Maple platform under turntable, How thick?

I have used a 3" one from Michigan Maple Block; good and not expensive. I have used Star Sound brass cones and FIM ball bearing saucers. [Dealer Disclamer]. FIM platforms show up on used on occasion and are usually good deals. These both work but do not sound the same. There are many on the market and most are effective to one degree or another, I doubt if anyone has tried them all. If anyone has they have WAAAAY too much time on their hands.

I've tried numerous blocks/slabs, cones, points, ect. My SSM sounds best on a slab of granite with BDR cones (4) on each corner. Cones $10 each / granite slab $70 / $110 and well worth every penny ..........

Granite...
Would look like kind of cemetery.
To clarify one thing. The woofers of my speakers are way above the floor level, and I get least vibration near the floor so all of my equipment is right down there.

I am extremely happy with bearpaws at VermontAudio.com. This was a huge upgrade for my table.

One thing to keep in mind is whether you are trying to couple or decouple the platform from the floor. Cones usually couple, bearings decouple. One thing not mentioned is using partly inflated small tire tube to isolate the platform. I use to use slate, which is better IMHO than granite but harder to find. I used the deflated racquetball method under it, I haven't heard about this trick for a long time.

Do I want to couple or decouple? You mentioned cones and bearings. What about Walker things, you know, those three massive cones going into led-filled discs and two more discs on top?

As I said, there are many out there. If your floor vibrates then you want to isolate your table from it; if not coupling is fine. The only general rule I have discovered in audio is that there are no general rules and that what works best is determined by the particular circumstances of your system. That is why after 50 years in it I still haven't achieved Audio Guru-hood, I don't try to give absolute prescriptions from a distance; don't trust those who do.

Right. Stanwal, thank you. There is virtually no vibration coming from the floor so it seems that both coupling and decoupling should work. I think, I'll try brass cones first.
I wonder if anyone tried platforms made of other wood, say, oak, cherry, spruce, ebony etc. How about 5" thick snakewood or ironwood platform?

In my limited experience. Maple or Bamboo make realy nice platforms. Only reason I haven't made any platforms my self is due to the cost. Wood is realy expensive.

I found the Edensound Bearpaws add openness and Organics..The bass slam increases considerably..I used the ( Thorens TD160 ) Bearpaw Seniors ( 2" )on a 2" thick Maple Slab.....

I haven't experimented with all the ideas mentioned above, but I can tell you this... I put my Spacedeck on a 4" thick Mapleshade block on top of their included cork/rubber isolators and it transformed the sound completely. Amazing improvement, and this is in a system where the table and electronics are already in a different room from the speakers. Could another type of footer be even better? Maybe, but I never felt the need to go any further. The Mapleshade wood is a bit different from most others in that it is air dried and that is supposedly responsible for a better sound. I wouldn't doubt that it does make a difference. 4" is reportedly better than 2".

I use four inch thick kiln dried Mapleshade platform on islocks under my clear auido Chapion ll table on a four inch thick four self Mapleshade stand with great results. The turn table itself weighs eighty pounds. Kiln dreid maple is soft and to me gives a very good sound. In my experiences I get a very open, authoritive deep rich sound. As stated by Stanwal, tweaks are not a one thing fit all. I also agree with Thorman about the brass cones. I use Bearpaws and Mapleshade.

Sorry, about my statement. Mapleshade platforms are air dried, not kiln dried.

On an Ariston tt, I have used 2-inch maple from Mapleshade with their rubber/cork/rubber footers to good effect on wood racks. On amplifiers I believe maple from Mapleshade(air dried) sounds better than butcher block maple. I have 4-inch maple from Mapleshade(which is supposed to sound better than 2-inch), but I haven't tried it on my turntable. Someone suggested trying maple blocks(I think he said Mapleshade has some, although I haven't seen it in their catalog) as a cheap way to try maple(maybe with isonodes under the maple?). As for other materials, I have used myrtle blocks with isonodes with good results on an early Nuforce amp.

Best you not entertain the half measures being suggested. The serious audiophile would go directly to an electron microscope table. These can be had for about $100,000. They will tell all that you are serious. Many years ago I visited someone who had such a table. He was so proud of it. I could not tell it made an difference. He was shocked.

I was happy with my a la Mapleshade 4" maple block on cork/rubber pads, untill I decided to try (based on A-gon thread) aluminum top plate on sandbox. Bunch of transistor heat radiators are bolted to the bottom of 3/4" anodized aluminum plate and submerged into 30 kg box of sand - all unwanted vibration are completely sunken through the huge contact surface and died out naturally in the sand . The whole thing is supported by 6 big and thick sorbotane pucks - look at the sorbotane site how to calculate the optimal geometry of the sorbotane pads to minimize natural frequency of the whole assembly.
I got much jucier sound combined with ink-black background comparing with the maple platform - I guess I'm done with isolation platform.

I had vibration problems with my turntable on my raised wood floor. I had to sneak up on my turntable to keep it from skipping. I replaced my old rack with a Steve Blinn rack here on Audiogon with 3 inch maple blocks. Now I can walk up on the turntable without any problems. The sound from my whole system is much better from the new rack system. I would recommend the 3 inch maple blocks.

As thick as a tombstone.

Whatever thickness you can get, I would suggest buying a bunch of squash balls and putting them underneath. It's kind of like a cheap man's Ginko cloud, but with a maple flavor to it. You'll probably need at least 8-9 balls for the weight.

One of the better things I did for my TT.

Enjoy,
Bob

Anyone used Polycrystal amp stand under turntable or tape deck?

All right. Thank you everyone. I will try Mapleshade 4" with their footers and will have brass cones for comparizon.
Over $200 for a piece of wood, oh, beg your pardon, air-dried hand-selected Amish craftsmen made piece of wood.

Under my Teres 320 I've been using a three-inch thick, two-foot square maple from Tony's Woodshop (look under multimedia storage). Its not Amish, but a few yrs ago it was ~$75 w/ shipping. The maple block sits on doubled-up corrugated-rubber-and-cork pad thingies like Mapleshade sells, but got them much cheaper, example here: http://atlantavibrationpads.com/rubberandcorkpads.aspx

Thank you. But I want Amish dried air made! Oops. I mean air dried Amish made.
I'll take a look at Tony's.

I am using a 2.5" solid maple board under my Spacedeck. It is placed on a combination of squash balls and those Mapleshade cork/rubber footers. I've put the NAS supplied board on top of this for additional isolation, which may not be necessary. Works for me. ;-}

Since I am going to keep the platform under the deck on the floor, I think I will need either metal or possibly carbon fiber cones or maybe Boston Audio tuneblocks though I will try Mapleshade cork/rubber things too. I will go with either 4" thick maple from Mapleshade or 3" thick from Timbernation. And I will use Nottingham supplied platform for my Nakamichi deck with Polycrystal cones under it.
I am ready to sacrifice some warmth in sound for better dynamics though I won't tolerate any ringing.