Isolation platform - Gingko vs Mapleshade

None of suggestion with the possible exception of Minus K actually address all 6 degrees of freedom which is actually required for true and thorough isolation. Even Minus K IIRC disengaged the twist isolation so that it wouldn't interfere with turntable rotational motion. One method that will get you pretty close to the sacred 6 degree of freedom isolation is a combination of say springs or airsprings or Ginko balls and set of roller bearing assemblies like Dhurama II. That way you achieve very good isolation in the vertical direction AND very good isolation in the HORIZONTAL and rotational directions.

Wow i did not know that!!

I have the Gingko (though I do not use it a lot). It definitely gets a few things right. For a non suspended TT like Aries it will do the tricks that a suspension does, meaning a very black ground and airy clean imaging. Thankfully it doesnt screw up the PRAT while doing so. My only complain about it is the use of Acrylic platforms and base. To me acrylic always sucks out some life from the music. The Gingko also does that a little but not a lot. You will never get such clean black backgrounds and grainless imaging from a mapleshade wood platform.

The Gingko absolutely ruined the sound of my VPI....took it off the platform and quickly sold it.

I agree with Pani about the effect of the use of acrylic in Gingko platforms. Some may like the effect, as it does seem to drain some resonances, but others may perceive the effect as losing a bit of sparkle or life. The same has been said of turntables using acrylic platters and plinths. I wound up using a combination of the Gingko and a device with which Stringreen (and other NJAS and former NJAS members) will be familiar, Pon-Tunes, under my old Forsell CD transport, which was very sensitive to what it sat on. Using the Gingko made the sound a little dull to me, but the Pon-Tunes by themselves made it a little too bright and thin. The combination worked well for that piece, the Pon-Tunes adding back a little sparkle to the sound while the Gingko doing a good job of draining vibrations. As to why it should do this for a CD transport, I have no idea, but I could not deny the effects.