Mapleshade boards under speakers

I checked out the symposium shelves, read a few reviews, looks cool, but for a set a little more than what I want to spend right now...maybe someday.
Thanks!

This is a great subject matter. I believe Maple Shade and Sistrum have similar philosophies, draining vibration (using brass) into another mass.

I have not yet ordered from Mapleshade, but plan to get their nano cartridge mounts. Sistrum, on the other hand I have a lot of experience with. Under my table, and speakers the Sistrum platforms do wonderful things - firmer, deeper foundations, increased focus, etc. For those not familiar, the sistrum platform sandwiches an acoustically shaped steel plate (or uber $$$ Brass in their yet to be released Stage) in between opposing brass spikes.

Mapleshade is doing a similar topography with wood. Whether or not a particular component or transducer will sound best draining it's vibration into wood or metal I suppose would vary based on it's materials as well as what type of floor it's sitting on.

I have been a firm believer in mechanical grounding since Goldmund cones (which I still use in some cases.) I wish more manufacturers would build in this grounding into their designs. Sistrum did build a triangular amp this way.

Regarding brass wood floor protection disks with my speakers, I have found that once I remove them (after finding the right spot for speakers) the focus goes way up - so don't discount the sonic benefit of being able to put spike holes in your nice flooring.

Ideally it would be great to order a set from each manufacturer and try them out if possible - and then try them under different components during the audition.

It's more than possible a few of the rights stands is all one might need to take their system from being an excellent one, to one of those truly magical systems we hear from time to time.

Emailists, I'm using the Nanomounts (just for the last 10 days) and trying to get a handle on their contribution to the sonics. I think it's positive, but pretty subtle. Note that the ones used to separate the top of the cart from the headshell area on your arm depend on both the cart and headshell underside being perfectly flat. I note in your pix that the cart extends pretty far forward from the end of the arm which would complicate the positioning of the Nanomounts there. Dave

Emailists,
As a user of Sistrum and maple platforms, I don't feel they use the same philosophy- maple has (as everything else) it's own resonance freguency, and instead os "draining" vibrations away from the supported component, they "accumulate" that energy, and then release it back ( approx. the same, as the speakers cabinets do, causing "smearing" of the sound).
Sistrum on the other hand do not store energy, because of the different properties of steel vs. wood, and do release the energy into the integrated metal cones.
Under the speakers, in particular, maple on brass cones absolutely "killed" the sound, robbed it of definition, energy and dynamics. Herbies products in the same application, were even worse.

Emailists, my experience with the 4" Mapleshade bases and brass footers
for the Gallo Ref 3 speakers was diametrically opposed to your view. Instead of
killing the sound, they opened it up and made it fuller and richer. and
substantially more dynamic. Compared to another (friend's) stock Ref 3 on a
direct side-by-side comparison, the speaker on the Mapleshade base was so
superior that we could hardly tell the stock one was playing. My friend ordered
the Mapleshade bases the next day. I see his comments are above. Dave