Comments
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Reviews/ Comments |
Robert Simpson, Ohio
"My first impression with the mat (Way Excellent II) is that it takes my humble vintage AR turntable to another level. It's like I upgraded to a $1500 table. Everything is much more focused and musical. I love it."
Robert Stein, The Cable Company
"Herbie's 'Way Excellent' mat is one of the least expensive upgrades for any turntable, and one that outperforms virtually any other mat available -- no kidding. This mat makes transients sharper, decays more sustained, tightens bass response, lowers the noise floor, enhances imaging depth, and harmonically enriches the midrange all at the same time. Ask any of the Cable Company consultants about this -- we all use the Herbie's mats in our own systems!"
Michael Dubrow, Sedona, Arizona
My Linn LP12 is 23 years old, but is fully updated with Keel/Tampolin suspension, Ekos tonearm and Akiva Cartridge, etc. But man, I CAN'T BELIEVE how great it sounds with your new mat. You took perfection of sound to a new level. Thank you."
Rich Brkich, Signature Sound
"As a long time Rega dealer, we have never been much of a fan of the ubiquitous felt turntable mat that comes with the well known Rega Planar series turntables. Herbie's Way Excellent Turntable Mat beats the pants off the Ringmat, felt mats and other mats. Finally! We have a well designed mat that is reasonably priced."
Warren Marshall, Australia
"I recently bought a Herbie's Way Excellent II Turntable Mat from you for use on my Linn LP12. I am very pleased with the improvement in detail which it provides, especially since it does not change the overall sound of the turntable (something which many other turntable mats do, as I'm sure you know)."
Robert Herman, Lyric HiFi
"I'm using them on my customized SP-10 MK II, which was using an Oracle hard mat and Goldmund clamp; and my STD 305D. Being in the high-end audio biz for 25 years I've seen lots of accessories come and go. This is easily the best mat I've used, much better than the Ringmat (which we sell), or the Oracle hard mat. It definitely sounds best without the clamp. Thanks much!"
Michael Lal, Bolton, Ontario
"Just recieved my Herbie's Way Excellent II (3mm) mat for my Thorens TD160 and let me just say one thing: "Wow!" I've noticed right away a more open wider soundstage, lower surface noise, better defined bass and cleaner midrange. The turntable just increased its value by a thousand bucks! Awesome product Steve, keep up the good work."
Robert Kernechel, Allentown, Pennsylvania
"I bought the Way Excellent II 2mm turntable mat for my Nottingham Horizon TT and it is fantastic. What an improvement in soundstage and depth! I also have tighter bass and more liquid highs. I was skeptical but this is the real deal."
Claybourne White, St. Charles, Illinois
"Thanks for the quick service, and for a product which, so far, seems like one I'll be happy with for a long time. I'd replaced the felt mat on my Music Hall MMF-7 with a Ringmat. Sonically good combination, but after a record change or two, the mat loved to stay with the record. Your mat sounds as good with no static problem. Wish I'd found it sooner. Had no idea what you had to offer until I read several posts on the Steve Hoffman site."
Grady Lewis, Virginia
"Bought your mat for my AR ES-1. Very pleased with it."
Adam Edwards, Altamont, New York
"The mat was delivered in yesterday's mail, perfectly packaged. Thanks a lot. Last night, I tried it out. My latest 'reference LP's' are Sonny Rollins 'Way Out West' and Shelby Lynne 'Just a Little Lovin'.
"I compared short three minute spins with each album first on my Rega felt and then on your mat. The music with your mat in place seemed cleaner and more realistic. Sonny's breath through the sax reed was more 'in the room,' and Shelby's voice seemed a bit less nasal and more 'alive.' I then sat back, and enjoyed a full side of Ella (Live in London), Graham Nash (Songs for Beginners), Cat Stevens (Tea for the Tillerman), and Dexter Gordon (Go !), and I was very impressed with how all the music seemed to sound better with the Herbie's mat. My initial reaction to your mat is a very good one, and I'm looking forward to more listening this weekend."
