mapleshade

tried their interconnects...didn't impressed me...i switched to Tara Labs Reference and they sounded much better...then went to Signal Cable...still better than the Mapleshade...just didn't get the bass right in my system with the Mapleshade hair-thin interconnects...

Wire + saran wrap. Better have a generous insurance policy, especially if you try their power products. Note: I have not auditioned their products - the inattention to safety or anything approaching durability in their engineering (cables and power products - not opining on stands etc.) precludes me from doing so. I think their cable + power designs are frankly out to lunch. I mean, really and truly out to lunch.

Iasi, Although I have evolved to a higher plane of consciousness than my past Mapleshades provided, my previous Mapleshades included their better flat copper ribbon design, and the bass quite a bit upgraded from their hair-thin older entry level design.
Mwilson, I am not aware of any documented event requiring better insurance, but perhaps one could consider this to be the "extreme sports" corner of the audio universe? If there is a specific safety standard that you feel is violated then please let it be known, as most on Audiogon have no electrical design background. By pooling our collective expertise, or opinions, everyone can become a better informed consumer.

I'll second your research into Gregg Straley's cables. Listener57 turned me onto them, I tried 'em out and bought them immediately. The speaker cables were excellent on immediate hook-up, the IC's taking a little longer to burn-in but they really are impressive and ridiculously (though realistically for a change) cheap.

Listener, the safety standard that they violate is the lack of a durable insulating jacket over their power leads. Their power products have leads that are nothing more than thinly enameled conductors twisted around one another inside a plastic film (which I jokingly refer to as "saran wrap".)

Several audiophiles have experienced tearing of this film, and report that it's very easily damaged. The thin plastic film and thin layer of enamel are expected to insulate 15a of current - as compared to the more durable teflon or plastic casings used in almost all other power cord designs. If the Mapleshade's plastic film is torn, which is commonly reported, and the enamel is nicked, you have bare copper exposed, carrying wall current. This is easier to achieve with these flimsy products than it is with more robust power products (ie. almost everything else.)

Extreme sports indeed. While they can be used with care, I caution anyone against using a power product that doesn't feature a properly and safely insulated cord.