The overlooked component
The mat sits directly between your record and the platter. It shapes how energy leaves the groove — yet most decks ship with rubber or felt that adds coloration.
01 ACOUSTIC TRANSPARENCY BY DESIGN
TurntableMats.
The mat between your platter and record is one of the most acoustically significant components in your system. Most audiophiles overlook it completely — until they hear the difference.
Achromat · APM · Multiple platter diameters
Acoustic transparency
A good mat decouples the record from platter resonance. Reflections and structure-borne vibration should be absorbed, not returned to the stylus.
Immediate, audible gain
Fitting an Achromat takes seconds. The clearing of the sound — more detail, better separation, a stabler image — is usually obvious on the first side.
02 THE RANGE
The Achromat range
The Achromat has been the reference standard for turntable mats since The Funk Firm introduced it. Nothing else approaches its acoustic performance at its price.
Most popular choice
Achromat
3mm
The patented open-cell mat that decouples the record from the platter. Millions of tiny lossy bubbles absorb stylus energy instead of reflecting it back into the groove.
£110
Reference-grade performance
APM
Achromat + glass
The next step beyond standard Achromat. A bonded glass sub-plate adds even greater decoupling — particularly effective on ringing platters.
£220
03 HONEST COMPARISON
Mat comparison
Not all turntable mats are equal. Here is an honest assessment of the most common types.
Rubber mat
Advantages
- Inexpensive
- Keeps records in place
Disadvantages
- Resonates in audible range
- Couples record to platter
- Adds warmth and coloration
- Reflections cause blur
Felt mat
Advantages
- Very soft contact
- No resonance from felt itself
Disadvantages
- Allows record to slip
- Minimal acoustic decoupling
- Attracts static
Cork mat
Advantages
- Moderate damping
- Widely available
Disadvantages
- Inconsistent surface flatness
- Limited decoupling
- Ages poorly
Achromat
Advantages
- Acoustically transparent
- Decouples record from platter
- Eliminates reflections
- Dramatically improves clarity
Disadvantages
- Higher initial cost than rubber or felt
04 THE PHYSICS
The science behind the Achromat
The problem with solid mats
When a turntable platter spins, it generates vibrations — from the bearing, the motor, and even the air. A solid mat (rubber, cork, leather) transmits these vibrations directly to the record.
More significantly, a solid mat creates a reflection interface. Sound energy from the stylus propagates through the record, reflects off the mat surface, and returns to the stylus slightly delayed — creating a form of acoustic blurring.
The Achromat solution
The Achromat's open-cell structure is acoustically transparent. Sound energy that enters the mat is absorbed by the air trapped in the cells rather than reflected. There is no reflection interface.
The open structure also decouples the record from the platter mechanically. Vibrations from the platter cannot propagate through air cells to the record — they are simply not transmitted.
