Original "Way Excellent"

More Reviews/ Comments

Stephen Varga, Staten Island, New York

"I received the Way Excellent II Turntable mat today. I have noticed a newfound richness in the sound. Much appreciated, I'll not think twice about recommending this product :)"

Jeff Foster, Round Rock, Texas

"There are not big but there are subtle improvements in sound with the Way Excellent mat on my Nottingham Space Deck with the heavy kit (larger platter). I also like the friction of the mat, keeps the records from slipping on the bare platter which is very slick by itself. (I haven't had a chance yet to see about adjusting the vertical tracking angle after the addition of the mat to see if that improves anything.)

Phil Morris, Oregon

"I'm currently using your Way Excellent mat on my Well Tempered turntable with excellent results."

Murray Rubinstein

"I just put my WEII on my Project III today and have spent the afternoon listening to a variety of lps. There really is a difference -- better soundstage -- more precise sound of instruments within space, etc. It really works even after a few hours of solid and careful listening."

Jeff Zaret, Lancaster, California

"My expectations were definitely realized and surpassed with the WAY Excellent Turntable Mat. I had recently had a 'tune-up' on my turntable and had also purchased a new cartridge and needle. I was impressed with the improvement it brought but literally had my 'jaw drop' after I installed the new WAY Excellent Turntable Mat. I started listening to albums to see if I could hear some noticeable difference. Well, there was a big difference. There was more depth, clarity and texture to the sounds I was used to hearing over the last 30-plus years! Even some instruments that I had taken for granted, which I figured were just 'there' and it was the age of the recording and the recording equipment used. WRONG! I heard more clarity and textured instruments than before while hearing some well defined mid-range and clean and clear bass that I was not hearing before. Now I know that some of this is attributed to the new cartridge and needle but I had been listening for 2 to 3 weeks so when I added the TT mat it just made that more apparent and enhanced everything even more than before. It was like I had just moved up another level in excellence."

Patrick Poggia, Le Pecq, France

"I adjusted VTA and increased tracking force to 1.9g, which I believe became possible because LP gets a better hold by your mat. Antiskating was easier to adjust than with the original felt mat. Of course, it changed the sound stage and I had to adapt somehow (same felt mat sound for 23 years!). The change was for the best and I could tell right from the beginning. I can confirm it is not just a 'hifi fool', short-time effect. However there are instances when some favourite records sounded disapointing at first. The reason is, whith more details, you get obviously more information about microphone positioning and valve, transistor, mixing console etc. 'signatures', in short you are distracted from music by the recording/pressing engineering. Fortunately, it did not last long. It soon became clear to me that the mat is in fact very neutral and also allows the cartridge to extract much more relevent (i.e. musical) information than the felt mat.

"I listened last night to one of my long lasting favourites, Bach's cello sonatas by Janos Starker. Mercury recordings have undoubtfuly a strong signature of their own and the mat shows it with great accuracy. My record is only a cheap but well done Philips pressing and it sounds quite well. I listened to a complete sonata as if this music was new to me. At concert hall level, it was so beautiful I did not want to stop listening.

"This is why I recommended your website to several friends, mainly LP12 owners."

Stephæn Harrell, Reviewer, The Absolute Sound, 6Moons

From 6moons.com :

"If you're like me and love to dig deep into the grooves late at night without disturbing your loved ones, just get the mat, spin the black licorice and get ready to hear more than you thought possible from a $50 upgrade."

John in NC

"The Herbies Way Excellent Turntable Mat and Sonic Stabilizer that have taken my Linn Axis turntable to another level."

Frank Smith, Lusby, Maryland

"I got the mat today. Wow, it's hard to believe a mat could make such a huge difference!"

Earl Thomas, Capon Bridge, West Virginia

"My phono rig is a TD 125/Rabco SL8E arm/Grado Master/YSA Audio Concerto phono pre tweaked w/smooth plates and a few other things. Its 54db gain with a high output Grado makes it equal the output of the Trivista within a couple of db. Great for comparing. So, heres what I think.

