ANOTHER series of mat/clamp comparisons.

[spiritofmusic]

Unless something really flips expectations around, in the end I've found the Hexmat Absolute mat/clamp to be the overall winner, just about prefer it with the Teac Washi paper sub mat between it and the platter.
It has the edge on speed, resolution, neutrality and transparency over the Stack Serene mat and stabilizer, and on a par with the Stack duo re natural warmth and tone density.
I think the Teac Washi sub mat is providing better traction for the plastic Hexmat on my metal platter, and acting to reduce reflections.
Whatever, the combo really works.
Will be keeping the Stack Serene mat and stabiliser to investigate further over time, but returning the Spec AP-UD1 mat and Black Forest Audio Däd!Mät/Däd!Clämp which both have their pluses, but couldn't match the inherent goodness of the Hexmat and Stack.
A fascinating experiment that I'm so glad I've undertaken, the Hexmat Absolute mat and clamp/Teac Washi Paper sub mat finding and now permanent install is a great way to finish off my series of mods to my analogue front end.
Part of my motivation in running these threads is to bring to people's attention products under the radar or new to the market, and especially those that provide great musical benefits and outcomes.
The Hexmat Absolute/Teac Washi and Stack Serene both do these admirably.

 

[Barry]

Interesting, direct opposite of my experience. Just goes to show every system reacts differently.

I'm with you, djsina2, and Jeff Day who reviewed it in Positive Feedback back in 2015 which is why I tried it.

I'm glad you found what you wanted spiritofmusic. We certainly can't argue with your thorough research. Well done.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Unless something really flips expectations around, in the end I've found the Hexmat Absolute mat/clamp to be the overall winner, prefer it most with the Teac Washi paper sub-mat between the platter and Hexmat.
It has the edge on speed, resolution and transparency over the Stack Serene mat and stabilizer, and on a par re natural warmth and tone density.
I'm convinced the Washi sub mat is both providing better traction for the plastic Hexmat on my metal platter, and acting to reduce reflections.
Whatever, the combo really works.
Will be keeping the Stack mat and stabiliser to investigate further over time, but returning the Spec and Black Forest Audio Däd!Mät and Däd!Clämp which both had their pluses, but couldn't match the Hexmat or Stack.
A fascinating experiment that I'm so glad I've undertaken, the Hexmat Absolute is a great way to finish off my series of mods to my analogue front end.

 

[spiritofmusic]

I'm with you, djsina2, and Jeff Day who reviewed it in Positive Feedback back in 2015 which is why I tried it.

I'm glad you found what you wanted spiritofmusic. We certainly can't argue with your thorough research. Well done.

I think all our systems have different aspects that are addressed by changes. No two systems have exactly the same variables.
No-one more surprised than me on the outcome of the Spec (*in my system*).

 

[Balle Clorin]

So, final chapter of platter mat comparos commences as the Spec AP-UD1 arrives.
I'm somewhat at the extreme of my VTF adjust on my tonearm to accommodate it's 1.6mm thickness (versus 7mm of Hexmat Absolute).
My findings with the Spec going against the general positive consensus on forums, I'm finding it's somewhat coloured, not what I was expecting at all.
Almost every track I listened to had some aspect of playback that drew attention to itself.
My biggest criticism is one I was not expecting, somewhat muted dynamics, putting it more in the box that my Acoustic Revive RTS-30 mat fits in.
And that lack of dynamics informed every aspect of its presentation.
Shown up reverting to the Hexmat Absolute and the Stack Serene mats.
Also, some colouration in the mids that really speaks of a lack of transparency and neutrality.
Not what I was expecting at all.

Interesting subject . Maybe you could post some Dropbox files to share the sound,

 

[spiritofmusic]

Interesting subject . Maybe you could post some Dropbox files to share the sound,

I'm not the best person to drop videos online, I don't think my recording gear would really do these comparisons much credit.

