Review recently published by the absolute sound Feb/Mar 2004 "....With the None Felt, expect further reductions in groove noise, deeper background silence, more air and presence, and better dynamic response. ....the sonic benefits on Narciso Yepes' Spanish Guitar Music of Five Centuries [DG], were just as described and in addition offered an even greater sense of musical coherence and low-level dynamic nuance, as well as a more immediate forward projection of the ound.....For the price of a single audiophile LP, replacing your felt mat with either of these babies (i.e. Donut or Standard) -- Linn and other turntables with felt mats should benefit hugely too -- will get you that much closer to the music..."
"WOW! I just tried your mat on my Thorens TD 320 MK III with a Grado Sonata. It's like a whole new turntable. It sounds like a $1,000 upgrade, not a $35 one. Records I've been listening to for over 30 years have more detail than I ever imagined possible. The Grado has a very lively stylus. It doesn't jump around nearly as much now. I was using the AQ Sorbogel. That can now be retired and used as a dart board.
You may use this testimonial if you wish. Many thanks for a fine (and cheap!) product. Mark, North Liberty, IA"
"....(an interesting e-mail response regarding the Mystic mat)...Unfortunately...I have not had a chance to do any serious comparisons...the interesting thing is that NO ONE wants a $300 platter mat and our initial email sparked a bump in None Felt sales!! Pretty cool...huh???"
"Review recently published by www.videohifi.com (Italian Hi Fi webzine): "...To cut a long story short, it does the job that a good quality mat is supposed to. But it does it better than any other mat I've ever come across. I made a comparison with the Yves Cochet mat, which I've always considered the best among those I own, and the Donut came out of the match definitely proudly...the Donut delivers different levels of performances (appreciable anyway) depending on the layout and on the intrinsic quality of the turntable. It almost made me cry at miracle when placed upon an old, but still strong, price/quality ratio champion like the Sansui SR 222 MKII. It has showed impressing results with a Fidelity Research Professional...The Donut has demonstrated its, I'd say, significant contribution to the top performance of a superb-breed turntable like the Thorens TD 124, while with another and more modern record player I regard as excellent, the Yamaha PX 3, the outcome, though rather significant, has been less outstanding. Placed upon the acrylic platter of an Empire/Benz 998LE, it just seemed to be born to be there, and the same with the Clearaudio Solution...."
"My system is so composed: Turntable "Source" arm "Fidelity Research FR64S" "DENON DL103" phono "AudioNote" preampli "Castiglia" amplifier "Shindo Cortese 300b" "Altec Valencia" and "Sublima" cables. I have bought the "Donut" for curiosity and because I was fed up to see my fingers on the table in bronze and brass. I now sell it in Italy for the Extremephono!!!!!!! What does it change with the "Donut?" Greater control of the lower part, increase of the detail, the musicians have the correct space between them, the three dimensionality increases in depth. In Italy my customers named it "magic carpet". Me, when they ask me to summarize the result, I always say: THE QUIET AFTER THE STORM. For this price or 10 times more you cannot buy a "better improvement" for your beloved turntable.
Toniolo Dimitri - MAD FOR MUSIC - http://members.xoom.it/audiohifi SOLE AGENT FOR ITALY "
"Hey, everyone...
I have tried the AQ mat (way too sticky, I had the feeling the vinyl was being "glued" as I pried the records off), the Ring Mat (flimsy and sterile sounding), and of course the standard felt job that came with the Rega.
They all failed. That is, they didn't add to the equation and, in some cases, helped to subtract.
The very best mat I have found is made by a gentleman named Casey Ng who runs a company called Extreme Phono. The "donut mat" Strabo refers to is a version of his "Non-Felt" mat, it also comes in a full size (the one I have) for Regas and such.
I wasn't expecting that much. Boy was I surprised. Much tighter bass and crystal clear highs and mids. It was really noticeable to me..anyway, check it out at the link Strabo posted.
(Disclaimer: I don't know Casey personally, nor do I have an interest in his company, other than seeing a good product that should be rewarded with successful sales)"
"A friend of mine needed a replacement mat for his 25 year old AR-XB turntable with Sure V15-III cartridge. We purchased and installed your Donut mat. Your mat > made a stunning improvement to the sound of his system. He is very satisfied. Easily a $300 sound improvement for $35.
"Tasos Syrigos and I were given two mats to test
on our turntables. Both systems being different in how they absorb shock and
sound. My description will be on my Acoustic Solid "The Machine",
connected to Synergistic 'Resolution Active X' interconnects and an Accuphase
phono stage.
