure is known, then the aftermarket mat will always be a lucky dip - or seasoning as Lewm calls it.

I have heard the ringmat on many turntables - it does not support the record properly, its only use is to paper over the cracks of a poorly designed turntable, or turntable that is low in resolution.