Questions About Turntable Mats

[slbenz]

Currently using a Pro-Ject 1.2 turntable with it's supplied felt mat. It is starting to take on a static charge which I don't like. I would like to replace this mat with something else. Looking at the Herbie's Way Excellent Turntable Mat. Seems to have good reviews. Any other options that I should be looking into as well? Thanks for your help.

Ben

[hifitommy]

at herbies site, and the mat, it looks like what i would want. i base this on the description and some of the reviews by what seem to be industry pros. i am surprised that nobody in the audio press has addressed this unit. the price isnt prohibitive either.

[slbenz]

Tr,

Just ordered the Herbie Mat today. Will have to wait until after June 6th when Herbie and his crew return from vacation to review the mat. Hope it works out as well. Will let you know once I try it.

Ben

[dean_martin]

In addition to trying the new mat, you can try disconnecting the turntable's ground wire. I have the Pro-ject 1.2 also. It sits on an old cedar toy chest filled with children's books and blankets. The chest sits on a tile floor, however, there is a rug in front of the chest that I stand on when changing records, adjusting volume, etc. The Pro-ject was getting such a charge that it would pop when I touched the spindle. I ordered the none-felt mat to cut down on static. Before it arrived I read somewhere (it may have been the instruction manual) that the ground is not always necessary and may in fact cause problems under some circumstances. So, I disconnected the ground which helped considerably - no more popping.

[slbenz]

In addition to trying the new mat, you can try disconnecting the turntable's ground wire. I have the Pro-ject 1.2 also. It sits on an old cedar toy chest filled with children's books and blankets. The chest sits on a tile floor, however, there is a rug in front of the chest that I stand on when changing records, adjusting volume, etc. The Pro-ject was getting such a charge that it would pop when I touched the spindle. I ordered the none-felt mat to cut down on static. Before it arrived I read somewhere (it may have been the instruction manual) that the ground is not always necessary and may in fact cause problems under some circumstances. So, I disconnected the ground which helped considerably - no more popping.

Dean,

I will give that a try to see if the static issue I am experiencing will decrease. Thanks for the tip.

Ben

[hifitommy]

has an optional 'skin'? it seems that its a layer fo cloth that goes over the mat. to counter the marks left by the mat perhaps?

i still have to powder my home made one and see if that has an effect.

[slbenz]

Tr,

Yes, I noticed the that Extreme Phono had this available before I ordered the Herbie's mat. Looks like a waffle to me. I guess I'm hungry right now. It's dinner time. Definitely will let you know my experiences with the Herbie's mat when it arrives in a couple of weeks.

Ben

[Resident Loser]

...with all this talk of mats and such, is the resultant change in tone arm/cartridge geometries taken into account. I've seen no real mention of this...is it a given?...or are the effects of such erroneously credited to these mats?

jimHJJ(...just wonderin'...)

P.S. Has the original poster tried using a Zerostat for the static charges?

[slbenz]

Jim,

As the original poster, yes I have thought of using something like Zerostat but because the stock felt mat also has problems staying flat, I would rather replace it with something that can't develop a static charge and also stay flat. In regards to your inquiry about the geometries, that was also taken into account. The new mat I ordered should not affect the geometry. If it does, I will readjust my tonearm accordingly. Thanks for asking.

Ben

[hifitommy]

Resident Loser :" is the resultant change in tone arm/cartridge geometries taken into account"

yes, this is to be taken into account and at AA, it has been discussed ad infinitum. i just wish i had a tonearm that i could adjust vta on the fly with. you could listen with headphones with a couple of records and dial it in.

slbenz :"using something like Zerostat "

as i have mentioned before, the zstat is best used when a disc has been removed from the platter and before placing it in the record jacket. static has never been a problem after the record is placed on the platter. i am assuming that the tt is grounded.

[slbenz]

Tr,

Well the Herbie's Way Excellent Turntable Mat arrived today. Have been putting it through a complete workout. Surprisingly, I have found that this mat is better than my stock felt mat. There is extension of low bass and treble with clearer mids. I approximate the increase in performance around 15-20%. This mat doesn't not stick whether the turntable is on or off, unlike my stock felt mat that constantly stuck to my LPs due to an excessive static charge. Also the thickness of the Herbie mat is the same as my stock felt mat. Thank goodness, no adjustments necessary. Yes, my turntable is grounded. Judging from the design and owner's manual, all I need to do if an excessive static charge does develop is to just wipe the mat down with water. I am quite pleased with it's performance so far. If a problem does develop, I will let you know. Happy spinning!!

Ben