Ringmat Anniversary Gold Spot "Real Ale" Edition
The Ultimate Ringmat - The Ringmat Gold Spot "Real Ale" Edition
Released in August 2007, "Anniversary Gold Spot" is a much improved version of the standard Anniversary Ringmat.
At about 2.9mm thick, it is some 100 microns thinner than the other Ringmat 330 models. It looks very much like the standard Anniversary, but with the addition of a ‘Gold Spot’ disc. The Gold Spot disc is very powerful and its orientation is very important. It improves clarity, speed and timing of the sound, The anti-resonance cut-outs improve the dynamics, the amount of information retrieved and help create a much larger, wider sound stage, locking the imaging into a stable situation. While the position of the Gold Spot disc on the Ringmat is very important and follows a unique geometric pattern for dealing with resonance in materials, more interesting is the actual orientation of the Gold Spot itself in the spot where it is positioned. For example, were the Gold Spot disc to be turned through 360° from the correct orientation in which it is placed on the Ringmat, the imaging would change and become diffuse.
RINGMAT is a new method of record support and the first that has been properly designed for the generation of an accurate, low distortion signal. It's unique design enables 12" records to be supported so that the main vibrational modes of record movement - caused by the input of stylus energy - give the minimum possible error signal. This allows for improved tracking and, as a result, a reduction in stylus and record wear.
With RINGMAT, there is a reduction of background noise with a cleaner, crisper and yet more delicate sound, together with a wider and deeper soundstage; there is an enhanced sense of power, with greater weight and authority in the bass.
The benefits of the Ringmat really come to fruition, with a further degree of tactile realism, a greater firmness and accessibility to the sound. It all just goes to show that there really is more in the grooves to be dug out and, no matter how futile it may seem in this digital age, that we can still go on enhancing our enjoyment of those old vinyl treasures.
Performance of the Gold Spot over the standard Anniversary is at least as much again as the standard Anniversary over the old MkII XLR
Except in the case of those few turntables which normally have an extremely thin rubber or felt mat and have no tonearm height adjustment, it is recommended that the Gold Spot or Anniversary 330. Accordingly, Linn, Roksan, Rega and similar turntables should use one of these Ringmats.
.jpg)
