A new Turntable Mat.
- Thread starter M8och
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Lavane
Lunatic Member
You will will probably get so many suggestions. I've been happy with some of the better cork mats. There are glass, metal, leather, etc. Check the thickness of the factory mat and maybe use that as a guide for the thickness of whatever mat you decide on. If your tone arm has a VTA adjustment you can play with a different thickness.
For any table which doesn't have slits in the rubber mat for 33/45 detection, I highly recommend an Achromat. I have three of the thickest 5mm black ones on 3 of my tables. They're available in 3mm and 5mm thicknesses with a choice of 5 colors available. If you've spent alot on the table or cartridge and trying to maximize playback performance and money is not of a particular concern, it's the next logical step. It is very easy for anyone to install and uses only thin, adhesive stickers. I notice a quieter background with this which helps the music pop out a little more with better detail. You will of course need to check/adjust your VTA after installing one to get your tonearm perfectly level again. It's well-worth the effort and expense in my opinion, especially if you have a higher end system where differences and changes to equipment are easily noticeable.
https://www.thefunkfirm.co.uk/achromat
https://www.thefunkfirm.co.uk/achromat
grinx76
Well-Known Member
how do you cut it cleanly?
When we state VTA does this mean the arm? At which I have a counter balance weight and a round dial also a slide scale which has only number 1 & 2 at the moment. Apparently for my Rega I’m at 1.75 on that at the moment.
Sorry not that technical and don’t want to buy a mat and figure it’s not compatible.
Sorry not that technical and don’t want to buy a mat and figure it’s not compatible.
Yes, it's the height (level) of the tonearm relative to the needle on the record. Most decent tables will allow you to adjust it. Measure the thickness of your original mat in millimeters. If it is 3mm, then you can purchase the 3mm achromat without adjusting anything for a quieter background. I just received a Thorens TD145 MKii in trade. After doing lots of work refreshing it, bringing it back up to spec and installing a nice cart, it sounds really good fidelity-wise, except it still has the original rubber mat and a background that is noisier than my other 3 three tables with achromats. It's noticeable in between tracks or on quieter passages of music.
ZebraBlvd
Lunatic Member
What you are referring to with the counterweight is the (V)ertical) (T)racking) (F)orce, which is also important. Member Onanysunday was talking about the (V)ertical (T)racking (A)ngle. Which deals with the height adjustment of the tonearm. Not all tables have a VTA adjustment.
This quote is absolutely true. I have 5 different mats, my favorite is the Ring Mat (raised cork) which sounds great on my Heybrook TT2 but kills the bass on a new Rega Planar 3; the OEM felt mat sounds much better on the Rega. Tried all my mats on the Rega and the stock felt mat was superior to all of them.
WaynerN
Addicted Member
I had a steel rule die made and then cut about 80 pieces. It was an AR-XA replicate.
billyz
Super Member
I have the Achromat and it out performs the felt mat on the LP12, I have the Herbies mat and it was better than the felt but it left marks on my LP’s if I left them on it overnight. Then I got the Funk Achromat . There is no contest it is better than any other mat I have tried on every turntable I have used it on. It is currently on my Custom Lenco L75 . I had hoped the thick rubber mat of the lenco would equal it but not even close.
Everyone I know who has used one feels the same in that it outperforms all other mats on all tables it is used on. Its standard circumference should work on most tables that don't have a raised shoulder or metal lip around the platter edge which don't rely on slits in a stock rubber mat for 33/45 detection (on automatic tables).
Rega uses a 3mm felt mat, so a straight-swap is possible. However, the 5mm achromat outperforms the 3mm version even when a clamp is added to the thinner achromat. They're made of a hard vinyl/acrylic foam which is similar to the record itself, which allows more unwanted vibration to be absorbed through the record and into the mat; and from the platter and into the record. Most people think they need a softer mat to absorb better, but the hard achromat outperforms the others I've tried. Plus they look pretty nice.
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