Thanks for watching! 🎶🎧 Do drop your comments and questions below. If you'd like to support the channel, check the video description for many DISCOUNT CODES codes to enjoy money off various products and feed your vinyl habit! (I earn a small commission - no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

Hi Mark, the Technics demo didn’t compare the deck with its standard mat in place, which would have been a bit fairer. The mat technology is based on two metals having differing resonant frequencies that damp each other out. This is certainly effective and was the same principle employed by Linn when they designed the LP12 fifty years ago. If you’ve ever picked up the outer platter of a Sondek and struck it, you’ll know it rings like a bell. In place on its sub-platter, stone dead. I agree, these mat swaps are in the tweaking category. Most cost the price of a new record so definitely worth some experimentation.

@soundmatters

8 ай бұрын

Yes, for sure. I'm going to see if I can set up my own test showing with the different platter options. could do one with a Technics and with a Pro-Ject X1 with acrylic platter. Could be interesting! Thanks for your additions as always, Mark.

I bought one about 4 months ago and couldn’t be happier with the difference.

@soundmatters

3 ай бұрын

It's my go-to mat on my Technics :) - glad you like it!

I am looking forward to any sort of vibration test you can do. Also curious to see if there's a way to measure static dissipation.

Absolutely fascinating! Great video! 👏🏼🤘🏻

@soundmatters

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching. Enjoy the music!

Thanks for the video. I've been having some trouble with just certain records and a harmonic, overpowering, overpowering hum that can come through the speakers if the volume is turned up too high. I live in what is called a pier and beam home, what you called a suspended floor I believe, and I've been trying to isolate everything from the speakers and subwoofers to the turntable legs themselves. I've even put a heavy box with items in it on the wood floors next to the turntable stand to try and dampen the vibrations I believe go through the wood floors also. I've tried a cork platter cover and it definitely helps. But it didn't fix all of the problems. I'll have to give this item a look and hopefully a try! Brian in Fort Worth 🎶

@soundmatters

8 ай бұрын

Yes - many older homes here in the UK have floors like this and they can cause a lot of issue for HiFi. These are definitely a big help, along with considering a wall mount for your turntable if it's really severe. Let me know how you get on and happy listening!

@Bootradr

8 ай бұрын

@@soundmatters Thank you and I'll let you know how it works out 👍

@shaunwwfc4751

8 ай бұрын

​@@Bootradralso let me know please, even with speakers on separate stand, still suffer from similar humming noise

@Bootradr

8 ай бұрын

@@shaunwwfc4751 I sure will :-)

@Bootradr

7 ай бұрын

​​@@shaunwwfc4751I just wanted to update you. I got the Sounddesk mat in today and I'm still having the same problems. It did not seem to solve the issue. Like I mentioned earlier, I have those insulation feet on everything including the turntable feet. That did help but I still was having the issue. I really thought the new mat would isolate the vibrations and make the difference. But unfortunately, when I start turning up the sound, it is still there and and a little bit less terrible than before but The vibration / noise is definitely not gone. It cost me $148 to get the mat and I wish that I'd put that money into going doing what many people recommend and that's mounting a turntable stand to the wall. I'm not sure how much that might cost but $148 US dollars would have definitely helped. I also have an issue with the new mat not fitting the spindle on the record player perfectly. There's some play and it moves around a little. From what I could tell, the standard mat was the right one for my turntable. There are three different versions of the mat on the website and they have three different millimeter measurements. I don't think that's for the spindle but maybe I'm wrong? I'm legally blind so I didn't get a chance to try to measure the spindle anyway. I couldn't find my calipers from when I used to be a machinist otherwise I could have checked myself. I had been using a cork mat previously that cost me somewhere in the $40 range I believe it was. It definitely helped when I bought it a year or so ago but it still didn't get rid of the problem. But the new Sounddesk mat definitely didn't solve the problem either. I think it helped a little more but it didn't solve the problem. Sorry for the long message but I just wanted to reply back to you like I said I would. And I wanted to make sure to give you all the details I had. Again, the new mat is better than the cork mat in isolating the noise. But it still doesn't work well enough and I'm going to have to keep searching for an answer. Good luck on your end! PS: There is one more thing I forgot to mention. Like mentioned in the video, it does bring more clarity to the audio with the new Sounddesk mat. It sounds like the needle is picking up less vibration and the music sounds better to my ears. There's a noticeable difference I believe. It doesn't get a rid of enough vibration to fix the problem we are having. But it does improve the sound of the music on the vinyl LPs for sure. Brian in Fort Worth 🎶

