Maple platforms

Moving from an MDF-based rack to the Mapleshade Samson 2 made a HUGE improvement in the overall system sound - and most especially with the Aries. This was money exceedingly well spent.

Slightly off topic - I am presently having a pair of custom amp platforms being made. Dimensions will be 18" X 20" X 4". The stands will be made of lyptus, a denser wood than maple. It will be interesting to note the differences between these and a similar sized maple platform (which I'll be borrowing for comparison).

My rack also has MDF shelves. As an experiment, I bought a 3x20x20 maple block from Tonys Woodshop (tonyswoodshop.com) and a set of the 99lb Mapleshade Isoblocks to go under my Teres 255. At approx. $125 total cost, this is easily the biggest bang for the buck tweak I've made to my system. I'll heartily encourage trying it. Sonic improvements include a general lowering of the noise floor cashed out as blacker backgrounds, slightly better instrument focus, less lower frequency transient smearing, and most surprising to me, the soundstage lifted several feet.

Denser woods may very well give further improvements. The higher-end Teres models all gain mass via denser cocobolo or rosewood. I'd try the maple under your table first to learn if pricier solution is worth the additional expense. If so, you can always use the maple for an amp or a cutting board.

Has anyone tried Brazilian Pernambuco or American Ironwood? They are both used to make the best bows for string instruments.

Curious about the mention of Lyptus above, I did some investigation. Lyptus is actually a hybrid of two varieties of Eucalyptus grown in Brazil. It is apparently denser and also cheaper than Rock maple and quite stable for woodworking/milling. Even denser than Lyptus, and slightly more expensive than Lyptus and Maple is White Oak. I am attaching below some density and pricing info for different kinds of wood. Has anyone experimented with them in platforms?

rock maple
Density: 630
Cost 6/4 $4.80 board ft.
Cost 8/4 5.24 board ft.

Lyptus
Density: 650
Cost:
6/4: $3.94 board ft.
8/4: $4.02 board ft.
NOTE: Most highly recommended for stability, ease of milling, etc. .

red oak
Density: 630
Cost:
6/4: $4.25 board ft.
8/4: $4.78 board ft.

white oak
Density: 680
Cost:
6/4: $4.48 board ft.
8/4: $4.98 board ft.

pecan
Density: between red and white oak.
Cost:
8/4: $5.15 board ft.

Ipe
Density: even higher than White Oak.
Cost: $2.03 approx per board ft.
NOTE: Ipe may develop cracks.

An interesting discussion. There are various camps favoring steel/glass, shelfless designs, through MDF, to heavy hardwood. As with so much audiophile tuning, the optimal solution is probably equipment and room specific, as well as a matter of taste.
That said, this talk has renewed my interest in trying heavy maple or other dense hardwood. Most towns will have a good cabinet-maker who will put something together to custom spec for reasonable cost, or there are established audiophile/maplephile options.

When I moved my kit onto a wooden Isoblue stand, changing from another brand's steel support/wood shelf unit, I found a major improvement. But I seem to remember that before that, I'd temporarily enlisted our very heavy teak coffee table, with a ceramic inlay top, with unexpectedly good results.

Time to compare again. The Isoblue serves me well, but is designed for no more that 6 inch clearance between shelves, so its application is somewhat limited. Fat tubed gear will have to look elsewhere for support...

I have old Totem Sttaf speakers in my second system that sound astonishingly good on the solid foot of limestone at the base of my fireplace. Let's see...how much would a custom component stand cost; limestone shelves on maple supports...