Solid Maple vs Butcher Block

Sidssp,

I am not trying to raise the speakers. I am wondering if maple really does sound better than concrete.

I have proven to myself with three different speakers that spiked to concrete sounds better than not spiked. My curiosity is whether or not a platform (in this case maple) would be an improvement.

One issue I have with using a maple platform is that, while the platform would be spiked to concrete, the speakers would not be spiked directly to the maple. The speaker spikes would be on disks.

Downsides to platforms include cost, aesthetics, and increased complexity in moving speakers. Depending on whether or not I buy premade or use a DIY platform my speakers would be raised by 5-6". Not only would that change the sound by raising the tweeters but it would change the first reflection point for the bass. Aesthetically I prefer shorter speakers and the simple, clean look of nice spikes on carpet.

But those are issues I am willing to deal with if there is a definite sonic advantage to be gained by using platforms. DIY would involve significantly less money but significantly more time. And either DIY or premade would involve a real pain in the butt as far as installation goes.

Jl35, I am skeptical of manufacturer's claims. I have been fooled too many times. I am trying to get actual user experience. Thank you for the information on the improvement with the MS spikes.

Timbernation uses butcher block for their racks and they work just fine. If your speakers aren't that heavy, I'd go for something as thin as 1" with some of those cork footers or something from Herbies Audio Lab between the floor and the maple block and spikes for the speaker.

Whatever you use between the floor and maple block doesn't have to be that big or thick at all: just enough to provide separation. That way, balance is more secure and you end up getting two types of isolation without raising your speakers too high.

All the best,
Nonoise

Jl35,

Thank you. That is the kind of direct experience I was looking for. How did the speakers interface the maple? I mean spikes directly onto the wood or disks or something else.

How thick was the maple? 2" is a lot less expensive than 4" and aesthetically more acceptable for final speaker height.

I really like my speakers (Quad ESL-2805) so I am not trying to make up for any deficiency. I am merely trying to tweak them to their maximum potential since I consider them "keepers".

Unfortunately the 4 inch sounds better than the 2, though the two is way better than nothing. Spikes under the board, spikes from speaker to board, no discs. Also the Michigan Maple sounds very good, though I like the Mapleshade better. Speakers were Aerial 7b and Dali MS4. I'm a huge Mapleshade fan, and have their boards and brass for most components. As for trusting them, I was ready to buy boards and brass for my speakers and was told I had a good floor and didn't need the boards!