 

[spiritofmusic]

A bit of an addendum to my comparisons. Because of the extremes of VTA demands going from the 2mm Spec/Teac Washi to to 7mm Hexmat Absolute, I've just installed another 2g Alphason cartridge isolator, now four in total. Each isolator is 2mm thick, so this additional 2mm gives me more latitude on getting down to the 2mm thickness of the Spec/Teac Washi combination.
I've also worked hard at total setup of my TT/arm/cart overall, so I'm genuinely doing each mat justice in judging overall SQ impressions.
And an interesting development, the Spec/Teac Washi has gone from being somewhat underwhelming to maybe the best performer.
I'm currently eeking out more musical goodness, definitely more resolution in the high end but maintaining good tone density lower down.
Somewhat a hybrid of the best attributes of the Hexmat (resolution and drive) and Stack (tone density and warmth), with some added unique positives in the presentation.
Just as I was about to return the Spec...lol.

 

[Paul1960]

Interesting subject . Maybe you could post some Dropbox files to share the sound,

I purchased the Stack Mat and Serene Weight and updated the needledrops that I posted in https://www.whatsbestforum.com/thre...t-clamp-comparisons.41518/page-2#post-1087080 with those results. You want to look for VER10-VER13 to see different recordings of the Stack gear with and without a ring clamp and the Les Davis Soul Mat. I only did these tests on the "Matsushima-Ondo" track. You can access those needledrops directly here and you will need to reference the "Code for Turntable Mat Tests.txt" file to understand the results.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wk6d...ey=6cocoqmuvwyeuqipo8z115u0z&st=voscaugz&dl=0

The 5 mm Achromat and the Stack Mat and Serene Weight are very close and you can hear the Achromat with the Serene weight in VER8 and VER9. Currently I am using the Stack Mat, Serene Weight and underneath the Les Davis Soul Mat so I guess that is where my preferences came out. That the Stack Mat is good makes little sense since the record is elevated less than 1mm above the mat by 4 little nubs but I still liked it.

Using a ring clamp makes the single biggest difference in the sound quality with any of the mats I tried. With the Stack Mat a ring clamp would seem to defeat the mat design because the record rests on 4 little nubs but I heard that as being better there too. However I find putting a ring clamp on so cumbersome and time consuming that I only do it for warped records. If you are going for ultimate sonic quality I think using a ring clamp is probably the best thing you can do and there are third party clamps available for turntables that don't offer one as an option.

And finally, in my opinion, there is no point in listening to these needledrops on anything other than a high end system or good headphones. The differences are real but subtle.

 

[spiritofmusic]

I purchased the Stack Mat and Serene Weight and updated the needledrops that I posted in https://www.whatsbestforum.com/thre...t-clamp-comparisons.41518/page-2#post-1087080 with those results. You want to look for VER10-VER13 to see different recordings of the Stack gear with and without a ring clamp and the Les Davis Soul Mat. I only did these tests on the "Matsushima-Ondo" track. You can access those needledrops directly here and you will need to reference the "Code for Turntable Mat Tests.txt" file to understand the results.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wk6d...ey=6cocoqmuvwyeuqipo8z115u0z&st=voscaugz&dl=0

The 5 mm Achromat and the Stack Mat and Serene Weight are very close and you can hear the Achromat with the Serene weight in VER8 and VER9. Currently I am using the Stack Mat, Serene Weight and underneath the Les Davis Soul Mat so I guess that is where my preferences came out. That the Stack Mat is good makes little sense since the record is elevated less than 1mm above the mat by 4 little nubs but I still liked it.

Using a ring clamp makes the single biggest difference in the sound quality with any of the mats I tried. With the Stack Mat a ring clamp would seem to defeat the mat design because the record rests on 4 little nubs but I heard that as being better there too. However I find putting a ring clamp on so cumbersome and time consuming that I only do it for warped records. If you are going for ultimate sonic quality I think using a ring clamp is probably the best thing you can do and there are third party clamps available for turntables that don't offer one as an option.

And finally, in my opinion, there is no point in listening to these needledrops on anything other than a high end system or good headphones. The differences are real but subtle.

