Herbie's mat arrived today. The quality of this mat is much higher than the stock felt mat. It is made from a rubber-like material though not really - more like a synthetic derivative. It is white but has a black, thin plastic-like sheet stuck on top. Both obviously in the shape of the table - circular. I tested with trepidation using two records - Billie Holiday's Lady in Satin and George Winston's Autumn. First, I played the record on the stock mat, tried to remember the sound, and then quickly replaced the mat with the Herbie's and then tried to make a listening judgment. Went back and forth several times. The difference is very perceptible when you start with the stock mat and then go to the upgrade. Before the upgrade, Billie Holiday's voice sounds tinnier - so does the piano. In a separate post, I had complained about how unnatural piano sounds on my system. With the Herbie mat, the vocal sounded fuller. In general, sounds were more amplified. The bass guitar started to thump on my (brand new, by the way :) ) SVS SB-2000 subwoofer. The piano sounded fuller and more natural, though still not as natural as I like it (I have a real piano at home to compare). Overall, a perceptible difference in sound, from changing a mat! What voodoo is this? Magical herbology! :) Thanks to Chayro for that suggestion! Now waiting for the cartridge upgrade to the Nagaoka MP-150, which I had to postpone by a bit as WAF was starting to drop, but will happen soon (next month).
