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IsoAcoustics GAIA footers: impressions

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.
whitestix
whitestix OP
699 posts
 
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.  
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,510 posts
 

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. 

spiritofmusic
828 posts
 
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. 
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
@spiritofmusic   How much do they go for? Would you use them under components also? Thanks.
spiritofmusic
828 posts
 
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.
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