[zmanbands]

Marigo has 2 mats. The signature 3D lists at $199. The other 3D mat at half that. Has anyone tried either or both. Is the signature that much better?

[TheChairGuy]

I tried (and still have, I think) the cheaper Marigo mat.....I didn't hear a significant difference with it.  However, the Herbie's Audio Labs mat (for a lot less money) was a good addition....it works by damping out energy in the spinning disc. I've tried the Aurex mat in the past and that was a total loser effort 

When I had a front loader, I used it all the time.  It doesn't work with my top loader (or probably most top loaders) so it's sitting idle.

I have the old Grungebuster mat: http://herbiesaudiolab.home.att.net/cdreview.htm

But, I now see it's been superceeded by a new Black Hole mat:http://herbiesaudiolab.home.att.net/cdmat.htm

It's a lot more expensive than before (when buying hundreds for an entire collection), but it seems like it works by the comments.  I might have to buy 10 and try and see for myself.

John

[RichardS]

I've got an older 'Crossbow' and the newer 'Signature.' They both work fine on my top-loader (Pro-2M). I thought the Crossbow made a small but noticeable difference -- mostly noticed more weight and ease to the presentation -- enough to persuade me to try the Signature. The Sig is better still, pulling more micro-detail out of the pits and increasing ambiance, while still sounding smooth as silk. Night and day, no, but still significant.

Hard to ever tell anyone if a tweak is worth the extra money. You've just got to try it and see. I've sold off my super-expensive digital cables (Marigo and Sextet) because, though I thought they were better than the cheaper cable I'm using, I ultimately didn't think they were worth the extra $$, but I still use the Marigo mat.

[DTB300]

I have the old Grungebuster mat: http://herbiesaudiolab.home.att.net/cdreview.htm

But, I now see it's been superceeded by a new Black Hole mat:http://herbiesaudiolab.home.att.net/cdmat.htm

It's a lot more expensive than before (when buying hundreds for an entire collection), but it seems like it works by the comments.  I might have to buy 10 and try and see for myself.

The Black Hole mats are great mats and are better than the Grungebuster models..  You can use the Black Hole over and over on each disc you play, or you can buy many and leave them on each disc.  I love the Black Hole and the improvements they make on Redbook and SACD, but each person needs to listen and decide for themselves.