Recently installed Mapleshade Bedrock speaker stands under a pair of Totem monitors in the 'man cave'. FWIW, this 'system' is not for music, but for TV only, using the TV as the audio source run through an NAD 3020 digital integrated amplifier. While watching movies there's been an immediate improvement in the bass response - deeper, tighter, more impactful. The soundstage, if you want to call it that, is lifelike and bigger than before. I like monitors, and have owned several nice pair, I am just not a big fan of speaker stands. Once you put monitors on stands the footprint is every bit as big as modest sized floorstanders. Why not have the bass response too and just buy the floorstander? OK, they are more expensive, I get that, but monitors on stands are at extreme risk environments that include kids, grandkids, drunken buddies, dancers, and animals. I've heard the argument that monitors image better than floorstanders, which may be true. That said, good floorstanders also image well. The Mapleshade Bedrocks sit just inches above the floor which makes the room look 'cleaner', less crowded, and they sound every bit as good or better than expensive stands which stand 25" up the wall. I'm buying a second set of Bedrock speaker stands for the community 'TV room': no compromise in sound quality (I'd argue a sonic improvement), and a much nicer look in the rooms' interiors. Both TV's are set up using two channel configuration only, the NAD integrated in room 1 and Parasound separates in room 2.
Mapleshade Isolation: Does Nothing?
Okay guys. I built a Mapleshade-style isolation platform out of a 3” thick maple butcher block and Mapleshade footers (also Isoblocks). This was originally to isolate a SET amp, but after moving to solid state amps and trying to get into vinyl, I used it to try mounting a MoFi StudioDeck, figuring this would benefit the most from the Mapleshade-style isolation system.
Turntable -> Mapleshade Heavyfooters (3, not threaded) -> Butcher Block -> Mapleshade Iso Blocks -> Pangea audio rack (spiked through carpet).
When using headphones and turning up the gain on my preamp, I can clearly hear the sound of lightly dragging a fingernail across the butcher block. I can also clearly hear it when going across the rack shelf the butcher block in sitting on. So, the vibration is being transmitted up through the Iso blocks, through the butcher block, up through the Heavyfooters, up through Derlin platter, and into the needle.
Placing the turntable directly on the butcher block using its built-in spring loaded feet, vibrations are still transmitted but are much attenuated. So, this experiment leads me to believe that the Mapleshade system does JACK ALL. Am I doing something wrong that could lead to this result? Am I misunderstanding something basic about how this system is supposed to work?
Turntable -> Mapleshade Heavyfooters (3, not threaded) -> Butcher Block -> Mapleshade Iso Blocks -> Pangea audio rack (spiked through carpet).
When using headphones and turning up the gain on my preamp, I can clearly hear the sound of lightly dragging a fingernail across the butcher block. I can also clearly hear it when going across the rack shelf the butcher block in sitting on. So, the vibration is being transmitted up through the Iso blocks, through the butcher block, up through the Heavyfooters, up through Derlin platter, and into the needle.
Placing the turntable directly on the butcher block using its built-in spring loaded feet, vibrations are still transmitted but are much attenuated. So, this experiment leads me to believe that the Mapleshade system does JACK ALL. Am I doing something wrong that could lead to this result? Am I misunderstanding something basic about how this system is supposed to work?