do "aftermarket"mats make any difference? the audioquest version is $95.i am talking a pro-ject debut lll TT.was wondering if a different mat would improve sound at all.....in the larger sense IE i don't have any issues at present but was wondering if a sorobogel type mat would make any diffence or just add to the bottomline at audioquest.......
In a system with even moderate resolution each type of mat will make for a "different" sound. I would pass on the AudioQuest. Sorbothane is not regarded as the best material for a platter mat. It's result is generally to make the sound too soft and ill defined with poor dynamics and not the best bass response. Leave the AudioQuest mat for those owners with direct drive Japanese tables.
You can go the DIY route which can be reasonably successful with no more than a piece of cork cut to size, remembering to allow for the additonal thickness of a LP at the outer edge and the label area. Otherwise, mats are a suck it and see proposition. A virtually gauranteed mat would be the Ringmat at about the same price as the the AudioQuest. Keep in mind all things different are not necessarily good. And don't forget to adjust for the additional height of the LP atop the mat. If the arm doesn't provide sufficient adjustment to compensate for the mat, I'd pass on the mat.
You might do better to investigate a good record clamp rather than a new mat. And isolating the table will almost always pay larger benefits than a mat. Any sort of speed control for the motor would be a benefit larger in scope than a mat in most instances.
thanks jan.not sure about record clamps?are they mainly for lp's that are warped?or do they hold the record in place?seems like they could cause speed problems.also not sure what speed control means,is that a speed box? my slight knowledge/research seems to indicate that they are mainly for 45's.if you don't mind to point me in the direction of what the speed box/control does.
isolating the table seems like an interesting idea.
Clamps are for all discs. They can flatten a slightly warped disc or remove all traces of the warpage depending on the clamp and the table. If you'll observe the woofers in your speakers when the stylus traces a warp, you'll see why removing warps can be so beneficial. Keep the driver/voice coil within its normal operating limits and more energy can be used for things such as dynamic range and lower distortion. But better contact between the disc and the platter is the main idea behind record clamps. Using the platter material as an energy sink should make for more music off the disc.
Motor controllers are for smoother operation of the AC synchronous motor. Stylus drag, motor cogging and other motor or line related problems are reduced or all but eliminated with a good speed control device. Noise levels drop and soundstage and image width increase. All the subtle but beneficial things you want from analog are related to motor control.
Isolation works with motor control to enhance benefits in similar areas.
listening to pro-ject debut lll with new JA michell record clamp and pro-ject speed box.smiles all around.more articulated soundstage,deeper bass seems like two reasonable additions to my system. thanks for the input jan.