Platter mat upgrade - Thickness difference - Tonearm sitting higher

[saketgyani]

Hello!

I recently bought Rega Planar 1 EcoDeck and love the sound, it is my first turn table and I'm really enjoying listening to it.

However, I'm not particularly fond of the OEM felt slip-mat, it leaves residue on my records and I have to frequently brush them. So I'd like to try an acrylic mat. Leaning towards Hudson Hifi Acrylic Mat (https://www.amazon.in/Acrylic-Turntable-White-Slipmat-Made/dp/B01MYCIJW4)

The thickness of the stock mat is 2 mm and that of the acrylic mat is 3 mm. Which means the tone arm will sit 1 mm higher than it should. Is that an issue? What do you suggest?

Thanks in advance!

P.S.: I'm back on this forum after about 3 years. Thanks to HFV, I made an informed decision of choosing components of my stereo system back in 2018. Spent a lot of time on this forum till 2021. Took a little hiatus as I wanted to control my upgraditis. But now I'm back, posting, lurking around as I think I'm satisfied with my system and it offers me all I need to be able to enjoy the music!

 

[Lizard King]

Somewhere I read that Rega tables don't have VTA adjustment because they don't think stylus rake angle is an issue.
I may be wrong though, the Rega's are the Apple of vinyl world. They 'Think Different' and get angry if you ask for specifications.

 

[G401fan]

The VTA does get impacted with a change in mat thickness. Unfortunately Rega tonearms do not allow for raising or lowering tonearm height. There are aftermarket shims available for insertion below the tonearm base. That said, a tiny difference of 1 mm might not be significant. Go with your ears, and decide what to do. A lower pivot base tends to increase treble, while a higher base makes the sound muddy. YMMV.

 

[saketgyani]

Thank you for your response @Lizard King and @G401fan
I found a 2 mm acrylic mat on Amazon but it is for 5k. Seems wrong to spend 5k on a piece of plastic. So I have kinda made peace with the felt slip-mat the TT came with.
I'm still tracking the price of the acrylic mat on Amazon, if the price drops significantly, I'll buy it and post my impressions of it here.
Thank you!

 

[Sean de Silva]

So I have kinda made peace with the felt slip-mat the TT came with.

Felt is a dust and static magnet. Change the mat IMO.

 

[saketgyani]

Felt is a dust and static magnet. Change the mat IMO.

I want to, but I'm not finding any mat that's 2 mm thick and wouldn't attract dust and static.

 

[Sean de Silva]

I want to, but I'm not finding any mat that's 2 mm thick and wouldn't attract dust and static.

https://amzn.in/d/7yF8HR2

 

[saketgyani]

https://amzn.in/d/7yF8HR2

Thanks so much
I hadn't considered cork as such but definitely checking this out and reading up on cork as a material in general.

 

[TD150]

Cork Mat For Turntables with Record Label Recess – Vinyl World

vinylworld.in

They have cork, acrylic and cork rubber mats at reasonable price.

Vinylworld is in Navi Mumbai and Suresh is a nice guy.

 

[saketgyani]

Cork Mat For Turntables with Record Label Recess – Vinyl World

vinylworld.in

They have cork, acrylic and cork rubber mats at reasonable price.

Vinylworld is in Navi Mumbai and Suresh is a nice guy.

Thanks for the info.
The prices are reasonable for sure.
But again, like most platter mats, the thickness is 3mm. I’m looking for 2 mm platter mats.

 

[General_sound]

This is a 2mm anti static felt felt mat which is a definite upgrade over the stock Rega mat. Do check on the net. I am trying to locate my 2mm acrylic transparent mat which was stored inside an LP cover, and my memory slips. Let me trace that out. As recalled this should not be more than ₹2200.

 

[saketgyani]

This is a 2mm anti static felt felt mat which is a definite upgrade over the stock Rega mat. Do check on the net. I am trying to locate my 2mm acrylic transparent mat which was stored inside an LP cover, and my memory slips. Let me trace that out. As recalled this should not be more than ₹2200.

Thanks for the info.
Shall check out MusicWay mats.
If you remember which sleeve you stored your acrylic mat, please let me know what's the brand, shall check it out too!
Thank you!

 

[saketgyani]

UPDATE:

I've placed an order to upgrade to the acrylic platter. No more slip-mats.
Ordered this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09KP51XY1/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Shall post my impressions here once my family gets it for me from the US at the end of the month.