Turntable Mat.

[gagelle]

Hello All,

I have a Thorens TD160 (The vintage one) and it came with a foam turntable mat. Everything works well except the mat holds dust and cat dander. So I have to clean my records every time I play them because they pick up dirt from the mat. I think a mat made of a different material might help with this problem but I've read all kind of claims that certain mats improve sound quality. I'm skeptical, because, well, people want to sell things and sometimes make false claims. But I may be wrong. Does anyone have knowledge about this issue? I also don't want anything too thick. I have no other problems with the turntable. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[GreatTone]

I have a Herbie's "Way Excellent" mat, and it works great. The difference in mats can sometimes be subtle, and other times extreme. For example, I tried cork dots directly on my platter, and it was teeth-jarringly bright. One advantage to a Herbie's mat is they are available in different thicknesses. Herbie's Audio is an AK sponsor...

 

[dosmalo]

I don't think felt mats were stock on Thorens. My TD 150 ii came with a rubber mat. You wouldn't have to find a Thorens mat, just a good rubber mat would probably be suffecient.

 

[Andy_H]

The TD160 has a specific mat that fits it because of the way this table's 45 adapter fits into the center. The center hole in the mat is larger than the size of the spindle to accommodate the adapter. The adapter stays on the spindle all the time and you simply turn it over to use with 45s that have the large center hole. A little hard to explain but when you look at it it makes sense.

This is a TD145 but the mat and adapter are the same as the 160. I would just make sure that the mat isn't sitting on the platter unevenly due to the adapter being a little higher than the platter surface. It may be pretty difficult to find the exact mat to replace it. I suppose if the adapter is removed from the spindle another mat will seat OK, or if the replacement mat has a larger center hole cut out of it.

 

[dosmalo]

My 150 is the same way. I actually use a felt myself and it seats fine. I'm just not really thrilled with the stock Thorens rubber mats.

 

[meggy]

I kind of like the Thorens stock mat. The LP sits up on the ridges instead of the entire surface being face flat on whatever dirt is always on any mat. As for cat hair gagelle, don't you have a dust cover?

 

[majick47]

My advice is to find the original Thorens mat for your TD160, you got sold short when it came with a sustitute. It's fine to experiment with other mats if you have the original but without it the TT is devalued and now your going to pay for an original. There is no guarantee an aftermarket mat is going to make it sound better, sometimes the same and sometimes worse than the original.