A selection of comments from satisfied customers
Sole sub-chassis feedback:
Notes had much, much better defined start and stop points, the level of detail really jumped out and grabbed me, I could waffle on using the terms seen in reviews, but the bottom line is its probably one of THE best upgrades I've ever made. And to say that it cost much less Linn's Keel underlines it well.
Having heard the Keel on a couple of occasions, I must say that it was remarkable. Its hard for me to be able to quantify any difference between that and the Sole. In some ways that's probably the best praise I can give it.
A cup of coffee and a few more tracks, heavy rock, acoustic singer/songwriter stuff followed. The sound was so much more involving and explanatory of what was going on. It just grabbed the details with so much precision that what came out was the music. I'm describing this badly, what I mean is that the soul of the performance came over together with any amount of detail you may have wanted to hear. Tighter bass, more expression in the voice, more space between the instruments on the stage that the active Isobariks do so well.
Tracks I thought I knew well had much more about them.
Steve S. Harrogate
Duncan C. of London.
Neil E. of Swanley.
"Thank you for breathing new life into my turntable, I am very happy"
Gary L. of Fife.
Hello John,
I have built in the Sole and tested it extensively.
The system is: LP12, Cirkus bearing, Trampolin, Naim Armageddon, Ittok LVIII, BENZ LP
MC Transformer Z-Coupler Nagatron Ag 9200, Cable BNC (RG 400)
Preamp Audio Research SP 9 Phono BNC, Amplifier - Mark Levinson 333, Speakers - IMF MKIV Improved/Duntech 2001
Cables: Apature Signature 500/Accusound
The safe packing of the Sole was impressive. A closer view of the craftsmanship confirmed my view - clean edges, the sunken screws and polished surfaces, really a master piece!
The instructions on how to build in the Sole were helpful and simply great. It was really simple to do and I finished the job in about two hours. After the arm was built into the set again and correctly adjusted, you could just feel the tension in the air to hear what the result was.
As a premiere, I played Amanda McBroom´s Dreaming - my first impression was that it was incredibly smooth and clean without losing the feel of the LP 12.
Of course, we are moving on the floor of High-End and the improvements to such a system are often just marginal or simply subjective impressions or wishes. With this Sole, however, it is just different. The Benz LP cartridge is suddenly playing with a dynamic that one would only imagine is possible to obtain from CD players upward of £3k. The Sole gives the Linn a new dimension in musical imaging. The spatial distribution is unbelievable and the colour of the instruments so realistic, and definitely not obtainable from the Linn LP 12 without the Sole.
The sound of great classics like with the piece Tchaikovsky´s 1812 (I have the Cincinnati symphony orchestra) is just perfect - there is no wandering of the sound, the strings stay in the focus and even the hairs on my arms stood upright for the cannon shots of the 1812 - with a vehemence, clean and deep and rolling as they spread through the entire room. After this performance, I wanted to hear all the music that during my years as a developer of speaker systems, often caused raised eyebrows and were definitely no fun to listen to on the Linn - like Tracy Chapman´s LP Crossroads (Bridges), with her marvel of a voice which is a provocation for any Hi-fi system. The deep passages in these music pieces are a nightmare for the room and the speakers (any woofer larger than 8").
With the record on the turntable, suddenly the bass guitar starts up without any uncontrolled vibration or hum, and Tracy sings with a warm and clean sound, in a really mind-blowing performance, the bass coming across deep and precise. It is as though Tracy stands in reality in the room and the depth of the sound came right across.
I have only gained these impressions since building in the Sole, and probably I could wax lyrical on many other things that I have listened to, but to come to the point, in 30 years of High-End music, I have never before made an investment of £300 and achieved such a breathtaking result.
I can only recommend every LP12 owner to buy your Sole. The price/performance ratio is simply UNBELIEVABLE!
And whoever doesn't believe me, they can just mail me at uwe.baur@labzero.de
Best regards
Uwe.
References:
Amanda McBroom, Dreaming, (Gecko Records 1986)
Tchaikovsky 1812, (Telarc DG 10041)
Tracy Chapman, Crossroads, (Elektra UK 96088-1 EKT 61)
Plattamat feedback:
John.
Firstly thanks for the prompt service. The Plattamat arrived in Washington DC within a few days of my order!
