After much consultation and consideration, I took a leap of faith and bought Apprentice platforms from Robert at Starsound. Short story - money well spent. Had decent-to-serious equipment at the time, enough that my friends thought I was crazy to spend that kind of $$ on my system (I'm sure you understand). Clarity, attack, transparency, focus and especially the imaging improved to the point it was spooky for a while. Bonus: I live in CA earthquake country and these platforms add an element of stability that the Mapleshade products cannot. All my old Mapleshade hardware has been, uh, repurposed.
StarSound Sistrum racks
I currently have a 4 shelf Grand Prix Audio Monaco rack with Apex feet and one carbon fiber shelf. I need to purchase another rack with 4 shelves. I've been waiting for a used Grand Prix Audio Monaco to show up, but am now considering other altervatives. What do people think of StarSound's Sistrum racks, especially compared to other "audiophile" racks like the Monaco?