Soundeck also makes inserts for underneath the Technics platter. I have this upgrade and it really works!!!!

@soundmatters

8 ай бұрын

Good call. Just looked that up: it's labeled as for the Audio Technica LP120, but I suspect that means it would fit a Technics too. Happy spinning!

A good, concise review of an interesting range of products, thanks. On a video-related note, there's a slight jerky quality to your image and I wonder if it's because your shutter speed settings are a bit too low. Ideally they'd be double that of the frame rate (or a little higher) at which you shoot video, so 50 or 60 if the former isn't available on your camera.

@soundmatters

8 ай бұрын

Thanks. The technicalities of video is something I'm slowly getting my head around. The frame rate 25 and the shutter 50, so I'm not sure what else might be causing this. Which parts are most noticeably jerky to you (out of interest). Some of it is going through a HDMI capture to USB capture device straight into the computer, while other parts of filming to the SD card in the camera.

@TheNorliss

7 ай бұрын

@@soundmatters Hey, so sorry it took me so long to reply to your response. If your shutter speed is at 50 and filming at 25fps, you've got that setting right for sure. It's just that I see what looks like a too low of a shutter speed that's visible as you move your head around. I'm wondering if the issue is being caused by something further down the pipe, perhaps in the capture device? In any case, I wasn't trying to have a pop for the sake of having a pop. I like your content otherwise I'd not bother commenting! Btw, you mentioned music and music production: is the theme music your own? I really like it, it's got a vibe that reminds me of something quite wistful from an early-mid 70s TV show. Good stuff.

@soundmatters

7 ай бұрын

@@TheNorliss - no no, I appreciate the feedback; it's constructive. I've been playing with this of late. I think it's the HDMI capture device, which it turns out is locked (I suspect) at 30fps, which might explain it. On the last video I did, I switched over the NTSC 30fps on the camera and set my OBS Studio software to 30 (framerate now 60). Let me know if you think it's looking better. The only annoying thing is, as I like to record video and audio separately straight into the computer (VIA Screenflow or OSB Studio), I have to hand clap and manually sync the audio with every take to link them up 😆 - I feel like a Seal at times 😂 Yes: all the music is old instrumental tracks I did as obviously anything with vocals just doesn't work as background. Thanks for the kind words.

Wonderful, and very informative demonstration. I wish I watched, listened to your video 3 months ago, too. On a restored Rega Planar 3, of early 1980s bought used on Canadian ebay, I've got an Hudson Hi Fi Acrylic Mat coloured red. Actually, three turntables are connected to my main hi fi audio system. The Planar 3 is connected to a second audio system whereby it was bought as a plinth, for the most part. I restored, and repaired; then I upgraded, and assembled a Rega 24V Motor Upgrade. Question: could this, "Soundeck platter mat (model number PM295)" have a slight improvement, or a different character of sound, as an example a Cork, or Leather platter Mat, to the sound of most music that's going to be played back? In my case, on my Rega Planar 3 turntable with the 24V Motor Upgrade? I am curious about what this revolutionary Platter Mat - the Soundeck Platter Mat PM295 can do for vinyl playback! Can you produce a test, and demonstration, please? Thank you for any sane, sound advice. 🔉🎵🎶

I found the Funk Firm platter mat for my Technics 1500c sounded more to my liking than the PM295.

Cool video! Would the soundeck work with a rega planar 6, considering that its tone arm does not have VTA? Should the thickness of the soundeck be a concern for the rega? Thanks for the advice.

