Acrylic Turntable Mat or Platter: Should You Buy One?

Ed Lansink
Last updated on: January 26, 2024

Turntable platter mats come made from a range of materials, each with unique properties. An acrylic turntable mat is an increasingly popular type for audiophiles, thanks to its highly isolating properties.

It’s one of the most affordable but effective upgrades for maximizing your turntable’s sound quality, especially for audiophile-type listeners who notice the subtle details.

Acrylic platter mats are made from super smooth plastic. Unlike other types like rubber slipmat, an acrylic platter mat offers a low level of friction. I’ll explain the exact differences between acrylic mats and other materials. As you’ll learn in more detail – acrylic offers distinct advantages.

I used to use a standard rubber mat, but an acrylic mat is definitely a better choice – confirmed from personal experience.

Are Acrylic Turntable Mats Worth it?

Long story short: In my opinion – Yes.

Long story: I was skeptical at first before I tried them. I believe that you can trick your ears and convince yourself with preconceived ideas about things. When I was originally researching turntable platter mat types, I read a lot about acrylic mats, and the benefits they apparently offered attracted me. At the time, my turntable’s sound output with a rubber platter mat was… fine, but I heard that an acrylic mat could make a big difference.

Thankfully acrylic platter mats are very affordable, so it didn’t seem like too much of a risk to try one out. If it didn’t make a huge improvement, then at least I wouldn’t have wasted a load of money. I went for it and got myself a Pro-Spin Acrylic Platter Mat.

One thing to note when installing an acrylic turntable mat is that you need to remove any mat that is already on your platter. You don’t want to stack them up, which can raise the vinyl too much and interfere with the tonearm calibration and VTA (Vertical Tracking Angle).

As I said, I wasn’t expecting too much going into it as I try to stay skeptical. But even with a basic mat like the Pro-Spin one I used, there was definitely an audible impact on the sound quality.

The difference is great for a sub-$30 investment. I did a bunch of A-B comparisons, swapping between a rubber mat and this new acrylic one. I could hear the difference was very noticeable, particularly for the low cost. The acrylic sounded a lot less muddy, with the dynamics having more punch and clarity/crispness. The overall difference was impressive for the price.

I would say acrylic turntable mats are easily worth it. They only really cost the price of a standard album anyway, so if you’re on the fence then it’s not a huge cost risk if you end up not liking it. But if you want extra clarity, depth, and punch, then I think it’s a worthy upgrade. I don’t see myself going back to a rubber or felt mat (apart from DJing).

If you purchase one let me know your results in the comments!

Reasons to buy an acrylic platter mat

If you are passionate about turntables or have spent a significant amount of money on a high-end turntable setup, an acrylic turntable mat is absolutely worth the cost. I’ll go into more detail on the benefits a little later, but here are some other reasons they are a good investment.

Acrylic is a highly rigid, sturdy material, so the needle’s vibrations are more effectively transferred through your records. Less of the noise is lost into the absorbing mats, and the needle carries the sound with less interference.

Furthermore, the properties of acrylic prevent static electricity from building up in the grooves of the record, which could lead to pops in playback or even needle damage. You should also note that records attract less dust.

Acrylic turntable mats offer a variety of benefits, I’ll share the full picture…

Benefits of Acrylic Turntable Mats

An acrylic turntable mat offers three distinct advantages over other materials.

Improved acoustic performance
Reduces static and stops sticking
Unique aesthetics and style.

Let’s look at these in more detail.

1) Improved acoustic performance

Each type of turntable platter mat has a unique impact on sound output based on the materials used.

So how do acrylic turntable mats influence sound?

Firstly, they reduce unwanted vibrations by increasing separation between the platter and motor. Secondly, they increase the treble response, by letting records vibrate undisturbed, whereas other mats (particularly rubber) can have an unwanted dampening effect. This is because of acrylic’s high rigidity which creates a more stable surface.

I think a large part of this benefit is because the acrylic material is more effective in separating the vinyl (thus needle and cartridge) from the platter and motor. This reduces noise interference and motor hum, which is often comparatively higher in rubber mats.

A second sonic benefit comes from improved speed consistency, thus lower wow and flutter (inconsistent pitch). Because acrylic is denser than other materials, the mats are heavier. This results in better inertia, resulting in higher speed consistency when using an acrylic turntable mat.

Acrylic mats also give a tighter bass response with a more consistent tone. The sound quality can be subtle on cheaper turntables, but if you are listening with a high-quality stylus and speakers then I think the effect it has on the music is very noticeable.

2) Controls static issues and prevents recordings from being stuck.