At first sight the rubber adhesive, looking contraption, seems smooth on both
sides, but in reality it is not. The one side uses rubber spherical bubbles to
stick to the metal plate and the other is smooth yet pulls the album in to make
the connection between the vinyl and the needle more sturdy, precise and quick.
This, in turn, makes the music sound deeper and more thorough. I would like to
think that something like this does not hold true, but one test with this
product will undoubtedly only make you a believer rather than the opposite. With
my test albums I could hear detail multi-layered, plump, detailed bass with
heated midrange, sweeter highs. The clock on my Japanese cut 'Dark side of the
Moon', was thunderous in the grandfather clock rather than subdued as it was
before. For my classical music collection the baby grand piano sounded rounder
and melodious, resonance was less and hum was down.
The overall substance of this mat is in essence the outcome that comes from the
needle feeling the album, and not just touching it to retrieve the analogue
signal. After this it either reports the signal or sweetly transport it to your
speakers. The rest is magic."
"Aloha From Hawaii! I just installed (?!) the Donut Mat on my Systemdek IIX and all I can say is, "WOW!!!" Having tried so many different mats over the years (I usually use them for awhile and end up selling or giving them away), I was frankly very skeptical that it would work. I was using a Rega P3 felt mat with a JA Mitchell clamp on the Sys; the stock wool mat is worthless (threw it away) and the Audioquest Sorbothane Mat made everything sound dead and overdamped. I was resigned to living with the glare that the mat had, which the clamp could tame but not eliminate. I cued up the first disc with the Donut and the JA and was unimpressed. It sounded a little better than the P3 but not by much. I was disappointed. On a whim, I removed the clamp and played the disc again and BAM!!! The music slapped me between the ears. My humble SYS sounded more like a Linn (I've owned three LP12s of varying vintages) than I've ever heard it before. The low end extended at least another octave and a half, the midrange evened out and the highs extended without hash! There was detail galore! The high end glare and hardness was GONE! But most importantly, the MUSIC SWINGS AGAIN!!! That was the one endearing quality to the felt mat that kept me coming back to it, despite its many flaws. Now I have the best of both worlds!!! The Donut mat is truly AMAZING and is certainly the best thing to happen to my system in years!!! I am currently "discovering" my records all over again!!! Thank you so much for such an OUTSTANDING PRODUCT that also happens to be an OUTSTANDING VALUE!!!"
"I really do love your new mat. The music is much more communicative. I have been literally rediscovering my treasured vinyl collection. The improvement reaches beyond that, it's a transformation. Performances sound much more real. I guess you know all that. Thank you for the biggest upgrade I have made in many years! My CD system is barely used. Please send a quote on Carbon graphite upgrade. Thanks again."
"Taking so much pleasure from a 25$ gadget on a
15,000$ system is always a more than a welcomed surprise.
I will not bother you with details; the ...mat does everything just right and
has a remarkable balance all over the audio spectrum. The heights are extended
and smooth; the mid is silky and refined with excellent voice articulation; the
low end tight yet full bodied and holographic; all these with lots of air around
instruments and voices, a fact that is giving you a sense of the real thing
happening in your living room. One other thing that really amazed me with the
...mat was the presentation on original pressings; you can easily hear all the
inner detail and atmosphere of the original recording.
Last but not least; with the ...mat I had an amazing sense of space and focus,
the depths and soundstage were huge; the instruments; voices and backing vocals
were set up ideally; I really wonder what more can somebody expect from a 25$
gadget?"
"......I've done a lot of upgrades to my Linn over
the years so here goes
with my personal socks rating.
First, a mid 80s Valhalla LP12 is, IMHO, not all *that*
much different
from a current, top spec model. What you have is great value; but
if you shell out for *all* the upgrades, it'll cost a lot and be
poor value.
I changed from Basik Plus arm to Ittok (on another tt
in fact) and
that *does* rate a full pair of socks, blown right out of the window.
There are many good arms around that will also be a substantial
upgrade over the Basik Plus....
I suggest the Cirkus mod will blow one sock off.....
Lingo (or equivalent): I suggest this will blow the
other sock half
off. IMO, at the price, poor value. I *suspect*, but don't *know*,
that the OL DC conversion might give you more for less money.
I've saved the best things for last.... Here are two mods
that really
have blown my socks right off, and they are much cheaper than any
of the above. The sock-per-buck ratio is (in my view) phenomenal.
