Turntable mat

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Selvin

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Dear FMs,

I am starting this thread to share our experience on Turntable Mat.

Rubber mats are commonly found in most of the record players. There are many kind of Turntable Mats like Cork mat, Leather mats, Acrylic mats, Copper Mat and many kind of sandwich mats are in market. Many Fellow members might have experience on this. Please come and share, What is the Sound signature you found? Is it worth for the investment. I have a plan to do few DIY on this.
 
Hello Selvin,

Never really experimented much with mats. However, once used a mat made of sponge for an ordinary record player which was not even a mid fi. Could not notice much. However, have read that using the stock mat inverted is a known Technics direct drive tweak. Probably I do not have such sharp ears to notice these tweaks. In a way, thankfully. I am already broke!

Regards,
Saket
 
Hello FMs, anyone using cowhide TT mat? It's said that: more effective. Thank you.
Regards.
sunder.
 
3mm cork mats are well regarded by some. You should look for a supplier of cork sheets and try them out. Same way for all other material , leather included. You need to ensure even thickness.It would be interesting to experiment ! :)
 
I've tried a few. Acrylic gives liveliness in the sound. But it also accentuates the ticks and pops. Also, acrylic surface being smooth, it can lose traction when placed on the smooth surface of the platter. So you lose torque. So using record weight is advisable when using acrylic. Acrylic is easy to clean.

Felt mat is softer than regular rubber mats (of course there are very soft rubber mats too). I didn't find it much different from rubber mats. Felt attracts dust like it's no one else's business. Using a TT cover is very advisable.

Rubber mat is balanced. I use it mainly.

I would love to try leather. Haven't found a place to source hide.

In general, softer material dampens the highs, and tends to deaden the sound a bit. A hard material likewise enlivens it, with the disadvantage mentioned above.
 
jls001 said:
I would love to try leather. Haven't found a place to source hide.
Click to expand...

Josh,
You can try it from Shoe repair/maker near by your place, i found one person at my place, there is 1 to 1.2 mm thick and soft original leather available in 3 (Black, Brown, lite brown) colours.

Thank you
Raghunadh
 
Like Joshua, I have also tried several mats including acrylic. Yes, acrylic make it slightly bright with clicks and pops. I have tried my Sony PS 6750 mat on many Turntables. It's an oil filled mat. It sounds very warm on the Sony. I have not noticed any appreciable difference using that mat on other Turntables. I have never tried leather. I will certainly try one if I can procure one
 
The mat came with my Technics SL-Q3 also some oil/wax filled kind. It was slightly warp when I received. I sandwiched in Glass and kept it in Sun light. With in few minutes the mat became full flexible and regained the stiffness again after cool.

Just I swop this mat with another Pioneer Rubber mat with same 3mm thick and sound is noticeable. For my ears the Technics original mat is more detailed. The Bass punch is marginally less but deeper compare to Rubber mat. In rubber mat I felt base was little boom for the same record same track.

Each mat having its own characteristics. Mater is how we find one which suit our taste.
 
On one of me 1200s I use two mats. One a felt and the other a rubber mat. With the arm height adjusted correctly, I find the bass to be much tighter.

I am very keen on trying a cork mat on both my TTs.
 
I don't have extremely critical listening ears when it comes to music but from what I've heard, I liked the mats of the original Garrard 301 and the Technics SP10 MK2, the best. I thought the 301's hard rubber sounded a bit more up-front, while the thick but heavily dampened (not sure whether its oil or some kind of jelly) mat of the SP10 MK2 sounded very fluid. From my experience, any Technics OEM mat coming with the usual Technics production DD models produce that signature Technics fluid and free-flowing sound. Some find it laid back but I think it goes very well with the NAD house sound and guys like me, enjoy it. Personally, I think the Garrard 401's stock mat is also very good but not as good as the 301's. The Lenco L75's stock mat was not that great. Whenever I used to play my Lenco, I used to change it to a Technics mat. I have never tried cork mats but had some experience with felt mats. First plain felt layered mats and subsequently, felt on rubber mats. Both varieties sounded too dull for my liking.

Another of my findings, the lesser the VTF, the more significant, the impact of the mat on the sound signature, becomes.
 
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sunder said:
Hello FMs, anyone using cowhide TT mat? It's said that: more effective. Thank you.
Regards.
sunder.
Click to expand...
Though the topic is moo oot, definitely worth a try if one doesn't want to follow the herd. It is udderly possible that this would
moo oderately improve sound. We have to milk every details form vinyl as possible and I think cowhide mat would surely beef up clarity. :lol:
Regards.
 
I don't even have a TT! However, as an engineering problem, it seems to me that vibration isolation and vibration absorption are the characteristics one might be looking for. If so, it might be worth looking at sorbothane sheets or automotive products like Dynamat or CLD products.

Turns out I wasn't that off-base.
 
Last edited:
asliarun said:
I don't even have a TT! However, as an engineering problem, it seems to me that vibration isolation and vibration absorption are the characteristics one might be looking for. If so, it might be worth looking at sorbothane sheets or automotive products like Dynamat or CLD products.

Turns out I wasn't that off-base.
Click to expand...
Yes you are right. Being a mechanical device vibrations play a role in TT design. For every action there is equal and opposite reaction. Since cartridge stylus vibrates it gives out equal energy back in to vinyl media. If one has stethoscope one can easily pick up music on metal chassis of turntable. One way is to have a sufficient mass acrylic platter. Being almost same material as vinyl the vinyl vibrations are dissipated and it also serves as a bearing noise barrier. While as rubber mat primarily restricts bearing rumble/noise from entering cartridge through stylus, it has little less advantage if one wants to dissipate vinyl energy generated from stylus. Regarding sorbothane people say too much damping robs liveliness of vinyl sound.
Regards.
 
I am using a combination of cork and felt glued together sourced from eBay by a German manufacturer pathe wings and is nice.
cfa9730fad2bf9ef2a5362038a3bcb30.jpg


Sent from my Micromax A350 using Tapatalk
 
Hi all, I am making one from 3mm rubber silicone. Anyone wants to try let me know I have 1 extra piece.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
 
Beginner_N said:
Hi all, I am making one from 3mm rubber silicone. Anyone wants to try let me know I have 1 extra piece.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Is it very soft?

Is thicker silicone rubber sheet available (since most mats are 4-5 mm thick). If using 2 mm thickness, VTA adjustment would be needed.
 
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