I’ve tried Mapleshade and it didn’t work for me. Actually, it was pretty awful. I went ultimately with Terrastone platforms from edensound, and have been very satisfied with the results.
@tonyptony, in my area (Portland, OR) there is Mr. Plywood, who stock and sell 13-ply Baltic Birch in three different size sheets, including the most common 4 x 8 and 5 x 5. Rockler also sells BB, but you don't want to pay shipping, do you? Just Google search Baltic Birch to find a retailer near you who sells it. If you buy from a good lumber yard (as opposed to Home Depot or Lowes), you can have a sheet cut into shelves or platforms of the size you desire.
No reason to doubt your post, IE: the effectiveness.
When choosing a platform, I think the material depends on what one’s goals are. For me, in my room,...which is a torture chamber for getting great sound.....it’s a small room, my tt (wall mount) is less than 4’ from one of my full range speakers and sub,....so I’ve had a lot of experience in getting great/effective sound by innovative isolation methods.
So, regarding Maple, it’s a hard substance which effectively transmits audio frequency vibrations with a resulting great tone/sound. I want a platform that does just that. To me, the birch-ply probably stores more energy than the maple. I’m just guessing. Having said that, one may prefer the other within their own system priorities.
I just cut my new wall mount platform shelves today, in my long quest. One out of solid maple butcher block, the other out of solid birch butcher block. The maple will be under my tts.
A sheet of 19mm 13-ply Baltic Birch in the standard 5’ x 5’ size will cost one less than $100. It may then be cut into shelves of any dimensions desired. Each of the 13 layers is alternated 90 degrees relative to those on either side.
19mm 13-ply Baltic Birch ply is stiffer and less resonant than a plank of solid or laminated Maple. Some drum companies offer shells fabricated from Birch (most notably the German-made Sonor, the Rolls Royce of drum companies), for a sound somewhat different than the more common alternating-Maple/Gumwood 3/4/5/6-ply shells of other drum companies
The Radio King drums of the 30’s/40’s/50’s (played by Gene Krupa) had solid Maple shells (not plywood), and are very resonant and "woody" sounding (I have two sets of 1950’s Radio Kings). There is one contemporary drum company (Craviotto. John was [R.I.P.] a Santa Cruz-based drummer who was in Neil Young’s band in the 70’s, and one lineup of Moby Grape) making 1-piece, solid Maple shells, and they are very resonant (no glue between plies---there are no plies!).
So ya’ll like the sonority Maple adds to the sound of your systems?
I have Mapleshade planks under stuff. No company offers a SOLID chunk of wood. They are all multiple pieces glued together. Likely, impossible to offer a real, one piece of 4" maple for a price someone is willing to pay? I believe laminated is structurally stronger than one piece, so less chance of warpping.
Mapleshade does a great job with their marketing of them. How could an Amish finished piece of wood NOT improve life?
Everyone's experience will be different, as mentioned in posts. I THINK I hear improvement with them under my table,CD and sub?I had an unused one, so it went under the amp. That move for whatever reason, seems to add a subtle bump in increased reality? Whatever it is, the planks make my $150 Sanus rack look not so plain.
Also had slabs under the floorstanders(cherry stained to match-stunning) Ditched them because the room is now hardwood and couldn't hear any sonic benefit between carpet/wood floor.
The ones mentioned in the original post both look nice. I went cheap and bought some Boos Block Hard Rock maple cutting boards for under my monoblocks and my Audio Research integrated. I bought them more for practical purposes than for sound. I didn’t want the monoblocks sitting on the carpeted floor and the AR piece hung out over the front and back of the shelf I had it on, so the Boos Block gave it a more solid place to rest and kept the weight on the feet and the air flowing under it. With a name like Hard Rock maple, they must be perfect for music, right?
Keep in mind (at least with Maple Shade) if you order a custom color, if it warps, it is non-returnable. I speak from personal experience. Apparently the 2/3 year drying isn't sufficient.
I own both, 3" thick maple from Mapleshade and Butcher Block Acoustic. They are both excellent and I cannot hear a difference between the two products. I’d suggest you purchase whichever one is more pleasing to your eyes or within your price range. Honestly, you can’t go wrong they are both excellent. Butcher Block Acoustic has a greater selection of options.
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