@richardelliott8352

3 ай бұрын

a spherical or conical stylus that is not sensitive to the tip angle would be the only solution, unless you shimmed the arm to account for the new height . Rega's are very carefully thought out tables, so it would be very surprising if adding any non standard equipment would improve the sound.

Mark, can you tell me what size mat I need for an AT-LP120X-USB? 285mm, 292mm or 295 mm? Thanks. Sorry if you said it and I didn’t hear it. Cheers

They should do a vibration comparison between Acrylic platter and Soundeck platter!

How much of an improvement in sound quality to you notice between this mat and the leather turntable mat ($34.95) you've recommended before? Thanks.

@soundmatters

3 ай бұрын

Which leather mat do you mean, sorry?

@xybercode

3 ай бұрын

The one you recommended from GrooveWasher. Is this one that much better than the leather one? I'm digitizing my vinyl collection. Thanks!@@soundmatters

Nice. What size are you using on your technics?. Thinking of getting one for my 1200GR

@soundmatters

8 ай бұрын

I'm using the standard PM295 version on the Sl1500c. Looking at the specs, this seems to be the same size platter as the 1200GR: www.technics.com/uk/support/discontinued-products/grand-class/sl-1200gr.html#specs www.technics.com/uk/products/premium-class/turntables/sl-1500c.html#specs They do have a smaller version for some Technics decks listed on their product page (link in description). Hope this helps!

@zelko0768

8 ай бұрын

@@soundmatters much appreciated

Would be a worthy addition to my set up, but for the price.! £100 seems a little excessive. Is it really worth the extortionate price..?

I'm wanting to go ahead and buy the PM295, which I guess is the platter mat I need for the AT-LP120XUSB turntable. Is there a discount code in your details area for this item? I'm not really seeing it if there is But their website has an area to enter codes for discounted prices. So I'm guessing they offer them somewhere. I'm legally blind and I may be overlooking it? I'll be using the link to purchase it in your details. Does the 97.50 GDP price equal about $120 USD if you know? Thanks for any help! Brian in Fort Worth 🎶

@soundmatters

8 ай бұрын

Hey Brian! As luck would have it, I have managed to organise a discount code with them. If you use SOUNDMATTERS10, you'll get 10% off. At current exchange rate, $120 is about right. Be aware that there may be some import duty. Hope you like the matt, it should suit the LP120 very well.

@Bootradr

8 ай бұрын

@@soundmatters Awesome! Thank you so much for the reply and discount code! I'll order it tonight 👍

@soundmatters

8 ай бұрын

@@Bootradr Enjoy! and thanks for supporting the channel

@richardelliott8352

3 ай бұрын

too late to be of help here, but most audiophiles would be better served to learn a bit about how human hearing works before spending any money on hopeful platter mats, since hearing is only subjective , and did not evolve for hi fi equipment testing levels of accuracy. that is why double blind testing was used to prevent judgement errors , before digital comparison was available, and is often still a valid approach to separate any fictions of the mind from the actual reality of sonic results. .

I am not rude enough to dispute this presentation and think it is fine. . however, only to support a conversation, this product could be horse hockey. who knows, since there are so many different platter mats , some on very sophisticated turntables, that have very different and unique answers to the optimum record interfacing with the platter question. the supplied demo says nothing about actually playing records, leaving any sonic benefits to be implied by one's imagination. which is a problem, since human hearing is completely a process of the mind, a mind which has no self awareness of error. And, as such, is a process untethered from reality, and uncaringly will report anything one might desire to hear as your new reality, and you will never know the difference, since one's perception of reality is entirely dependent of the mind. .this effect to hear what is desired is compensated for in hearing tests, and sells a lot of fancy wire and even straight out bogus products to audiophiles who made the mistake of believing that what they hear is a constant reality. since scoring for accuracy would be nonsensical, medical hearing tests are scored within an acceptable range of correct hearing responses, to account for reports of sound heard, but not actually generated in the test.