CUSTOMER FEEDBACK ON OUR PHONOPHILE TURNTABLE UPGRADES
To begin let's discuss the sound of felt. I have three such mats of varying thickness all sound bad. One came with my Linn Basik (awaiting a new belt and tonearm to front a second system), one with the Music Hall MMF5 (sold thank goodness) and the best of the lot, the not bad mat that accompanied the outstanding Stanton ST 150 (still gushing, I love this TT!). With felt the thinner the better but no matter it still softens and murks up the proceedings most prevalent at the frequency extremes. Bass is tubby and ill defined; the treble is rolled off, lacking crispness and definition. The tail ends of transients get cut off before completing their life span as they decay into the noise floor. To a lesser degree this is also true of midrange information although felt does lend this area a semblance of tube-like warmth. Not unpleasant but not musically accurate either. To sum it all up felt suffocates the sound...a lot.
Substituting the Integrated Record Coupling System is nothing short of a revelation. From top to bottom everything clears up DRAMATICALLY. Formerly thick, overly plump bass becomes rock solid and pitch articulated. You can now clearly hear subtle inflections within this previously glossed over region. To hear bass this accurate is a heck of a lot of fun and even my Benchmark DAC cannot do it. Well recorded vocals raise goosebumps and I now can hear proximity to the microphone, turns of head, spittle and a real sense of emotion and INTENT. The highs now go on for ever. Percussion instruments have a distinct beginning, life, end and trail off. This is an outstanding product that is a must have if you want the best from your vinyl. The $285 tariff may seem a bit high but once you hear the improvement there is no turning back. This is not a tweak but a solution to the problematic interface between vinyl and platter that I promise will have you rifling through your record collection. Enthusiastically recommended. - Jack M.
I can honestly say that I have been completely Mapleshaded! The turntable upgrades are wonderful as are the new speaker stands for the Harbeth's. Again, it has been a pleasure doing business with you. - John K.
After using this scale I realized I was nearly a gram heavy in tracking force. This thanks to a user unfriendly and grossly inaccurate Shure device. My analog sound has just freakin exploded now that this has been corrected. I am both elated and frankly pissed. So for now just a heartfelt thanks pending proper feedback. - Jack M.
Do not wait another minute (after) reading this comment. You should be enjoying your LPs on your old faithful turntable. If your not enjoying the music and your tired of trying one more tweak with minimal results and a maximum outlay of cash, then you owe it to yourself this last endulgence. I am speaking of Mapleshade's Record Coupling System and Nanomount System. It's all about vibration. These guys at Mapleshade are not messing around here, this is a serious upgrade. You must direct the vibrational energy away from the platter and LP surface you must also DRAIN the energy efficiently away from the cartidge and tone arm. Imagine the beautiful fountains in Italy with all the beautiful sculpture inherent in their design. Now what would happen if suddenly the fountain drains plugged up and the pumps went into overdrive. So much for beauty and design in the sculpture, totally awash in water and spray. Its what happens to your music, it becomes totally awash in unwanted vibration and the energy being generated at the stylus groove interface becomes muddled. This system works so beautifully you will not believe your ears. Thank you so much Mapleshade, rebels of the audio world, for such a great and effective audio product! - Michael