....The Donut mat. Makes things stop and start quicker,
more cleanly,
without blurring. Improves the resolution and definition of the
system. Improves dynamics. Doesn't mess up 'tonality'. As the
seller suggests, the change is similar in magnitude to a substantial
cartridge upgrade (in my opinion). Two socks blown off -
for about $20!......."
"A mini-review of EXTREMEPHONO TURNTABLE MAT (standard version) by Tim M.
The first thing I noticed with the Extemephono turntable mat was the lifelike
clarity and
naturalness in the mid-range, even very soft background sounds (voices or
instruments) had
a focus that made the music very engaging. Percussion sounds such as a stick
hitting a
snare drum, brushes on cymbals, or small bell sounds had an attack and decay
that
sounded very natural.
High frequencies were extended but never hard or edgy, as sometimes could be
the case
with my Ring-Mat. And the bass! I was amazed at how taut and tuneful this region
could
be. Being a jazz fan, a stand-up bass sounded spectacular. I don't know if this
is possible,
but it seemed as if the bass frequencies gained an extra half-octave of
extension with the
Extremephono mat in place.
I don't know how this mat achieves its incredibly high performance, maybe it
has something
to do with resonance control or energy transfer, I guess I don't really care,
all I know is what
my ears tell me. One more thing, about the noise floor, there is none. I mean
this mat makes
any reasonably clean and scratch free LP sound just about CD quiet. If a record
has a lot of
surface noise, this really breaks down the illusion of the recording for me, and
this is very dis-
tracting. With the Extremephono mat, this is no longer a problem.
I thought very highly of the Ring-Mat, but the Extremephono mat takes sound
to another
level for roughly one-third the price. It's sad, the Ring-Mat had it's place in
my system at one
time, but now it resides in a rarely used closet, which is, I guess, about as
close to being
thrown away as it will get."
"..... A few of us Spacedeck owners have been having problems with static buildup discharging itself with loud pops through the speakers when we remove records. I wondered if the foam mat NAS provides could be a problem, and thought I would try the Extremephono. At a fraction of the cost of a Ringmat, it seemed a reasonable gamble. Casey ships fast ?I ordered through his web site (involved registering through PayPal) on Monday, and received the mat in Friday’s mail........Whatever, the good news is that the donut is an improvement over the NAS issue mat in controlling the static. It is not perfect ?I still “squirt?each record with the Zerostat before playing ?but it is definitely an improvement. If I don’t use the Zerostat, I get the occasional pop, which may be from static already stored in the discs. However, I am now on my fifth side this morning, with nary a pop........Thickness is the same as the Spacedeck mat, as far as my simple calipers could tell, so I did not adjust for VTA, or VTF or skate..........Now, the main event: I bought this hoping to control static, but I am especially impressed by of the improvement in sound. On the Opus 3 Test Record 4, “Sweet Georgia Brown?cut, I immediately noted a new clarity on the wood block percussion. The bass of the Hammond organ chords were clearer (which I had not previously distinguished from the acoustic bass), as was the acoustic bass. There was also a deeper soundstage, with more “air?around the instruments. I was finally getting the sense of more coherence in the musical presentation and speakers disappearing, which I had been missing.....This increase in detail does not come at the expense of musicality. My new recording of Bill Evans? Moon Beams (RTI/Acoustic Sounds) gave similar detail, but the general impression was of a more forward presence. Although my Spacedeck/Dynavector setup should already be “pacey? the mat also improved PraT, and gave a very natural liveliness to the music....I listened to the Kind of Blue (Classic re-issue) on Saturday morning, so had to keep the volume down. I was impressed with the low level retrieval....So, for $25.00, a major improvement. The rest of my system is posted. I will be doing more listening and comparison, but felt these preliminary results were worth sharing. I hope this tweak is as helpful to other Spacedeck users (whose famously debauched New Owners parties belie a sophisticated discernment)!"
"I recently purchased your None-Felt turntable mat and was simply amazed at what I heard! I won't go into a lot of detail as to what I heard, because I read all the positive comments other audiophiles made in the comments section of your web site, and pretty much reflect what I experienced with your mat. Congrats on a truly groundbreaking product that has done more for my system for the least amount of money than any other audio product I have purchased in the last 28 years of being an audiophile!"
