Interaction between Vibrapods and shelf material

Thanks for the tip, Sfar. However, I'm certainly willing to consider moving on from Vibrapods. My main question is whether there is comparative experience with other coupling devices and how those devices have possibly interacted with their platform. Would there be inherent, expected differences between such devices on wood or glass and my present set-up?

I had the same experience as Mezmo. They eventually made a mess of anything they came in contact with. Dont use them anymore either.

If the Vibrapods flatten out, you can put them in the oven and they'll go back to their original shape.

In case you do have a use for the Vibrapods or any isolation device made from sorbothane, you can prevent them from staining wood finishes by putting a piece of plastic wrap slightly larger than the puck between them and the wood.

Thanks for the responses. I understand that if I'm going to consider a change to wood shelves, then I would need to change to a different coupling device, like brass points or the Black Diamond Racing cones. I don't know if there would be expected, predictable differences from my current set-up. One reviewer I read compared the BDR cones used in the standard manner (with the points resting on the shelf) unfavorably to the Vibrapods. Then he switched the orientation of the BDR cones (on a wood shelf) and obtained a superior result.

Would either of these devices tend to have more interaction with a maple shelf and, if so, would that interaction be a desirable one?

I bought Vibrapods, years ago and while they were all rated well above the weight of the equipment; they all flattened out(the round hollow part). The ones I used with their cones, did not. Of course; those fit into a radiused recess, in the cone, which would preclude the flattening. I e-mailed the company and asked if this was normal twice and received no reply. I won't deal with them again.

I like maple as a support and sound damping material. I don't know much about oil being leach by the supports but I use Brass points.

Just a word of caution, all the vibrapods I've used leech oils/residue into any wooden surface, effectively ruining any finish or surface they spend any time on. Beware. Wouldn't be a problem on glass, but they've wrecked speakers and shelves for me. I threw them all away.

More generally, isolation solutions are designed -- as you undoubtedly surmise -- to minimize the interaction between the component and the surface it is on. Thus, isolation is less dependant on the shelving material than coupling/mass-loading devices. There may be some interaction, for sure, as nothing's perfect -- but I would agree that the more effecitve the isolation, the less the interaction. Perfect isolation would make the base material irrelevant. Again, however, nothing's perfect.