Sorry to report that the outcome of the Resomat comparison was disappointing.
Theoretically my thick, heavy composite, non-resonant platter was a match made in heaven and the ideal platform for the Resomat to show off its wares so there was a great deal of excitement and expectation on approach.
Although the signal was clean enough I could summarise the general character of the Resomat as lightweight and insubstantial. Sibilants were slightly exaggerated although not excessively so. (You could get used to it).
I couldnt resist looking underneath to see how many contact points were supporting the LP and found that only the innermost 3 on the LP in question were actually working.
This may lend credence to Ynwoans alternate design which uses only those 3 points but lightly clamps the LP from above - meaning that the playing area is unsupported. That would probably help to control sibilance and add more meat to the bones?
The Resomat was claimed to create a wider soundstage but perversely it was actually the GS Ringmat that generated the sense of a wider soundstage allied to a great deal more presence and bandwidth on all instruments even those outside the stage. Sibilance with the Ringmat was much better managed and balanced. Its resolving power and sense of realism on percussives etc is first class. Basically, you could be unaware of many of the sounds that the Resomat was trying to create simply because the frequency balance was off-par.
Consequently it was an easy win for the GS Ringmat. Bear in mind that the GS Ringmat, at £85, is 3X as expensive as the Resomat but nowhere near the $500 needed to secure a Zanden mat, so if the Ringmat is defined as a good buy then the Resomat is a positive bargain(!)
Needless to say there are plenty of Users who are more than happy with the Resomat (although its unlikely that many of them have tried the mat or the hybrid combination that Im using) and I wish them all the best because the Resomat is still a good mat, simply not the mat for me.
Despite the failed comparison I will be retaining it.
On a positive note I found the Resomat a better listen than the Achromat.
.and youll never catch Lyme disease from it .. ;)
Theoretically my thick, heavy composite, non-resonant platter was a match made in heaven and the ideal platform for the Resomat to show off its wares so there was a great deal of excitement and expectation on approach.
Although the signal was clean enough I could summarise the general character of the Resomat as lightweight and insubstantial. Sibilants were slightly exaggerated although not excessively so. (You could get used to it).
I couldnt resist looking underneath to see how many contact points were supporting the LP and found that only the innermost 3 on the LP in question were actually working.
This may lend credence to Ynwoans alternate design which uses only those 3 points but lightly clamps the LP from above - meaning that the playing area is unsupported. That would probably help to control sibilance and add more meat to the bones?
The Resomat was claimed to create a wider soundstage but perversely it was actually the GS Ringmat that generated the sense of a wider soundstage allied to a great deal more presence and bandwidth on all instruments even those outside the stage. Sibilance with the Ringmat was much better managed and balanced. Its resolving power and sense of realism on percussives etc is first class. Basically, you could be unaware of many of the sounds that the Resomat was trying to create simply because the frequency balance was off-par.
Consequently it was an easy win for the GS Ringmat. Bear in mind that the GS Ringmat, at £85, is 3X as expensive as the Resomat but nowhere near the $500 needed to secure a Zanden mat, so if the Ringmat is defined as a good buy then the Resomat is a positive bargain(!)
Needless to say there are plenty of Users who are more than happy with the Resomat (although its unlikely that many of them have tried the mat or the hybrid combination that Im using) and I wish them all the best because the Resomat is still a good mat, simply not the mat for me.
Despite the failed comparison I will be retaining it.
On a positive note I found the Resomat a better listen than the Achromat.
.and youll never catch Lyme disease from it .. ;)