"The differences are real but subtle", pretty much the words one can use so often making changes in this hobby. Not sure what can be gauged from my experience, but initially contrasts were pretty broad, both the Stack Serene and Hexmat Absolute seemed to handily beat my current Acoustic Revive RTS-30. The Stack Serene stabilizer puck was particularly a knock out in terms of how much of an improvement it wrought.
Then the differences between all three mats seemed quite stark.
Going into the second week of listening quite an interesting phenomenon of the sound of the mats converging became consistent, the differences still apparent, but all three mats bringing a lot of goodness to bear, preferences became overall more difficult to be absolute on.
Then finally an initial misfire on hearing the best from the Spec mat, effectively the fourth one now in my possession, which flipped a 180 in positivity once I got my setup correct to accommodate it's thinness compared to the other mats.
This is now the mat taking a distinct lead against the others. But despite it being hugely impressive, it's not night and day versus the others.
What it is particularly succeeding at is maximizing detail retrieval, especially low level cues and reverbs, while being great at tone density. What I call "airy *and* grounded".
All the while staying very neutral and transparent, no aspect of frequency bands are highlighted or spotlit in any way.
So, "the differences are real but subtle" is very true, but getting these positives in an already maxxed out TT rig means that subtle can also be dramatic.
Of course, in a week's time, I may find the healthy lead the Spec currently has is pared back, one of the other mats comes again to the fore.
But as things stand, the Spec is doing "real but subtle" in the most pleasing way possible.

 

[spiritofmusic]

I purchased the Stack Mat and Serene Weight and updated the needledrops that I posted in https://www.whatsbestforum.com/thre...t-clamp-comparisons.41518/page-2#post-1087080 with those results. You want to look for VER10-VER13 to see different recordings of the Stack gear with and without a ring clamp and the Les Davis Soul Mat. I only did these tests on the "Matsushima-Ondo" track. You can access those needledrops directly here and you will need to reference the "Code for Turntable Mat Tests.txt" file to understand the results.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wk6d...ey=6cocoqmuvwyeuqipo8z115u0z&st=voscaugz&dl=0

The 5 mm Achromat and the Stack Mat and Serene Weight are very close and you can hear the Achromat with the Serene weight in VER8 and VER9. Currently I am using the Stack Mat, Serene Weight and underneath the Les Davis Soul Mat so I guess that is where my preferences came out. That the Stack Mat is good makes little sense since the record is elevated less than 1mm above the mat by 4 little nubs but I still liked it.

Using a ring clamp makes the single biggest difference in the sound quality with any of the mats I tried. With the Stack Mat a ring clamp would seem to defeat the mat design because the record rests on 4 little nubs but I heard that as being better there too. However I find putting a ring clamp on so cumbersome and time consuming that I only do it for warped records. If you are going for ultimate sonic quality I think using a ring clamp is probably the best thing you can do and there are third party clamps available for turntables that don't offer one as an option.

And finally, in my opinion, there is no point in listening to these needledrops on anything other than a high end system or good headphones. The differences are real but subtle.

I've toyed with a periphery ring, but there are too many ways I can snag my cart, and weight is out of bounds, especially factoring in the mat and puck as well.
If it was practical to use, I'm sure I'd still be using my ring.

 

[Paul1960]

"The differences are real but subtle", pretty much the words one can use so often making changes in this hobby. Not sure what can be gauged from my experience, but initially contrasts were pretty broad, both the Stack Serene and Hexmat Absolute seemed to handily beat my current Acoustic Revive RTS-30. The Stack Serene stabilizer puck was particularly a knock out in terms of how much of an improvement it wrought.
Then the differences between all three mats seemed quite stark.
Going into the second week of listening quite an interesting phenomenon of the sound of the mats converging became consistent, the differences still apparent, but all three mats bringing a lot of goodness to bear, preferences became overall more difficult to be absolute on.
Then finally an initial misfire on hearing the best from the Spec mat, effectively the fourth one now in my possession, which flipped a 180 in positivity once I got my setup correct to accommodate it's thinness compared to the other mats.
This is now the mat taking a distinct lead against the others. But despite it being hugely impressive, it's not night and day versus the others.
What it is particularly succeeding at is maximizing detail retrieval, especially low level cues and reverbs, while being great at tone density. What I call "airy *and* grounded".
All the while staying very neutral and transparent, no aspect of frequency bands are highlighted or spotlit in any way.
So, "the differences are real but subtle" is very true, but getting these positives in an already maxxed out TT rig means that subtle can also be dramatic.
Of course, in a week's time, I may find the healthy lead the Spec currently has is pared back, one of the other mats comes again to the fore.
But as things stand, the Spec is doing "real but subtle" in the most pleasing way possible.

