Isoacoustics Orea vs Townshend Seismic Pod on Components


I installed a set of Isoacoustics Gaia 2s on my speakers about a month ago and was extremely pleased with them. I'm now curious about the Oreas.

My components are currently placed on a good rack with Finite Elemente Cerabase footers at the bottom of the rack. I was wondering if individual isolators such as the Orea or Seismic Pod placed under components can further improve sound quality. I've read contradictory comments about the Orea. Some say they brought an appreciable difference when placed under components such as DAC or amplifiers. Some say they bring nothing to the sound, zero difference.

I would appreciate experiences on the Isoacoustics Orea or the Townshend Seismic Pod, or the comparison between the two products. The Oreas look better than the Pods to me although the latter may be costlier.
ryder

Showing 9 responses by nonoise

No doubt there is a difference but I only use the Oreas under my components and not my speakers so I really can't relate. 

My JBL 4319 monitors sit on Deer Creek metal stands, just like the ones that JBL sells for their L100 reissue. They're made by a local artist who makes metal sculptures and are of a heavy gauge and filled with some sound deadening foam injected filling.

They sit flat on the carpet and use only felt pads between it and the speakers. 

There's no way I'd use springs of any sort to balance something like that where the speaker leans back. They do not stand straight up. That, and I don't believe that a speaker should move at all when playing music as it would smear the focus of the image at the listening position.

Components are one thing, speakers are another matter.

All the best,
Nonoise

@astolfor , I leave the height and width alone unless I need to resize the image. As for using pixels, I don't know what you mean.

Before posting anything, you should click on preview to make sure you have the image before posting. If it doesn't show up when you do that, then it will not show up when you post.

You might try contacting Tammy and see if she can help.

All the best,
Nonoise

@astolfor , I use the Oreas under my SS gear. No tubes in my system. Knowing I'd hear an improvement by footing the SACD player first (what with all the moving parts), I footed the integrated first, just to see how much benefits could be achieved. 

It was more than I thought. Better focus with darker backgrounds. Doing the SACD player next made the biggest improvement, in all areas.

As for you pictures not posting, I found that you have to have a URL (web address) to grab it from. On the advice of another member, I went and signed up for ImgPile (which is free) and uploaded anything I wanted to post and continue to do so periodically. 

Then, I click on the image on that site with "copy image address" and paste it into the blank URL box of the image icon above. There are extra steps as you have to sign into ImgPile and open your account but it works each and every time in order to copy the image but I'm used to it now. Hope that helps.

All the best,
Nonoise

I have the Oreas and they made a big and appreciable difference. I use them under my SACD player and my integrated. They're not going anywhere.

All the best,
Nonoise

Yours is the second post I've read where no difference in sound was heard with the Oreas for your components. I had the complete opposite results which parallel the ones some say they got with the Pods, and I'm not alone on this.

All the best,
Nonoise

You can post your own pictures on a site like ImgPile.com (which I use) and then once you've entered a picture/photo, use your right click to copy image address and then paste it into the URL space provided by the image caption above and click on OK to see it and make any adjustments you need to. The rest is self explanatory. Hope that helps.

All the best,
Nonoise

I noticed that as well but forgot to mention it when I read your post. 
Once is chance, twice is coincidence, third time is a pattern. 👍
Of the two you mention, I've only tried the Oreas and love what they do for my gear. It's amazing how using them just under my integrated made an improvement in focusing the music and soundstage. Under my SACD player made an even bigger improvement. 

As for the Nobsound, there's this negative take on this product, the XSSH Feet, which appears to be a carbon copy of them (there are many similar products made under different names from Asia). 

Good luck in what you find.
All the best,
Nonoise