What are the audio differences you hear with turntable Mats.


I have always used a felt mat on my Linn Basik turntable that has an Akito tonearm and Rena Exacta 2 cartridge. What audio differences can one expect with different mats? Felt, rubber and acrylic. 

joscow

Atmasphere’s explanation makes perfect sense, and that’s where I’d begin if I were a beginner. But with his hypothesis as a model there is still wiggle room.

@lewm Its theory, not hypothesis... 😁

@lewm  Yes, I hope I like the Boston Mat too 😀

It seems like you are pretty impressed by the copper mat too.  However, I'm concerned about adding too much weight to my LP12.

I like the fact that the Boston Mat only weighs roughly 1 pound, so I'm hoping that won't mess with my suspension on the LP12.

I'm curious.... what sonic improvements do you typically hear with the Boston Mat vs just using the typical Linn felt mat?

Thank you and best wishes to all,

Don

I've been using the Boston Audio/Sakura mat for 15 years now, I just switched to Soundeck PM Black.  I use the HRS record weight as well with both mats.  For me, the Soundeck PM Black gives me a bit more separation and energy, it's subtle, but there for me.

No_regrets, I probably shouldn’t have mentioned the L07D. In original form, the stainless steel mat was referred to by Kenwood as a “platter sheet”. It’s integral to the platter and constitutes a significant fraction of total platter mass. The direct drive system is tuned to include the 5 lb mass of the platter sheet, which is why I asked the machinist for a copper mat of approximately the same weight. Very different from choosing a mat for a belt drive LP12.

@bdp24 I’d just like to say how glad I am I spent the money for a Groovetracer Rega counterweight. The only way to get a Cadenza Mono to balance otherwise was to have the Rega weight half off the end of the tonearm, and a .50 calibre lead ball taped into the resulting hollow!

As for TT mats, I tend to think that if Alastair Robertson_Aikman thought his inbuilt mat was best I should believe him. I certainly don’t need the PTSD of getting out the USB microscope every time I take a mat off or put it back on, and surely if the VTA isn’t set precisely the same way each time, it is going to be very hard to make comparisons.