Once your analog rig gets to a certain level tweaking the mat/weight combination is clearly the best bang for the buck that you can achieve. The frustration (as with most things in high end audio) is that there is no one "best" solution. Synergy and personal preferences are big factors. Trying multiple combinations of gear can quickly add up to a more significant investment but for $320 shipped I think the Stack Serene Mat and Weight are a great place for most audiophiles to start their journey. Both have unique design features that rationalize why they might sound better.

 

[Balle Clorin]

I suspect the differences from mats that stems from isolation/reflection/ feedback and microphony are subtle and detectable only if you are very accustomed to the system and the room played in . Still some recorded differences may present such as crosstalk and VTA affect on frequency response, and both can be measured and audible. But I use mostly microridge cartridges which seen little objectively and audible effected by VTA changes, but clearly affected by Azimuth, and Azimuth may change with a math or isolation change.

I will listen to the recording on headphones,and Accuphase/Revel gear,.. but I fear my aged ears are true limitation here..So any test record tracks recoding of single tone , silent groove , sweep may help on quantifying changes in rumble, isolation and motor noise etc

 

[spiritofmusic]

Once your analog rig gets to a certain level tweaking the mat/weight combination is clearly the best bang for the buck that you can achieve. The frustration (as with most things in high end audio) is that there is no one "best" solution. Synergy and personal preferences are big factors. Trying multiple combinations of gear can quickly add up to a more significant investment but for $320 shipped I think the Stack Serene Mat and Weight are a great place for most audiophiles to start their journey. Both have unique design features that rationalize why they might sound better.

Agreed on the Stack combo, IMHO the Serene Stabilizer puck is an absolute marvel.

 

[spiritofmusic]

I suspect the differences from mats that stems from isolation/reflection/ feedback and microphony are subtle and detectable only if you are very accustomed to the system and the room played in . Still some recorded differences may present such as crosstalk and VTA affect on frequency response, and both can be measured and audible. But I use mostly microridge cartridges which seen little objectively and audible effected by VTA changes, but clearly affected by Azimuth, and Azimuth may change with a math or isolation change.

I will listen to the recording on headphones,and Accuphase/Revel gear,.. but I fear my aged ears are true limitation here..So any test record tracks recoding of single tone , silent groove , sweep may help on quantifying changes in rumble, isolation and motor noise etc

Yes, these are items to complete one's sound, to optimise what you've worked towards.
For me, I've been on a bit of a trek to eliminate or at least ameliorate a certain harshness or graininess in my sound.
When I read on here that Montesquieu described my sound when he tried the Reso-mat that came as stock with my TT on his rig, I knew then this was absolutely an area I had to improve upon.
Now I have *four* solutions to this problem, all of them wholly positive.
With the Spec AP-UD1 mat on Teac Washi sub-mat utilizing Stack Serene Stabilizer puck as being *that bit more* positive than the others.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Several days into continuous use of Spec AP-UD1 mat on Teac Washi paper sub-mat, with Stack Serene stabilizer puck.
This combo is really casting an amazing magic on my LP sound.
Music is busier and denser, which would be bad if the tone was off, or there was a false edge, euphonic warmth or exaggerated dynamics.
But that's not the case at all. I'm getting a more detailed sound, lots of cues, trails, reverb etc, but everything full and tonally dense, with no detriment to speed and dynamics.
And critically other than awareness of this, my ear isn't drawn to any aspect of frequency bands etc, suggesting a highly neutral presentation.
So, where the Stack Serene and Acoustic Revive RTS-30 mats major on fuller tone, and the Hexmat Absolute mat majors on detail and speed, and one is aware that these mats don't do tone, detail and speed *all* equally well, it's readily apparent the Spec mat/Teac sub mat/Stack stabilizer is not so much a jack of all trades, but rather, master of all.
Hugely hugely impressed.