(Customer
question) “Hello! Just one quick question: How can a simple mat
change the sound of a turntable? Sorry if that sounds too skeptical or
simplistic, but just curious! Michael”
Well, if that doesn’t ask it all!
We all flounder about things we cannot actually see
– that doesn’t mean they do not happen,
(flat earth / round earth?) so here goes:
The most significant thing to realize about analogue is that once you
lose any information, it is lost FOREVER; you can NEVER get it back.
..and how easy it is to lose that information?
Well, the information in the groove is actually smaller than the wavelength
of light. Diamond styli are more sensitive than Lasers which are clumsy.
It’s that easy!
The term “Groove Grinder” is really quite
apt. The stylus traces the grooves, it actually sets up a musical pressure
reaction in the vinyl. On a poor mat, (felt, rubber, glass) these pressure
vibrations remain in the record bouncing around and muddling up the sound.
So, retrieving our signal is a really delicate task.
A well-designed mat actually forms a path for the vibrations to travel
away from the record. It tricks pressure waves into thinking that they
are in a much thicker record - That’s the first requirement.
Now
we’ve got to loose this pressure wave energy. Achromat does so by using bubbles.
Just as in a quality sponge bed mattress, which both supports and damps,
as the thin bubble walls flex in Achromat, it is easy for the energy to
be damped out.
Sitting a couple of millimeters below the stylus the
mat has a very important job to do. Achromat’s improvements are
instantaneous.
So, now you know.
Bettering all previous mats and platters, even Pink
Triangle’s original acrylic, Achromat’s reputation keeps growing;
first and foremost because it really works.
Achromat (“Achro”: without colour), simply
replaces the felt mat, such as found on Linn LP12s - or while you’re
at it, any other turntable.
Not only do you have the opportunity to do this upgrade yourself, you
evaluate it repeatedly in seconds…trust us you will not believe
your ears. It works. It’s embarrassing.
An upgrade for £60.00 (5mm plus p&p), is it cost effective? We defy
you to find anything that comes close for that amount of money.