Bill Faust, Whitehall, Montana
"Steve, Just received my 'Herbie's Way Excellent II Turntable Mat.' First, I would like to thank you for your quick response. I ordered late Monday evening, and yet you responded that night to let me know that the mat would ship the next morning. Great service! I installed the mat on my Music Hall MMF 5.1, replaceing the stock felt mat. I am a budding audiophile and have been upgrading my audio system over the past several months. Because I am new, I still have difficulties explaining the differences that I hear with the various upgrades, but let me state unequivocally that the mat made a significant difference for the better. I can say that the bass is much cleaner and has more 'punch' without being overbearing.
"Can't wait to hear more of my collection on the mat."
Sean Heath, Golden Valley, Minnesota
Got the mat today and am amazed at the improvement. I could go on and on but the best example is mistaking the barking dog on the Temptation record by Holly Cole for one of my German Shepherds even though I have heard that track many times before. Well worth the money, thanks also for the quick service." (Way Excellent II-3.7mm, 285mm diameter mat with Technics SL-1200MK2.)
Joel Waterman, San Jose, California
"I had a RingMat 330 XLR on my Thorens (125 MkII). I did a number of A/B/A tests with the last track on Side 1 of Ben Webster/Joe Zawinul's 'Soulmates.' I found that the Ringmat displayed some brittleness around the treble which I did not experience with Herbie's mat. The midrange was less muddy than with the Ringmat. I found I could more clearly discern the piano lines. They, and the bass, had more foundation, the tone was 'rounder' and it sounded like they were brought forward in the mix somewhat. There was an evenness to the sound of the band that I found more pleasant to listen to with Herbie's mat. The Ringmat accentuated the tenor and cornet to the slight detriment of the piano, bass and drums. Herbie's mat put it all nicely into place again.
"The differences were not earth shattering in my system. But they became more clear upon repeated switching and listening. Overall I found the differences worthwhile and certainly worth the money."
Randy Krelle, San Francisco, California
"The Way Excellent II (2mm), as you recommended, is sounding very fine on my Lenco."
Jeff, United States
"I use it on my acrylic platter mmf-7. It was the first mat I found that I liked better than the stock felt mat. (Looks better, too.) I also prefer it with light pressure from a clamp."
Barry Grant, Missoula, Montana
"Just a note to say how much I like your stuff. The TT mat and stabilizer make the greatest difference (w/Clearaudio Champion). Replacing a marigo interface platter, LPs now are more detailed and more relaxed sounding, and so more engaging."
Ian Threadgold, Warrington, United Kingdom
"The turntable mat (3.7mm version) works a treat on my Garrard, more neutral and natural sounding."
Gary Sasso
"Just got my Way Excellent II (2mm) mat in the mail today. Put it on my Rega P3-24 and wasn't sure that I'd hear any difference. I was wrong. Everything tightened up; soundstage improved, bass was tight and right, treble shrillness went away. But, by far the most improvement was in midrange voicing; Shelby Lynne (Just a Little Lovin---great album) sounds stunning. Remastered 180g vinyl Pet Sounds is incredible. And, the Atlantic remaster of Cotrane's Giant Steps now really shows what a genius the guy was.
"Thanks for a great product at a great price."
Richard Benner, Highspire, Pennsylvania
"Almost all my audio equipment is 'vintage' and I honestly thought that the sound couldn't be improved until I received my Way Excellent Mat and SuperSonic record stabilizer. It's like having a new system."
Michael Z., Cherry Hill, NJ
"I received the mat already and all I can say is WOW-AWESOME!!!! The sound stage really opened up. Everything just sounds so much better, more clear. more presence. And just as impressive is the BIG reduction in ticks & pops throughout... I put on an old trusty 'very used' Stones lp and could not believe it was the same record! The quiet parts never sounded so good, so intimate. I can really hear the natural reverb decay trail off now, and the acoustic guitars & vocals sounded amazing together! And with my Music Hall MMF-7 I didn't even need to adjust the VTA. The 2mm mat size seems perfect for it! Couldn't get any easier!
"It really brings out the sound of the instruments so much better then the factory felt mat. No comparison."
Ray McClain, Savannah, Georgia
"The Way Excellent II 2mm turntable mat arrived today. I want you to know how pleased I am with it. I put it on a stock AR XA, and noticed a clear improvement over my former '70's vintage Discwasher felt mat. With both mats, I tapped the platter and also tapped on a record with the stylus in the groove (motor off), and could easily hear a difference in resonance control, the Way Excellent II mat being my preferred choice.
