Mutemat

nuttybing · Post by **nuttybing** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 7:30 am

Just got my order in today, I've ordered the standard mutemat in order to save shipping costs, planning to add in some barrier with it. The package came in a medium sized box, pretty heavy duty and I was surprised to find the mutemat is covered with a layer of bubble wrap...not bad for shipping something light =)

The mutemat texture feels exactly like a cotton pillow lol...the fibres look and seem like cotton to me, but I tink the density of the fibres should help in absorbing sound. I can actually peel off the fibres from the sides, not sure will it cause any dust problems in the casing.

The backing is very hard to peel off, as in it hard not to damage the fibre layer. Picture double sided tape on cotton and trying to peel the backing off

I won't be installing them soon as I'm pretty busy nowadays, will let you guys as soon as i installed it in my case.

ATWindsor · Post by **ATWindsor** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 7:56 am

Nice, I'm looking forward to it, the mutemat has some specs on their website and stuff, which is more than some, so I'm very exited to see how the specs translate in real life.

AtW

StarfishChris · Post by **StarfishChris** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 8:20 am

I got the Mutemat Plus a few days ago. It came in a large white box, the contents (below) surrounded by lots of bubblewrap.

It has a 'factory fresh' smell

Not sure whether it's the fibres, the foam or the adhesive, but it goes away after a day or so (I wasn't measuring).

The fibres are very soft, almost like tissue. The black stuff on the outside (not visible on this picture) holds it together and protects it, and the high density foam on the right gives the whole thing more rigidity and weight. Lastly there is adhesive and backing paper which peels off.

Here's the side panel of my Sonata. In this picture I haven't cut it enough at the edge so it doesn't close properly, so make sure everything goes back together first! Knocking the panel produces a dull thud instead of the original resonating sound.

Cutting the high density foam was tough, almost like carpet, so get a large pair of scissors. Ordinary MuteMat shouldn't be a problem. Sticking it down is easy and I was able to slide it (with a little bit of effort) behind hard-to-reach places. It stuck well to the metal case and the plastic bezel at the front.

The result? A marked difference in the volume of the AMD boxed cooler. I also added MuteMat to the front bezel and as a result my whiny Maxtor drive is a lot quieter (still noticable) and my Seagate 7200.7 practically inaudible while seeking. It does help, and I would recommend it, but it's not a magic solution.

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 1:33 pm

StarfishChris wrote:It does help, and I would recommend it, but it's not a magic solution.

Bingo.

That's my take on all of the best dampening treatments. Yes, they can help, but it's subtle.

mutemat · Post by **mutemat** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 6:35 am

Thanks to every one for all the feedback we have noted what was said regarding the adhesive on the MuteMat Universal kit:

nuttybing wrote:The backing is very hard to peel off, as in it hard not to damage the fibre layer. Picture double sided tape on cotton and trying to peel the backing off

We have improved the adhesive layer of the MuteMat so it is now slightly thicker this ensures it is easier to remove the backing paper without damaging the MuteMat. It is also now easier to fit as it makes the product slightly more rigid.

If you have any more comments or questions regarding our products, please post them, or pass them on to us though our web site.

Regards

MuteMat Team

mutemat · Post by **mutemat** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 3:05 am

On Tuesday 28th we sent a couple of MuteMat and MuteMat Plus kits accross the pond to Mike Chin so the guys at Silent PC Review can test them:

So hopefully a review should be comming soon - Keep watching this site for more details:

Jordan · Post by **Jordan** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 4:40 am

Hmm still waiting on a review of this stuff. I'm looking to dampen my Shuttle Zen (aluminium) and I'm not sure this stuff will be the best choice since it isn't as heavy as some of the others. Should I go for something heavier to counter the aluminium or will this stuff do?

Jordan · Post by **Jordan** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 3:31 am

OK, I bought the Plus and it's great! Installed in the Shuttle it makes quite a difference (largely due to the fact it's aluminimum I susspect). The biggest contrast is when the optical drive spins up, it's now much quieter. Trying to get the top back on the Shuttle when all 3 sides are covered in this stuff is another matter though!

One word I wouldn't use to describe working with this stuff would be "fun". God no. As this is the plus with the thick layer on the bottom I just cut trhough the bottom layer with a scalpol and any blade would do I imagine. Cutting through the fabric layer was impossible with any kind of blde so I had to use scissors. THis is difficult as you still have the bottom layer attatched while doing this. I ended up breaking a very sturdy pair of scissors!

One huge plus is the Mutemat can be removed and re-applied several times, if you make a mistake, without loosing too much stickiness. On later applications it just takes a little more force to make it stick, but once opn it won't come lose without physically pulling at it.

Overall; I can recommend Mutemat Plus for anyone willing to spend a few hours measuring and cutting to take their already quiet system just that little step closer towards being inaudible.

nici · Post by **nici** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 4:07 am

I was just about to resurrect this old thread myself..

Anyway, is the SPCR review coming sometime?

I would like to know how this compares to AcoustiPack.

