IsoAcoustics Gaia w/MAGICO

Hi Robert,

Thx. for link.

Fast and Slow (de)coupling. Very interesting point. 

Trust that Alan W. is familiar with rip off price of his Pods here in Europe. Townshends are not option due to position of loudspeakers in living room. After checking return policy of Seller think I’ll give a try to Gaia’s and see whether they will work or not.

 

Hello OP,

I attended a private meet and greet with Magico’s National Sales Manager here at a local dealer’s storefront in Wilmington, DE., and listened to the newest series of loudspeakers in detail and with their new pods design. 

Since most of our time is spent listening to metal materials, the aluminum chassis struck my curiosity as aluminum is not one of my favorite metals for use in audio and sound. In my opinion, the speakers presented themselves well however, I kept hearing a slight distortion in the low mid-bass region that was evident to my ears. The audible dissimilarity could have come from anywhere but the speaker produced it, so I began my search there.

We had a pair of the Q3s in the Energy Room for some time and did not notice anything like I was hearing from the newer designs. My first thought was targeting the pads but when I heard the retail pricing for a set of those, I was stunned and elected not to purchase them as we have sampled most of today’s offerings in that field of study.

I cannot speak for all the pads, discs, pucks, and other absorbent “catch and hold” forms of vibration management but I have listened to them enough to understand what their sonics are capable of in performance. I also know what happens to the Q3s when directly coupled at high speed with the right platforms and that is worth the audition and at any comparable price point.

In my opinion, there is no way to attain synergy between a specific model of a footer part with that of a loudspeaker. A lot of what you are hearing is how the electronics and equipment rack is performing in partnership with the speaker system.

I often tell listeners that system synergy uses one form of vibration management applied throughout the system. If you mix a slower form of coupling, now titled ‘decoupling’ by our industry of nonscientific name birthers, with a more direct high-speed coupling process, you will discover that the synergy you seek is next to impossible to determine. In short, springs matched up to engineered brass cones (not cheap one-dollar spikes), you combine two very different technologies hence one is always working out of step with the other.

In music and musical reproduction, timing is critical to overall performance. 

I believe you are in search of the best sound that the speaker is capable of providing with a budget in mind. My experience would be to privately audition all the products but have the seller assure and expose in writing any further cash outlays governing their specific financial return guarantee.

There is a publication with an educational review comparing the springs (decoupling) and high-speed coupling products. Both are more expensive products where both companies also provide products and price points in all ranges of budget. Regardless if you like this celebrity or not, comparisons of this nature are scarce in the audio industry so it should be worthwhile to listen in. https://www.youtube.com/c/ocdhifiguy

Thank you for your time,

Robert

Sound Engineer

Vibration Management Consultant

Disclaimer: I am a Founding Father and work with a company that has been involved with vibration management for thirty years. As an engineer, I keep all doors open to discovery and learning principles and am happy to converse with listeners at any time. 330-260-6769

 

rhg88,

Thx for sharing experience.

As I said before I am puzzled by Magico’s box design and its synergy with IsoAcoustics.

I also use Gaias on a pair of Magico A3’s which are on a solid 3/4" oak floor. My experience has been very good and in line with skyscraper’s.

Hi Robert,

Brilliant!
Thanks for Your active participation and everyone for bringing expertise  and experience around the table and engaging in such constructive exchanges.

Mechanical isolation and decoupling are myths. Only in audio are we taught, brainwashed, or advertised into believing so heavily in them.

Bravo!

 

Havocman,

 

I have a bit more ‘inkling’ about basic nail-head spikes, cones, steel platforms, geometry, mass, energy dissipation, heat conversion, and all the products that couple to the earth’s ground or in this case the flooring. Those coupling devices also include springs too!

nekoaudio, you have no inkling of what you're talking about when you spike speakers to the floor the bass vibration goes through the floor and back up through the floor to the speakers and also the Earth vibration which is constant in the earth vibrates your speakers all the time, before you say stuff you should definitely do your research cuz it makes you look foolish when you don't know what you're talking about. (havocman)

The floor-borne vibrations are only one “smaller segment” in the overall process of vibration management. Springs also pass energy in both north and south, east and west directions as well. This is fact and based on science.

Vibrations come from every aspect including electricity itself, walls, equipment chassis, racking, ceiling grids, etc. You cannot stop vibrations - period. You cannot stop resonance build-up created by vibrations on all surfaces from the smallest transistor to the building structure. It is all going to vibrate. Resonance is the problem. 

Vibration is sound. 

Why so focused on just the floors?

