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Mapleshade Isolation: Does Nothing?

Okay guys. I built a Mapleshade-style isolation platform out of a 3” thick maple butcher block and Mapleshade footers (also Isoblocks). This was originally to isolate a SET amp, but after moving to solid state amps and trying to get into vinyl, I used it to try mounting a MoFi StudioDeck, figuring this would benefit the most from the Mapleshade-style isolation system.

Turntable -> Mapleshade Heavyfooters (3, not threaded) -> Butcher Block -> Mapleshade Iso Blocks -> Pangea audio rack (spiked through carpet).

When using headphones and turning up the gain on my preamp, I can clearly hear the sound of lightly dragging a fingernail across the butcher block. I can also clearly hear it when going across the rack shelf the butcher block in sitting on. So, the vibration is being transmitted up through the Iso blocks, through the butcher block, up through the Heavyfooters, up through Derlin platter, and into the needle.

Placing the turntable directly on the butcher block using its built-in spring loaded feet, vibrations are still transmitted but are much attenuated. So, this experiment leads me to believe that the Mapleshade system does JACK ALL. Am I doing something wrong that could lead to this result? Am I misunderstanding something basic about how this system is supposed to work?
madavid0
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Coupling or isolation? You decide. 🙄 I grant you one thing Isolation-wise that thick maple boards do - that is resist bending forces, I.e. rotational forces. So, yes, there is some isolation. Holiday tip: don’t scratch the maple board with your fingernail whilst music is playing and you’re be alright.
randy-11
1,913 posts
 
you need to let it sit on unicorn horns
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
Yet another hard hitting exposé from madavid0......yawn.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,589 posts
 
meh
Ag insider logo xs@2x
knownothing
1,542 posts
 
Oh no madivid0!

1. Was the fingernail sound louder, less loud, or the same in the rack versus the block?  IE, was the block doing anything as far as you can tell to reduce vibration from getting to your pick up?

2. More importantly, can you tell any difference between the sound of your turntable and your system with the Mapleshade gear in place versus placing your tt directly on the rack?  If not, stop, you’re done.

Now discussion.  My experience with large wood blocks is: SS amp, no/little difference; CDP, noticeable but small improvement in focus and clarity; turntable, big improvements across the board.  YMMV.

Theory.  You are not looking at the right thing in your test.  The main point of the wood block and brass footers is to drain vibration away from your tt chassis and dissipate it as heat in the fibers of the wood.  So the fact that scratching the surface of the wood transfers to the needle is actually ok and even expected indicating a tight mechanical coupling between the tt and the block surface.  The transfer of scrathing from the rack to the needle is less good because the iso blocks are supposed to isolate.  But this may not be fatal either, if no one is scratching your rack while you are listening, and room vibration from music, passing trucks etc. are actually getting isolated to some degree from your cartridge.

A better test might be to tap your turntable very lightly while it is playing a record (maybe an old one) with and without the “isolation” system in place and see how quickly any resonance gets damped out.  The system sound should recover faster with the wood and footers in place.

Again, how does it sound to you in general?  If not better with your specific tt, then skip it.  My experience is that you shouldn’t have to come on here and ask - it is quite obviously better.  Maybe if you are only using headphones, the improvement is much less than with room speakers?

Happy Holidays and a scam free New Year.

kn
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