As you may remember, my vinyl front end comprises LP12, Keel, Radikal, Ekos SE with Akiva cartridge and Urika phono stage.
The fit of the Plattamat on the spindle and around the platter rim is perfect. Sonically, the Plattamat makes perceived voices and individual instruments clearer and solidifies images of performers. There is absolutely no hardening of the music; though transients may be a little quicker they are not more pronounced than with the felt mat. Musical involvement is very strong, which to me is what Linn is all about anyway.
I have tried other mats and the sonic differences are noticeable, but I'm continuing to use the Plattamat with no temptation to change back to the others.
Thanks and regards
Bob.
Washington DC.
Can I just say.... WHAT A FANTASTIC PRODUCT! I can't believe the Plattamat is still available for this price.
The moment I placed it on my turntable (Rega P25) the sound improvement just grabbed me. The clarity of vocals and the instrument separation was instantly improved by this little gem of a mat. I would recommend it without hesitation to any vinyl lover looking to improve the quality of their system at minimal cost. Well done you guys at Analogue Innovation for producing such a great product.
Mike B. Swansea.
Nigel M-P of Southport.
"SUPERB ! What more can I say about your Plattamat? Its contribution brought the word FOCUS to mind. Detail, phrasing and expression in the human voice which was just hinted at with the felt mat was there to be enjoyed to the full.. There's heaps more definition to any sound; be it bass, treble or the aformentioned human voice. Plattamat just grabs it and portrays it The difference is so marked buyers will truly be amazed ! "
I must admit that the very idea that a turntable mat could really alter the sound of a rather good active system made me very, very sceptical.
The Plattamat was not only the best value for money upgrade, but of the very same nature that came from having the Sole sub-chassis installed.
The whole sound just shot into a more precise focus. How the band felt as they played the music when it was recorded was no longer hinted at. It was there - big style.
A mat can't make that much difference, came the inner reply. Off came the Plattamat and on went the felt mat again.
The whole picture had fuzzy edges again. The band sounded good, but not that good.
Off came the felt mat and on went the Plattamat. There it was again.!
Even I had to admit it was a huge difference. Everything that the Sole had done to the sound from the LP12 was improved upon. This topped it off wonderfully.
So few pounds for so much improvement.
That concludes the case, m'lud......
Steve: Yorkshire dales.
Frankly I'm astonished. My turntable, (Manticore Mantra) seemed pretty good but the difference was immediately noticeable. The sound is smoother and the slight hard edge has disappeared. Bass
seems more controlled and extended, treble sparkles and distortion is much reduced. The sound is very seductive and you feel you could go on listening for hours.
Everything has just snapped into place. I am now relistening to some of my favouriute LP's with a sense of mounting excitement. Well done on an excellent product !
Russell, St. Albans.
Hi John,
Gordon: Fife.
After our wee chat last night regarding my Sole I went off to do some serious listening with the Plattamat fitted to my LP12. Like lots of hi-fi components, the sound could just be referred to as 'different'. But NO, it's not really different at all! After much exchanging with my Linn felt mat I can be really positive about the Plattamat. The interface between the vinyl and the platter is obviously very important and with the Plattamat fitted everything was sharper, faster and more detailed. The focus was more accurate and the sound just came alive. (s something I would expect too when I fit the Sole; when will this search for hi-fi Nirvana ever end??) Cheers!
Hi John,
The Plattamat arrived a week ago - thank you. I have taken time to trial it both in quick A B comparisons with other mats I've been using recently and also some extended sessions listening to several favourite albums in succession. My system comprises LP12, Lingo, Ekos, Denon DL304 into Naim NAC82, NAP250 and SBL's. The other mats are a new Linn felt and a 2mm Herbie Way Excellent II.
So far I'm finding the Plattamat to be generally the more pleasing overall. The Herbie can be exciting with suitable material, but does tend to emphasize sibilance and can sound a little splashy at times. It would probably work better with amps more laid back than my Naim's?
The Linn mat always sounds very familiar - I've been using one for a long time! However, by comparison to the Plattamat (and Herbie), vocals are a little smeared and things sounds smaller.
In terms of value for money and performance the Plattamat is excellent. It fits perfectly on the LP12 platter and looks good. It's also wonderful to be able to lift LP's off the platter without a felt mat attached!
Thanks again and kind regards.
Ian S.
New South Wales, Australia.