hallo,
i don't like the soft rubber or elastomer mats.
they damp too much for my liking, softens the leading edges.
thin acrylic does not damp enough, so you have a point there.
a 5mm or thicker acrylic mat does offers the right amount of damping for me without softening the sound.
on a Rega with glass platter a 3mm is enough but i like the cork mat i make even better.
the cork mat i make is from small cork granules and not sanded flat, so the surface is a bit uneven. the material thickness here is ≠ 2mm.
a lot depends on the tonearm as well.
if the tonearm is highly damped.....might be lightly damped in your eyes while i prefer only light damping if any at all....then the higher damping of the cork or a harder rubber mat (can be softer but then must be thicker) can provide the better result.
the UA 5045 tonearm is damped a bit and the acrylic mat offers the best balance for me.
i have a very revealing system that is not analytical sounding by any means,
so i hear the micro information that i find so important for me.
it is all about digging all the information out of the source and not with an analytically balanced system, or overly neutral and dry sounding one.
with your QL-Y5F, you can set the damping which restricts the movement at the bearings and not armwand damping, so a harder/thicker material for the mat may let you use the JVC tonearm damping to greater effect.
regards,
bas
