I have Spatial Audio M4TM speakers which were spiked to the thick carpet in my room. I got the GAIA footers with the carpet spikes this week and got them installed today. They are fiddly as hell to install, requiring a narrow needle-nose pliers to cinch down the nuts securely.
I have been listing to my system for a few hours with them installed and from the get-go, the SQ improvement was readily apparent. There is an enhanced vividness to the music with more pronounced leading edges to musical notes and a more life-like decay to the notes that makes the sound more engaging. I am very impressed with the SQ improvement which is far from subtle to my ears. I previously auditioned the SVS footers and they clearly degraded the sound of my system.
These footers have garnered lots of praise in the audio community and at $680 for them, it was an expensive tweek, but my ears are really happy with revisiting familiar recordings and loving the sound ever more than before. I am aware in reading reviews that a fair number of folks trying them were not impressed, but Music Direct and others permit a 30-day money-back trial if they don't work in your system. At any rate, it seems appropriate to share my impressions of them with you folks as they are quite amazing in my system.
Old thread, I know, but for future member searches:
I’ve been playing around with some GAIA IIIs over the course of this past year. I have a pretty good rake/tilt to open up the soundstage, but always questioned whether such tilt was jeopardizing the effectiveness of the GAIAs. I reached out to IsoAcoustics who communicated that a tilt of greater than 3 degrees would diminish the effectiveness of the GAIAs. After a brief email conversation they were able to provide longer threads free of charge. GAIAs also typically go on sale during the holidays.
I have ordered the GAIA III for my Sanus speaker stands after having incredible success adding Iscoacoustics OREA to my subwoofer. The speaker stands currently have spikes, which were a better isolation choice than plastic feet at the time. Since the floors are hardwood, the vibrations from the subwoofer were traveling through the floor, up the spikes and reflecting on the tweeter, marring its performance.
Isoacoustics recommends OREA for small speakers on stands, but that leaves them susceptible to falling off. Since these are bolted to the stand, they join in with the vibrations. I can feel them travel through the stand. It is my belief that by adding the GAIA to the stands, the vibrations from the speaker itself will not reflect back up, as they are likely doing now. It will also further mitigate the vibration coming up through the subwoofer.
I have used numerous tweaks, both passive and electrical, and using these acoustic feet have been some of the most impactful.
Over the past few years, I have used Still Points Ultra SS, Audio Points and now Isoacoutics Gaia under my Acoustic Zen Crescendos and now my 15 inch Full Range drivers.
Raising my speakers up 1.5-2 inches is barely audible and you can croutch down or whatever means you prefer. The difference the Gaia’s make are quite startling in how they expands your sound stage and tighten up bass and image focus; raising your speakers doesn’t accomplish that and you can even discern the changes 20+ feet away.
I guess with anything, you just have to see if they will work for your particular needs.
I never heard back from IsoAcoustics. I did hear back from the people at Herbie’s and ended up going with the threaded stud gliders and the Fat Dots. An inexpensive way to solve my current problem. We’ll see how it sounds in practice.
The Solidair stuff looks interesting, but much like with IsoAcoustics, it’s tough to figure out what would work for my particular setup, i.e. stand mounted monitors. Also, I don't want to raise the speakers up too high.
If I feel like I’m missing something I’ll contact them to see what they say.
Just to throw in my 2 cents on this; I’d strongly recommend checking if the difference is made by the technology in the feet, or the fact that they raise the tweeters etc. a couple inches up. I’m intrigued to try these as well, but I know some people, who did notice a difference, but realized it was just due to the difference in height... But it does stand to reason there could be some benefits from the isolation.
Ray, This is an intriguing product line of isolation devices which strike me as very affordable. Thanks for the post, I will have a further look at them. There are many paths to excellent isolation devices and there is solid science behind their efficacy. Try them and let you ears inform you of their value in your rig.
The speakers don't have threads, they're B&W 805's. I suppose perhaps I could use the Herbie Gliders as a first step. Perhaps Isopucks under the speakers...
1) Use Herbie Gliders under the stand legs / post.
