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Review: Millennium M-CD-Mat Tweak

Category: Accessories

As a lover of classical music primarily but liturgical music, Gregorian Chant, Opera as well as popular music my tastes are eclectic. The thing I value most is clarity and the transmission of the recorded material without coloration as close as is technically possible. The worst thing a system would do for me is to make things fuzzy when they should be clear, to adulterate the sound to suit someone else's idea of what the material should sound like.

The Millennium CD mat is fantastic because it reveals more sonic material than I had heard before. I've listened to discs that are older and others that are very new. But I've listened to them all enough times to know what material is on them, and the Millennium CD mat from Aaudio Imports has blown me away. The Marigo mat made NO difference to my listening so I returned it. But Brian got me the disc in two days and I've been amazed at what I'm hearing on my well known discs.

He's a gent, the disc is fantastic and at $119 makes my entire CD collection of over 1200 discs a re-found treasure. It also does for SACD's what it does for CDs. When I've used it with DVD's, I'm sure I'll find improvement.

Associated gear
Marantz SACD-CD player, Marantz DVD9600 Universal player

Similar products
Marigo CD mat
mikeacarroll
mikeacarroll OP
4 posts
 
For the purpose of clarification, my Marantz SA11S1, is the Upgrade Companies Signature Edition model, upgraded by David Schulte.
monobloke
3 posts
 
I Have also tried this cd mat and agree with coolhand. there is a loss of detail and air. What it actually does "is" dampen the sound,you can hear the added weight which can fool you into hearing more bass and more midrange, which will give you better, or just easier, to pick up spacial cues and imaging. if your system is revealing and properly set up, this should be what you get. I had a fellow audionut over to listen to the differences, and he is the type that does not pick up on this sort of thing, he does not mind a rolled off upper spectrum, and his personal system is based on over emphasized mids and lows. He actually liked the disc because it made things " easier to pick up on", and he was fooled by the darker more bass heavy sound!. I guess what I am saying is, common sense tells you this thing can not add to your system, it can only take away or alter what you already have, and some people depending on how they like to listen, and/or what the system is already lacking...may actually like the alterations made by this disk,.....but " magic " it is not!!!.
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
I think it is very system dependent, after making MANY changes to my system since I wrote the above I am currently not using it but may again in the future.
nancy529
1 posts
 
Mike I knoe you wrote on the cd mat back in July but if your back on here,could you please respond? I currently own the Marantz 9600 and I am considering upgrading with The Upgrade Co. or purchasing the Marantz SA-11S1 and maybe upgrading this,if you feel it is worth the cost. Also are you saying that you have Marantz SA-11S1 upgraded and still here more detail using Millennium M-CD-Mat Tweak?nancy529
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
I just have started using the CD Millenium mat in my system. My observations are similar to those of monobloke and coolhand.

Perhaps a little more positive:

Pros
I liked the fact that on complex orchestral, the various instruments are much better delineated. Much cleaner and more organized which feels right.

On video, I find even mumbles are quite clear. And color saturation and images are much smoother.

So the cd mat is doing something right.

Cons
On the other hand, the orchestra feels like it was recorded in much smaller more confined studio.

And on jazz ensembles, it no longer feels like it was recorded in a club...it feels like a close-miked recording.

On Norah Jones' first album (Last track on the album) you clearly lose the sense of air and decay around breathing, flutes, etc.

She feels spookily three-dimensional without the mat, like she is singing in your room. Once the cd mat goes on top, clarity of the ensemble is better, but she is no longer in the room...she is just well recorded.

Anyone else have thoughts on this? Anything that someone has figured out to keep the Pros above and get rid of the Cons? (Nothing is perfect...but pursuit of it in this hobby is the fun!!!)

Thanks!
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