Having listened to many different platter mats in our R & D, we’ve found that the problem with most is that they only work over a specific frequency range. Meaning that they do little to help absorb frequencies within other important ranges. It’s obvious that when you try different mat materials under your records, they contribute to the characteristics of the sound in very different ways. Some heighten detail at the expense of warmth and bass. Some produce a wonderfully impressive transparent sound but kick deep bass into the long grass. Others are the opposite, with great bass but a loss of clarity and a murky treble.

The only way to solve this issue is to use multiple materials arranged so they improve all aspects of sound quality such as detail retrieval, decay, mid-band transparency, separation, and deep dynamic bass. Producing a mat that betters other mats in every respect is not easy and has taken many years of patient and expensive research. However, the results have proven to be spectacular so we are now offering a new level of performance for all turntables which can accept a 5mm thick mat. Bear in mind that you will remove your existing mat; so for many decks with say a 2mm thick felt mat, the increase in record height is only 3mm.

As a rule, the parts of a turntable closest to the cartridge have a far more significant influence on performance than items further away (due to energy dissipation). To dissipate energy quickly and effectively near the cartridge demands fast energy transmission and absorption. But as discussed before, no single material can effectively dissipate the whole spectrum of vibration produced by your cartridge. The multi-layer approach dissipates energy from the cartridge over a large area, then absorbs the different frequencies using various sub-layers of different materials specifically selected to handle particular frequency ranges. When this is carried out successfully there is a huge improvement in clarity and timing in your music. Smearing and artefacts in your replay are significantly reduced, allowing you to hear deep into the musical mix and hear hitherto unnoticed aspects of the music.

The asking price of £295 may seem a lot to invest for a mat, but in the context of the improvement it brings, you could spend far more on a cartridge and still not achieve anything like the same level of benefit. Cartridges are also short-lived in comparison to a platter mat. If you are in doubt about these claims, we invite you to hear the “Strata” for yourself. The mat is offered with a 1-month guarantee. If you are not immediately impressed, simply return it for a full refund. With nothing to lose, why not try it for yourself?