Best Platter Material

Buconero
I think you are right. To me these things are often purely dictated by whatever is the "latest fashion trend" in audio. When the HW-19 first came out it had an aluminium platter. At the time the hype about acrylic as a 'wonder' material was gaining momentum so the acrylic platter came out which received great reviews in TAS vs the aluminium one.
Then from vpi we had all sorts of combinations of acrylic/lead/stainless steel/delrin/aluminium etc and now surprise,surprise 'wow' the aluminium platter is back in the classic.
So I think the earlier poster who said execution is paramount was right. Imho all sorts of materials can be made to work well in the appropriate design.

I've read that Clearaudio is switching from acrylic to POM (delrin) with a ss substrate.

So, instead of ascribing some nefarious motive to VPI and others, why isnt this just a case of a manufacturer trying things to see what works best and a certain price level. It is much easier to machine or cast an acrylic platter than a 2" thick aluminum one. And I'm sure VPI's multi laminate lead platter was expensive to manufacture. Transrotor uses mainly aluminum on their better tables. Look at Teres, they went from acrylic to wood to delrin. Was that just to sell more, or was it an attempt to see what works better, for most people, most of the time, on most systems.
I dont have a turntable with an acrylic platter, but they looked nice and shiny at the time they were in vogue, brought on mostly by the Clearaudio Statement, and the theory of matched impedence seemed reasonable. Now we have moved on.
Not everything is a conspiracy by business to screw you.

12-08-11: Brf
I've read that Clearaudio is switching from acrylic to POM (delrin) with a ss substrate.

They have been Delrin now for quite some time with their upper tier tables (Innovation series), along with the Concept and Ovation models.

Stanwal is absolutely right. I would never have thought, for instance, that a solid state phono preamp could satisfy me. Tube are better than SS. That's until I heard an ASR Basis. Now tubes be damned (sort of). It's all execution. And also execution. And he's especially right about the third thing.