2) Go with the appropriate (by weight) GAIAs threaded into the speakers (instead of the Oreas). The fully coupled GAIAs + Speakers would sit on top of the stand.
This "doubles up" on the isolation.... which I've found to be beneficial.
The Herbie Gliders are very reasonably priced, so you're not out much more.
This, however, will raise the tweeters / woofers (I'm guessing by approx. 2.5 inches) relative to your current seating position.
Perhaps I bite the bullet and spike the speakers and put the Gaia's from stand to floor. I went through a variety of articles and videos, but didn't see any mentioning for stands for mini-monitors. It is an odd thing to not speak to stand mounted speakers. Even their stands are for floor-standers. When I put my speakers into their calculator, they recommend the Oreas. Probably, as you suggest, from speaker to stand.
I'll contact them and see what they say.
I agree that this is a topic insufficiently explored.
It would seem to make sense that if the speakers are tightly connected/coupled with the tops of the stands, using Gaias on the bottom of the stands should work.
On the other hand, if you put Oreas between the speaker and stand top, would you need anything between stand and floor?
I'm not aware of anyone having experimented with all three options/combinations.
Can these be used with stand mounted mini-monitors? Everything I've read is for floorstanders. I'm in a new apartment on parquet flooring and can't use my spikes, so looking for something for my stands (Spica) to floor and speaker to stand as well. Currently using Isonodes speaker to stand but think that needs adjustment.
I have not been 100% pleased with my speaker placement in my room, so yesterday I decided to start over. I used various math formulas previously and couldn't get a node at about 80-90 Hz to diminish. I went back to the Wilson set up where you speak and walk from the front wall and side wall to establish the "natural" zone. My brother is a recording engineer so he was my ears in the listening position while I did the speaking and the speaker moving.
So this is what I discovered. My speakers are on a suspended wood floor with carpet that were previously spiked to the floor. 1) Spikes or no spikes didn't make a difference 2) Don't assume that having your speakers further into the room will make them sound better. After tweaking for about an hour with various music, I moved the speakers closer to the front wall and slightly closer to the side walls. We diminished the mode about 6db according to my phone analyzer app. Result, they sound significantly better in overall smoothness and transparency.
I was going to purchase the Gaia's but was concerned about the tweeter height and cups needed for the carpet. Next step will be the Townsend Podiums since I got a "reasonable" deal on them and will report back on further improvements from the floor isolation.
I use 4 RevOPods under each of my 2 REL Carbon Limited subs. I had a hard time finding an adaptor screw thread size that would work with the REL's. RevOPods has a multitude of screw sizes and had the one I needed. BIG improvement over stock feet! They are small, look great, easy to adjust and level and most importantly tightened up the bass. They are made of a hard material but have a somewhat flat surface that meets the floor. I was worried they would scratch my hardwood floors but they don't. I can move the subs around without damaging my floors and don't need to use cups or pads under them. Very satisfied.
@david_ten RevOPods can absolutely be used under components or speakers. My company, Liquid HiFi, recently became the US Distributor for RevOPods. I have placed them under a wide variety of components and speakers and I would be pleased to help you get the most from your setup. Feel free to contact me ron at liquidhifi dot com thank you
I am using these inexpensive isolation pads under my Don Sachs' tube amp and I sense a bit lower sound floor to the music, but it might well be "confirmation bias." At any rate, they are worth a try.
About £600/set of 4. Not sure how accurate that is, email Arthur at Arya Audio. Designed as a universal footer, so components and spkrs. The contrast to Gaias was one of the more fascinating ones in my time in the hobby. In isolation, the Gaias seemed only positive. Sound warmer and more forceful. However only on A/B w the Revopods did negative comparison arise. Revopods seemed more bass light, but within a couple of songs it was apparent this was truthful and the Gaias were imposing their character. And hence my conclusion was, Gaias were coloured. My Holy Grail in audio more and more is natural warmth w no impediment to speed, tonal discrimination and timbral accuracy album to album. Any change that imposes a signature on my sound is out (a reason I may change my spkrs at some point). So, on tt isolation, Minus K out, Stacore in. On component/spkrs footers, Shun Mook Diamond Resonators and Stillpoints and Gaias out, Symposium Acoustics Rollerblocks and Arya Audio Revopods in.
