Felt or Tray Covers?
Felt slips and cork platter mats have distinct advantages.
Advantages of felt slips:
1. Aesthetics and customization: Felt slips are available in a wide range of customizable colors, patterns, and designs, making them ideal for decorating a turntable or a musical environment.
2. Flexibility and versatility: Their polyester fiber material is flexible and effectively protects records from scratches and friction.
They are suitable for multiple uses. DJs generally opt for ultra-thin felt slips for scratching and technical mixing due to their lightness and optimal glide.
Vinyl record enthusiasts can choose a classic felt slip for a good compromise between aesthetics and performance. For standard use, a felt slip with a thickness of 2mm will be sufficient in most cases. Audiophile listening, however, will require a thicker felt slip of 3mm.
3. Affordable price: Felt slips are generally less expensive than cork platter mats, while offering basic protection and effective reduction of mechanical vibrations.
Advantages of platter mats:
1. Superior acoustic qualities: Cork improves sound reproduction by reducing resonances and parasitic vibrations, offering a more neutral, warmer, and precise listening experience.
2. Antistatic properties: Unlike extremely thin felt slips, cork limits the accumulation of static electricity.
3. Vibration absorption: It effectively absorbs platter vibrations, preserving and improving sound dynamics without alteration.
4. Record protection: Cork reduces the risk of scratches and protects vinyl records from dust and dirt.
5. Aesthetics and durability: The material is visually appealing and acquires a beautiful patina over time, although it can be fragile and sensitive to heat sources. When exposed to the sun, the edge of the platter mat may warp slightly. Simply flip it over and place it under a heavy book to restore its original shape.
These characteristics make it an ideal choice for audiophiles seeking an affordable sound improvement.
Characteristics of felt slips:
To meet specific needs, felt slips made from high-quality, high-density polyester fibers are available in three distinct thicknesses:
- 0.8mm (0.031 in) | Weight: 10g (9oz)
- 2.0mm (0.09 in) | Weight: 38g (16oz)
- 3.0mm (0.125 in) | Weight: 54g (21oz)
The diameter of 29.85cm (11.75”) is identical
The choice of a felt slip for a turntable depends on several essential criteria:
- Absorption of mechanical vibrations emitted by the platter
- Optimization of sound reproduction
- The slip of the felt on the platter, essential for mixing and/or scratching
The following data is indicative and may vary slightly from one turntable brand to another
Characteristics of platter mats:
Many platter mats seen online are primarily made in Asia by agglomeration of cork sawdust and rubber particles. They are easily recognized by their smooth appearance dotted with small black specks. This is fine-grain cork, also intended for printing.
In Portugal, cork manufacturers more seriously recommend the use of medium-grain cork, which is thicker for insulating static electricity and absorbing mechanical vibrations.
To perfect the process, the platter mats are covered with cork oak bark.
Two layers of cork are thus assembled to a thickness of 3mm.
The visible side is made of cork oak bark (1.5mm) and the back side of medium-grain cork (1.5mm).
This particularity also helps eliminate "rumble" (very low-frequency vibration that causes a humming sound effect).
These platter mats, cut and shaped by hand to a diameter of 29.6cm (11.65"), contain no additives or impurities. Their standard diameter will fit most turntable brands.
Hypoallergenic, they do not absorb dust and do not cause allergies.
Thanks to their honeycomb (Cacia, Oliveira, Rio Meao, Sao Paio, Teranova models) or smoothed (Beja, Cuba, Evora, Prado models) structure, they are less affected by friction than other hard surfaces.
They will be remarkably wear-resistant without damaging your vinyl records.
A rigid and dense product with multiple natural qualities, its mechanical resistance and vibration absorption rate improve sound reproduction while preserving and enhancing dynamics.
A range of 9 artisanal, original and unique platter mats!
