Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Herbie's Audio Lab Herbie's Way Excellent Turntable Mat Accessory by slbenz

Model:	Herbie's Way Excellent Turntable Mat
Category:	Accessory
Suggested Retail Price:	$44.95
Description:	Turntable Mat
Manufacturer URL:	Herbie's Audio Lab
Model Picture:	View

Review by slbenz on June 03, 2004 at 20:13:56
IP Address: 24.6.36.152

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for the Herbie's Way Excellent Turntable Mat

Was looking on the Internet to find a replacement mat for my stock felt mat for my Pro-Ject 1.2 turntable. Couldn't stand the static, sticking and ripple problems with the stock felt mat. Found Herbie's Way Excellent Turntable Mat and looking at the various reviews, decided to give it a try. The mat comes with very detailed and easy to read instruction manual that is customized with your name on it. The mat was very easy to install. No bubble problems, static or sticking problems with the installation.
Now for the moment of truth. The first LP I used was Kool and the Gangs, Emergency which has good bass and mid runs to test the mat. This mat actually produced more low bass, mids and treble than the stock felt mat. Also, whether the turntable was on or off, it was very easy to lift the LP off the mat. Unlike my stock felt mat which always sticks to the LP due to static. Herbie's mat looks like the top of it is black perforated rubber while the base is a flexible white foam core. I can tell you it lays very flat on my platter, much more so than my stock felt mat. Next I tried Stevie Wonder's Hotter Than July to test for mids and highs. Voices came in clearer with more authority. Background voices were better heard as well as rendering crisper and cleaner highs. This was especially so with the sound of the fallen glass on the song, "Do Like You", where the children's voices can be heard while they are playing.
Thickness of this mat is the same as my stock felt mat. This means I didn't have to adjust my tonearm for a different mat thickness. Overall sound was much more balanced with approximately a 1-2dB increase in sound using my Radio Shack SPL meter. I believe much of the increase can be attributed to the increase in low bass sound. The low bass was much more extended and tighter than stock. The overall sound for my Pro-Ject turntable is closer to a live performance than ever before. I would estimate that the performance difference added about 15-20% to the turntable.
The beauty of purchasing this mat is two-fold. First, the return policy, you have 90 days to return the mat if you do not like it in any way. Second, Herbie has a lifetime warranty if the mat fails. You can't go wrong purchasing this mat. Judging from the quality of workmanship, I do not expect to use their warranty. It is constructed very well.
To conclude, this mat is an inexpensive upgrade that everyone with a stock felt mat should try. You have nothing to lose if you don't like the performance of the mat. Hope this information is helpful to you.

Product Weakness: Maybe for some the color of the white foam base.
Product Strengths: Gives a better overall balance to the sound. More extended bass and treble with a closer live performance sound. Warranty and return policy.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Parasound HCA-1205A
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Parasound AVC-1800
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Pro-Ject 1.2 with Sumiko Oyster Cartridge
Speakers:	Eminent Technology LFT-IV
Cables/Interconnects:	Cobalt Cable
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	R&B
Room Size (LxWxH):	14 x 18 x 16
Room Comments/Treatments:	Carpeted floor on cement slab
Time Period/Length of Audition:	1 day
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Monster HTS-1000 Power Conditioner
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	Maybe for some the color of the white foam base.
Product Strengths:	Gives a better overall balance to the sound. More extended bass and treble with a closer live performance sound. Warranty and return policy.