Isolation platform - Gingko vs Mapleshade

I used the same setup as Mattmiller(i.e., without the brass footers, although I may have used 3 Iso Blocks instead of 4.). I thought it made music from a sub-optimal setup of an Ariston RD110. That being said, I think a Mana Table is slightly better(There is so much info on the Mana, and I heard some of the best needle-drops from a Linn LP12 used on a Mana Reference Table[John]. Besides, my LP12 came with the Mana.). Don't consider my take on this as a real comparison. I've never heard a Gingko. As I remember it, the Mapleshade made the sound warmer, but it also made the sound more like music. From what I've read on Audiogon about the Mapleshade and turntables, the results vary, and for some, it's a total turnoff. I'd suggest, to get a feel for the change in sound(I've not tried this.), you might try some maple blocks first(cheaper, and I think Mapleshade might sell them.). I'm going to get killed for saying this, but I believe the air-dried maple(Mapleshade)might sound better than butcher-block maple(I have both, but of different thicknesses.).

Symposium.

Hardwoods ain't soft sounding. They're hard sounding, meaning dynamic and tight as a bull's hindquarters.

A well constructed bungee cord suspension system will crush a Symposium.

Miner42, I would suggest that before you spend money on isolation, you might consider trying to figure out what are the specific requirements for your system in your listening room. Are you in an apartment or in the basement of a private home, for example? Where is your gear in relation to your speakers? Do you have a massive subwoofer or speakers that are light in the bass? Is there a lot of traffic going past your house or apartment? Once you have taken those and other factors into account, I suggest you take a walk down the aisles of your nearest Home Depot or Loew's. There you will find interesting materials with which you can experiment very cheaply in order to arrive at a home-made solution that might constitute an improvement on your Gingko platform. There's a lot of snake oil in this area of audio and/or a lot of products that are well made but also massively over-priced. Just my opinion and my experience.