Thorens TD160B MKII replacement mat advice

[danpaola]

Hi everyone - new to Audiokarma & hoping you can help!

I've recently purchased a Thorens TD160B MKII with a Linn Basik LV-V and a Nagaoka MP-11 cartridge in really great condition.

It came with a non-standard felt mat & I was wondering what you’d recommend as a decent replacement for it? I’m in the UK so Herbie’s mats aren’t really an option.

Any advice would be really super appreciated!

 

[vinylkid58]

I’m in the UK so Herbie’s mats aren’t really an option.

Head on over to Thakker in Germany. Looks like they have a Silicone option that may work. Or just look for a stock rubber mat.

jeff

 

[tothmes]

In my experience these decks sound dull - losing the dynamics - with heavy rubber mats, including the late Thorens originals. I’d try to find something like the old original ones, or one in cork.

 

[Blue Shadow]

On my TD-160 Super, Magnepan Unitrac and probably Dynavector 23R (I’ve written about this a decade ago and probably mentioned the cartridge and search could find it, if important) we tested these 4 mats

Original Thorens mat, did not sound good, didn’t get a second hearing. Those that did:

Platter Matter, heavy rubber mat and the sound was dull, bass heavy.
Marcof GlassMat, a sheet of glass with felt on both sides, sounded crisp on top.
Herbies mat, sounded clean and clear, best of the bunch, by far.

Since you don’t want to get one of the Herbies due to costs, logistics and such in the way, I might try the cork or silicone one from Thakker.

I have not heard a cork mat on the 160 and with another listening session using a TD-125, Audiomods, ZYX Yatra the differences were not the same. Not mat stood out.

I believe this is the mass of the suspended section of the 125 showing up. The thin, sheet metal, suspended sub chassis of the 160 is easily influenced with different mats.

Let us know what you try and what you end up with. I would expect Thakker could talk about their mats on a 160. Maybe asking them would be good info.