ResoMat 2 Update May 2021
New design featuring neoprene base for better isolation. Base can be any size, Black or White, plus there is a choice of cone colours: Black, White, Silver & Gold.
Height just under 7mm.
Price £30 + shipping. Please contact me at TransfiAudio@aol.com to order.
Information about development
New design featuring neoprene base for better isolation. Base can be any size, Black or White, plus there is a choice of cone colours: Black, White, Silver & Gold.
Height just under 7mm.
Price £30 + shipping. Please contact me at TransfiAudio@aol.com to order.
As a vinyl enthusiast, I am always looking for ways to extract the most information from the record grooves. My latest development has been this turntable mat. Many of us have been following the school of thought that clamping the record solidly to the platter is a good idea, giving a more solid bass & flattening out warps. I myself have been guilty of the same.
However, there is another school of thought that says clamping is NOT a good idea. Clamping to a rubber mat deadens the sound too much making the record appear dull & lifeless, and clamping to a solid mat or surface, like acrylic, causes energy from the stylus to be reflected back into the record, thus colouring the sound.
I have always maintained clamping to acrylic gave the most dynamic & clean sound, but wasn't convinced I was getting the best out the platter/record interface.
Let me start by dispelling a few myths about clamping:
First, a clamp is needed to flatten out warps. Well, it may flatten mild warps at the center of the record, but the outside will still be wavy unless you also use a periphery clamp. What actually happens in practice is you get voids under the vinyl, so some parts of the record are in contact with the platter, other are not. In any case, forcing a warped record flat is bound to strain & distort the shape of the grooves so you will get an inconsistency across the record. I fin most good setups will play moderately warped records with no problem.
Second, clamping is necessary for good bass. For those that may say clamping a record improves bass, I say think again. Bass is more bloated so may appear increased. Again, all you are hearing with a clamp is colouration & reflections.
Third, a clamp is necessary to prevent record slippage. I had set up a measuring device to test this theory, played a whole record side @ 2g with a Paratrace stylus (much drag) to find to my surprise no movement occurred.
Enter the Reso-Mat. The idea with this mat is to have absolutely no influence on the record. It sits on cones with minimal contact with no clamping. Vibrations from the stylus are free to dissipate in the open air with no reflections. There is nothing to dampen the record either.
The net result is a super clear dynamic portrayal of the music with extreme detail retrieval. Treble that seemed harsh or sibilant on some recordings is greatly tamed. Modern recordings done in the digital domain are rendered listenable....& I have a pile of those which I am now rediscovering! Bass becomes cleaner & more distinct. If a deep bass note is present, and your system is capable of producing deep bass, the floors will still shake.
Another effect of this mat is to increase the noise floor. Not only are the cones stopping reflections from the record, but also minimising noises from the environment & drive mechanism of the turntable, be it motor or bearing, from getting through to the stylus. Less external noise has the effect of opening & widening the soundstage.
I have to say this mat represents a good time spent in R & D with different cone materials. Wood was rejected, for instance, as the bass disappeared! The material used for the cones gave the best results over a wide range of materials. The mat has been extensively tried in the field, & all testers have rejected their traditional rubber/acrylic/cork/whatever mats & clamp is favour of the Reso-Mat.
Garrard 301 testimonial
- the platter really rings without the rubber mat but only rings little when tapped on the side with Reso-Mat & record in place. My instant reaction is that the sound is so much more like my Salvation reference deck........ this is with a Shure M95ED! Loads more clarity, much tighter, bass is much more correct (not bloated) and detailed. A serious upgrade. I've played with loads of mats over the years but always ended up back with rubber, your new mat has transformed the deck.
Have a look at further development of this isolation principle with the ISOPLATTER