Mapleshade boards under speakers

OK, my unfinished 15 x 18 x 2 Mable Shade maple speaker platforms arrived and I set them up using long brass cones coupling the platforms to the floor through the carpet. The speakers were coupled to the platforms using the speaker's built in brass spikes. The results were not subtle at all. In fact, the system was improved in all areas from top to bottom. All areas of resolution were improved as was the musicality. Voice is incredible. Plucked strings, decay, initial attack a all improved. I'll say with confidence: If you are not using Maple Shade platforms under your speakers, you haven't heard the best your system has to offer. $150.00 for two platforms plus shipping ... a bargain for this type of improvement. Next to come ... a 4" platform finished in rosewood with the heavy brass Mable Shade feet and Isoblocks for my turntable. Stay tuned.

Hello Oregonpapa if you are still out there...
Ref: your 2-12-11 experiment with two 12"x12"x2" marble platforms under each speaker. I would be curious about the performance of the marble if you removed the sandwich of damping material between the slabs. Would improvement result and possibly approach that of the 18x15 mapleshade set up? It seems to me that the sandwich of damping would kill the base response as described in the rocking on the carpet example in article at http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/speaker-spikes-and-cones-2013-what2019s-the-point.

Hi all ! There is nothing special about maple and especially about the "special" maple which is sold by Mapleshade . All woods have their unique sonic signature , maple may sound great in one system , cocobola may sound great in another . " Draining vibrations " Pleeeaazzze . Something with weight and inert imho is best under speakers .

Bradluke, I think you are right on this topic. The wood is dense, heavy and essentially inert. When you connect your gear via pointed cones into/onto the wood, it stablizes the equipment, thereby dampening whatever vibration the gear may be experiencing. With tubed gear, in my case, a preamp with microphonic prone, 60+ year old 6SN7s, holding it still, is important. Some people may call this "draining" vibration. I grant you that poetic license should not be a license to steal, in the way we sometimes see it used.

Back again ...

Using the maple platforms under my speakers has transformed the bass response. There is no way I would ever return to the speakers just spiked through the carpet again.

Just as an aside ... Audiogon, please return the font to that previously used before the change. Thanks.