au_lait,
If you have the TTM Monitor Mat you have the best mat, at least in my opinion. I've had many mats, including the ceramic Kenwood, Micro Seiki CU180 and the more rare Micro Seiki CU500.
Also had Funk Firm, Copper TT Weights platter mat, a glass mat with Teflon sheets on either side (cannot remember name but was from Japan).
I still have half a dozen clamps and weights to use with various mats. The sound from the turntable pretty much mimics the mat material. Meaning soft rubber mat or Vinyl mat like Funk Firm is slower and rounder.
A metal mat like Micro Seiki CU-180 is much more controled and the Micro Seiki CU 500 even more so.
The TTM Monitor is the most controlled, fastest and lowest distortion, some LPs get suprisingly close to my master dubs. Very low overshoot or smear, very quick but without artificial hardness.
The Micro Seiki would probably still be second choice if I could not find a TTM Monitor mat. Be aware though, the original genuine Micro Seiki is the best of the "copper colored" mats because it's made from Gun Metal, not just copper.
Last, if you use either Micro Seiki mat or the TTM Monitor mat the TTM damper with oil is by far the best. This weight continues the sound of the mat deeper into the music.
Second best record clamp is the discontinued TT Weights Copper/Brass version with damping and third would be the Pierre Lurne / Audiomeca record clamp.
I still have all these still and continue to retest from time to time. I recently changed all my electronics so I will go back and see if my opinion will change with this new sound.
If you have the TTM Monitor Mat you have the best mat, at least in my opinion. I've had many mats, including the ceramic Kenwood, Micro Seiki CU180 and the more rare Micro Seiki CU500.
Also had Funk Firm, Copper TT Weights platter mat, a glass mat with Teflon sheets on either side (cannot remember name but was from Japan).
I still have half a dozen clamps and weights to use with various mats. The sound from the turntable pretty much mimics the mat material. Meaning soft rubber mat or Vinyl mat like Funk Firm is slower and rounder.
A metal mat like Micro Seiki CU-180 is much more controled and the Micro Seiki CU 500 even more so.
The TTM Monitor is the most controlled, fastest and lowest distortion, some LPs get suprisingly close to my master dubs. Very low overshoot or smear, very quick but without artificial hardness.
The Micro Seiki would probably still be second choice if I could not find a TTM Monitor mat. Be aware though, the original genuine Micro Seiki is the best of the "copper colored" mats because it's made from Gun Metal, not just copper.
Last, if you use either Micro Seiki mat or the TTM Monitor mat the TTM damper with oil is by far the best. This weight continues the sound of the mat deeper into the music.
Second best record clamp is the discontinued TT Weights Copper/Brass version with damping and third would be the Pierre Lurne / Audiomeca record clamp.
I still have all these still and continue to retest from time to time. I recently changed all my electronics so I will go back and see if my opinion will change with this new sound.