"The mat is destined to go on a highly modified AR XA with after-market sub-chassis, motor and Sumiko MMT tonearm. I will be ordering another mat to go on the stock table, which is going to be part of a second system.
"I have wanted to try a new mat for many years. For whatever reason, I was not inclined to try sorbothane, lead or cork. I am glad that I found out about your products and gave your mat a try."
Todd Reitz, TR Audio
"Well the reviews are right, your mat sounds more lively and punchy than the None Felt doughnut mat I was using. I ended up playing records a lot longer than I planned to this evening, and you KNOW that's a good sign. I noticed that the records seem to stay flatter than before, maybe because the mat is a little more compliant? Dunno, but it works."
Russell Bucans, Manchester, New Hampshire
"Your mat made a very significant difference over the good old AQ Sorbothane mat I've been using. Detail, sweetness, focus (bass too!), dimensions, frequency extension (bass and treble), groove silence (!) All increased VERY NOTICEABLY. I really believe my cartridge is tracking much better (Denon DL-103) on your mat.
"I'm using a classic Well Tempered turntable and arm."
Paulo Mendes, Portugal
"I just received your way excellent II mat to install in my Micro-Seiki RX-1500 which did wonders but I wasn't expecting what came next. I tried it in my custom made turntable and my jaw fell into the floor, god what a difference, it seems I did a $1000 upgrade like my cartridges where upgraded (Van den Hul Grasshopper III SLA, Benz Micro LP and Dynavector D17 MKII). I love it so much that I going to buy another for the Micro-Seiki because this baby isn't leaving my main analog setup, so in a word THANKS for a great product."
Don Walizer, Conway, Arkansas
I'm really happy with my Way Excellent II Turntable Mat on my Thorens TD 126 tt. I've used various cork and felt mats in the past and have not been very satisfied."
Stephen Anderson, Canada
"I'm using your turntable mat with my Linn Sondek LP-12. It brings out the best in everything; it's really quite fantastic, and I'm very happy to have it."
Frank Smith, Lusby, Maryland
"I got the Way Excellent for my Music Hall MMF-7 Turntable. Hard to believe a mat could make this much difference. This is one of those tweaks that you don't have to pretend you hear. It's all right there.
"This mat replaced the Non Felt mat that had replaced the original felt mat. Compared to the Non Felt, the very dynamic bass in my copy of Pink Floyd -- The Final Cut went from sort of wooly and out of control with the Non Felt to smooth, tight and even more extended. Waters' voice comes right out at you.
"Listening to Hank Mobley's Self titled album BN 1568, the Herbie mat put Mobley's horn in the room, and Sonny Clark's Piano (I think it is Clark) had notes literally popping out like bubbles of sound. It was so cool. Noise levels for all records went down and the pops in records were not as invasive as they once were.
"It was a good purchase."
Steve Weber, Madison, Wisconsin
"Been listening to my TT with the 'way excellent' in place for the last few evenings and I have to say that the darn thing may actually improve the sonics of my vinyl rig (Rega P9 - Sumiko Blackbird). I bought it mainly to fix the static cling hassle with the stock felt mat and was not really expecting much in the way of better sound. In my line of work, I am paid to be skeptical, to debunk myths, to scoff at unsupported but widely believed illusions. I'm not going to gush out a lot of audiophile blather about sound staging, PRAT, and dynamics, etc. But female vocals and acoustic guitar do sound more realistic. Perhaps you could add another prefix to the product description: 'Really is a way excellent TT mat'"
Jon Papajcik, Chicago, Illinois
"The way excellent mat is great -- you had told me it is not so much anti-static as non-static, and this is 100% correct. A month deep in a dry chicago winter, the static problems I had with my felt mat (and even worse with the extreme none-felt) are totally gone. No static pops during play or when I lift the needle. The mat never sticks to the record! The sonic improvements are noticeable vs. the felt, and I'd say about the same as what I noticed with the none-felt. But I'd pay twice this amount for the static relief alone!"
Tony McCarty, Columbus, Ohio
"Just received the Herbie Mat, and I'm very pleased. It added both firm bass punch and more clarity on the high ends at the same time. My Pro-ject RM-4 was already a sweet sounding turntable, but the Herbie Mat really makes it sing. And, I don't really need the record clamp anymore. Oh, and it looks really cool, too. Thanks again."
