odd recommendations from Mapleshade

[pbarach1]

Yesterday I received a catalog in the mail from Mapleshade, an audio products company that I'm not familiar with. They sell (and make, I think), solid wooden bases for audio equipment, various kinds of metal spikes, speaker cables, etc. I don't know anything about their products.
The catalog contained a number of odd "tips" that I'd never heard anywhere else. So what do people think of these ideas, reproduced here: http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/freeaudiotips.php

Here are a few samples:
"• Lift all speaker, power and interconnect wires 8" off any non-wool carpet or plastic tile. Use string, wood, cardboard or 20 ounce Styrofoam cups for temporary props. You'll think you've pulled horse blankets off your speakers."

"• NEVER use speaker cables shorter than 8'. Amazingly, 4' sounds much worse than 8'. Contrary to common belief, shorter interconnects (2 m or less) and longer speaker cables sound WAY BETTER than the opposite—based on extensive head-to-head tests. "

"Always fire the subwoofer driver left or right, not at you or down into the floor."

Opinions on these tweaks??

 

[jaxvon]

Entertaining audio voodoo!

 

[mtrycrafts]

Yesterday I received a catalog in the mail from Mapleshade, an audio products company that I'm not familiar with. They sell (and make, I think), solid wooden bases for audio equipment, various kinds of metal spikes, speaker cables, etc. I don't know anything about their products.
The catalog contained a number of odd "tips" that I'd never heard anywhere else. So what do people think of these ideas, reproduced here: http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/freeaudiotips.php

Here are a few samples:
"• Lift all speaker, power and interconnect wires 8" off any non-wool carpet or plastic tile. Use string, wood, cardboard or 20 ounce Styrofoam cups for temporary props. You'll think you've pulled horse blankets off your speakers."

"• NEVER use speaker cables shorter than 8'. Amazingly, 4' sounds much worse than 8'. Contrary to common belief, shorter interconnects (2 m or less) and longer speaker cables sound WAY BETTER than the opposite—based on extensive head-to-head tests. "

"Always fire the subwoofer driver left or right, not at you or down into the floor."

Opinions on these tweaks??

Besides what jaxvon said, it is bs, myth.
throw away that catalog and just buy their recordings which are pretty good. That is what they should stick to what they know.

 

[JoeE SP9]

Do you "fire" the subwoofer left or right instead of at yourself so the bass can't hit you? Will it make holes in the floor if it is "aimed " down?

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

I'll admit their equipment racks look really nice (and have a really expensive price to match), but I don't expect them to make my gear sound any better. I won't even venture a guess at what goes into their CD cream.

But if you haven't heard them yet, you really should get ahold of their sampler CDs, really amazing SQ.

 

[jmprader]

Yesterday I received a catalog in the mail from Mapleshade, an audio products company that I'm not familiar with...Opinions on these tweaks??

I know very little about their recommended tweaks and there might be a little snake oil in the mix.

On the other hand, I truly enjoy their cd offerings. Very well engineered, natural and full range sound. No apparent add on effects. Very clean, clear renditions.

I wholeheartedly recommend auditioning some of the music they produce. I haven't quite been able to understand the "science" of most tweaks that are offered out there, Mapleshade or anyone else's, so thumbs down there.

 

[Sheep]

B-E-A-ULLSh*t.



Mapleshade is a snake oil Etailer.

SheepStar

 

[Geno]

Like everyone else says - recordings are great, the other stuff is pure Barbra Streisand.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Do you "fire" the subwoofer left or right instead of at yourself so the bass can't hit you? Will it make holes in the floor if it is "aimed " down?

What day is it today? It depends.

 

[mtrycrafts]

. I haven't quite been able to understand the "science" of most tweaks that are offered out there, Mapleshade or anyone else's, so thumbs down there.

It's called marketing science, understanding the Barnum Effect

 

[WmAx]

Mapleshade recordings are generally of superb sound quality. However, they let their own ignorance get in the way of making the recordings better: they use a 1/2" analog tape w/o noise reduction engaged as well as very small diaphragm microphones to make their recordings. The result is audible hiss on on quiet passages of all of their music. They could go digital, or at least go to 2" analog tape in stereo mode + use larger diaphragm microphones so that noise would not be an audible problem.

-Chris

 

[ggunnell]

Interesting that they can't find any NR/EQ equipment they like the sound of...

 

[JaceTheAce]

I just got a Mapleshade catalog in the mail, in fact with my Audio Advisor catalog. I'd never heard of the company before and infact I know for a fact Audio Advisor sent them my personal information. I had never purchased anything audio-related online nor purchased anything from a local audio store for MANY years. So, I know for a fact that Audio Advisor has sent out my personal information.

I get very offended when people do that - it's like "looky here! wanna buy this product? huh? huh?!?! come on! It's a great price!"

Same reason why I hate Fox News in that they are notorious for showing what is "Coming up!" and you wait through the commercials only to find that they won't show what you really wanted to see until after 3 rounds of viewing commercials and contially saying "Coming up next!"...

 

[jaxvon]

I just got a Mapleshade catalog in the mail, in fact with my Audio Advisor catalog. I'd never heard of the company before and infact I know for a fact Audio Advisor sent them my personal information. I had never purchased anything audio-related online nor purchased anything from a local audio store for MANY years. So, I know for a fact that Audio Advisor has sent out my personal information.

I get very offended when people do that - it's like "looky here! wanna buy this product? huh? huh?!?! come on! It's a great price!"

Same reason why I hate Fox News in that they are notorious for showing what is "Coming up!" and you wait through the commercials only to find that they won't show what you really wanted to see until after 3 rounds of viewing commercials and contially saying "Coming up next!"...

But that's only fair...and Balanced!

 

[MikeSp]

Mapleshade left off of their list that the mains should be oriented in a due Easterly direction between the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox because at that time of year the Coriolis Effect will cause the electrons that are passing down the speaker wires to move to higher energy levels than during the rest of the year which would cause a brighter than normal sound.

MikeSp

 

[Audioholics]

NEVER use speaker cables shorter than 8'. Amazingly, 4' sounds much worse than 8'. Contrary to common belief, shorter interconnects (2 m or less) and longer speaker cables sound WAY BETTER than the opposite—based on extensive head-to-head tests.

And very strict cost-analysis comparisons... i.e. 8' gets us more profits than 4'...

 

[mtrycrafts]

Mapleshade recordings are generally of superb sound quality. However, they let their own ignorance get in the way of making the recordings better: they use a 1/2" analog tape w/o noise reduction engaged as well as very small diaphragm microphones to make their recordings. The result is audible hiss on on quiet passages of all of their music. They could go digital, or at least go to 2" analog tape in stereo mode + use larger diaphragm microphones so that noise would not be an audible problem.

-Chris

Then perhaps it is no wonder they would offer all those snake products as well.