Mat for Rega P10

Wow - they went up a lot! I paid under $300 (they had a 10% discount in an accessory sale when I bought it.) Maybe the P10 has a different mat height, but mine is 2mm, and a 1 mm difference is not a big deal since record thicknesses can vary by more than that much and as you know VTA is not adjustable on Rega's arms. According to Roy Gandy, very small differences are not worrisome with the length of their arms. It it was something of a larger due to cartridge height, they sell 2 mm adaptors. 

Many, many Rega owners bought the Eclipse.

I measured my stock mat at 1.5mm thick using a digital micrometer.  The P8 has a different stock mat so it's no surprise that its thickness is different.  I consider a 1.5mm thickness difference significant.  Looks are subjective but I don't like the looks of the Hexmat and its $375 price tag is a no go for me.

I didn't realize the P10 has a different mat than the P8. Maybe the P10 platter is thicker. I got the P8 close to when it first came out and the P10 was still a confirmed rumor (so I never saw one) with no release date in sight. Rega sells other color wool mats and says they fit all Rega tables. Either they forgot about the P10, or they think a 1/2mm difference is insignificant.

The cool thing about the Hexmat looks is when a record is playing how it looks like the record is floating above the platter. When it is on the platter with no record on it, it certainly looks different. I could take or leave that, but the look while spinning I like very much. If I had a white platter, I might think differently.

Anyhow from a purely sound (not functionality) standpoint, it is tough to tell the difference between the Rega, Herbie's and Hexmats, which is why I watched the Audiophile Man's review of the Hexmat, but as usual, he basically said you get what you pay for and didn't say which was the best bang for the buck, but since the Hexmat was most expensive, he unsurprisingly liked it the best, by a good bit.

A very positive experience with the Herbies Way Excellent 2 compared to the Linn felt mat for me. I have a 2mm that Herbies recommends for the LP12 so no measurement issues. Makes a much better connection to the platter which I suppose is how it tightened up the sound nicely from bass through top end.

The Linn felt mat would often lift up when removing a record and I’ve always been worried that it could catch the stylus. The Herbies stays put which is great.