I have worked in every aspect of sound reproduction from listening rooms, and recording studios to arena-sized concerts. I have yet to hear high-frequency smearing, especially from the earth’s feedback, so I do not know what that effect sounds like. I have also learned that most distortions begin at the source, the equipment rack, the microphone stand, man-made force, or the instrument, but these distortions are always audible and not some foregone conclusion based on storyboarding.   

 

Isolation is based on what science? Floating in the air free from all vibrations? 

If gravity exists, how is true isolation attainable? 

 

Coupling is based on the laws of gravity, motion, vibration, and Coulomb’s law, through applied physics, and mechanical grounding techniques and is well documented. 

 

Decoupling is based on what? Those age-old isolation theorems and hundreds of thousands of various techniques?

A definition of decoupling related to the audio industry is:

• make the interaction between (electrical components) so weak that there is little transfer of energy between them, especially to remove unwanted AC distortion or oscillations in circuits with a common power supply. (Definitions from Oxford Languages)

The key words are “little transfer of energy”. Resonance Energy Transfer is a model based on science and not imagination where resonance caused by vibrations can be managed through material science, mechanical grounding, and geometry. 

Springs, pods, spheres, pucks, pads, cones, etc., are all ‘coupling’ products. In fact, in order to achieve function in a gravity-governed environment coupling is the factual science.

The differences you hear between all of these products are due to the speed at which the resonance energy is being transferred to the ground.

 

Mechanical isolation and decoupling are myths. Only in audio are we taught, brainwashed, or advertised into believing so heavily in them.

Thank you for your time,

Robert

Sound Engineer

Vibration Management Consultant

 

I have both Magico's and Gaia but not on the same system.  I run Magico A1 speakers and have Isoacoustics Aperta's on them.  I feel the change was significant.  But could be due to my stands not being great.  I also have Gaia's on my Revel Studio's.  I liked the change enough to try Isoacoustics on the A1 but the change for the A1 was much more.  Overall, I think they are worth the addition.  At the very least you can better tilt your speakers.  I use them to point the tweeter better to my listening position.

@vule I don't think many people will spend 2 1/2 hours watching the podcast you linked.  Could you summarize their findings for us?

havocman,

 

They were searching for perfection and re Townshands after the first wow impression at the end of a day they were not (completely)satisfied.

vule, I watched the whole video and they said the same thing that the Townshend podiums were the best at isolation and made the sound stage much wider and deeper and the mid range much more detail and open and the highs as well and I totally agree cuz I have them as well.

@pgnixon I removed my Isoacoustics Gaia Is and place the speakers without spikes or anything else on the Podiums. The speakers have on the bottom, round metal surrounds around where the spike or Gaias screw in. I placed round felt furniture feet on the bottom of those four metal surrounds and placed the speakers down on the Podiums resting on those four felt pads. 

@kingbarbuda I am also going for the Townsend podiums for my Magicos. Do you have you A3s on the podiums using the original magico spikes and pads or on the speaker base without spikes?

@stibi what you need to do with Magicos is to email Isoacoustics support and tell them the make and model of the speaker you have if none of their included hardware fits. They will send you the hardware you need free of charge. I did that for my Magico A3s and when I put them on my Monoprice speakers stands, I emailed Isoacoustics and they sent me the proper hardware again, free of charge. They aren’t the fastest to respond via email. But they do respond and follow through. 
 

But once again, I replaced the Gaia Is with the Townshend Podiums. The Podiums are not leaving. 

Isoacoustics has new products which, I believe, are superior to the very good Gias.

The Aperta. They appear to be superior to the Gias and the Oreas. Seem closer to the Townshend Podiums at a fraction of the price. Instead of solid rubber between the steel the Apertas have a good amount of flexible rubber in a vibration absorbing devise. They sell them on Amazon Prime. 30 day return.

Skyscraper

Your experience sharing is much appreciated!

And yes, my loudspeakers are placed in living room too, on hard oak parquet.

I’ve Gaias on my Magico A3’s which are on a solid 3/4" oak floor. The bass response tightened up most noticeably, and the sound stage instruments and vocals became more defined relative to one another. If you read the ads and reviews for the Isoacoustic Gaias they surprisingly accurately describe the results I got from them. I thoroughly researched the Gaias and many of their competitors. I’m still amazed they lived up to the advertising and reviews as I’m pretty cynical, and when does that ever happen?

If money was no object I might have gone with the Townsend pods but they are pretty massive looking which can be a drawback if your speakers are in a living space. I was so impressed with the Gaias, I’ve now their equivalent pods under all my components to good effect. I’m guessing you’d be pleased too. I didn’t notice any harshness added to the treble response like fpomposo noted above.

I had Magico S5 and was surprised that non of the supplied mounting options in the Gaia set could not fit. Consequently I had to sell the Gaia.