Sam Tellig, August 2002 Stereophile, Pg. 35: "I did use the Donut version on my AR ES-1, which has inner and outer platters, like the Linn. I was quite impressed....The Extreme Phono None-Felt Mat did not sound warm and fuzzy. Yet the sound, with the Ortofon Kontrapunkt B, didn't lack definition and detail. Compared to the Ringmat I'd been using, I heard a richer, fuller sound, with less emphasis of detail and less surface noise......the Extreme Phono None-Felt Mat just did it - the mat sounded very, very right in my setup with a minimum of fuss....I can hardly wait to try the standard version on my Rega."
"I was looking for the finishing touches to my Audio Demonstration System. I needed the strings to sound more rich. It was important to me to have the overall performances of an eclectic music taste to be more holographic with a wider sound stage and the feeling as if I was in the room, hall , studio or live stadium etc. I also needed greater resolution and if the "Audio Genie" could also give me more round, delineated bass I would be so ever grateful! I am and was using "state of the art equipment" and with a turntable that uses an acrylic platter (i.e.. "Well Tempered" highly modified Classic-Reference Turntable, "Sounds of Silence" Cartridge, " Tom Evans Audio Design" Line Stage Pre-amp the VIBE and the " Tom Evans Audio Design" Phono Stage Pre-Amp the GROOVE). Along came the Non-Felt Record Mat at a "donut" price of $28. I put it on the turntable and with great surprise and astonishment I found that it gave me everything that I had been looking for and more!!!!!!!!! The finishing touches were achieved! I expected to have to adjust anti-skate, VTA etc. but to my great joy I ended up needing to do nothing. This was a trip to "Audio Heaven". I highly recommend this product. I am an independent Audio Consultant in Los Angeles, California and my e-mail is Audioomniscience@aol.com. Sincerely, Ed Sheftel"
"I received your mat and put it on my Rega Planar3 (modified), Roksan Tabriz Zi, Grado Sonata setup. All I can say is, it's the single biggest bang for the buck I've ever experienced with my system. With no changes, not even to VTA (which I may tweak) the improvement in detail is incredible. The sound floor has disappeared. The sound stage has expanded greatly. Bass is improved and tighter. Instruments in the upper registers can be heard even in pp passages.
Forget about it sounding like a cartridge upgrade. Having made upgrades in every part of my system over the last year, I can only equate it in my experience to an upgrade in power chords, interconnects, speaker cable, amplifier (tube, of course), preamp, turntable, tonearm AND cartridge - all at once.
My wife, who also has a pretty good ear, was blown away, too. I only wish that all the other improvements I've made had cost so little. Real magic!"
"I recently received your donut mat for my LP12. I installed it last night, and I must say the initial results are very promising. Obviously, spending more time with the mat will be necessary to make a full determination. Much, much, much better than the Ringmat though, and against the felt mat, there is an obvious increase in the clarity, as if some fuzziness was removed from the sound, as well as a considerably blacker background."
"Well old chap-- I think you have done it-- the "donut cut-out" mat and flat side to disc is indeed an revelation-- I would not have believed such a difference--you are on to something there! Possibly the first contender to knock the venerable Linn felt off its perch---go for it."
"I have never experimented with different mats on the Linn, but did many years ago with various turntables/mates. Your mat changed the performance with the Linn in ways that I imagined it would, but it did not have some of the negative impact that I though it would have given its material. As I stated in a previous email, what I really notice is a focusing of the overall sound. Just gives a more controlled presentation. The sound is in no way constricted, just better controlled. I did not note any radical shifts in stage sound size or imagining. The tonal balance still remains good. Better focus resulting in increase detail and micro dynamics. I notice a slight decrease in macro dynamics (note, the Donut mat solves the dynamic problem), but given the increase in the micro area I consider this to be an acceptable shift in balance. This slight decrease in macro dynamics is indeed slight but for the ultimate slam-mongers this may not be acceptable. The mat also seems to reduce an annoying glare I get in the upper mid-range. It is still there but much less so. Bass information seems more controlled articulated. And an overall reduction in surface noise. I would like the mat if for no other reason that the static control characteristics. My first goal with vinyl is preservation and then sonic. And it looks cool on the platter. I give it a 'thumbs-up."
"I got my LP12 on ebay with Lingo/Aro and graphite armboard/ subchassis modification and a Ringmat Developments mat. I then bought a Lyra Helikon SL cartridge so I've got a very nice table. After convincing myself that I liked the greater definition of the Ringmat mat I lost track of my Linn felt mat which I became desperate to find when I started finding the Developments mat painful to listen to. Hence I was eager to try out your mat. I want to do some more listening but it seems to me that the music has taken flight and as you say does so effortlessly. I was listening to the Ives 4th Symphony (Leonard Bernstein) and was absolutely mesmerized."
