I am a Platter Mat Hoarder, I have approx' 20, which os not a brag, it is a resulkt of a long-term of collecting of which I have listed the material types on this forum on a few occasions.
Today I have broke into a delivered package and now have another Metal Platter Mat to add to the metal selections to be made for Mats.
This new metal mat is a Micro Seiki Duraluminium, it is a much more substantial weight than the AT 677, but not coated in a coating like the AT - 677 Technihard.
I have after endless trials found 4 x Mats Types with a total of 7 x Mats that work in a very similar manner at preserving the Dynamics - Micro Details - Attack - Tone - Envelope and Coherence. Between the 7 x Mats, to my ear, it is extremely difficult to detect a loss of any of the above referred to valuable traits.
I can adopt another Mat/Material and immediately detect a substantial loss to these most valuable traits presence, with the result being that perceiving the loss can become a very real detractor and unwanted listening experience. Fortunately an easy fix is at hand.
I do suspect that many users of Vinyl as the Source Medium, settle for an inferior set up, especially one not optimised. I state not optimised as a result of the outcome of my loans of Mats, which for those that have received them have been exposed to a revelation. For the most of these die hard Vinyl users who have taken the time to experience these new encounters, they are jaw drop impressed. When they are further encouraged to play with the VTA for each Mat, the report back makes it sound like they have a new TT in the house of substantially more cost. Not bad as an outcome from a bit of time set aside to make the most of a Free Mat Loan and a little play with a TA's VTA.
It is very easy to lose the very important traits able to be produced from a replay, when having a Mat Material in use that is not an optimised substrate to work in a particular and unique environment, endless toying with VTA and other Cart' geometries will not optimise the set up, the interface of the LP to the TT must be optimised to the unique environment.
The best on offer without optimisation will be music being replayed Hoo Rah, that is the Goal and possibly a Coherence of the presented sound that has an attraction. There is much more that can be realised, but I will not suggest to anybody where they should get off the bus.
My choice selection of Mats are today, used for creating Tonal Richness.
The AT -666 Vacuum Mat is the most lean with the Tenuto Gun Metal being Lean, but with a hint of Rich injection if only compared to the 666. Rock, Indie, Country, Americana, Orchestra all come to life with these materials, but this is my unique flavour if choice, as are all my preferences.
Another might enjoy the mats capabilities, but prefer different mats to be selected for other genre's.
The AT-677 has a Rich Tone when compared to the above.
When the 677 is compared to the following types it is the least Rich, but not what I will call Lean in Tone, it has taken on roots. This is wonderful on Female Vocals and Piano or Jazz, but adds something of an alternate attraction to the above genre's.
The AT 600 is used both Singular and Stacked, It gives an immediate perception of a Rich Tone, Notes and Vocals are noticeably underpinned with a extra depth. A foundation is now detectable. I do believe a Newplast Modellers Putty used to bond the two stacked 600's will give a much deeper sense of the foundation, but if the important traits diminish, there is no value to be had in my assessment. This would be more in keeping with what I will refer to as the experiences being had by many.
The music and listener really do come to life when all the valuable traits are laid out in front of the listening position.
The 600 is wonderful on Female Vocals and Piano or Jazz.
5mm Forex Foam ( Cheap as Chips/Fries) what a material, plenty of Richness to be perceived in relation to the AT -677 and a few increments more into the ground than the AT 600. Forex is my most preferred Mat for Chicago Blues and all copycat performers.
In with this mixture of Mats I have a OEM Platter, a SS Platter and a Phosphor Bronze Platter, along with Spindle weights in differing materials up to 1Kg.
Do I take Platter Material, Platter Mats and Spindle Weight seriously?
No! No! No!
I'm a bit loke McD's when stated were not in the Burger Business, were a Real Estate Company.
I'm not in the support a Vinyl LP Business, I'm in the whatever it takes to preserve the - Dynamics - Micro Details - Attack - Tone - Envelope and Coherence - Business.
No point in owning a Cart' costing $$$$'s if it is the most expensive smearing tool that one can afford, avoid such pointless squander of ones monies, it will be better to buy into the Cheapest Smearing Cart' on the Market. The listener fatigue and discontent will settle in at the same rate for each Cart'.
I wonder how the New Mat will fit in ? I wonder how a few different stacked permutations will present ? I wonder If I have to start from scratch on the Kaneta Design ? 😉
I'm glad to have adopted TT's with designs and Drives that allow me to use all weights and configurations for Platter, Mats and Weights.