MAT - platter material, thickness/ resonant frequency - thoughts please

Two excellent turntables!

The Sony will be difficult if my experience at attempting to “improve” a PS-X65 is typical. The original oil-filled mat you reference is pretty much unobtainable at this point. Interesting read on their approach:

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/sony/total-system-technology.shtml

The JVC may prove to be more responsive although it appears the original mat was 1.) sized to fit within a recess in the platter 2.) features a slight dish profile suggestive of using a spindle weight or clamp.

With a properly dialed in system, any changes will result is sonic differences so remain objective.

I own a Selection of Vintage DD TT's, included in this collection have been three TTS 8000's of which two are still retained.

I have a selection of Platter Mats produced from different materials and use these regularly to detect if improvements can be made with a mechanical interface by swapping Platter Mat material.

For me the TTS 8000 has been a great TT, but not as the basic functioning TT supplied by the Manufacturer and then via how many other owners?

It has been great as serving the purpose to be used as a donor model, to be worked with to make changes to the original designs put in place for it and have the designs produced to deliver improvements over the original design and remove some of the concerning mechanical interfaces that have been met when the TT is kept as per the original.

If a TTS 8000 has shown signs of some of the known design concerns, this would in my view not be a TT that would have time spent on it trying  to improve on the interfaces, by making minor changes using standalone third party ancillary devices. I would be more inclined to learn how to have the TT perform in a manner that is with a selection on improved mechanical interfaces.

It would only be then that any choices made for the use of a Third Party Ancillary Device would place the device in an environment that can allow it to show of the qualities that can create an attraction toward it.  

Dear all

Can I just say thanks for the intelligent discussion thus far - it’s what I was hoping for 🙏.

@mattmiller i had always thought bareback with Acrylic platters - both of which you have - however - RDC clear light uses a cork mat and the reson rota often used a Ringmat.

@atmasphere thats very much what I was hoping to explore here - with Acrylic I am thinking one type will interface better than another when compared to a stainless steel platter for instance. As it happens both Jvc and Sony’s platters are damped under the platter

@pindac i am confused with ur post. What mat combo worked for you? Are you saying. Also what are the known design concerns on the Sony? Are you suggesting not to bother? Thanks

@lohanimal Acrylic can be variable in hardness. Oracle makes an acrylic platter pad that is really close to the hardness of vinyl and not surprisingly, works quite well.

hi @atmasphere  - that makes logical sense. A material that has a resonant frequency between the Vinyl and the Acrylic should theoretically channel it away into the Acrylic.

I am puzzled how the heavy metal mats purportedly work. I read the SEAC article posted in another thread.