Just a heads up on a couple of additions I'm finding fascinating positives with.
I have a heavily modded Trans Fi Audio Salvation rim drive TT. Serious mods to it have included a Permali/aluminium sandwich plinth with Stacore footers, and a SOTA Eclipse motor using Farad Superconductor on Condor controller, and Roadrunner speed tach. All on a Stacore Advanced isolation platform.
These upgrades have banished a persistent negative I had, a grey/grainy tonal colouration that pervaded all LP playback to the point of serious curtailing of transparency, most notable in jazz and classical.
However one coloration that has also been a bit sticky has been a certain hardness or aggressiveness to my sound that I've struggled to ameliorate, most evident on solo piano.
On visiting Montesquieu/Tom to hear his superlative modded Thorens 124 idler, he commented he had trialled the mat I was using, Reso Points made of Delrin which "suspend" the LP a half inch above the platter, effectively undamped, the record sitting on ten minimal contact points.
Designer Vic believed this to be preferable to clamping and damping the LP.
On hearing Tom's excellent sound, and that he found the Reso Points to be too "excitable" a sound, backed up by his HQ Audio platter mat review, my curiosity piqued.
I was going to go his route of the HQ, but a recent price rise dissuaded me.
My idea was then to a/b the Hexmat Eclipse and Origin Live Strata mats.
However, a midnight stroll thru Google dug up this Acoustic Revive mat, and my plan was then for a three way comparo.
As things turned out, the Acoustic Revive was *so* impressive, and *so* achieved what I was hoping for it, thoughts on a wider comparo evaporated.
So, what is this RTS-30 mat? Well, Acoustic Revive website says it's a silica-infused rubber-type mat, flexible not hard, medium weight at just shy of 400g.
It seems to have its own take on vibration management.
Despite comments that it overdamps and oversoftens the sound, I find no loss of dynamics, a smoothness where before I had borderline harshness, especially on percussive solo piano.
Maybe for some that smoothness would be a loss of bite or energy, but I'm not getting that.
Caveat, I'm coming off a mat that as Tom confirms is overly excitable, too edge of seat.
This new mat feels controlled and communicative.
Many more nuances, speed maintained, bass sure footed and super articulate.
Calm, expressive, warm and open, sums my verdict.
--
Ok, I've now thrown in (more accurately, thrown on) the Origin Live Gravity One LP puck. Puck is the best description, at well under 100g, it's the polar opposite of the heavyweight stabilisers out there.
Fascinatingly, it's feather light, and only the central part of it contacts the LP. It seems to have an internal "loose leaf" construction (rattles when you shake it).
Not sure what I was expecting, but it's a total joy.
It seems to really enhance openness, ambience and air, and like the mat it takes another level of harsh edginess out of my sound.
Totally brilliant at highlighting a sweet, layered top end and upper mids in my sound, the mat working more in the lower mids and bass.
--
Have I totally banished my aggressive edge on piano? No, I'm sane enough to know that my TT has characteristics specific to it.
But the mat and puck go *way further* than I had reasonable expectations of, and for less than £600 combined, a no brainer in my system.
All I'm considering now, beyond a mandatory Record Pi LP flattener purchase, is a newly made up Cardas Clear copper tonearm wire, to compare with my Zavfino silver, but the reasons for getting this are hugely addressed by this mat and puck, I may not bother trying copper wire.
One of the best decisions I've made as I reach the end of my decade long journey to squeeze as many lemons from my LP playback.
I have a heavily modded Trans Fi Audio Salvation rim drive TT. Serious mods to it have included a Permali/aluminium sandwich plinth with Stacore footers, and a SOTA Eclipse motor using Farad Superconductor on Condor controller, and Roadrunner speed tach. All on a Stacore Advanced isolation platform.
These upgrades have banished a persistent negative I had, a grey/grainy tonal colouration that pervaded all LP playback to the point of serious curtailing of transparency, most notable in jazz and classical.
However one coloration that has also been a bit sticky has been a certain hardness or aggressiveness to my sound that I've struggled to ameliorate, most evident on solo piano.
On visiting Montesquieu/Tom to hear his superlative modded Thorens 124 idler, he commented he had trialled the mat I was using, Reso Points made of Delrin which "suspend" the LP a half inch above the platter, effectively undamped, the record sitting on ten minimal contact points.
Designer Vic believed this to be preferable to clamping and damping the LP.
On hearing Tom's excellent sound, and that he found the Reso Points to be too "excitable" a sound, backed up by his HQ Audio platter mat review, my curiosity piqued.
I was going to go his route of the HQ, but a recent price rise dissuaded me.
My idea was then to a/b the Hexmat Eclipse and Origin Live Strata mats.
However, a midnight stroll thru Google dug up this Acoustic Revive mat, and my plan was then for a three way comparo.
As things turned out, the Acoustic Revive was *so* impressive, and *so* achieved what I was hoping for it, thoughts on a wider comparo evaporated.
So, what is this RTS-30 mat? Well, Acoustic Revive website says it's a silica-infused rubber-type mat, flexible not hard, medium weight at just shy of 400g.
It seems to have its own take on vibration management.
Despite comments that it overdamps and oversoftens the sound, I find no loss of dynamics, a smoothness where before I had borderline harshness, especially on percussive solo piano.
Maybe for some that smoothness would be a loss of bite or energy, but I'm not getting that.
Caveat, I'm coming off a mat that as Tom confirms is overly excitable, too edge of seat.
This new mat feels controlled and communicative.
Many more nuances, speed maintained, bass sure footed and super articulate.
Calm, expressive, warm and open, sums my verdict.
--
Ok, I've now thrown in (more accurately, thrown on) the Origin Live Gravity One LP puck. Puck is the best description, at well under 100g, it's the polar opposite of the heavyweight stabilisers out there.
Fascinatingly, it's feather light, and only the central part of it contacts the LP. It seems to have an internal "loose leaf" construction (rattles when you shake it).
Not sure what I was expecting, but it's a total joy.
It seems to really enhance openness, ambience and air, and like the mat it takes another level of harsh edginess out of my sound.
Totally brilliant at highlighting a sweet, layered top end and upper mids in my sound, the mat working more in the lower mids and bass.
--
Have I totally banished my aggressive edge on piano? No, I'm sane enough to know that my TT has characteristics specific to it.
But the mat and puck go *way further* than I had reasonable expectations of, and for less than £600 combined, a no brainer in my system.
All I'm considering now, beyond a mandatory Record Pi LP flattener purchase, is a newly made up Cardas Clear copper tonearm wire, to compare with my Zavfino silver, but the reasons for getting this are hugely addressed by this mat and puck, I may not bother trying copper wire.
One of the best decisions I've made as I reach the end of my decade long journey to squeeze as many lemons from my LP playback.
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