TW Acustic Turntable Mat

Check back on the Facebook page again. It's there with two pics. It retails for $500. It is made by the Zanden designer, but custom and different with TW's input. Preliminary reports from Jeff are very positive. I took the plunge and ordered one. Should arrive in next two weeks. Once I receive it, I'll report back my opinions.

I own a Raven AC and currently I am using Boston Audio Mat 2.

In my opinion the problem with Raven and mat is that: for me Raven sounds best without any mat. Just record directly on the copper insert. The mat is needed only for protection reasons.

If someone will be using LP directly on lacquered copper insert it yields to destroying lacquer coating and will allow a copper to oxidize.

From this point of view the quality of lacquer coating is inferior as cannot be used without any protection if we do not want damaging cover. In my opinion Thomas should rethink the lacquer he uses or look around for other coating – maybe galvanized one.

If we think about using a mat the best from practical point of view is a mat that will not slip over platter when we clean a record with brush. My Boston Audio mat is very hard and slippery. Any hard particle between the mat and platter yields to scratching lacquer cover when mat slips over a platter.

I hope that new mat from TW is made of such rubbery, soft and heavy and a little sticky material that will eliminate the problem without necessity of gluing the mat to the platter. Otherwise it does not have sense IMHO.

HI,I have TW AC With all BN updates,just got copper platter.Never liked mats after listening without mat tried new TW (Zanden) mat gave be more definition and detail and eliminated a touch of brightness wonderful upgrade!!

No mat works best for me. I tried a few including graphite, bostom acoustic and TTW triple laminated with copper and carbon fiber, millennium.

OK, so the key is to find a mat that will give protection to the lacquer and do not screw up the performance.
Seems that new TW mat will do that. I will try tchem.