I am not trying to diminish your experience with Higherfi, but I will say that I met Chris at his home in Florida and have been very happy with the Avalon speakers he sold me. (I only spoke with him by phone before, after I saw the speakers listed.)
...which begs the question, where DID your RMA get sent to?
As far as turntable platforms go, I did a thick DIY glass-based one with sobathane feet. I could not be happier -- works very well and attenuates most common vibrations. (I picked glass because it is readily available, looks great, and has properties of both a solid and a liquid.)