This thread poses a very interesting question. Since we need more components than just wood to feel "playability", one then has to ask: what combination produces the best "playability"? Of course we have to also discuss who's playability because my "playability" is much different than your "playability" which is different than Hightower's "playability" or the next guys "playability".
Granted maple has been used for over a century and in many opinions produces the 'best' hitting cue. I think that's a stretch. Then, please define "best". I think it's the 'best' solely because it's the most available and the least expensive. But let us not discuss that statement and focus more upon the question of the thread.
Let's take a maple forearm with a maple handle joined with a steel connecting pin, stainless 3/8-10 joint pin, black phenolic collar and a maple shaft.
Let's also take a ebony forearm with a maple handle joined with a G10 connecting pin, ivory joint, G10 joint pin and a maple shaft.
How about a cocobolo with various combinations of the above. How about Bloodwood or other woods with various combinations. Would any of those create better "playability"?
And while we're at it let's take a maple forearm cored with .750 purpleheart and a cored maple handle with a .750 maple core with a G10 connecting pin, black phenolic collar and a stainless joint pin and maple shaft.
Let's also try out a Ebony forearm cored with a .750 maple core, and maple handle cored with purpleheart connected with a aluminum connecting pin, stag collar, 5/16-14 pin and maple shaft.
How about Ebony forearm cored with a .750 maple core, and maple handle cored with purpleheart connected with a titanium connecting pin, ivory collar, 5/16-14 pin and maple shaft.
And while we're at it let's take a maple forearm cored with .625 purpleheart and a cored maple handle with a .625 maple core with a G10 connecting pin, black phenolic collar and a stainless joint pin and maple shaft.
Let's take a maple forearm with a maple handle joined with a G10 connecting pin, stainless 5/16-18 joint pin, black phenolic collar and a maple shaft.
In fact, let's add 100 more combinations and then answer the question, which wood produces the best "playability"? You can probably make a balsa wood forearm, connect it with more favorable components and make the cue have better "playability" than the plain maple with a phenolic collar or should it be an ivory collar or should it be a stag collar or maybe a impregnated cocobolo collar. But to do that you'd have to test all those combinations with various other combinations and in the hands of myself, Hightower, Charlie, Fred, Sam and Pete. With so many possible combinations and so many different human beings, there can never be a definitive answer.
So why the heck did I type all this up? Because I'm amazed how a topic which can never have a definitive answer gets tossed around for days. There is no definitive answer to this age old question. Personally, it's an exercise in futility better known as mental masturbation.
And that's my 2¢.
And BTW... maple form Northern New York will be different from maple in Wisconsin and maple in Maine or the upper peninsula of Michigan. Exactly what maple are you using to make the comparison?
It could go on for a month.