Also, is the fabric material breathable? I mean would it be possible to put it in front of a intake without too much restriction of airflow?

Bob_the_lost · Post by **Bob_the_lost** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 4:37 am

nici wrote: Also, is the fabric material breathable? I mean would it be possible to put it in front of a intake without too much restriction of airflow?

The FAQ says not, i'd guess not from the way it is supposed to work but it'd be interesting to try it.

I'm sorely tempted, just not sure if it's worth shelling out for the expensive stuff or the standard.

StarfishChris · Post by **StarfishChris** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 4:44 am

The fabric material is not breathable. However it fits very nicely in my unmodded Sonata bezel without obstructing any airflow (the plastic does that already

) and I don't think it will be a problem in better cases. If you have to, tape it down, it compresses very easily.

nici · Post by **nici** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 5:12 am

StarfishChris wrote:The fabric material is not breathable. However it fits very nicely in my unmodded Sonata bezel without obstructing any airflow (the plastic does that already ) and I don't think it will be a problem in better cases. If you have to, tape it down, it compresses very easily.

Ok thanks for the info

Im just thinking about if it would help in my P180. The sound now is very smooth whoosh but it might be a bit quieter with some of this stuff in there..

Bob_the_lost · Post by **Bob_the_lost** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 6:53 am

Well, my girlfriend's just blown 50 quid on DVDs, so i've gone with the Plus.

It's a bank holliday over here but it should be interesting to see how long it takes them to ship to me. I'll have pictures of it in situ in a new case soon enough i'm sure.

Edit 1: Now 1/9/2005 after not hearing from mutemat i dropped them an email, seems they're shifting premises at the moment, nothing is going to happen untill next week when they install the machines.

Edit 2: Now 7/9/2005 they still can't be bothered to email me with any details on when i'd be recieving it. Unimpressed doesn't cover it, suspicious that i'm being taken for a ride is more like it. Product may be fantastic but customer care is non existent. Have told them to give me a date for shipping or canncell the order

Edit 3: Now 15/9.2005 Nothing heard, i'm going to be complaining to paypal shortly. To say this is crap service doesn't cover the half of it, i can understand that they don't have any in stock (why they didn't produce extra for the move i don't know, smacks of incompetence), but this makes it look like a scam. The only reason i haven't reported it yet is that people here have recieved thier orders. Whoever is running this place needs to sort out his customer service badly.

vine-au · Post by **vine-au** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 4:02 pm

let's hope we hear from mutemat soon, or we could have another --vendor-- 'incident' on our hands.

even if they're moving (as it says on their site) it shouldnt be too hard to answer an email...

mutemat · Post by **mutemat** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 5:42 am

Sorry to any one who is experiencing any delay in the delivery of a MuteMat or MuteMat Plus kit. We have just moved to a new factory and as a result we have been unable to make any new kits until the machines have been re-installed. This is now complete, so production is now back on.

We have also had the internet connection reinstalled so can now send and receive emails, update the website, etc.

If you have any concerns about your order, please contact us and we will be happy to answer any questions you have. Please note the new address and phone number on our site – www.mutemat.co.uk
Once again, sorry for any delay.

As for the SPCR Review, we have sent both Standard and Plus kits to Mike, and according to TNT, they arrived at the end of June. Not sure when they will be carring out the review, you will have to contact Mike Chin to find out more.

Regards

Mutemat Team

Devonavar · Post by **Devonavar** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 12:36 pm

Data has been collected for Mutemat Plus. It's just a matter of writing now.

peteamer · Post by **peteamer** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 12:06 am

Thanks to you both for the 'Heads Up'.

Pete

mutemat · Post by **mutemat** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:53 am

Thanks to Mike C and Devon for the review of MuteMat, just to clear up a couple of points people have been asking us about:

1. The kits we sent to SPCR did contain some extra pieces. We were not sure if they would test it on 1, or 2 machines and thought it was better to send them some extra just in case. The kit sizes stated on our site are correct.

2. Several people have asked what difference the viscoelastic layer makes, and how it works and what it actually does. I could write pages and pages on this... in fact many people have!! Put simply, the material has both viscous and elastic properties, which means when the case tries to vibrate the viscoelastic layer is deformed and this dissipates the vibrational energy. The Heavy layer helps constrain the viscoelastic layer and increases the energy dissipation.
Try Google if you want to know more on "Viscoelastic Damping" or "Constrained Layer Damping (CLD)" or try these 2 articles -
Vibration Damping
Constrained Layer Damping (CLD)

3. Why is Postage of MuteMat Plus so expensive outside the UK? Its nothing personal guys!! The standard kits are very light, so quite cheap to post, even internationally, but the barrier layer we add to the standard MuteMat material is high density to ensure maximum performance, and sadly this increases the postage cost due to the extra weight. We make no money on the postage, we just cover our costs.

If any one has any more questions, just ask us ([email protected]) or see our site for other contact information.

Regards

MuteMat Team

Mutemat

Thanks for all the feedback

Move