Felt Mats or ???

Check out this link

I second the Boston Audio, after trying at least 8-10 alternatives, everything from two Herbies mats (different thicknesses) to felt to those gawdawful shelf-liner things :-)

I had tried a number of mats over the years, but it wasn't until I bought my first heavily Merrill modified AR turntable that I realized it's a platter SYSTEM that makes a difference. George Merrill would upgrade the stock mass produced AR drive platter bearing with one manufactured in a higher grade of steel and with closer tolerances. He would substitute the aluminum platter with an acrylic one, and on top of that would come a LEAD mat. (Pliable and dead.) The record was laid on the lead mat, and coupled to it with an outer periphery ring and either an inner clamp or weight. George was a pioneer in the use of acrylic platters and periphery weights.

Since hearing that platter system for the first time, I have been unable to go back to any other. I was lucky enough to purchase one of George's later model Heirlooms (with same platter system) several years ago, and I am in the process of having that table refurbed and upgraded by George's present partner Anthony Scillia.

You can learn more about George and Anthony's new platter system here:

http://www.merrillaudio.com/philosophy.html

Dave

(Disclaimer: I am the exclusive seller of what are the current Merrill mods. I sell because I wholeheartedly believe.)

Like Ddarch44's modded Merrill's, the best sounding mat for tables like my Teres is no mat.

Some tables are designed for close coupling of LP to platter. Teres uses a threaded spindle and clamp, which ennables very tight (and adjustable) coupling. If a periphery ring is also used it's sometimes possible to approach the coupling achieved by tables with vacuum hold down. If an LP is flat to begin with I often have to peel it off my platter after clamping, since the right amount of clamping can actually create a vacuum-like seal. The reduction in background noise and improvement in low level detail retrieval is noticeable.

When clamping I use the ever popular "rap-the-deadwax-with-a-knuckle" test to determine optimal clamping pressure. When pressure's just right (usually very tight, on my table), resonances from a rap dissipate rapidly with minimal echo or harmonics. IOW, the thump sounds "dead", not "ringy". This indicates good vinyl/platter coupling that will dissipate stylus/vinyl resonances effectively.

Other tables produce other sonic results of course. Some clearly benefit from a mat. On others there could be tradeoffs that would make a winning strategy unclear.

Mats are largely intended to isolate the LP (and thus the pickup) from various noise sources. They're a relatively inexpensive approach to engineering challenges that can, for a cost, be more effectively addressed by eliminating the noises at their sources.

To benefit from no mat and tight coupling without sonic detriments, a table must have:
1. low or no noise from the bearing
2. low or no noise from the motor
3. low or no noise from whatever system couples motor to platter
4. a platter which effectively dampens or dissipates vibrations emanating from the stylus/vinyl interface

Assuming a table has achieved 1, 2 and 3, achieving #4 becomes an interesting challenge in platter and bearing design. Different tables use different materials and designs, lead is often involved for example, with varying results of course.

Tables which have effectively addressed the above (very challenging) issues rarely achieve additional playback accuracy from a mat. This comes as a great relief to those who've already spent crazy amounts of money on their TT - at least there's no need to spend more on a yet another tweak! ;-)

I would take a slightly different spin on Mr. Deacon's view.

Some tables are designed for close coupling of LP to platter *interface*. I don't think the use of the Boston Audio Desgin Mat-1 would prclude the tight coupling of the LP to the mat and the mat to the platter on a Teres. Using the Teres clamp, I would presume you'd achieve that vacuum seal as well. However, it would be another layer for the platter interface. If this would be a good thing or a bad thing...that's another question.

While some mats are strictly for isolation, I belive a well engineered platter (or platter / mat system) may dampen, may isolate, may couple, or may do all of the above (to some extent) at the same time.

My Teres platter is solid acrylic (and it looks like I don't really have much of an option to upgrade it anymore) so I'd be interested in what the Mat-1 could do (for better or for worse) to my table. I don't think my solid acrylic platter meets Doug's condition #4.