Hiraoka Diskmat SE22! Yes, it's vintage and I bought it brand new from Harvey Sound, NYC back in 1978! $20! Still in use on my Ariston RD11S! I have yet to see a better-made and sounding mat than this!
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My experience is limited to a number of 401s with aluminum platters. 1. Boston Mat 2: energy suck, "cleaned" up the sound by removing microdetails including spatial cues, air and life. 2. Std. rubber mat: adds lushness and musicality. Smears mids and highs. Adds bass bloom. 3. 10" vinyl record: removes smearing and coloration (possibly due to the store and release of damping). Increase in detail, speed, air, transparency. Improved bass definition. Possibility of a little added brightness. This is what I use. 4. Cork, paper, felt, leather DIY mats: Meh. Not worth the effort. |
@bdp24 Where are you getting Isodamp pricing? What you’ve posted is a nonsensical price. Isodamp C-1002 Series 0.125" thick, 54" by linear foot is $68. That’s a lot of material. Can be ordered from the authorized distributor direct: https://www.rathbun.com/c-40-damping-isolation-materials.aspx Michael Percy sells SD Series (what SME uses) 0.125" thick, 12" by 27" for $60. http://www.percyaudio.com/Catalog.pdf Both sources have other thicknesses and sizes. |
Oops! I was looking at the R.S. Hughes Industrial Supplier website, and misread the price sheet. The $238 amount is correct, but that's for a piece 5.4" by 4 feet, not 4 inches! If I had thought about it for a minute, it would (or should) have been obvious that Isodamp COULDN'T be priced THAT high! The 12" by 27" piece Michael Percy sells for $60 (I'll take your word for it ;-) is enough to make two mats out of. How does one cut Isodamp into a perfect circle? |
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