"This mat in my view is one of the most significant improvements to the LP12 regardless of price."
"After listening to the Rega turntable for weeks with the stock mat, no
Creek 8SE and no aftermarket counter weight, I switched to the new mat,
counterweight, and Creek.. I could immediately sense a difference in the sound.
At the time I wasn't sure what exactly changed, but I could sense that it was an
improvement. I waited until a few days later and listened again. This time I did
more critical listening. I auditioned "Stitt Plays Bird" and noticed
greater detail than before. The album "Melt Torme and George
Shearing," had more life to it as well. I also listened to Gabor Szabo and
Bobby Womack, Potrait of Bill Evans and 'Davis Cup" by Walter Davis. In
each of these records the improvement was obvious, more life, more detail,
greater pace and dynamics. (imaging stayed about the same, which was decent).
This combination actually plays louder than I remember the standard set-up
without the Creek playing.
While I cannot say that it was solely the mat that caused these great
improvements, I can say that the mat helped. My stock rega mat was poorly
constructed (it appeared to be lopsided), and I noticed more static coming from
records played on it. This mat keeps the records firmly in place much better
than the stock Rega mat. I
live in a very dusty house and it seems that dust settles on furniture and my
audio equipment within minutes after you dust them off, this mat insures that
some of that dust does not wind up back on the platter. In additions to these
observations, the mat simply looks cool! It is very attractive on the platter.
All and all I would say it was $32.00 well spent. At first I was going to switch
my platter to one of the after market glass platters, but after hearing the
system as it is currently set up I recognize that a glass platter is a luxury
that I don't need. I am completely satisfied with my table as is. The new mat
has something to do with that!"
"Just to let you have my tuppence worth on this mat.
As soon as I read Des´s original letter, I was interested if only because here
in the Canaries static is a real problem and every, but every LP I lift off my
LP12 after listening comes with a felt mat attached. So I thought I would try
the do-nut if only to see what happened so that very same day I ordered one. (30
dollars inc. postage to here).
First of all, it arrived yesterday (Yes, folks, 4 days from California to the
Canaries, I still can´t believe it.
Secondly, gone is my static problem. The impression is that the mat is slightly
tacky but I do not detect any residue on the LP after lifting off, but there
again I haven´t got a microscope!
Thirdly, I cannot believe the difference it has made to the sound. Noticeable
after 10 seconds playing time the airiness and clarity of drumsticks and brushes
caressing cymbals on say Carol Kidd and Jacques Loussier is astounding, and bass
is much firmer and less one note, just better all over. Maybe my set up was in
need of a overhaul or my hearing is not up to much, but something has definitely
happened and to me it seems very desirable so I can only recommend a trial to
see if it does for you what I believe it is doing for me."
" I have been meaning to send you an email.
Your donut mat is fantastic!!
I hear all the detail as good as (or better than) the Ringmat, BUT with all the wonderful emotional
impact of the music as well, truly a double winner for me!! The Donut None-Felt mat reveals so
much of the emotion in singer's voices that I had been missing with both the Ringmat and the Linn
felt mat.
Even my wife and her friend could easily perceive the improvements!! "
"Got my 3 mats today, two donuts and a standard (which I got to try on
my 3rd turntable, an automatic Technics--seldom used for obvious reasons).
The MMF-7 is in my main system, and your donut mat raised performance up
an absolute notch. In fact, I would now compare the sound of this
relatively inexpensive turntable (under $1200) with your donut mat to my MF Nu-vista
CD player. Absolute delineation of spatial/sonic images, which leads
to natural 3-D effect, and less fatigue. Bass tight and natural too.
When I went back to the clamp and felt mat I heard this haze subtly
smearing the images.
Main Set-up:
Musical Fideity Nu-Vista M3 Integ. Amp.
Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista CD
Triangle Celius speakers
MMF-7 w/ Goldring MC
Analysis Plus copper oval 9 speaker cable
Analysis Plus & Kimber interconnects, power cords
API power wedge 116
The MMF 5 showed similar improvements with your donut mat and, maybe
surprisingly, so did the Technics, which went from almost unbearably strident to
not bad.
Anyway, I'm very glad I read Sam's column this month. My main set-up with
the MMF-7 is capable of showing the resolution of your donut mat. Thanks
for a great product!"