I initially liked the Gaias under my Zu Zu Definitions 4 spkrs. But switching to Arya Audio Revopods showed them to be a tad colored and one-note in the bass. Gaias went back, Revopods stayed.
I first learned of the GAIA from VPI's Harry Weisfeld, who found them to provide a noticeable improvement to the sound of his KEF Blade loudspeakers. Some VPI turntable owners have posted on the VPI Forum their positive findings of the improvements the GAIA made in the sound of their VPI tables. About a year ago I made a posting there asking if anyone had compared the GAIA with the Townshend Seismic products (the individual Pods, and the Platforms, which include Pods), and received no responses.
Not wanting to shell out for both GAIA and Townshend feet, I carefully analyzed the design of both. There is a detailed diagram of the internal structure of the GAIA on IsoAcoustic's website, and it appeared to me that the metal structure of the GAIA is not the aspect of the foot that is providing whatever isolation it affords. Deep inside the GAIA is a layer of some rubber-ish material, presumably of a proprietary nature (though not necessarily: it could be Sorbothane, Navcom, or EAR IsoDamp). It is that material which appears to be the main provider of the GAIA's isolation properties. The GAIA is priced in accordance with each model's weight capacity: $199/ea for the GAIA III, $299/ea for the II, and a whopping $599/ea for the I.
In contrast, the Townshend Pods are the same price for all models, and the weight divisions are much more finely-graded than the three GAIA models. More importantly, the design of the Townshend is completely different. I won't go into that design here, as the Townshend videos on You Tube explain it (and demonstrate it) very well. I suggest watching the videos, and seeing what you think. The Townshend Seismic products have received little press in the US (look out, Dylan ;-) ---aside from Robert Levi in Positive Feedback) ---but quite a bit in the UK. Links to reviews are provided on the Townshend Audio website. US dealers of Townshend Audio are few and far between, so getting a set for audition is unlikely.
Select-hifi, You auditioned them and found them not to your pleasure so good for you... but you did try them. I am frankly amazed that raising the level at couple of inches so adversely affected the sound of your speakers. Raising the vertical height of my Spatial Audio speakers did not exhibit the sensitivity that your speakers evidently do. I have used sorbothane for decades and it is quite effective as well, but clearly not under speakers on carpet. I did not try the GAIA footer under my speakers without their spikes.
Holy cow, it is amazing that a Youtube video could reveal this enhancement with the GAIA footers. My test with tube rolling and other enhancements (tweaks) is that if I don't recognize the improvement immediately, they are a bust. I have tried goofy expensive fuses and nutty stuff like Shakti Blocks and SR dots on the wall, and it was a fools errand.
No question, from the first measure of the music with the GAIA footers under my Spatial Audio speakers there was a palpable increase in inner detail and coherence to the music and more realistic soundstage. Pity those that don't audition them.
There is a YOUTUBE Vid that shows the difference using 2 pairs of Focal Kanta 2's. One with Gai's and the other without. They use Steely Dan's "Aja" album. The difference is pretty drastic to my ears. Hope they will fit on some of my speakers. I don't think they will work on my Contour 30's
The IsoAcoustic footers are amazing! Iv'e tried power conditioners,expensive cables ,and various anti-vibration items. The footers are the single biggest improvement to my system that I have expierienced.
These are very real. Under my ATC 40 active with carpet spikes and they rock. The footers improve everything and the spikes improve the performance of the footers. This is an immediate improvement, not a sit and listen for an hour and wonder if it is better or not.
I have only read positive experiences with them . Cant recall a single bad review . I own them and have put them under 6 different speakers , always an improvement .
I put the GAIA III under my Dali Mentor 6 floorstanders and the effect was immediate, positive and very audible. Speakers were sitting in thick carpet—too thick for the spikes to penetrate. The GAIAs really clarified the sound and improved the soundstage. Big fan here.
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