@vule ,

What county are you in? Several companies in the states that sell the Gaia’s offer a 30-60 day free return policies. I have KEF Reference 5 speakers and tried the Gaia 1’s and decided they were great, so I kept them. Check out Crutchfield, they have a 60 day return policy and are great to deal with.

All the best.

JD

I use footers for my new YG Carmel 2's which have no bass port - in my case I use Arya Revopds. The difference they make to the sound of my system is like a significant component upgrade - wider and deeper soundstage with improved seperation of instrument. Arthur - the main man - is also a great guy and really helpful in tailoring the footers to your specification - size of bolts etc. UK stockists are Audio Emotion but they ship worldwide.

 

perkri,

that’s true. It is an option.

but then due to shipment route

I’d be able to return them with significant financial loss.

@vule 

Buy them

Try them

Dont like them?

Return them.

 

@havocman 

Earth vibrates at 7.83hz fyi…

These days I’ve been digging out a lot to find some answers. There are so many variables. I heard about Townshends but at this time I am targeting Gaya’s.

Here is a link and I kindly ask all of You to patiently watch a video and post some comments, pros and cons, agree or disagree with findings, personal opinion and finding that may differ from what is being discovered in video. 
https://youtube.com/watch?v=5cXRYay0Mbc

Thx.

nekoaudio, you have no inkling of what you're talking about when you spike speakers to the floor the bass vibration goes through the floor and back up through the floor to the speakers and also the Earth vibration which is constant in the earth vibrates your speakers all the time, before you say stuff you should definitely do your research cuz it makes you look foolish when you don't know what you're talking about.

the cabinet will still vibrate from the base as well as from the earth vibration the problem with the guy they only isolate down to 20 HZ the Earth vibrations are less than 5 Hertz so you're still going to get the speaker's vibrating from the earth vibration and you'll get smearing in the highs from that, the Townshend podiums isolate down to three Hertz so they isolate all the Earth vibrations from getting to your speakers.

and I put them under my speakers which are the monitor audio platinum 200 Gen 2 and it was like changing all the electronics the room problems didn't even matter anymore if you have any.

there's something that's much better than the Gaia, it's a lot more expensive though it's called the Townshend podiums, everyone that's tried both has said that the podiums are in a different League better than the Gaia but they're also three times more money.

I ended up returning them, they did tighten up the bass, but the treble was harsher and more fatiguing... Didn’t work for me, difficult to set up too, the design is funky and it can be tricky to get them tight, level, and facing the direction they tell you is best in the set up guide... too pricey also, its just sorbothane with some made in china milled parts... I went back to the regular floor spikes, but I found some carbon fiber floor spike protectors on Amazon, Viborg audio I think was the brand, only cost like $30, I cut little heavy duty rubber pieces under those I had in the garage and it sounded better than the Isoacoustics in my setup

 

 

 

I do not have Magicos but MBL towers on concrete floor, and can confirm about the Tonwnshend podiums being superior to the Isoacoustics.  They also look way cooler.

@vule I have a pair of Magico A3 towers and for a long time I had Isoacoustics Gaia I footers on them. Sonically, and in general, I believe that the Isoacoustics footers make a positive difference. In my case, my A3s are on hardwood floors. I chose the Gaia Is because they provide a much more stable base for the speakers rather than the included spikes and pads. The Gaia Is accomplished that objective for me. But as of recently, I removed the Gaia Is and put the A3s on Townshend Seismic Podiums. The SQ benefits of the Podiums are superior to the Gaia Is. Additionally, they also provide a stable base. So I would say the Podiums are best. But second place goes to the Gaia Is.  

Many thanks for Your inputs.
Speaking from experience?

Magico speakers should be used with the included spikes or their *POD feet because the speakers are designed to be coupled to the floor. Spikes and the *PODs couple to the floor.

MAGICO Spods Price in Europe at Dealer is 4600 € (4700 $).

Why would the Gaias interact with that feature of the speakers?

Can't you buy the Gaias from a place that allows for returns within a period of time?

Doesn’t Magico  make some kind of pods for their speakers?

Would seem easier to get the answer you need by simply contacting Magico and asking them the  question

I agree!

Mike

Would seem easier to get the answer you need by simply contacting Magico and asking them the  question

Gaia’s are decouplers and MAGICOs have no bass reflex ports. This is exactly where all my doubts and considerations going to. 

I'm afraid I can't speak to Magicos specifically, but I haven't heard a brand/model that hasn't been changed by the addition of Isoacoustics products.  Whether the change is better or worse is a debate for another thread, but I kept them in my system after the audition.  The most noticable change was in the lower midrange and bass frequencies, especially piano and male vocals.