The bass improvement was immediately noticable. It's a nice looking mat as well. I've tried cork and felt and other things. I like this better although I wish it addressed the image more. I am an image/soundstage freak. Of course I wish it made my system sound like it was worth millions but hey I am realistic. So it's a keeper."

Marc Andes, Howard Beach, New York

"The mat is amazing. I thought my turntable's poor bass response and dynamic range were because it's a relatively inexpensive $600 belt drive. Turns out it was that cheap-ass felt mat. The bass response has improved 100% and the midrange is much more lifelike and 'analog' sounding. An absolute must for budget turntables and probably all others as well."

Mohammad Ridzwan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

"Took about 8 days to deliver from USA to Malaysia plus custom and mail company clearance. I was listening to my TT on that day (Janis Ian breaking sileance album). The different was spot on! The bass is more defined, micro details retrieval is great and the vocal is beautiful with more body. I am totally satisfied with it, no regret!"

Alex Padilla, Florida

"The Excellent Turntable mat works like a champ on my MMF-5." 

Bradley Ellis, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

"I received your 'Way Excellent Turntable Mat' today. I must say that it lives up to its name. It is way excellent. Thank you for this upgrade to my entire record collection. I'll be up late tonight listening for sure." (used with lead-plated George Merrill acrylic platter)"

Hiroshi Ishii, Fremont, California

"The effect is sound get tighter!"

Aaron Kovics, Oakland Gardens, New York

"I feel compelled to say that your mat not only solved the problems that I had that are inherent with the OEM felt mat, but I was shocked to see no loss of sound quality that I experienced with some other rubber-type mats. I am once again pleased with my purchase of another one of your products."

Brian Kelsey, Hillsboro, Oregon

"The turntable mat is great, thank you very much."

Mark Nolan, North Broomhill, United Kingdom

"I really like the TT mat a lot; it's had a really nice effect on the sound-- particularly in tightening the bass and cutting background noise, both of which are greatly appreciated improvements (Pro-Ject turntable)."

Rob Thomas, U.S.

"I have a Kuzma Stabi S TT which has a dense compound affixed to the platter which is said to be chosen for it's damping qualities when coupled to vinyl. Whatever, it never seemed ideal to me, but it is non-removable. Experiments with clamps indicated improvements might be possible. So, trusting Herbie from past experience with his products, I figured for $50 and with an unheard of 90 day return policy, why not?

"I did a bit of A/B with and without with a reference track I use often and know quite well, Aimee Mann's 'Invisible Ink' from LOST IN SPACE on MFSL vinyl. Aimee is accompanied by strings on this recording, and there are several passages that include both the band bassist and some double bass runs from the strings. There is texture and detail on these bits but it's pretty hard to get it all.

"As I was A/Bing I adjusted as close as feasible the VTA adjustment to compensate for adding the mat. Darned if this thing didn't clarify those low bass passages and reveal the hidden timbre and texture. Bravo! But it also seems to clean up everything, extending highs, making voices more timbrally real, and giving imaging a more wrap-around 3D quality.

"This thing really works for me. $50 very well spent."

Carson Hanrahan, Maine

"Nice craftsmanship & the mat sounds WONDERFUL on my Sondek. Many thanks for a great product and terrific service."

Michael Foley, Sherman Oaks, California

"The mat is just wonderful! Such a simple thing. Where has it been most of my life? The first thing that I noticed was an improvement in the soundstage. It just widens and yet smooths it out. Then I noticed an overall improvement in the sound of the music. More presence. Horns just bite more. More life. Through headphones, it is all even sweeter. And since the sweetness is why I still spin vinyl, this mat is a welcome addition.

"A very nice and relatively inexpensive upgrade."

