Classical and jazz are my mainstay. David Stock, George Crumb, Shostakovich and Roger Sessions are a few of my reference works I use for comparison. Everything matters to me i.e...soundstaging, tone, dynamics, air, low level detail, extension, control, smoothness and lack of glare or distortions. The worst thing to have would be midrange glare or harshness in the upper octaves, next would be lack of soundstaging and focus followed by inaccurate tonal balance. The Mapleshade brass footers and weights are simply amazing and can yield improvements on the level of component and cable changes. They let you extract every ounce of capability your system is hiding...and you can adjust your results depending on how and where you place them and how much weight you use on top! My system went from muddy, rolled off and ill-defined to sharply focused, crystaline clear and full of dynamic power from the top octaves on down to below 20hz. It becomes quite apparent that what may seem to be a component/cable problem can in fact be a vibration control problem. FYI. use wood under your components for best results (maple or butcher block). The Mapleshade website has loads of free tweaks and in depth detail of how thier products work plus a 30 day gaurantee!!
Associated gear Krell 400xi Krell sacd standard v3 Krell resolution 2 speakers av123 ERT supertweeters Transparent MM reference PC's MIT Oracle V2.2 Cabling MIT Z Stabilizer III HG Power Conditioner Wattgate Outlets and IEC terminations Mapleshade Triplepoint brass footers Mapleshade Heavyhats brass weights
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This is not a review, more like an advertisement. There is no mention of how you used the product nor any measurements to back up your claims. And lest someone jump on me about using my ears to do the measuring, how on Earth does the author seriously make the claim about sub-20Hz performance unless he measured this performance before and after application of the MapleShade products?
This was written: "Everything matters to me i.e...soundstaging, tone, dynamics, air, low level detail, extension, control, smoothness and lack of glare or distortions. "
And then there is NO mention of how the products improved ANY of these criteria.
This was also written: "...and you can adjust your results depending on how and where you place them and how much weight you use on top!"
Okay, what, exactly, did you adjust and how did it affect the sound? Give us the benefit of your observations about placement.
You don't even mention the cost of the item(s). Isn't that an important parameter?
RW, you are correct about having given very little detail. I am extremely excited and I have very lttle patience these days regarding exposition on topics audio. That being said, let me put it this way....my krell 400xi now produces sound that surpasses my previous ARC Ref3/Krell Evo 402 combo. Soundstage is beyond huge...it is lifelike in dimension. Violins are woody, airy, smooth, defined and tonaly sweet! Highs are extended and full of texture with more transparency than my previous benchmark(one of many I've owned). Bass is subterrranean and defined while the mids are open, rich, bloomy yet seductively behaved just enough to not blurr the line between reality and over exaggeration. Overall, presence, palpability, soundtsage heigth and width and dynamic contrasts are vastly improved. Textures are now evident to a great degree, not unlike what you hear in the first 5 rows of the BSO or the Kimmel Center. For more detail then you can handle feel free to call me at 610-721 1304. The 20hz comment was overzealousness regarding my reduced use of a pair of subs which I use sparringly to augment the lowest fundamentals...I have turned them way back which says alot!!
RW, Give it a rest, man. It is well-known that you are a die-hard troll against any tweaks. How you've bad-mouthed Machina Dynamica is legendary. Why should Dave_b provide objective measurements to explain why he likes the Brass weights? If they make a difference in his system, then be happy for him. All things audio is a passion for most of us here on Audiogon. If we try a tweak, whether it makes sense or not, and it provides us joy, then as the Beatles said it, " Let it be." Please don't try to kill that joy which we experience. I apologize for coming on so strongly, but I'm so sick of all the negativity lately that it makes me want to puke.
I have the Heavyfoot V.3 set under my SACD Standard with one !/4lb Heavyhat weight on top over the drive mechanism. The heavyfoot set are as follows: 1 under the drive and the other 2 toward the rear about parrallel with the rubber feet but inward about an inch and slightly forward of them (again about an inch). I also have the hemispherical Triplepoints under my 400xi in the same configuration as the SACD player with a 1 1/2 lb weight dead center on top, just where the heating vents begin. Tremendous results...mind blowing really!!
Rlwainwright: couldn't any positive reviews be characterized as advertisement? If the reviewer really couldn't find any noticeable flaws? Could you elaborate on your standard for determining whether a review is advertisement, or just a review? If you have issues with how a reviewer substantiate his/her claims in the future, could you go right to the point please?
Update, heavyhats on the CD player seem to squash a little too much of the dynamics. Also, taking off the top casework of the 400xi and using 1/2 lb weights on the transformer (2) improved soundstage, definition, treble clarity and liquidity...midrange was clearer as well.
Further updates...my 400xi sounds best on it's own feet, with the top casework on. The Hi Fi Tuning fuses I installed are a great upgrade however. Only listening for long periods of time over many weeks can allow one to make ultimate determinations, IMHO:0)
"If you have issues with how a reviewer substantiate his/her claims in the future, could you go right to the point please?"
Did you read my response? I asked VERY specific questions, none of which he answered in his follow-up. The review was a puff-piece and not worth the electrons that were killed to post it [smile]...
I have had good results with their 4-inch maple and brass amp stands under amps(Nuforce) and speakers(various-none acceptable here at Audiogon). I also eliminated the desire to upgrade my Lingo 1 to Lingo 2(not because I had compared the two-just a nagging feeling I had)by using 3 triplepoints,2-inch maple, and 3 rubber/cork/rubber footers under the Lingo 1 on top of my spiked Cambre timber equipment stand.
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