All materials do

Every material will have it's own characteristic sound and acrylic is no exception. I have experimented with a number of materials. I find that even though acrylic is not the most ideal material is is still a very good choice. It is relatively inexpensive, looks good, easy to work and sounds reasonably good. There are other materials that deliver more detail and do better at the frequency extremes. However, I have always found acrylic to be musical and easy to live with. I prefer acrylic to aluminum but think it falls far behind dense hardwoods, carbon fiber and other composite materials.

In addition to the material type rotational inertia will have a major impact on how a platter will sound. A heavier platter changes how groove modulation affects speed. A light platter will have larger but short duration speed variations and a heavy platter will have a smaller but longer lasting variation. The sound is different and both are imperfect. However, most people (including me) prefer the longer, shallower variations from a heavy platter.

As Mark pointed out a thicker platter will also present a longer reflection path for vibrational energy bouncing around in the platter. No doubt this also will affect the sound. From the experimentation I have done the longer path seems to be beneficial but since a thicker platter is also heavier it's difficult to separate out the effects.

Chris

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Do Acrylic Platters, as a meterial, have any type of sonic signature? - jaybar 07:09:07 04/20/07 (18)

I'd like to think I've moved past the platter as interface? - Elmo 05:19:45 04/21/07 (0)

A problem with acrylic - Mark Kelly 19:10:06 04/20/07 (0)

If willing to dig around a bit, try the Teres Audio and Galibier websites - travisty 15:45:06 04/20/07 (0)

Re: Do Acrylic Platters, as a meterial, have any type of sonic signature? - Fretless 09:39:16 04/20/07 (13)

All materials do - cbrady 23:14:41 04/20/07 (0)

Re: Do Acrylic Platters, as a meterial, have any type of sonic signature? - kurt s 14:48:11 04/20/07 (8)

Re: Do Acrylic Platters, as a meterial, have any type of sonic signature? - Fretless 15:38:09 04/20/07 (7)

Just as a data point for me... - kurt s 20:21:58 04/20/07 (3)

Re: Just as a data point for me... - Fretless 18:10:17 04/21/07 (2)

Thanks... - kurt s 18:46:49 04/21/07 (1)

Re: Thanks... - Fretless 19:44:45 04/21/07 (0)

Pace and drive - violinist3 18:58:34 04/20/07 (2)

Re: Pace and drive - Fretless 16:49:35 04/21/07 (1)

Thanks - violinist3 17:16:03 04/21/07 (0)

Re: Do Acrylic Platters, as a meterial, have any type of sonic signature? - Tre' 10:29:42 04/20/07 (2)

Pure acrylic is a bit too dead. Acrylic/lead shot can be pretty good. nt - kurt s 14:50:16 04/20/07 (0)

Re: Do Acrylic Platters, as a meterial, have any type of sonic signature? - Fretless 11:21:43 04/20/07 (0)

Re: Do Acrylic Platters, as a meterial, have any type of sonic signature? - Pat S. 08:17:02 04/20/07 (0)

Follow Ups

All materials do - cbrady 23:14:41 04/20/07 (0)

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