What is your take on Mapleshade products

Good value line as high end goes. No shortage of marketing and/or confidence or opinion in their products from Pierre. He's a good out of the box thinker. My only compliant would be he can be quick to jump to conclusions where his products are involved. Chalk that up to marketing/salesmanship. Well thought out products mostly nonetheless that I would consider if needed. Mapleshade recordings are a real sonic treat on a good system! The sound in the Mapleshade room at Capital Audio Fest last summer was below average though nonetheless. Tweaks can only get you so far.....

True. His methods are quite good are as his recordings but they're not for everyone. I don't think it would take much searching to find recordings he could have done better but such is the nature of the business.

On an aside and in keeping with my earlier post, taking my CDP off the surge protector and now off the Mapleshade power strip, going directly off the wall not only improved what I mentioned but now the dynamics are off the scale. I can't believe how restricting that surge protector was. I couldn't detect any difference when I had the Zu Mission ICs and speaker cable but with the Mapleshade ICs and Double Helix it would be readily apparent to a deaf person.

My Burson integrated has a stepped attenuator with about 2db steps between clicks and I didn't realize that I was using the lower setting of two that I normally use after going straight to the wall. Detail and dynamics were so much improved that at the lower setting I was hearing and enjoying everything as much as with the higher setting the old way.

With the higher setting comes an in your face presentation akin to sitting in the orchestra pit. There is just so much more presence, tactile feel, air and extension.

I know that amps benefit from better power but I thought that CDPs and the like didn't as much. This is from what I've read here and from my own experience but all the ingredients must coalesce to achieve great sound and the Mapleshade ICs and speaker cables do it for me, in my system, now that I've finally figured out the power side of the equation. Any other cables and I wouldn't be hearing what I'm am now.

And loving it. Thanks, Ivan, for mentioning the power strip. I had forgotten I had it and wouldn't have tried it again if it wasn't for you post.

All the best,
Nonoise

I would like to try the Mapleshade ICs someday as an alternative to DNM Reson with some similar design considerations.

Looking back at my last post, lest anyone think I was knocking Pierre's recording ability, what I meant to say is that there are some badly recorded artists out there, on other labels that would have fared better with Pierre at the controls.

All the best,
Nonoise

Nonoise, sorry, away from the computer for a while...great to see your having success...but, just so I'm clear on it, are you saying that, in your case, the Mapleshade powerstrip was better than the wall, or not better than the wall?? Just curious is all. Agree with you about Pierre's recording skills. He's very good. Also I think you're right about how revealing his cables (and even the Mapleshade sound altogether) is...more so, maybe, than most brands. Regards. John