It all seems to come down to the specific application I suspect. I really liked cork on my TD-125, sounded brittle on the B-12H.
Turntable Mats???
- Thread starter quadaptor
- Start date
Freddymac2
Super Member
If you have a very good cart, preamp and decent electronics, you can hear wide differences in the sound. If you have a thin ringing platter, damping can help a lot. If the cart you have causes needle talk, this is lost energy that caused by vibrations in the vinyl and arm. Spindle weights also change sound being reproduced. I have tried all kinds of materials. I am currently and for the last 30 years been using a Sorbathane PLATTER MATTER from the 70's NLA. I do hear others are making them, but they have had problems. Some of the experts say "it deadens the sound too much". It is a personal choice and depends on the ability of your equipment to reproduce the original signal cleanly, and your ears!
quadaptor
Active Member
This brings up another question. How does the thickness of the mat affect the the relationship of the tone arm/cart to the platter?
Blue Shadow
Waiting for Vintage Gear from this century
Platter mats are VERY turntable specific. What works great on one may or may not work as well on a different type table. We listened to four, Thorens, Platter Matter (heavy softer rubber-type), Marcof GlassMat and Herbies on at TD-160 Super. Thorens sounded bad, PM was a bit bass heavy and muddy, GlassMat was crisp and the Herbies was was clean clear and well defined. I bought a table because it had a herbies on it and the table was priced fairly, it was a Thorens.
Can't find out specifically what you need without trying some. We have had folks get together and do the listening. Everyone learned a bit.
Can't find out specifically what you need without trying some. We have had folks get together and do the listening. Everyone learned a bit.
quadaptor
Active Member
What you say makes sense, it's just a bit spend to experiment like that.
Blue Shadow
Waiting for Vintage Gear from this century
You are not the only AKer in NorCal. Find some through location and see if they might have an interest in giving some a listen. Almost everyone owns a different mat from the one you have. That is how I started hanging with my listening buddies. Hurry while it is still raining and they aren't dedicated to outdoor activities and honeydos
mkane
Lunatic Member
ejman
Super Member
I like a cork mat instead of the felt that came with my Rega P3. I find fewer static issues and the sound is a bit clearer with sharper bass. I also use a thicker cork mat with my Dual 1019 to adjust the VTA. I also prefer the sound using the cork mat over the regular Dual platter but I'm not sure how much of the change is the VTA or the mat material.
I tried cork and also the felt mat on my Lenco L75 and find I prefer the sound of the original rubber mat over those 2. I made my own cork mats (3 in total) both 1/8 and 3/8 thickness for about $12. I also bought an already made cork mat at the auction site to see if there was some magic pixie dust with commercial ones but I actually prefer the ones I made because the commercial one is made from a looser, rougher cork material.
I tried cork and also the felt mat on my Lenco L75 and find I prefer the sound of the original rubber mat over those 2. I made my own cork mats (3 in total) both 1/8 and 3/8 thickness for about $12. I also bought an already made cork mat at the auction site to see if there was some magic pixie dust with commercial ones but I actually prefer the ones I made because the commercial one is made from a looser, rougher cork material.
On the turntable i just got the previous owner glued a felt mat to the original rubber mat. Id like to get it off - any ideas? I can try to pull it off and clean the rubber but may be a mess - anyone ever tried this?
What about the mixed cork/rubber mats? For practical purposes are they the same as the original rubber mats?
What about the mixed cork/rubber mats? For practical purposes are they the same as the original rubber mats?
Poinzy
Super Member
It depends on what kind of adhesive was used. If the rubber was actually partially dissolved by the adhesive, you're out of luck, I'm afraid. I often get good results with dry cleaning fluid, but it may not work in your case.
Cork/rubber mats -- no, they're not the same as rubber mats. They're less dense, for one thing, but that's probably intentional.