Patrick Poggia, Le Pecq, France
The TT mat arrived earlier than announced and I thank you for that. It works beautifully. From an initial A/B comparison, I imediately found that the treble notes of a piano were richer and less aggressive. Then I tried to find the best adjustments. I suppose it is normal I had to change VTA as the Way Excellent mat is slightly slimmer than the original felt mat (no big deal). Then, with your mat, I was able to very precisely adjust cartridge bias and weight with no doubt on what was best. Also, I corrected very slightly one of my speaker angles and now, wow, the mat sure adds depth, width, air and harmonics. On some good recordings, the instruments are here in the room. Overall, my system (Linn LP-12, Ekos II, Akiva) is more musical than with the original felt mat. Thank you, I am rediscovering my records."
Sonic Perfectionists, Kirkland, Washington
"I purchased one of your 'Way excellent' mats from you a while ago. It has been a tremendous improvement when used on my classic Thorens TD-126 MK II turntable."
Ronald Verlint, Dordrecht, Netherlands
"I started listening to some records with the original Linn LP12 mat and replaced it with your mat. Very happy to inform you that the sound quality has been improved now. Less colouration, better articulation of the human voice, more details, better soundstage. Anyway it's not just a change, it's really an improvement. Many thanks for this upgrade!"
Joe Mendez, Samammish, Washington
"I just have to tell you the mat is amazing! You just don't expect that much from a mat. Sure enough, it brings out better detail, and with my VPI Aries it does even better with a clamp -- the clamp gives it more dynamics and punch."
Barry Smith, The Entrance, Australia
"I've had a few days to try the turntable mat on my LP12 and I'm very pleased with the result. Always difficult to describe sound, but I'd say 'relaxed precision' would about cover it. I put the felt mat back on and was surprised how muddy it sounded. Certainly good value for fifty bucks."
Benjamin Yee, Fremont, California
The first thing I noticed on my Pro-Ject 1.2 turntable was a better overall balance with extension of bass and treble with an additional clarity in the mids. I am surprised that changing from the stock felt mat to Herbie's mat can make such a difference. The most noticeable performance gains were in low bass and treble extension. Also, your mat does not stick to my LPs unlike my stock felt mat whether the turntable is running or not. It is a great inexpensive upgrade, worth every penny."
Michael Jones, Redding, California
"Goodbye rubber, so long felt. My AR XA has never sounded better. A simple upgrade with amazing results!"
Sean Heath, Golden Valley, Minnesota
Got the mat today and am amazed at the improvement. I could go on and on but the best example is mistaking the barking dog on the Temptation record by Holly Cole for one of my German Shepherds even though I have heard that track many times before. Well worth the money, thanks also for the quick service." (Way Excellent II-3.7mm, 285mm diameter with Technics SL1200 MK II)
Russ Riffell, Richmond, British Columbia
"Looks and works great; way better than that miserable felt rag that came with my P3."
Bill Riel, Canada
"Some time ago I purchased a Herbie's Way Excellent Mat for my Pro-Ject Xpression II, and I've been thrilled with the performance and improvement it's made to my setup!"
Doug Olsen, U.S.A
"I have found Herbie's "Way Better Turntable Mat" to be far superior to the stock mat and another aftermarket mat I have tried (w/Thorens TD125 MKII).
Mark Kirby, Baltimore, Maryland
"The turntable mat made a remarkable improvement: a far more coherent presentation, flowing and alive. I must say Rosemary Clooney sounded like she'd risen from the dead to sing those Harold Arlen songs.
"Before I installed the mat, I considered my SACD player (Sony NS500V) my best source. Now I figure the old AR turntable is. Right off, I had the feeling that I wanted to drag out stuff I hadn't listened to in a long time."
John Zimmerman, The Audio Connection
"That mat is AWESOME!"
Ken Adams
The Way Excellent II-4.5 has been a wonderful upgrade for the Technics, much, much better than either the thick or thin Technics rubber mats. I also have the SuperSonic Record Stabilizer and find it to be useful on some records. Great products!"
Rob Mickus, Geneva, Illinois
"Hello Way Excellent Mat! So long LP12 felt! A huge upgrade. Kinda shocking. Thanks!"
Customers' Photos