Other turntable mat types, while they can enhance the sound quality, tend to create a higher level of static. I find that cork and wool/felt mats create the most static. This attracts dust, but if that wasn’t bad enough, it’s possible that the opposite side of your record can become damaged or dirtied by the extra friction, and parts of the material that come loose from the mat. This is something that doesn’t occur with an acrylic version.

Moreover, sometimes you might notice that a felt slipmat gets stuck to the records now and then. This is also due to a build-up of static, and won’t happen with acrylics. An acrylic mat is less likely to collect static electricity and hence will avoid these problems.

3) Artwork & Graphics

Another fun advantage of an acrylic turntable mat is the range of aesthetic styles they come in. Because they are made from a solid piece of plastic you can find some cool and unique designs. In a range of colors, and opaque or transparent, even with patterns, there will definitely be an aesthetic style to match your turntable or listening room.

Recommended Acrylic Turntable Mats

Here are a couple of my top acrylic platter mat recommendations:

Remember – Recalibrate Your Tonearm If You Change the Mat!

It’s likely that if you swap a standard mat for acrylic, then the height will change. Typically an acrylic mat will be thicker than other types, making the record sit slightly higher than it did before. To get the best sound you should recalibrate your tonearm to make sure it’s suitable for the new height.

The vertical tracking angle will change, and you might need to change the general height of the tonearm if possible. It won’t mess up your stylus but it can create sound issues. See my guide on How To Setup a Turntable for more info on calibration!

TIP: Does your turntable not allow you to alter the vertical tracking angle (VTA – the height of the tonearm assembly in relation to the surface of the record)? Carefully measure how thick your current mat is and find an acrylic turntable mat of the same thickness.

Acrylic Turntable Platters

Besides the mat, you can find acrylic turntable platters, either coming built into the turntable from the factory or as an aftermarket upgrade. These are a more complex upgrade than using a standard mat, and not all turntables can be fitted with one.

Platters are made from a range of materials – plastic, steel, aluminum, glass, MDF, and acrylic are just a few of the more common materials you’ll see used in a turntable or record player. The type of material used affects many aspects of playback and performance based on the changed interaction between the record and the spinning surface.

Turntables coming with acrylic platters tend to be quite rare, and are usually only found in more expensive audiophile turntables. In addition to providing an aesthetic enhancement that many people like, an acrylic platter also improves sound quality.

Whilst I would recommend seeing how much improvement you get out of a mat first, installing an acrylic platter into your turntable can make a large improvement. (If you can find a suitable platter.)

How do acrylic platters work? What do you need to install them?

If your turntable came with an acrylic platter from the factory, then you’re in luck. However, if you are interested in replacing the native turntable platter of your deck with an acrylic one, then you’re going to need to do some research.

Not all decks have acrylic platter upgrades available, and many decks also don’t have the option for the platter to be replaced at all. It’s just a matter of googling around. Just search the name of your turntable with “acrylic platter upgrade”. If there are upgrades out there then you will find them pretty easily. If you can’t find one, then it probably isn’t compatible so just go for a mat instead.

Benefits of acrylic platter upgrades

Now we’ve covered the basics, let’s look at the advantages an acrylic platter can offer.

Enhanced Inertia and Stability

Acrylic platters tend to offer increased inertia, thus better stability and more stable rotation speed during playback. This is due to the increased weight and density of the acrylic material.

This lowers the wow and flutter, meaning the rpm stays much closer to 33 or 45 RPM without unwanted deviation and pitch inconsistencies. This creates a better listening experience and you will immediately hear a change.

Better Damping

Because the acrylic material is denser with a higher weight, it reduces unwanted vibrations originating from the motor and other sources. The acrylic platter offers better separation between the chassis and the stylus, creating a cleaner sound.

Improved detail, clarity, and stereo image

Acrylic has a similar resonance to vinyl records. This helps to cancel out reverberations and creates an enhanced soundstage. You’ll experience better bass definition, richer mid-ranges, and more overall signal clarity.

No mat required

Another advantage of acrylic platters is that they don’t need an extra turntable mat. Most of the vibration dampening with metal platters comes from the mat rather than the platter itself.

Not only can this save on expense, but it also creates less static as there are fewer surfaces creating friction against each other. This means your records will get less static and attract less dust, which would otherwise cause distracting clicks and pops.

Some examples of acrylic platter upgrades:

Have any questions or feedback?

Leave a comment below and I’ll get right back to you!

Ed Lansink

I'm a passionate vinyl collector, analog fan, and lifetime enthusiast of most things audio.

On VinyliQ I help fellow vinyl collectors enjoy their hobby to the max, sharing my knowledge about and passion for vinyl.

More about me

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