Gerasimos Provatas, Attiki, Greece

"the mat arrived today. It is excellent and a big improvement on my Thorens. Thank you again for your  perfect services."

Alberto Deroma, San Francisco, California

"I got the mat and it improved the sound more than I had anticipated (w/Thorens TD 125). I took just a few seconds to realize that the mat improved the sound considerably in terms of blacker background, tighter and more pronounced bass, and more detail on higher octaves. I posted my experience on Vinyl Asylum (http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/messages/564691.html)

Kevin Day, Dinuba, California

"The mat is excellent -- what more can I say."

Matt Cecil, Canada

"Your WAY excellent turntable mat is just that--couldn’t be happier with its performance."

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."

Krzysztof Jozefowicz, Poland

"I get received the turntable MAT - it works, HUGE improvement !!!"

Vaughan Warren, Penzance, United Kingdom

"Application of the TT mat instead of the felt AR mat damped the record without the need for a record clamp, much to my delight, revealing hidden depths and nuances to Albums such as New York -- Lou Reed and audio obstacle courses such as Close to the Edge -- Yes. How could it get any better!"

David Umphrey, Missoula, Montana

"I used the Way Excellent Mat after trying the Ring(ing)mat. The Excellent Mat is a natural match for the LP12 and should be great on other tables. Most of us try various forms of vibration control (once we discover the damage vibration does to our sound) and when we ultimately use Herbie's stuff, we realize how much more sonically and cost-effective it is. I can't see the need for any other more expensive products to control vibration. Again, Thank You very much Steve."

Jim Mattheis, West Coast, U.S.

"The turntable mat sounds much better than the stock LP12 felt mat."

Grant Hawthorne, Minneapolis

"I've had my MFA Magus pre-amp re-worked. When I put the mat in place, the improvements were tremendously enjoyable I continue to be certain that your mat is a key component."

Chris Sideris, Chester Hill, Australia

"Noise levels dropped significantly. It was like the noise levels had halved. Also the tone of the noise changed but not the musical information. I noticed more rounded bass, less mechanical sounding, less distortion and a warmer and refined sound. You could here more detail and sounds you haven't heard before. Probably because it was quieter. This mat really works! (Way Excellent Deluxe).

David Novak

"Thank you for that wonderful mat and black hole-- the sound is so much better--takes away the brightness i had--it's quieter--tighter bass--just beautiful

"Randy Buchanan, Virginia

"Your mat was received and installed on my wife's Music Hall MMF-5, and it works great. Many thanks."

Mike Grove, Euless, Texas

"Have tried everything from felt to shelf-liner on the platter of my LP12 and your mat is without doubt THE best yet."

Mark L, Winnipeg, Canada

"Yeah I am really impressed by your TT mat. I was very surprised how bright sounding my new lead platter was when I first dared to lift the 100lbs onto my teres bearing. I didnt like it until getting your mat which ended up soaking up the brittleness of the sound but yet allow access to the new found detail not found on the PVC platter. Well done."

Eric Haller, Shirley, New York

After playing just a few LPs I noticed a tighter bass, much tighter, and quieter background. Very happy with the mat. thank you."

Dolores P., Wrexham, United Kingdom

"The difference in sound quality, quite frankly, is night and day! The importance of the interface between record and platter is often underestimated; the Herbie's mat provides a clevery executed and very effective solution to this issue. I'm very pleased -- thanks for a great product!"

Peter Gough, Toronto, Canada

"I just wanted to thank you for this wonderful mat. I had been finding my system a tad bright, and the mat has settled the high end down immensely. I listen almost exclusively to jazz recorded between 1950 and 1980 and find piano and vibraphone no longer stings my ears. I no longer suffer listening fatigue."

Buyung Soeharmadji, Jakarta, Indonesia

"Your way excellent mat give my analitical clearaudio more soul or maybe people usually use the term Prat."

(Although most comments are direct copy/paste, some have been edited slightly for grammar corrections and reading clarity)

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