What Is There In A TT Mat? - Sph PH SCuMat and My Lenco L78

A few months ago, after about a year not meeting up, Sph PH and I managed to meet up and had a good few hours testing out his SCuMat (copper mat with some design changes in the holes sizes). Comparing it to my SSSMat, it did somehow give a different experience to my Lenco L78. Read on!

This is not so much a review but more of me telling you a story of how little things can make my Lenco L78 sounds different. For those who know me should already know that regardless of how things have evolved in the TT market, Lenco will always have a place in my heart. Mainly for nostalgic reasons of growing up seeing my late dad and his TT set up. The bonus of this is of course, Lenco can still give a decent sound if set up nicely. For many years, I was using this Lenco L78 for some of my reviews as well.

Going back to the SCuMat, the first thing that I notice is the low frequency weight. It really brought it down a notch that I feel that the bass is tighter and having more control. The ambient listening to Take Five by Dave Brubeck was the most evident in which I experience this compared to using SSSMat. Of course, I will never compare with other TTs but using the SCuMat alone provided me a different listening experience.

Putting on Diana Krall's 'S Wonderful was another experience where I feel that her vocal went deeper but still retains some level of liveliness. I kept changing the mat between SSSMat and SCuMat just to revalidate the experience and each time, I feel the same experience. 

Now both the tracks above are what I call 'no noise' tracks. At times, listening to simple music like these is where differences in the experience can exist. Now, how about tracks that are ferocious and what most audiophiles call it as noise such as metal genres? I actually played a lot of Metallica's Last Caress and Die, Die My Darling. For heavier songs like this, it took me awhile to really experience the differences between SSSMat and SCuMat. Its subtle but if one is not listening hard enough may not be able to tell the difference.

All and all, I do believe the different experience with SCuMat is due to the combination of the material, weight and holes orientation and size. The physics behind it? Not sure to be honest. But it is as it is when I keep on listening to the tracks above.

I have been maintaining my Lenco L78 to be as close as its original design but with these external accessories, I do not mind to add it on as it provides a different sound to my Lenco. I have placed an order for a new SCuMat and hopefully Capt Sph PH will make me one soon.