I probably mentioned this before somewhere - the type of wood matters much less when we’re talking about the top plate of an isolation stand. That’s because the top plate is isolated from vibration coming up fro the floor along with the component. Now, there remains residual vibration on the top plate - the percentage of seismic type vibration from the floor, acoustic vibration and vibration induced by the component (motor noise, transformer noise, etc.). Residual vibration can be dealt with effectively and easily using inexpensive damping techniques. No, not rubber, Michael!
Also, all wood or granite or other boards or slabs should always be supported by cones. Carpets are an issue when placing iso stands on them because carpets behave like springs and can interfere with the performance of an iso stand. Cones that pierce the carpet are suggested.
One issue with hardwood boards and plates that hasn’t been addressed so far is warping. Maple, aside from its sonic attributes, is very resistant to warpage over time. Other woods, like the cherry I used for the Nimbus isolation stand I built for Mapleshade Recording for CES, might not be so resistant. Cherry wasn’t. I also have used Baltic birch for load bearing sections of iso stands and Baltic birch ply for the top plate.
I also like the high mass (inertia) and extreme stiffness (resistance to seismic type bending forces) of materials like granite and bluestone. At the Show in Vegas with Golden Sound I employed Italian marble slabs (beautiful stuff) made right there in Vegas, enough slabs for about five isolation stands, two slabs per stand, a spring sandwich as it were. 🥪 I have a customer in Aruba with a monster five foot long marble isolation stand for his Raven Turntable. I’ve also used laboratory grade granite slabs for some projects. 3” thick 18x18 Bluestone slabs from Home Despot are probably my fave, all things considered. One big advantage of my small independent springs is there is virtually no limit to the load they can handle. I have customers with seriously heavy things up on my iso stands. Upwards of 200 lb. My first iso stand, Nimbus was limited to a load of around 35 lb.
Also, all wood or granite or other boards or slabs should always be supported by cones. Carpets are an issue when placing iso stands on them because carpets behave like springs and can interfere with the performance of an iso stand. Cones that pierce the carpet are suggested.
One issue with hardwood boards and plates that hasn’t been addressed so far is warping. Maple, aside from its sonic attributes, is very resistant to warpage over time. Other woods, like the cherry I used for the Nimbus isolation stand I built for Mapleshade Recording for CES, might not be so resistant. Cherry wasn’t. I also have used Baltic birch for load bearing sections of iso stands and Baltic birch ply for the top plate.
I also like the high mass (inertia) and extreme stiffness (resistance to seismic type bending forces) of materials like granite and bluestone. At the Show in Vegas with Golden Sound I employed Italian marble slabs (beautiful stuff) made right there in Vegas, enough slabs for about five isolation stands, two slabs per stand, a spring sandwich as it were. 🥪 I have a customer in Aruba with a monster five foot long marble isolation stand for his Raven Turntable. I’ve also used laboratory grade granite slabs for some projects. 3” thick 18x18 Bluestone slabs from Home Despot are probably my fave, all things considered. One big advantage of my small independent springs is there is virtually no limit to the load they can handle. I have customers with seriously heavy things up on my iso stands. Upwards of 200 lb. My first iso stand, Nimbus was limited to a load of around 35 lb.